Page 5 of Hera

“Enough for a couple months,” Finley replied. “More if we use it sparingly.”

“We are going to have to order from Hera again,” Augustine said. “I do not want to run out.”

“Stop distracting us. What was this about a woman?” Jaden practically shouted. “Did she swoon at your feet?”

Augustine chuckled. “She did not. I barely saw her, but... I do not know. I felt drawn to her.”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

“Did I lose you?” Augustine asked, leaning forward to look at his screen.

“Yeah, you lost us when you said that this woman turned your head,” Jaden teased.

Finley added, “What was so special about her?”

Augustine thought for a minute about the woman. She’d been sitting with Odin in the top row of the audience, wearing something vibrant purple and voluptuous. “I am not sure. Something about the way she was sitting, I guess.”

“The way she was sitting?” Jaden burst into loud guffaws. “Oh brother, you have got to get laid!”

“Laid? Like sleeping?” Augustine asked, confused. He put the cap back on the lotion bottle and looked around the tiny room for his clothing.

“Yes, like sleeping,” Finley said with a snort. “As in sleepingwitha woman? Sex?”

“Right.” Augustine blushed even though his brothers couldn’t see him. He started yanking on his pants. “Maybe I should try to find a mate.”

There was silence on the line again.

Augustine ignored it and hopped a bit as he pulled up his jeans. “You do not think I should.” It wasn’t a question.

“I just...” Jaden trailed off uncertainly.

“Remember what happened last time,” Finley whispered.

Augustine’s fingers slipped on his zipper. “I think they have changed. The supernatural community is a lot more accepting of all sorts of races now. Why not,” he lowered his voice to a whisper, “dragon shifters?”

“And if they’re not?” Finley sounded angry now. Augustine was getting whiplash from the emotional outbursts. “What if they try to—? I don’t want to be put to sleep for millennia again!”

“That would not happen.” Augustine was fairly certain of that. “Are you saying that I am going to recklessly endanger you? You know I would not do that.”

A knock on the door interrupted them.

“Hang on,” Augustine said to his brothers. He opened the door to see an attendant. “Can I help you?” he asked apprehensively.

“I have a message for you,” the man replied curtly. “I was told to wait for a response.”

Heart pounding hard, Augustine took the plain white envelope and opened it. He expected to see a threatening letter; his brothers had put the idea of persecution into his mind and it was hard to shake.

Gentleman Fighter,

Your bout was the only fight that drew my attention. I couldn’t help but gape in awe at your body and how it moved around the ring. How it could move over me. I would very much like to get to know you better between my sheets. Please don’t leave me waiting.

The letter was signed with a stylized capital H and a dark purple lipstick stain.

Augustine realized that his jaw was hanging open and snapped it shut. “Does this kind of thing happen often?” he asked the attendant. Not waiting for an answer, he scrawled a quick response on the back of the letter. “Thank you,” he said, and the man bowed slightly and left.

“What was that all about?” Jaden asked.

“Ugh, can you believe that I just got propositioned?” Augustine growled out. “By some woman who described me like a piece of meat!” It was probably the woman he’d flirted with near the end of the match.

---