Chapter Two
*L

Waiting for Ryan to show up at my apartment took forever. I'd really wanted to go meet him on the drive in, but he'd refused and said they'd gotten some chick to print out a map for in the city. They'd been running on time from the last check-in, but I was incredibly impatient.

There!

I bounced down the stairs to the parking lot, stopping in confusion as I saw a pretty girl sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

He hadn't said he was bringing anyone.

"L!" he said happily, bouncing out of the car and around to hug me.

"Hey!" I said happily, hugging him hard and taking a moment to appreciate his solid presence.

"This is my sister Maddy," he noted, indicating her as she moved up to us almost nervously. "My Mom told me if I get her laid she'd better not be pregnant."

The girl squawked and hit at him, but he was already darting around me.

"Hi," I offered, extending a hand. "I'm Ella. Call me L, and don't worry, he thinks he's funny but not everyone agrees with him."

"Thank you," she said, rolling her eyes. The pattern of exasperation in her voice was almost identical to his.

"We wanted to surprise you," Kevin noted happily.

I turned to look...at him.

There were two of him. He honest to god had an identical twin and they hadn't told me?

I looked between the identically smiling males, then turned my head to look at Ryan.

Ryan laughed delightedly, moving up to my back and leaning against me. "One of'em's Kev, the other is Collin."

"One of'em?" one of them demanded, moving around the car to look me up and down with a smirk. "How well do you think she knows me?" he asked the other.

"It's me," the other noted, rolling his eyes. "Don't let him fool you."

"But she was the one that got me that coffee," the other said brightly. "The one I'd kill for."

"Which one is which?" I asked Ryan dryly.

"You can't tell?" he asked happily, wrapping his arms around me and sighing slightly. "Just ignore them and they'll both go away."

Maddy started giggling, kicking at him.

I watched as his attention moved to her, catching her foot so she squawked. They were playing along the sidewalk, and I looked back to see the damn twins standing side by side in front of me. Their body language was exact; their expressions almost mirrors of each other.

One laughed finally, offering a hand. "I'm Collin," he noted seriously. "It's good to finally meet you. Kev seems mostly exasperated by you."

I smiled, shaking his hand, then moved to hug Kevin. He smiled down at me, and I happily brushed my nails down his arm. Brian insisted I had kitty claws, and the gesture nearly cut skin.

"Ouch!" he protested, backing away from me. "It's really me! I'm serious!"

"Not only do I not believe you," I noted happily, "but that mark should stay at least the day, right?"

The other started laughing wickedly, moving back from me. "I'm serious, I'm Collin," he noted happily.

"It would hardly do me to give you both the same mark," I pointed out, smiling more and turning to see that the girl was giggling hard because Ryan had gotten her up around his shoulders and was walking back to us as if it was a duffel bag or something.

"Look at this," Kevin complained, extending his arm so Ryan could see the red welts. "She did it on purpose."

"Good," Ryan noted happily. "Brian will probably appreciate it when he gets here, too."

Kevin huffed, then tilted his head to look at the girl.

She giggled harder. She'd calmed and relaxed while we spoke, but started struggling again.

"How old are you?" I asked Ryan, raising an eyebrow.

"Twenty-four this summer, why?" he asked brightly, strolling around us toward the stairs as the girl started squawking again.

"He's ridiculous about his sisters," Collin supplied, his eyes sparkling as he looked me over. "It's how he became the destroyer, you know? He knows love."

"Real men snuggle kittens," Kevin agreed happily, turning to follow him up the stairs.

"I'm assuming they haven't been here yet," Collin noted, eyes still sparking as he considered me. "I'll follow you up."

"You should get contacts," I informed him happily as I turned to follow the others up the stairs. "This is disturbing. How did you do that without...are you..." I hesitated.

"I can call fire and freeze rain," he noted in an undertone. "The girl can't, but she knows we can. I think you know more than her."

I nodded, looking back at him as we reached the top. "How did you meet my eyes without that soul thing starting?"

"It's a skill Ry fails at," he offered happily. "I focus on your iris and avoid the pupil."

I nodded, though I got the impression it was more that Ryan didn't bother. "So you guys got plus one?" I asked curiously as they all waited around the door. I moved into the apartment, then stopped and looked between them all curiously.

