Page 37 of Kidnapped By The Messy Dragon

I hold up the bag with the herbal tea. Brandy snatches it and pulls a jar out to inspect.

Zuri steps up. “It’s the cleaning solution, the one Stillwater makes,” she says. “Dragons are allergic to it, and the shopping center was selling Stillwater soap until the doctor got it pulled this morning. The whole town’s been treating the sneezes with herbal tea.”

“It’s the same solution from the Shadow Suds break-in,” I add. “The ghouls didn’t get every case out of Derrick’s storeroom.”

Brandy pushes the jar she’s holding into Malachi’s hands.

He groans at it. “I put some of that shit on my hand for a sniff test. It was a tiny amount.”

“I’ve been around it way more,” I say. “That’s why my case is so severe.”

Brandy steers Malachi toward the big couch with one hand flat on his chest. “Looks like you’ll have to rest for a change. So you can recover.”

Malachi drops onto the couch arm instead of the couch. He snorts, and smoke rolls out of his ears and nose both. Brandy waves it off without looking.

Dorian hasn’t moved from the middle of the room. The shopping bags look like doll purses on him. He lifts them. “Craft room?”

“One of the empty rooms on my and my mate’s floor,” I tell him, hooking my thumb toward the stairs. “I want to build Zuri her own craft room.”

Zuri turns from the hall table and its fresh flowers with her mouth open. She hasn’t said a word yet. I answer her anyway.

“Yes, Zuri.” I give her my biggest grin.

Dorian crosses the room and stops in front of her. Zuri tips her head all the way back to meet his eyes. “Are you hungry, sister?”

“I had a light meal at Stanley’s,” she says.

Brandy sits down next to Malachi and laces her fingers through his. “How’s Andy doing?”

“He wasn’t there,” I answer. “Took the day off or something.”

Brandy nods, her thumb moving over the back of his hand.

“I will cook you dinner, sister,” Dorian says.

Zuri looks up at him with a soft smile. “Thank you.”

I slide the bags off Dorian’s forearm and set them by the stairs for the trip up. “No feast, brother. She’s on soft foods until her face heals.”

Dorian’s face folds up. Cooking is his one bragging right in this family, and I just took the privilege from him. Then he opens his mouth and lets the quiet part out. “Can’t you two just get on with the mate bond so I can feed her?”

I tilt my head at him. The whole town gave ME the nickname, and my brother’s out here saying things like that to a woman he met yesterday.

Zuri takes off for the stairs, leaving embarrassment thick in her wake.

Dorian watches her go. “Why is she embarrassed?”

Brandy pats his arm. “Read the room sometimes, brother. Time and place. We talked about this.”

He bows his head to her. Then he looks at me and shrugs. “Sorry?”

“She’ll get used to us,” Brandy says. “She needs time.” She grabs Malachi’s arm. “Let’s go, Alpha. Off to bed.”

I glare at Dorian. He glares back. He gives up the staredown after a while.

“Soft food,” he mutters, and heads off toward the kitchen.

Where is Jules when I need her?She keeps this family under control, and the baby has her napping again.