Rowan
I watch as Claire flits around the kitchen preparing dinner. She's been talking about this meal all day and even though we don't really eat anything other than meat, we're willing to try it for her. We didn't realize how different her diet is from ours, we had tried to include a few different things when she first got here, but it's now clear how poorly we took care of our little mate. It makes a new round of guilt surge through me as I stand in the corner, content to watch her.
'You're being creepy staring at her like that.' Bennett's voice says in my head. I shrug, knowing he can see me from his spot on the couch.
'Have you seen the little shorts she has on? You can't very well blame me.' I say back and hear him try to muffle a snort from the other room.
"If you're just going to stand there, you can help me." Claire says, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the kitchen.
"And what would my little demon like me to do?" I ask with a smirk and she shivers against me making me smile.
"You can peel these potatoes." She says handing me some brown little blobs and showing me how to take the skin off. Once she trusts I have the hang of it, she goes back to whatever she was doing.
"Bennett! Can you come here and help me please!" She yells a few minutes later. Like a dutiful puppy, Bennett bounds into the kitchen a minute later, eyeing those shorts I was just complaining about.
"What can I do for you?" He asks and Claire hands him the bottle of wine.
"Can you open this?" She asks with a sweet smile and wide eyes that he is apparently powerless against. He pops out the cork and pours a small glass for her which she takes a sip of. She hums and looks like she's contemplating if she likes it or not before she chugs the whole thing and asks for more.
"That's yummy." She says, holding her glass out to Bennett. He looks at me with a shocked expression, but I just shrug.
"Give her what she wants. We both know you're going to anyway." I say with a little annoyance in my tone. Apparently I will need to be the firm mate that doesn't let our little human get away with everything. Bennett pours her another glass, then grabs a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet, pouring us both a glass.
"What's that?" Claire asks, eyeing the amber liquid.
"Much stronger than what you're drinking." I say, knocking back a swig. I recieved this as a gift from a powerful witch that made it more potent for dragons.
"I want some." Claire pouts and Bennett and I both shake our heads no.
"This stuff is not for humans. Especially ones that have never had alcohol before." Bennett explains, but Claire huffs and goes back to what she was doing.
I finish the task she gave me then go into the living room with Bennett, sitting on the couch and waiting for her next instructions. We sip our drinks as Claire sets the table. Bennett offers to help, but she shoos him away saying she wants to do it for us. Bennett smiles and I can see him falling even more for her.
'You're awfully attached, aren't you?' I ask him and he nods.
'Is that bad?' He asks and I shake my head no, cupping his cheek and running my thumb along his bottom lip.
'No. She's our mate. It only makes sense.' I say and he nods, resting his head on my shoulder.
'But you're not attached?' He asks and I sigh.
'I am. Just not as much as you. But you have your wolf to contend with. I don't.' I say and he looks up at me.
'I want you to care for her.' He says.
'I do. These things just take more time for dragons. You know that.' I say making him smile as he undoubtedly remembers our first few months together. He would rarely leave my side, he followed me around much like he does Claire. It was kind of annoying until the bond strengthened for me.
"Come eat, boys!" Claire yells from the dining room. We both leap up and filter into the room. There's no denying it smells incredible. Claire goes to sit on one side, but Bennett steers her to the head of the table so we can sit on either side of her. I chuckle at his antics, wanting her to be close to both of us. She rolls her eyes, but takes a seat.
"This is meatloaf with mashed potatoes, gravy, ceaser salad, garlic bread and cheesecake for desert." She says proudly.
We wait for her to dish up her plate first, then fill ours and eat. Bennett groans at the taste and I do as well when I take my first bite.
"This is amazing." Bennett says, shoveling some of the potatoes into his mouth.
"It really is. Thank you, Claire." I say, patting my hand on hers. She gives me a shy smile and her eyes look a little glassy.
"You feel ok?" I ask and she nods, but her face flushes pink.
"What is it?" Bennett asks.
"Don't be mad." She says firmly and I can't help but scoff.