"Uh, thresholds?" Ryan asked curiously. "As in we can't use our magic if you don't invite us?"

"Do you think you'll need your magic?" I asked blankly.

"I feel half naked without it," Ryan offered.

"Get half naked and we'll talk about it," I retorted.

Maddy started giggling hard, moving away from him as she almost blushed and studied my face.

"Come in, please, Ryan Halgar. Come in please, Kevin Ruix."

"That's a decent way to do it," Ryan encouraged me, tugging his sister past me.

"He said you were a bitch," Collin noted with sparkling eyes as he stood there waiting for me.

"Apologize," I ordered. "For tricking me."

He laughed at that, then hung his head. "I'm sorry, I get jealous of Kevin's friends and can only act on it in certain ways. I won't ever do it if it's a serious matter."

I smiled. "Come in, Collin Ruix."

He gave me an amused look, moving into the little apartment and looking around. He had his hands in his pockets, and he slowed to look at me again.

"Hm?" I asked.

"We're meeting Brian here, right?"

I nodded.

"You're not going to call me on tricking him, are you?"

I laughed at that, gesturing it away and heading for my fridge. "I got drinks and snacks. Brian should be on his way over now. Um, if you have any electronics that need charged, I have a strip here," I added to the girl, pointing at my little table. "I don't imagine the tech gremlins will need that info, though."

The girl smiled at me and moved to the wall, pulling a phone charger and phone from her pocket.

"She decided that texting to her friends in a car with three wizards was a great idea," Ryan informed me happily. "As far as we can tell, only her battery died. She was about in floods about it for a little bit. Then Collin woke up and she dropped the drama."

"I was not being dramatic!" the girl stamped her foot at him. "And I told you I needed to talk to Amalie today. I didn't warn anyone and I'll be gone all week!"

Ryan gave me a look, but was avoiding my eyes slightly.

"You can go in my room and talk," I offered, pointing to the door. "Bathroom is there," I added, indicating the other room.

"Mine!" Maddy called, darting around us all to the bathroom.

"Sorry I didn't warn you," Ryan noted. "We passed my house on the drive...my mom's house," he corrected himself. "We stopped to pee. And yeah, we got a plus one. Didn't you?"

I turned to dig out my invitation, passing it to him as I looked the group over, then moved to drop on the couch. "Make yourselves at home."

"I was asking my older brother about formal clothes," Ryan added, moving to sit next to me as he passed the invitation to Kevin. "She heard, and I explained about the event. She went and looked at some website, then begged me to come."

"By beg, he means she gasped and said she wanted to come," Kevin noted, rubbing at the welts on his arm. "He told her to hurry up and pack for a week. Evidently she's off for most of it because of furlough days or something. She's graduating in June, so this is his graduation present to her."

"I get to buy her a dress," Ryan rolled his eyes. "Which leads me around to begging you to help her pick something...at least if you guys get along."

"How old is she?" I asked as the toilet flushed.

"Eighteen last week," he smiled at me. "This is a combo thing for her—she can come gamble a little bit and I'll get her drunk as long as the bartenders aren't paying attention."

I smiled at that, then winked at the girl as she gave us all curious looks. "Go ahead and lay on my bed if you want; the lamp is a charger one."

She beamed at me, taking the phone and cord and flopping onto my mattress.

"Can...I...lay on your bed?" Collin asked happily.

"I think Ryan might protest," I returned as casually as I could manage. "Man, Brian was talking threesome, but this got complicated."

Kevin guffawed as Ryan started laughing.

"Leave the siblings out and we can have fun," Collin offered.

"You that close to Ry?" I asked brightly.

He laughed wickedly.

"He wishes," Ryan retorted, popping is can open and huffing as he flopped back. "I'm a little brain dead right now. I like talking to her but she talked the entire drive."

"It was a veil of white noise," Kevin noted happily, moving to grab a chair from my table and situate it so he could sit facing us. "I got to sleep pretty quick with it. I still haven't worked out why we're here, though, no offense intended."

"Brian has the authorization for the rooms or something," I supplied. "I guess Gable invited you two specifically to make him happy. I think it was to entice me to come as well."

