Hearing voices come from the arcade, I walked that way. All of my brothers had gathered there, including Daman which was surprising. Raiden and Castor played pool—with Cas insisting that they play for money. Bellamy smirked at his phone, and when walking past him, I saw a shirtless guy on the screen. He sent the guy a message. Probably an offer for them to meet up later and fuck.
“Help,” Simon said from his place on the couch beside the billiard table. “I’ve been attacked and can’t move.”
Gray giggled and cuddled closer against him, flashing me a mischievous little grin. “He’s my human now.”
Funny how Gray was the one person I didn’t mind touching Simon. Mainly because I knew it was harmless. Gray just loved affection.
“I suppose I can share him just this once.” I sat on the other side of Simon and put an arm on the back of the couch, behind his head. He nuzzled against my side while Gray sprawled out in his lap.
Daman held his tablet, drawing some kind of dragon with a stylus. Bellamy peeked over his shoulder and was promptly swatted away.
“Knock it off, pretty boy.”
“What? I was just admiring your talent.” Bellamy wiggled his eyebrows. “That dragon is hot as fuck.”
“Are dragons real too?” Simon asked me.
“Yes,” I answered. “There are five dragon clans. Wind, ice, fire, earth, and water. Each clan has their own king and way of life.”
“And Bellamy’s fucked a few dozen dragons from each clan,” Daman said in a bored tone.
“Damn right I have.” Bellamy plopped down on the other couch, one leg on the floor and the other propped up on the cushion. “Well. Almost all. I never did get the chance to fuck a water dragon.”
“Why not?” Simon asked.
“The water dragons are thought to be extinct,” I said, amused by his curious nature. “None have been seen for two hundred years.”
“Why?”
“Many of the stories revolving around sea monsters are actually referencing water dragons. Humans hunted them.”
“Stupid humans,” Gray said with a yawn. Then he glanced up at Simon. “Not you though.”
Simon petted Gray’s hair and smiled.
“There was also a war between the ice and water clans,” Daman said. “A ton of dragons died during it. Ryujin, the water king, was killed and his people went into hiding.”
Simon frowned. “That’s sad.”
“You know what isn’t sad?” Raiden said. “Cheeseburgers.”
The mood changed within an hour.
We all felt it the moment Alastair learned Joseph had passed. It was a searing ache that hit each of us hard.
Gray wrapped his arms around his knees, tears pooling in his eyes. Raiden stood beside the pool table, the stick cracking in his tight grip. Daman sat near the window and turned his face toward the glass, his reflection showing the trembling of his chin.
As I felt Alastair’s heart break, I placed a hand over my own.
“What’s wrong?” Simon asked, glancing from me and to the others who had suddenly gone quiet.
I tugged him against me and buried my face in his hair, letting his scent soothe the pain in my heart. His arms came around me, hesitant at first. I picked him up from the couch, and he wrapped his legs around my waist. He kissed the area beneath my jaw as I carried him upstairs and to my room.
“Galen?” he asked as I placed him on the bed. “What’s—”
I cut him off with a light kiss and guided him to his back. He slipped his hand up under my shirt before pulling it over my head and throwing it aside. I tugged down his sweatpants while he unzipped my jeans. I shoved them down my hips as I met his lips again. He arched into my touch as I took both of our stiffening cocks in my hand.
The sex was more tender than usual. When I joined our bodies, I took my time with Simon, reveled in his every soft sigh and breathy moan. More than the release, I needed the feel of his skin on mine, needed his breath on my lips and his arms around me.