Page 28 of Cats Never Fly

Whilewe waited forHayden,ItuckedOgdenas close to me asIcould.Iwanted to pull him into my lap, butItalked myself out of it.Ididn’t understand my need to touch him.Ididn’t understand my desire to put myself between him and the rest of the world.

Forone thing, he was a dragon.Hedidn’t need me to fight his battles.Andmore importantly,Iwas so far outside my norm thatIcould have been onPluto.Thiswas not like me.Atall.ButIcouldn’t stop.

Ogdendidn’t seem to mind.Hewasn’t huddling at my side like a frightened kitten, but he also hadn’t moved away from me either.Infact,Isuspected he was enjoying my attention based on the way his hand kept stroking my leg.

Hisone foot swung back and forth like a metronome, brushing my leg with each swing.Jeremytried asking a few questions, but he stopped after gettingthe lookfromGage.Irecognized that type of look;Mamahad used it alot on us when we were younger.Itmeantquit talking and behave.

Afterthat, we all waited in awkward silence.Myphone pinged, announcing a message.Thenit pinged two more times.Withmy free hand,Ipulled out my phone, convincedIwould find a bunch of messages from my mama asking whyIwas at the police station again.Instead, a series of texts fromJeremyfilled the screen.Iglanced over at him, but he was pretending to whistle while doing his best to look anywhere except at me or the dragon at my side.Iopened my app.

Jeremy:Ishe really a dragon?That’samazing.Ididn’t know dragons existed.Sofreaking cool.Wheredid you meet?Didhe tell you about his hoard?Isit something random, like scratch and sniff stickers from the ‘80s?Canhe fly?Whatcolor are his scales?Doeshe have scales?Ibet he does.Whatdo they feel like?Arethey soft?Leathery?Likea fish’s scales?Ifhe flies, do you think he could carry someone?Didhe grow up in a castle?Ora cave?Canhe breathe fire?

Jeremy:Shoot.Ihit send beforeImeant to.

Jeremy:Crap.Adrianis getting suspicious.I’llask more questions later.Oh!Maybethis weekend when we meet up to watch “Lordof theRings” you can bring him too.Doyou think he would want to come?Canyou imagine talking aboutSmaugwith a real live dragon?Amazing! *thumbs up emoji* *high five emoji*

Anotherping.Anothermessage.

Jeremy:Wait…IsSmauginLOTR?OramIconfusing things withTheHobbit?I’mso freaking excited about meeting a dragonIRLthatI’mlosing my mind.Eitherway, ask him if he wants to join us!

Iblinked at the messages, then looked up atJeremyagain.Ogdenlooked at my screen and snorted.

“Jeremy?”Adrian, catching the exchange, frowned at his mate. “Whatdid you do?”

“Nothing,”Jeremysaid quickly.Hisfingers were crossed as he scratched his temple.

Vansighed. “Iknow when people lie.YouknowIdo.”

“Comeon!There’sa dragon.Rightthere!”Jeremywaved his hand towardOgden. “OfcourseIhave questions.”

Ogdensmiled indulgently atJeremy.Itwas the same expression old people used when talking to precocious children. “Perhapswe can talk later.”

“Yes!”Jeremydid a fist pump before he turned to hismate. “See?IfIhadn’t done anything,Iwouldn’t get to talk to a dragon later.”

Adriannarrowed his eyes and growled atOgden.Thehairs on the back of my neck bristled, andIhissed loudly.Myclaws pushed free.IfAdrianwas closer to me,Iwould have swatted him.Afew claws across his nose would do the trick.

Jeremybrushed a light kiss over his wolf’s cheek. “There, there.You’llalways be my favorite.Youknow that.”

Thetension disappeared asAdrian’swolf preened under his mate’s attention.Ogdensmiled at me, obviously delighted by my reaction.ThenIrealized whatI’ddone.

Holy, holy, holy.

Whathad come over me?Icouldn’t challenge a werewolf!Thingslike that cost cat shifters their nine.

Chapter Nine

SIMON

Beforeanything else could happen,Haydenburst through the door, bringing with him the smell of oil and grease.Thosewere the smellsIalways associated with him, but under those was something else.Itreminded me of ash at the bottom of a firepit.Hisdirty blond hair was a wild mess.Hiseyes flashed with the golden color of his wolf as he glanced around the room.

“I’mthe last one to arrive?”

Vannodded sharply. “Sit.Weneed answers.”

Haydenfound an armless chair in the corner of the room and hauled it to the table.Heswung it around, so he was sitting with the back of the chair against his chest.Hemotioned for things to start.VanintroducedOgdenandHayden, then askedOgdento tell his story again.

Everyonelistened.Jeremy’spen scraped over his paper as he took copious notes.Otherthan that, no one else made a sound.Theywere all fixated on my dragon.

“Whatelse did you see in the room?”Gageasked, leaning forward.Themotion made the light catch on his horns again.Ishuddered.I’dnever get used to seeing horns on someone’s head.