"Yours is fancier than ours," Kevin agreed, passing the invitation to his brother as he drank more from his own can. "Are we doing a dinner tonight or are we doing our own things tonight?"

"I need to take her to the strip," Ryan pointed at my room as his sister started laughing. "She'll die if I don't; she's planning to take pictures of everything. I figure since we're not on the strip it might be harder to get down there."

"I think Brian knows a few places to park," I offered. "I mean, he'll have a better idea of things. I know malls that she'll love."

Ryan nodded, smiling at me.

The front door flung open and Brian bounced in with a bright smile, then looked between the twins.

They both beamed at him.

"You did it on purpose, didn't you?" Brian demanded happily of Ryan as he pointed at them.

"You can't tell us apart?" Collin protested happily. "How can you not tell us apart?"

"Look me in the eye," Brian retorted, leaning over toward him.

Collin recoiled.

Kevin started laughing.

Brian smiled, moving over to hug Kevin briefly, then looked at the welts on his arm. "Oh, hey."

"They were both trying to claim to be Kevin when they got here," I supplied. "I dissuaded them from the notion."

Brian laughed, moving to shake Collin's hand.

"How did you know?" Collin asked curiously.

"That laugh," Brian explained happily, moving over to drop next to Ryan on the couch and hug him briefly. "I've never heard you do it."

"How do you know them?" I asked him dryly.

"I told you that Kevin and his brother were in LA," he protested. "I said he was exasperating and we had fun."

I indicated Collin pointedly with one hand.

Brian grinned at me.

I huffed at him.

"Oh, hello," Maddy greeted happily as she stopped in the bedroom door.

"This is my sister Maddy," Ryan noted happily. "Just turned eighteen so I had to bring her."

"Hey," Brian stood quickly and moved to offer his hand. "I'm Brian Nelson. It's nice to meet you."

Ryan smirked.

I blinked at him as the girl went very slightly shy, tucking her hair behind one ear before shaking his hand and nearly blushing.

"This is the guy I was telling you about," Kevin said happily. "The one that was doing some modeling and then got hired into a high-end bar."

"Oh!" Maddy focused back on him with distinct interest.

"You told her I was doing modeling?" Brian asked skeptically as he moved to head back to Ryan, then hesitated.

"We were talking about the stepford boyfriends," Collin supplied happily. "I was trying to convince them that we needed to hit the club, but they got kind of...uncomfortable at the notion of taking her in."

"You don't want to go," Brian reassured her, shifting how he stood. "It's all about sex and drugs. You're pretty, so someone would probably vamp you."

She went shy again, looking briefly to Ryan, then ducked into the bedroom again.

"Stepford boyfriends?" I asked skeptically.

Collin smiled brightly. "You've seen the movie, right? They like, brainwash the wives or something, or make androids...I forget exactly. They're all like cloned from each other. Kevin was saying they were all pretty boys. I didn't believe Brian was one of them."

"Really?" Brian asked skeptically, pulling up his shirt to show the male his chest and abs.

"Oh, the scar is almost gone," Collin bounced up and moved closer to look. "How did you manage that?"

"Lotion and potion?" Brian asked curiously, stepping back from him. "I swear I will meet your eyes if you don't back off."

Collin cackled, avoiding the smack directed at him, then turned to beam at Maddy.

The girl was still blushing a she looked at her brother with wide eyes. She'd evidently been standing there watching him as he lifted the shirt.

"What?" Ryan asked curiously, extending a hand to her. "The uniform he wore there was a pair of flimsy lounge pants, shirt cuffs, and a bowtie—like those stripper posters we were trying to convince you we'd take you to."

She laughed again, moving to sink to the floor in front of him, using his leg as a back rest. "They're dumb," she informed me.

"It's more effective not to laugh at them," I supplied. "That only encourages them."

She smiled at me.

Brian hesitated, then moved around to the final spot on the couch, looking us all over with a smile.

"We get to go to the strip, right?" Maddy asked, shifting around to look at her brother. "I heard you telling them I'd die if we don't."

"We can't," he returned calmly for no apparent reason.

"No!" she protested, shifting to her knees to glare at him. "You said we would! You even said you'd let me pick you a coffee! We should go down there now and find somewhere to eat."

