“I could ask you that.”
Seth chuckled. “It’s a long story.”
I leaned back to look at him. He was here. Seth was right in front of me. Every dream I’d had was possible. I couldn’t go home, but I sure as hell could have the man I’d loved since I knew what love was.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” I went up on my toes and pressed my lips to his.
He started, but didn’t pull away. I’d kissed him many times over the years, all friendly in his thoughts, though I wanted more. Seth cupped my cheeks and kissed me back for the barest moment before pulling away.
Suddenly, light flooded the cargo bay. Seth was yanked away and was replaced by the gray-blue drakcol, snarling. Silvery-blue hair hung around his muscular frame. His amethyst eyes practically shot sparks as light pooled under his scales, nearly blinding me. Massive dragon wings sprawled, completely shielding Seth from me, and his tail thrashed.
Teddy appeared by my side and said, “I’m here too.”
I barely spared him a glance. I glared at the drakcol, refusing to back down. “Seth, come here.”
The drakcol clasped Seth’s arm, and I stepped forward. I’d let Seth be hurt once before by that asshole Travis, and I wasn’t going to let it happen again.
“Let him go,” I said.
“Do not kiss my mate, human.”
“Mate?” Seriously, Seth? Again. Again, you were with some asshole.
Seth glared at the drakcol. “Kal, calm down.”
The drakcol took a deep breath and stepped back, though his tail coiled around Seth’s ankle in a possessive move that had me glaring.
Seth grabbed the drakcol’s arm and smiled. “Vince, this is my husband, Prince Kalvoxrencol. You can call him Kal.”
Seth was the human mate to the drakcol prince who’d abducted him. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces as I stared at them, wrapped in each other’s embrace. Then I shook my head. No. I’d loved Seth first. I was a better option than this angry alien. I refused to give him up.
“Vince is my childhood friend. Remember, Kal? I told you about him.”
“I do.” Kal’s expression softened as he looked at Seth, but it hardened the moment he turned toward me.
I crossed my arms. I wasn’t going to give Seth up again, not after the last time when Travis had separated us.
Teddy draped a bony arm over my shoulders. In a small voice, he said, “I’m here too, Vince.”
I shrugged him off, fighting the curling unease. “Hey, you didn’t vanish or die.”
“Nope.” He pointed to another hulking drakcol with royal-purple scales and white hair and a lot of gold jewelry at his side. “He’s Kal’s older brother, and he wanted to rescue me, but we crash landed on an ice planet. Took me a bit to get back to you. Serlotminden, this is Vince. Vince, this is Serlotminden or Mindy.”
“We are also husbands,” Serlotminden announced.
My eyebrows rose. Jealous, much? “Well, you two move quick.”
“He’s cute and has a nice ass,” Teddy commented.
I forced a chuckle, but my eyes went back to Seth, who grinned. Seth disentangled from Kal and pulled me into another hug. “Let me talk to everyone, then we can catch up. It’s been years.”
Since Travis, but I wasn’t sure if we were talking about that or not.
“Everyone,” Seth said, “if you can come this way, I’ll explain everything.”
People were confusing and rather annoying. I watched the situation unfolding in front of me closely. Vince was in love with Seth. Kalvoxrencol had realized as much, sensing the threat, and Serlotminden and his human mate, Bartholomew, headed toward them, also guessing Vince’s feelings. The only person who didn’t know was Seth. He was simply overjoyed to see his oldest friend.
I moved toward Vince as Bartholomew introduced Serlotminden, who promptly declared he and Bartholomew were also husbands—the human term for mates, I believed. Serlotminden didn’t want competition for his mate, and Vince was perfectly happy to oblige. He had no feelings but platonic for Barthomolew that I sensed.
