Page 4 of No Potions Needed

“Dirty pull,” Mori narrowed his eyes on the older wolf.

I sighed. Mori was hardheaded. I wouldn’t call myself a door mat but in the past, I had been ‘the go along to get along’ guy. At least where my carrier was concerned. Sometimes, it was easier to give him his way than argue for days on end. At least it was before he and my sire separated because he disowned my brother for stealing a potion to meet his true-mate. Now, everyone who is of age has the choice. I’ve opted not to because I’m not ready to crash into fate yet. I haven’t finished seeing the world.

“There comes the man of the hour,” Dern nodded toward the window.

I recognized Teddy from the video calls he occasionally shared with Mori. The other two men with him had to be Doctor Jacob Leem and Marsin Starscale. My cat rolled onto his back, delighting in all the mischief we caused by following along with Mori’s plan. Sometimes, rebelling in the smallest ways made him a very satisfied pussy cat. One day we’d lead the pard and have to follow all the rules. Thankfully for us and Mori, today wasn’t that day.

Chapter Two

Teddy

“I can’t believe Mori would do this,” Jacob said.

“Omegas aren’t helpless,” Marsin chimed in before I could. “It’s not like they had to fight wild dragons over pizza to get here or something. It’s not even that long of a walk.”

“Dern isn’t the most stable wolf around right now. Even if he is actually seeing his dead mate, I’m not sure I want anyone untrained alone with him,” Jacob Leem sighed.

Jacob had always been a bit of a nervous nelly. Then again, most healers are. If not nervous, they’re worrywarts. Maybe both described Jacob, but he was scrappy too when he had to be. His being here proved that I couldn’t toss a pebble without running into someone I once hooked up with.

“That’s why we’ve sworn off hooking up. No more randoms because they keep showing up. I’m done with it. I’m done with sex. Hell, once we make sure Marsin and Astral are okay, I’m done with people. They can all rub their part together and have an army of babies, but I’m done,”my dragon rambled on.“Seriously, I am done. D-O-N-E.”

He wasn’t done. He’d get horny again eventually. Though, I was through with getting involved emotionally with anyone. I’d never loved Jacob. Never loved Sunny that way. Maybe I loved Selt against my better judgement but since my carrier died, I had learned a very important lesson: Everything changes. Everyone leaves or dies. Relying on anyone to be around forever was just plain foolishness and I was done being the world’s fool.

“D-O-N-E,”my dragon sounded off inside my thoughts before raising a forefoot that was both scaly and furry and beginning to groom.

“You two, stop,” I sighed when I realized Marsin and Jacob were still bickering over Mori and his friend’s safety. Dern was a crazy asshole. It wasn’t uncommon for old age to make dragons lose their shit. Dern was a wolf but from asking around he was extra old for a wolf. Especially one who had lost his true-mate.

“Dern isn’t going to hurt, Mori. He doesn’t have a gun anymore,” I huffed, letting out a ring of smoke when they both turned to me.

“He shot you,” Jacob pointed out.

“Yeah. Better me than Astral, huh?” I grunted.

“I can’t say I disagree with that,” Marsin said. “Not that I wanted you to get shot but—”

“I get it,” I cut him off. “Astral’s family and he’s squishier than us.”

“Dern took a gun into a room with a newborn,” Jacob pointed out.

“Jacob!” I yelled and Marsin startled two feet away from me. “Shut up!! The more you yap the longer it takes us to make sure they’re okay! If you’re so Frost-damned worried scurry along and go check on them.”

Jacob stormed off and Marsin stopped walking. I met his gaze, and his look said it all. Yes, I was an asshole, but I couldn’t stand another minute of Jacob’s bitching and whining. I wasn’t Dern’s biggest fan. He’d fucked my tattoo up six ways from Sunday. I still hadn’t gotten it repaired because I wasn’t sure my skin was done devouring cells to ensure its own healing. Dern wasn’t stable. That’s why he was in a hospital full of doctors and guards.

“Is it because he’s your ex?” Marsin asked.

“No and he’s not really my ex. Having a hookup thing with someone doesn’t make them your ex. Commitment does that,” I explained to Marsin.

“Is something else wrong?” he asked.

Marsin was my uncle by marriage. He was a flight mate and a family member. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and let out a long slow breath. Nothing was wrong. Nothing that I could point out and ask someone to fix. The world spun faster and changed more every day. That’s what it did. That’s why we weren’t supposed to know those we loved after they reincarnated.

“Not really,” I shook my head. “I’m probably just hungry. It’s lunchtime. Let’s get something to eat after we make sure Mori’s okay. Unless you need to get back to Astral and Baby Raylin right away.”

“Astral can meet us. I mean, unless you need to talk,” Marsin said.

“I’d like that and really, I’m okay. I think he got under my dragon’s scales about the omega thing. They have a history of oppression here and I don’t want him trying that shit on Mori. Though, Mori would probably eat his damn balls off if he did. We better get a move on. Jacob’s already coming back out.”

Jacob stormed out of the glass doors the same way he had barged through them the first time. His brows were furrowed, and he smelled about as happy as a cat at the vet’s office.

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