Page 5 of Mistletoe and Mayhem
“Oh! That dragon is purple!”
He pointed to a dragon with deep purple scales that was flying lazily over the water, ducking under the bridge and coming out the other side. Ozen hummed, keeping his arm around Avery’s waist as he explained the color differences in dragons and how they denoted family line.
He kept his hands mostly to himself the past few days, as much as he was able anyway, but he couldn’t seem to stand the thought of Avery leaving his side for even a moment. Any time they were apart, his mood was so foul that he was snapping at everyone who came into contact with him. Taron was kind enough to direct most of the business his way after Ozen explained his issue, promising to keep the majority of business issues away from his office until Ozen could confer with his family.
He made a mental note to pick up a gift for Taron while he was here. His friend loved a particular brand of demon-made whiskey that was only sold in the shadow realm. He could get him a bottle or two to share with his mates in thanks for always having his back.
When they finally pulled up in front of Korath’s home, Ozen felt that itch to claim his mate burn under his skin again. Perhaps bringing Avery around other incubi wasn’t a good idea. He was worried about what he might do if Korath even looked in his mate’s direction.
Unfortunately, Avery wasn’t the type to take his time getting out of the car. He popped out of the back seat, eyes alight with wonder as he took in the gothic mansion his father called home.
With a sigh, Ozen paid the driver and gave him a big tip for taking the requested route without complaint. The imp looked ecstatic at the extra cash and beamed at him, waiting for Ozen tostep away before driving off. Avery took his hand automatically, which helped a little, and together they walked to the front door. Ozen didn’t bother knocking, the door was never locked, and for the first time in his life, when he stepped inside he wasn’t greeted with the sounds of sex somewhere in the house.
“Ozen! My son!” Korath called, a pleased smile on his face, overjoyed that Ozen had decided to join the party. Korath was in conversation with a few of Ozen’s cousins, as well as some others Ozen didn’t recognize. His unease over the situation grew, but Avery’s hand tightened in his, and his steady reassurance came over the bond to settle him again.
His reason for being comfortable enough to stay was sitting on one of the couches in the living room, his mates seated on either side of him, in deep discussion with each other as Sylix listened on with a smirk on his face. He stood when Ozen came fully into the room, his mates following him to greet Ozen and Avery.
Resting his forehead against their clasped hands, he murmured a polite greeting. “Grandfather. You look well.”
“He’s taken up swimming,” Connor, one of Sylix’s mates, offered, leaning against Korath’s side with a smug grin at the older incubus. “It took some coaxing, but we wanted to keep him healthy.”
Brody, the other member of their throuple, snickered. “Who would have thought our old man wouldn’t know how to swim?”
Sylix, for his part, didn’t seem annoyed with the teasing. He pinched Brody’s side, grinning as the man squirmed against him, before turning his attention to Avery.
“Hello, dear boy. How are you? I hear your next book is coming out soon. We’re looking forward to it.”
Avery flushed, giving Grandfather Sylix the same greeting Ozen had before pulling a wrapped gift from out of themessenger bag he’d brought with him and offering it to him. Sylix looked surprised by the gesture, taking it carefully.
“What’s this?”
“A thank you. I didn’t know how to show how much I appreciated all the lessons you’ve given us, and when you helped Ozen figure out that we were mates. When he told me you were reading my books, I thought…” He shrugged, embarrassed, but Ozen had thought it a wonderful idea when Avery had suggested giving his grandfather a signed copy of his newest book. It was a whole month before it would come out in stores, which made the gesture extra special.
Carefully, Sylix peeled the paper, eyes lighting up in delight as he read the cover. “Another incubus? How exciting! I loved the first one. It’s good for people to see we aren’t just sex machines. We fall in love like everyone else.”
Korath scoffed as he came to join them, giving his father a look that said the idea was still a nightmare to him. Ozen got the feeling his mating would be more chaotic than any he’d ever heard of. Korath would run as far as he could if he even thought he’d found his mate.
“While I can agree that Avery’s books are good, I still think incubi don’t have mates. You are mated to a pair of mages. Mages have mates. It’s a coincidence.”
Sylix rolled his eyes, which was still amusing from one of the ancients. “Your son is mated to a human. They don’t have mates among their own kind. They only find mates among supernaturals who mate with them.”
Korath glanced at Avery, frowning. “Is there magic in your family line?”
Avery shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “Nope. Totally human. Sorry?”
Korath scowled for only a moment before turning on the charm and offering his hand to Avery. “We haven’t been formally introduced. I’m–”
Without warning, Ozen snarled, yanking Avery back and behind him, and he glared at his father. “Don’t touch him!”
Chapter Four
Avery was startled by the venom in Ozen’s voice. Even when Ozen was half feral and starving, he hadn’t sounded like that before. Like he was moments away from fighting his own father to keep him away from Avery. The older incubus hadn’t even done anything wrong. His glamor was still up, and he’d only offered to shake Avery’s hand.
Korath looked genuinely hurt by Ozen’s reaction, taking a step away from his son. “Ozen… You know I wouldn’t try to take your mate from you. Right?”
It was Ozen’s glamor that flicked for a moment as his control slipped. It worried Avery, and he was a little afraid if he moved, he’d only set Ozen off more. He shot a questioning glance at Connor, who was closest to him. It was only when Connor tipped his head toward Ozen, encouraging him to get closer, that Avery felt safe enough to do so.
He didn’t think questioning his unstable mate was a good idea. Instead, he appealed to Ozen’s need to care for him, resting his hand gently on Ozen’s arm to get his attention. “Ozen. I… I could really use a hug right now. Can you look at me?”
