Page 61 of Marked Dragon

Aiden’s mom smiled as she strolled to Cassidy. “You’re mated to my son.”

“I am.” Cassidy beamed. “I’m so glad to finally meet you.”

Saphira snorted and plopped onto a couch. “Someone stand in front of the door. We don’t need this one getting away.” She gestured to Peter.

“Man.” Elliott shuddered as he strolled over and sat next to her. “Let me tell you, even if he did get out, his sense of direction’s crap. Dad can’t find anything in Asheville, and he’s lived there his entire life.”

Good to know,Thorn connected as he moved beside me and took my hand.Your brother is a wealth of information.

He is. I hadn’t even known that about Peter. This was the most talkative Elliot had ever been. It was like meeting a new person.

“Well, maybe we should let him go, then.” Tyson sat across from Saphira, his brown eyes sparkling with interest. “He’s been a pain.”

“Even when the cops told him to come to my friend’s house, he got lost.” Elliott snickered.

Peter scowled. “Let’s not bring up that night. No one wants to relive the phone call from the cops informing me that they found mysonat a party with his pants down.”

Saphira’s brows furrowed. “Why were your pants down?”

“Of course, someone would ask.” Eva grimaced. She knew the story.

“Senior prom.” Elliott pounded his chest. “Me and some of the guys drank a lot and wanted to see how fast we could extinguish the bonfire.”

Eva closed her eyes as if something were haunting her. “They decided to do it in front of us girls. Let’s just say Dad was pissed when he didn’t get the deposit back for Elliott’s tux. Pee on a bonfire is one of the worst smells I’ve ever experienced in my whole life.”

Errol took the spot on the other end of the couch Tyson was sitting on. The older man leaned back and murmured, “Thank gods I had a daughter.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Uncle Errol. Saphira has done—” Tyson started.

Saphira pointed at him and snarled, “Donotfinish that sentence.”

Chuckling, Brenton took the middle spot between his son and brother. “Yes, son. Don’t.”

“Is this why you came?” Aiden asked as he crossed his arms and glared at Vlad, who stood next to him. “To talk about peeing on bonfires? We don’t hear anything from you for twenty-one years, and then you pull up withhim”—he pointed at Thorn—“and three humans who aren’t supposed to know about our existence.”

Cassidy bristled but didn’t say anything…at least out loud.

“No. They justtalk. Incessantly.” Vlad rubbed his hands together. “And I didn’t reach out for the past twenty-one years to protect you.”

“From what?” Aiden spread his arms. “Because it sure seems like you brought a shitstorm to our door.”

“We thought you were dead.” Alina stepped between Vlad and Aiden and placed a shaky hand on her son’s arm. “We knew if you were alive, you wouldn’t just disappear without a word, but it’s apparent we were wrong.”

Vlad ran his hands through his hair. “Remember the last job I left to do?”

Aiden’s brows furrowed. “You mean the one you refused to tell us about? Something about the king and our security?”

“Yes,” Vlad answered as he took Cassidy’s hand. “The king hired me to kill someone who posed a threat to the dragon nation.”

“Badass.” Elliott bobbed his head, his eyes wide. “That’s epic.”

“It wasn’t.” Vlad cut his gaze to my brother. “I soon learned that the mission was to kill the six-year-old prince and his nanny.”

Tyson sneered. “I knew the king was no good, especially with how he caters to his jackass son.” He flinched and glanced at Thorn. “No offense.”

Muscles tensing, Thorn shrugged. “Doesn’t offend me. Vlad’s my dad in all the ways that matter.”

“Wait!” Elliott jumped to his feet. “You’re a prince, too.” His mouth dropped. “And you married my sister. Holy shit. I’m royalty!”

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