"Brian can take you," Ryan offered.

Maddy nearly swelled with indignation.

"We can all go," Brian retorted, frowning at him. "I'm sure the others are all game."

"Nope," Kevin returned.

"Not gonna," Collin agreed.

I wrinkled my nose slightly at him.

He looked between us all with a frown, then looked to Maddy.

She was pouting.

Ryan started laughing. "Yes, fine," he muttered, gesturing. "If Brian's willing to drive, the three of us can go."

"What about us?" Collin asked skeptically.

"Nope," Ryan returned as his sister bounced into my bedroom again.

"Let me get my wallet," I muttered happily, moving into the room to smile at the girl. "I want to go, I was just teasing Brian," I added as I dug into my purse. It was hanging in the closet. I wasn't entirely sure why Kevin and Collin were into teasing her, but I probably shouldn't encourage them.

She smiled and hesitated slightly, looking toward the door. "Is he...gay?" she whispered.

I blinked at her. "No, why do you ask?"

"That sweater is Ryan's," she supplied, moving closer to me. "And he's cute like that, you know? Is...does he have a girlfriend, then?"

"Nope, was complaining about it the other day," I smiled at her. "I'm not so sure your brother would be happy if he found out you were asking."

"He can be overprotective," she rolled her eyes, though there were still pink spots on her cheeks. "I mean, Brian's his friend, though, right? So he can't be a bad guy."

"I have a sort of boyfriend and I like your brother, or I'd go out with him," I agreed.

Her eyes rounded. "Do you?" she whispered, moving over to close the door. "I wondered why he wanted to come so bad. What do you mean, sorta boyfriend? Long distance?"

"It seems that way," I frowned, brushing the thoughts of Josh away. "He's not talking to me right now."

"Ryan is here," she suggested sincerely as she started wringing her fingers together. "I don't want to be mean, but...I think he likes you, too."

"I have had the thought," I noted. "But I'm not ready to decide yet."

She smiled at me, looking impressed, then blinked as I grabbed a sweater. "It's like a thousand degrees out there."

"But inside the malls and buildings, it's cold," I shrugged happily, digging out the one I'd gotten on the strip with Josh for her. I'd carry it until she needed it, she wouldn't believe me until we were indoors. "Come on, they'll be nosy."

I pulled the door open, but before I could step forward, Maddy started laughing hard. One of the twins was bent over with his ear at the keyhole, and he was staring at me as if he'd been caught in the act.

I raised an eyebrow.

"You're suck a jerk!" Maddy declared, running and jumping at him. I didn't see what happened immediately after, but the laugh he responded with was a belly-laugh.

The pair were sort of wrestling with each other as they moved toward the front door.

Ryan grinned at me, rolling his eyes.

"What?" Brian asked.

"Changed out of the moo-bra," I returned.

He looked away without comment.

"The moo-bra?" Ryan asked blankly, glancing briefly at my breasts.

"Pig!" Maddy declaimed, pointing at him from the front door. "I call pig!"

"Honey, he's only looked once," I noted, moving to grab my keys from the counter. "That's actually good for him."

Maddy laughed and disappeared.

"She's cute," Brian noted, looking to Ryan. "You didn't tell me you were bringing anyone."

"My mom gave her cash so she can get her own room if there's one nearby," Ryan supplied. "You can still snuggle with me."

"She recognized this," I noted, tugging at Brian's sweater.

"I brought a couple more," Ryan noted happily, stepping back to wait for me. Collin was already down by the cars. "Couple washed ones, and the one I wore the other day. I'm assuming that your need for them is over, but..."

"Can I just keep this one?" Brian asked as they started down the stairs. "I wear it all the time, it doesn't look half bad with some of my slacks and stuff."

"I brought a couple," Ryan shrugged. "You can find one you like better, but you can't actually keep that one. It's a favorite and I've missed it."

"Oh, sorry," Brian blinked at him. "Why did you..."

"You needed it more than me," Ryan smiled slightly at him. "Now come on, we should head down..."

"No, we should check in," Brian corrected, pulling his phone out. "Hoc already called the manager to say we were coming."

"What are you doing?" Ryan asked.