"What did you do?" I ask and she huffs.
"I tried your drink. I just wanted to taste it! But now I feel funny." She says with a little chuckle and I groan at her words, taking her food away.
"Hey! I made that give it back!" She says and I shake my head.
"Trust me, the less food in your stomach when you throw up in a little bit, the better." I say and she looks at me confused.
"Why would I throw up?" She asks and Bennett picks her up, placing her on his lap.
"Because one swig of that is enough to get three humans drunk. Let alone one tiny one." He says gently and her lip pouts out and begins to tremble as her eyes fill with tears.
"I'm sorry. Please don't put me in the basement!" She wails and her words cut me like a knife. Bennett's face falls and I see his eyes shine with his own tears.
"No, baby. We won't do that ever again. Just calm down, ok?" Bennett implores her. She sniffles and nods, wiping her nose on a napkin before standing from Bennett's lap.
"Let's play a game!" She says wistfully, twirling in a circle. Bennett looks confused at her sudden change of demeanor, but I just chuckle and stand.
"What game?" I ask her and she puts her pointer finger to her lips, deep in thought.
"Hide and seek!" She says, bounding out the front door and taking off into the forest. Bennett follows her quickly, but I hang back to eat a little more.
"You coming?" He asks.
"You follow her and I'll be out in a minute. This food is fucking good." I say and he rolls his eyes before following our little mate out into the quickly darkening night.
I finished my food and went outside, straining my ears to hear my mates. I didn't hear anything, so started wandering around the forest. I was at a clear disadvantage. Bennett had been wandering these woods in wolf form for years.
'Catch us if you can.' I hear Bennett's taunt float through my mind and chuckle.
My mates ganged up on me.
I wander languidly through the trees, sniffing and listening while enjoying the outdoors. It always smells so good in the fresh air. After wandering for a few minutes, I hear a drunken giggle and Bennett's quiet shooshing off to my left and took off in a dead sprint. Before long the loud, frantic beating of their hearts was within earshot and I jumped over a fallen log to find them huddled together, covered with leaves and twigs. I bend down in front of them both, Bennett laughing and Claire snickering, before she leaps at me and throws her arms around my neck.
"I missed you Row Row." She slurs and Bennett's head lolls back as laughter rings out from him.
"Row Row!" He yells and I grit my teeth.
"You will not call me that again." I say to Claire who just huffs.
"You call me a demon." She says and I grunt as I lift her and begin carrying her back to the house.
"Because you are a demon. A tempting little thing with attitude for miles." I say and she giggles, her eyes closing as she rests her head against me.
"I'm a sass-hole sometimes." She says and Bennett laughs again.
"Benny Boo! There you are I've been looking for you!" She coos to him making him chuckle. She holds her arms out for him and he takes her from me, holding her firm against his chest. I miss her closeness already, the feel of her body pressed against me.
"I'm right here, little one. I'm not going anywhere." Bennett murmurs to her.
"So we're going to ignore that she just called you 'Benny Boo'?" I ask and he shrugs.
"My little mate can call me whatever she wants." He says smiling at her.
I scoff as Claire awws at him.
"That's so sweet." She says, pulling his face down to kiss his cheek.
We make it back to the house just as Claire's stomach begins to rumble.
"Since you're her favorite mate, you can take her into the bathroom and hold her hair as she pukes." I tell Bennett and he scowls at me, but carries Claire into the bathroom just as she begins to retch.
She spews violently, multiple times before she finally falls asleep. I helped her the last time, since she missed the toilet and threw up all over Bennett. He got in the shower as I helped Claire clean up and get into bed. I laid down next to her, keeping a little distance between us incase the vomit show isn't over yet. Her eyes peek open and a serene smile takes over her face when she sees me. She scoots closer, throwing her leg over mine and tucking her face into my chest.
"What are you doing?" I ask her, trying to peel her away.
"Shhh..." She scolds, an adorable scowl taking over her face as she burrows in deeper to my side, clinging to me like a koala.
"Be quiet you overgrown iguana. Just let me love you."