A few hours later, Emily woke up to the sound of a knock on the door. She groaned her displeasure.
“Brother, I hear you’re a mated dragon now,” a man’s voice reached her, and Theodore who, much like her, grunted in annoyance.
“Word travels fast,” he told her with an eye-roll.
“Why are you hiding your mate from us? Scared I’ll snatch her from you?” The man went on.
In a flash, Theodore was at the door, opening it, and hitting his brother on the head. “Say that again, I dare you, little brother.”
Emily giggled at that. She never had any siblings so she didn’t know that this was just the way they interacted.
“But Theodore, why must you hit me so hard?” The man let out in a whining tone. “We have not seen each other in nearly 4 years, and this is how you treat me?”
“Well, whose fault is that?” Theodore iced out. “You’re the one who didn’t want to attend the past few years’ functions.”
“Well, contrarily to you, I am not the crowned prince,” he retorted. “I do not HAVE to be here.”
Theodore sighed and said begrudgingly, “that much is true.”
“I want to see your mate, can I?” His brother then pleaded.
And that was when Theodore opened the door wider for his brother to come in.
Emily, who had been listening keenly to their exchange, straightened up in bed. His brother had the same gray eyes as her dear Theo. He was as tall as his brother, but didn’t have the same bulk – but was no doubt strong nonetheless.
He too took her in at leisure before saying, “A beautiful mate you have here, my dear Theos.”
“Don’t be a flirt, Liam,” Theodore said in warning.
“Hello,” Liam then greeted her, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I’m this grumpy dragon’s younger brother. The name’s Liam. Nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” she told him softly. “I’m Emily.”
“If you ever tire of him, you should know that I’ll be a phone call away…” he said before dodging another hit from Theodore.
She giggled at their antics.
“I appreciate the thought,” she told him softly as she tried hard not to giggle, “but considering my love for Theodore runs strong, I could never do such a thing.”
“And she’s loyal to him too, everyone,” Liam said dramatically.
She merely smiled at him in response.
He was just about to leave the room when a woman entered and flung herself at Theodore.
Emily’s smile faltered at once.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Theodore could feel through the bond that Emily’s mood was ruined the moment his sister, Serena, entered and hugged him for dear life, as if to never let go.
“Serena,” he said while awkwardly trying to break free of her embrace. “You’re creating a misunderstanding and it has only been a few seconds since you arrived.”
“What did I do now?” She looked at him with pouty lips. “I missed you, Theo.”
“Theo?” Emily called his name in a dangerously low voice. “Let her go or else…”
“I’m the one being hugged here,” he tried to defend himself.
“Don’t mind these two. They always act as lovers. You should get used to it, princess,” Liam then stated with a shrug.
Theodore growled at that. “You’re not helping, brother!”
“Lovers?” Emily echoed after him, and he could almost picture her as a wildly ticking bomb.
“It’s not what you think, dorogaya,” he was quick to say.
“You call her dorogaya?” His sister asked, tears shining in her eyes. “You never used an endearment for me.”
Theodore hung his head low at that. Why wasn’t anyone helping him out?
“Serena, dear,” he tried to bargain, “oh sweet sister of mine, kindly stop creating problems where there was previously none.”
“But Theo,” she let out in whining.
“Serena,” he said her name more firmly.
“Sister?” Emily then said in an incredulous tone. “Oh I’m so sorry. I just assumed…”
“The worst?” Theodore finished for her bitterly. “I’m not the kind to entertain many women at once, dorogaya.”
“True as that might be, you’re still a renowned womanizer, brother,” was Serena’s oh-so-helpful input.
He glared down at her. “Really now?”
And his sister released him at long last.
“Well, it’s not exactly a secret,” Liam supplied. “You have bedded more women than we can possibly count.”
Instead of getting angry or upset, Emily just giggled at them.
“You three make a beautiful family,” she told them when she sobered up.
Theodore noticed that she was only speaking about them three, and didn’t include their parents in her count. And he had to agree with her for counting them in would make them a dysfunctional family at best.
“Thank you,” Serena said with a bright smile. “You must be Emily. Oh my god! We’re going to be sisters. I’ve never had a sister…”
“Me neither,” Emily told her. “I grew up an only child.”
“Oh, that must have been fun,” Serena exclaimed in glee. “I can’t imagine my life without my brothers, but I do think it would have been nice not having them around too.”
“Hey, I take offense in that,” Liam said on a huff.
“Well, that would be your problem, not mine.” She stuck her tongue out at him before hugging him as well.
Serena was such a hugger that it was almost infuriating. But being the youngest out of them three made her a little spoiled, and they indulged her.
“I would have loved having brothers as well,” Emily then said, tears in her eyes. “It would have made the loss so much more bearable, I think.”
“The loss?” Both Liam and Serena asked in unison.
“I lost both my parents a few months ago,” she choked on the words.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, dear,” Serena went to hug her, and Emily was only too happy to be consoled.
“They must have been amazing parents for you to cry so,” Liam observed almost jealously.
“The best,” she confirmed with a smile in spite of her tears.
It was then that Theodore realized that his mate was one tough cookie, and that he shouldn’t worry too much about her during their stay at the palace.
It was only a matter of a few days. It was going to be okay. Or so he hoped.