"Calling Gable to tell him that your sister is here. He'll want to do something respectful for her...uh, you want to ride with me?" he asked me.

I nodded.

"It's my turn to drive," Ryan noted, pulling the keys to his car out. "So I'll follow."

I nodded, smiling at him, then indicated Brian's car with my head to Maddy.

She smiled brightly and looked to Ryan.

"Go ahead," Ryan reassured her.

She turned to look at Brain curiously.

"He's talking to his boss," I supplied. "Or something like that, anyway."

"Ah, he won't mind, right?"

"I doubt it," I reassured her. "He's friends with your brother. Did they tell you anything that's happened here?"

"Something about a couple apprentices and Ry getting in a fight," she thought a moment. "Then that his boss is a huge financial kingpin," she indicated Brian, "and that I had to treat him with respect—the boss."

"Yes," I agreed, wondering why they hadn't filled her in on the fun details. I smiled slightly at the thought. If I was understanding her correctly, she didn't know about dragons or vampires.

"Thank you," Brian beamed between us a moment. "Yes, I'm thrilled. That's so generous...you want me to come in early tonight? No? You sure? Thank you!"

I tilted my head at him.

Brian dropped his head back, then smirked between us and looked around to Ryan, who was sitting with his window open. "Guess."

"A suite for our very own?" Ryan asked happily.

"No, the model Avian is in the main suite, and the actor James Arb is in the other good one; no, he's giving you all single rooms. All four of you."

"Wait," Ryan protested. "We have the cash to..."

"He said that if you paid him the respect of trusting him with your kit, he'd return it," Brian bounced slightly, glancing at Maddy a moment.

"I'm not his kit," Maddy protested happily. "But...free room? Seriously?"

"Seriously," Brian smiled at her. "Did they tell you that my boss owns the hotel?"

"Owns?" Maddy stared at him.

Brian nodded happily, then blinked at the pair of us. He turned to unlock his car quickly, gesturing for us to get in. "I suggest you use the money your mom sent to get him a thank-you gift. I know a wine that he likes. Get him two bottles of it wrapped up with a bow and he'll be thrilled."

"It's not...the same price, is it?" Ryan asked hesitantly.

"No, it's an average bottle, but his associates get him high-end stuff. It's good, but his favorite is...oh, sake!" he looked between us a moment, then shook his head and slid into the car.

"Sake it is," Ryan smirked at me.

I smiled back and we slid in.

*Brian

I tried not to watch Ryan's little sister walk, but she was wearing a pair of heels that gave her that happy little sway. I felt like an ass, but she knew how to rock the heels. She was chattering a little inanely at Ryan and Kevin, but she seemed to be having fun.

We'd checked into the hotel, where the manager had greeted us like royalty or something, and had bellhops run all of their bags up to the four rooms at the end of one hall. There was a fire exit there, but otherwise just a little table and sitting area. It wasn't quite the same as their own suite, but considering the names of people coming to this party, it was better than I'd have expected.

I needed to get Hoc something, too.

It was good to be back with them as we walked along the strip. We'd gone into every casino and looked at so many ridiculous things that I was hoping the girl's choice in footwear would end the excursion sooner than later.

Hell, I still had to go do a few meetings with Gable.

I stopped.

Maddy turned to look at me, then moved back to grab my arm and carefully pull a shoe off.

"Did I call it or did I call it?" Ryan turned to smirk at the girl as she took the other shoe off.

"But they're cute," Maddy protested as she wiggled her toes. "I thought I had them broke in and the cement is hot..."

"Sit down," I urged, then scooped her up. She was light, and I realized that she smelled good as I carried her over to a low wall and sat her on it. I turned, expecting Ryan to have followed, but instead had to grunt as the weird bag he'd been carrying hit me in the chest.

"Sorry," Ryan said happily, indicating her with a hand.

I blinked at him, then turned back to pass the girl the bag.

She glared at him a long moment, then opened the thing...and pulled out a pair of socks and a pair of sneakers. I leaned forward to see that there was a shirt of some sort in the bottom as well.

"Your hair smells good," she noted.

"Sorry," I backed off. "I didn't think about that."

She smiled at me, rubbing at her feet a bit before pulling the socks on.

