Page 60 of Balthazar's Fire
“Balthazar!” Cherie hissed, squirming awkwardly beside him. “Don’t.”
“Sir,” he corrected. “I think we just established that it’s safe to use our formal titles here.”
“Seems like we need to keep our women in line, brother.” Sebastian chortled as Rebecca snuggled closer to him.
“Maybe we’re just out of practice?” Balthazar beckoned Cherie closer, and she inched over to cuddle beside him, resting her head against his chest. “But man, am I enjoying the practice.”
“Same here.” Sebastian stroked Rebecca’s hair as he met Balthazar’s gaze. “It’s good to clear the air. Not being able to tell you about Rebecca had been weighing me down.”
“I agree.”
Watching their interaction, Balthazar could see how comfortable Sebastian and Rebecca were in each other’s company. He acknowledged that he was even more thankful to have found Cherie. With his beautiful brunette, he need never envy their intimacy.
“Maybe we should clear the air of everything that needs to be shared?” Balthazar’s gaze narrowed as he stared at Sebastian, hoping his eyes would convey the subject he referred to, although now Rebecca’s identity and their sexual proclivities were out in the open, there was really only one secret still to reveal. “Does Rebecca know everything about you?”
A part of Balthazar couldn’t believe he was inferring their shifter status around a woman he’d only just met and had good reasons not to trust. After all, hadn’t he been the one brother to take their father’s words to heart? The one who’d made the others promise to never reveal their hybrid genetics outside of their family—but then, he’d also already told Cherie the secret. Michael’s contract had always conjectured the coming of this day. If their father was so frantic for his sons to marry, then he had to know that one day they would disclose their shifter status. He’d told his father that much himself.
“Does Cherie know everything about you?” Sebastian’s eyebrow arched, confirming that he, too, could play Balthazar’s game of stealth.
“Yes.”
Locking gazes with Sebastian, Balthazar ensured that his brother understood how portentous the moment was. For the first time in their lives, one of them had told an outsider about their dragon genes.
“Yes, she knows everything.” He was almost giddy at the admission.
“And so does Rebecca,” Sebastian told him. “In fact, I’ve gone one better than that. I showed her.”
“What?” Balthazar leaned forward on the sofa cushion. “You transformed in front of her?”
“We’re talking about dragons, right?” Cherie’s brow creased as she looked between Balthazar and Sebastian.
“Yes, beautiful.” Balthazar chuckled as he glanced back at his puzzled lover.
“Sebastian’s a dragon, as well?” Her alluring green eyes grew larger. “Did I know that?”
“Well,” Balthazar exhaled. “We made a promise not to divulge each other’s secrets, so… I didn’t mention it specifically.”
“Sebastian told me.” Rebecca’s laughter was hearty as Sebastian swatted her hand playfully. “But he did imply it was a secret.”
“So, now we all know,” Sebastian confirmed, no doubt wanting to draw Balthazar’s focus from the fact he’d shifted in front of a woman he barely even knew. “The Vaughn men are dragon-shifters.”
Balthazar shook his head at how insane it was that both women knew, but Sebastian was in luck. After everything he’d been through with Cherie, he was inclined to overlook the fact Sebastian had broken their pact of secrecy. Love made people do crazy things, after all, and in reality, he might even be a tiny bit jealous of his brother’s audacity. Balthazar looked forward to the moment he could reveal his dragon to the woman who took his breath away.
“Yeah, now we know.” He’d speak to Sebastian about it later, but couldn’t bring himself to spoil the mood.
“What about Oliver?” Cherie’s tone was serious and Balthazar noticed how her breathing had sped up.
“What about him?” Sebastian asked.
“I don’t want anything to do with him or my father,” Rebecca clarified.
“That’s not what I mean,” Cherie replied.
“Then what do you mean, pet?” Balthazar used the term of endearment he’d established for her in front of his brother and Rebecca intentionally, hoping to enjoy her embarrassment, but to his surprise, Cherie’s expression only hardened.
“I mean,” Cherie went on, “that if we all know about your dragon abilities, what about Oliver’s?”
“Oliver’s what?” Rebecca demanded.