Page 20 of Bartender Mate

Something about that statement didn’t ring true but I didn’t get a chance to call her on it because Eden was already cutting in. “Hey! Of course the bar wench remembers me. I’m fucking memorable, spank you very much.”

My friend rolled her eyes at Eden. “Very memorable. Especially of late.” Samanth turned back to me. “My advice? Give our former classmate plenty of room when she’s training. She has terrible aim.”

“Maybe my aim is better than you think and I just enjoy frying people’s eyebrows off.” Eden shrugged.

“Fan-fucking-tastic,” I grumbled. My cheeks were still flaming at the insinuation that I would care about the names of the three purple hotties in particular, but my head was spinning at all the strange banter being bandied about. If these guys were all into cosplay, they sure were taking their roleplay far more seriously than I was comfortable with. “Thanks for helping clear up your mess, Misfits. Now get out of my bar.”

Radon scoffed again and stomped off with his latest fistful of trash toward the dumpster outside.

With Argon in lock-step at his side, Zinc moved toward me with the lethal grace of a well-trained killer in complete control of his faculties and offered me a short, formal bow.

“Tess of Last Chance Bar, we thank you for your hospitality.” The VP’s strangely formal behavior–coupled with a clear offering of farewell–put me at ease. At least, at first. My goodwill evaporated when he gave me a flat, no-nonsense stare while handing over the I.O.U. note and dropping his next bombshell without a hint of remorse. “It has come to our attention that you are in need of our protection.”

“Did you go snooping in my uncle’s office?” I hissed at Samantha, who only shrugged. I turned back to the VP and looked all the way up to meet his looming gaze. My mouth went a little dry. I could tell the guy wasn’t even trying to be imposing, but he was power incarnate. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, Misfit.” I patted him on the pec. Or maybe it was the abs? The dude was huge. “I’ll take care of it. Not planning on jumping out of the pot and straight into the fire, if you catch my drift. The bank manager is a regular. I’m sure he’ll take my call on a Saturday if I threaten to tell his wife who he drinks with.”

“With all due respect, Tess.” Argon glowered from Zinc’s side. “You have no idea what you are dealing with. Now that those bastards have identified you as an intended mate–”

“A what now?” I snarled at my friend out of the corner of my mouth.

“Sh.” Samantha elbowed me in the ribs. “I’ll explain all the lingo soon.”

Argon continued, “–Axle Grinder will stop at nothing to prevent the mating. Including killing you to ensure it comes to naught.”

“Awesome, good for him.” I gave the current Prez of the Stellar Misfits a sarcastic two-thumbs up. “Except I don’t plan on ‘mating’ anyone. So we’re all good there. The rest of it is… a business transaction. One I plan to close out without any unfortunate strings attached.”

“I trust you can handle her until our return?” Instead of replying to me, Zinc was talking to Samantha who drawled back, “I’ll do my best,VP.”

With a stiff nod, Zinc turned on his heel and left the bar, addressing his people on the way out. “Last Chance Bar and the intended mate are under our protection. Make haste to headquarters. We will set up camp and a full perimeter upon our return.”

“Say what now?” I growled. But no one was listening as they obediently followed Zinc’s orders, so I pitched my voice louder to be heard over the movement. “I didn’t say you could camp out in my woods, Misfits!”

Argon shot a knowing smile to Asteroid. “The stars have chosen well for you, Drakon. This one will keep you on your toes. Mine refuses to let me forget she’s my fountain of youth.”

Already impatient to get moving on his self-proclaimed mission, Zinc hollered back at the Prez from out front. “Hurry the fuck up, Argon.” The good mood on Argon’s face evaporated as a thundercloud rolled in. “My beast is riding my back like a little bitch. I want this done so we can settle in and protect the female.”

Eden ran and jumped on Argon’s back, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him like a monkey as she lay a loud smooch on his corded neck. Her affection earned a rumble as he stomped away. “Did you hear that, fucker, Eden?” Argon snarled. “Bastard’s already laying down orders, left and right. Hasn’t even claimed it yet.”

“Aw, don’t you worry, big boy,” Eden soothed him, sucking on his neck with a biting kiss. “You’ll be tearing chunks out of each other soon enough. Once it’s settled, the four of us can celebrate. I’ll even let you make me the sausage in your Drakon sandwich.”

Eden turned back to waggle her fingers in farewell at me and Samantha as Argon ducked out the front door. “Don’t start without me. I want to be in on the big girl talk.”

“What girl talk?” I grumbled.

Samantha linked her arm through mine and shepherded me toward the door. Good thing, too, because I didn’t want to have to admit to all and sundry that despite my protestations to the contrary, that invisible cord currently tied to my middle was urging me–no begging me–to follow the purple throuple like a love-sick puppy. “The one you are going to demand just as soon as you see this.”

We arrived on the porch right as a wave of heat rolled over my skin and a massive shape grew to cut out the sun, shading the parking lot.

“Holy fucking shit, Sam,” I breathed, blinking in denial of the giganticthingnow taking up my front yard. I would have been backpedaling to retrieve Berty if Samantha hadn’t been holding me put with the firm hold of her arm linked through mine. “Is that…”

“A muthafucking dragon?” murmured Eden, staring all lovey-dovey at the terrifying monster taking up most of my front yard who had turned–with difficulty–to stare meaningfully at the female biker. She blew thethinga kiss. “Yeah, and what a mighty, mighty fine Drakon he is.”

With a snort, the dragon bunched its muscles in readiness then leapt into the sky with a sweep of his wings. The power of that movement flattened any remaining grass which had dared to grow through the cracks in the rubble and blew back the leaves in the nearby trees. My hair streamed out behind me and I braced on the wood of the doorway to keep my footing.

Belatedly, I realized that Argon was nowhere to be seen. But Eden was standing on my front porch staring up at the prehistoric monster with dopey eyes. All that was left of the President was his clothes, boots and a neatly folded cut, patch-side up, as though offering proof of what my brain was struggling to put together.

No fucking way…

My eyes slowly rose back into the air.

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