"Here," I muttered, stepping back and patting my knee. "You get the other sock on."

She smiled more at me, then sighed slightly when I started massaging her foot. It took her a second to get the other sock on, and I switched over to that foot as well.

"Don't baby her," Ryan complained. "It encourages her to dress like an idiot."

"It's a cute outfit," I retorted, moving to take the heels and tuck them in the bag.

"I told you," she muttered to Ryan happily, focusing on getting the shoes on.

"I'm about done, guys," L sighed.

"I have to get back," I remembered, looking to Ryan again. "Gable has three meetings tonight."

"Oh, shit," Ryan hesitated. "We need your car, though."

"Yeah, so we kind of have to go now," I sighed slightly.

The group nodded as Kevin or Collin rejoined us. I hadn't realized he'd fallen behind.

"Look," the guy muttered, moving to pass something to Maddy.

"Oh!" she gasped, popping up and moving to hug him hard. "You're the best, Kev."

"And don't you forget it," he agreed, kissing her temple. "Come on, get them on."

I frowned as she carefully focused on whatever she had. It must have been earrings, because she was fiddling with her ears. Finally, she turned her head so he could see the look, then turned so we could all see it as well.

They were weird metal shapes, but they were cute.

"Come on," Ryan noted, gesturing for me to start. "I'm not sure where we parked."

"Fall-back point, wasn't it?" L asked brightly.

"That was that casino," Collin pointed toward a building a ways up the road.

"But that was what it was before," L protested.

"It changes every time we come," Ryan supplied. "The bit at the hotel last time...the fallback point was the cars. It'll be that again back at the hotel."

She grinned at him.

We all started back at a faster pace, and I noticed the stand where Kevin had found the earrings. Maddy hung back as long as she could to look at the displays, but Ryan actually had ahold of her hand.

It didn't take us long to reach the hotel again, and I waved at them all as I headed directly on, hitting my autodial.

"Let me guess, you can't make it, you're at a show," Hoc said happily.

I laughed at that. "I'm not that bad. No, I might be a minute or two late, though. I'm just leaving the hotel."

"He'd probably be fine with you hitting a show," he pointed out.

"I know, but he's got them their own rooms and everything, so I don't want to..."

"He doesn't see it as a problem," Hoc reminded me.

"I know, but he's meeting with Rachel Limen in a half hour."

"Ah, most likely to get eaten by sunset award," Hoc sounded amused. "Your humanity is unseen now, but when they write the history books..."

"About a dragon?" I asked blankly.

Hoc started laughing hard.

I grinned a bit, ending the call. I knew Gable would be more than willing to let me stay with my friends all night if I wanted to. I had to maintain my own morals instead of becoming the spoiled lover that everyone in the magical community thought I was, though.

The thought made me think of Maddy and how likely Ryan was going to be angry with me. He'd said she was eighteen, but she chattered at him like she was younger. I knew he was protective of her, but he'd completely let me take care of her randomly throughout the night. I was his friend, so he probably hadn't even thought about it, hell Kevin had kissed her temple as if she was his little sister, and the twins had been teasing her delightedly the entire time. She seemed to expect it from them.

Well, no use worrying about it.

I reached the manor and parked, climbing out of the car and pulling off my t-shirt. I moved to the trunk to pull out a nicer one, smiling as Arkady wandered out to me.

"I wasn't expecting to see you for another hour," he noted happily.

"I have a work ethic when my boss gives my friends four rooms for a week," I supplied.

"Only a week?" he protested happily. "When Ishi's parents come to town they have the suite for a month."

"I only doubt that it's the suite," I retorted. "And they're from Russia aren't they? Coming here is less easy than my friends driving a few hours."

He laughed happily, watching me change shirts. "That's nice; is it new?"

"One of the ones L picked for me," I agreed, stepping back and looking down as I realized my shoes were sneakers. I sat quickly on the trunk to switch them over.

"You have a good time, then?" Arkady asked curiously as he drank some water and watched the terrain around us.

"It was great," I agreed happily. "They were all already at L's when I got there, so I hung out, then we headed for the strip. We were looking at the high end formal stuff in the stores, but none of it was price marked, so we decided not to try it."

He laughed at that.

"Oh man," I muttered, rubbing at my face. "He brought his little sister, and she's...nice," I muttered, rising and stepping back so he could make sure I hadn't missed something.

"Legs," he pointed. "And nice to look at, or nice with a face for radio, or..."

"Cute and sweet," I decided, thinking about it. "He said she was eighteen, so I'm sort of...I guess I can ask her to dance, huh?"

"Ryan likes you," he reassured me. "If he brought her and hasn't told you to lay off, that means he's okay with the idea."

"Unless he didn't think about it," I protested, heading for the house with him. "I mean, Kevin and his twin tease her and joke around with her constantly."

Arkady gave me a curious look. "Well, Kevin is his constant companion, correct? That means he probably sees her as a little sister as well. Ryan's the sort of man who'll protect his family, which means he's either fine with the idea of you being attracted to each other, or he doesn't expect any attraction to be mutual. I assure you that he thought about it before bringing his little sister with him to Las Vegas."

"From what I understand of it, she begged to come," I protested.

"And he'd only have agreed if he thought she was safe," Arkady shrugged. "And that goes back to what I said. Don't worry about it, make friends with the girl and dance with her. He'll step in if he thinks something is inappropriate."

I nodded, feeling slightly better about the whole thing. "Thanks."

He smiled at me, patting my shoulder, then wandered off to patrol the gate again, or whatever he did when he was stationed out front of the house.

"Hello," Hoc greeted me as I moved into the foyer. "You're not running late yet."

"I managed to miss traffic," I supplied, smiling at him and moving to check my reflection. "He in his office?"

"Yes, here," he passed me a tea tray.

I nodded, taking it and moving carefully up the stairs.

"I think I want to eat before patrol tonight," Gable was muttering as he considered a paper in front of him. "Something light."

"I don't know how to cook," I noted happily.

He looked up, smiling brightly at me and focusing on the tray. "I smelled food, it's not my fault."

"Please don't call me food," I teased.

"You're not much of a morsel," he reassured me happily as I set the tray down on the trolley. "You're on time. I wasn't expecting that."

"I thought I was running behind," I explained. "I wanted to warn you."

"Did you call?" he gave me an interested look. "I didn't have a message about it. How are your friends? I can smell the kit on you."

"The kit is an eighteen year old girl," I retorted.

"Your ages mean nothing to me," he retorted. "She is his kit, even if he's not her sire. It doesn't matter how old any of them are, what matters is that he'll protect her with his life itself...and she has a good taste in perfume."

I laughed, mildly embarrassed. "Shampoo, too."

"Ah! Are you attracted to her?" he perked up. "Is that age within your range? I forget the legalities of human interactions, but now I see why you insist she's not a babe."

"I did that, huh?" I asked, making a slight face. "I'm trying not to think about it too much. She's a bit young for my range, but...I am attracted to her," I sat across from him. "You can smell her on me? I didn't think you'd be able to."

"I can smell a mix," he noted, thinking about it. "L, Ryan, the two one, and something new."

"The two one?" I asked with interest. "The term used commonly is twins, they don't consider themselves one entity, even if they act like it half the time."

"So giving them their own identity," he considered it a moment. "I'll have to consider that some more and maybe talk to Hoc about it."

"Well, giving them their own rooms is a start. They were extremely happy about it. They're good, too, all of them."

"I'm glad of that," he noted, turning to pour himself some tea. "Have they chosen outfits yet?"

"Hoc and I are going to take them tomorrow," I supplied. "At least the males. I believe after Hoc leaves we'll be going to look for female outfits."

"That should be entertaining," he noted, tilting his head. "Do you imagine I can come along?"

"I'll have to ask them what they think," I muttered, feeling a flutter of nerves. "Though I do feel I should note that pointing out the attributes that...pertain to maternity will be disapproved of, especially with Maddy."

"I'd hardly consider a kit," he pointed out.

"She doesn't look that much younger than us," I noted. "She's a fully developed woman who could carry a child if she mated. I'm not sure you'd notice the age difference."

"Ah," he nodded, thinking about it. "So forewarning me," he smiled. "Thank you."

I smiled back, moving to pour myself some tea. "Did you see the appointments I'd made for tonight?"