Their Improbable Mating [Paranormal Protection Unit 3] (Siren Publishing Allure) (10 page)

“Dissed by my own bond-mate.” He shook his head, leaning in to kiss her. “Unbelievable,” he muttered, moving around her toward his desk. Sitting down behind it, he watched as Aiden put in his name and settled in next to his mate to take on whatever the hell they were taking on. “What are you guys killing?” he asked, only mildly curious.

“Zombies,” Jackie said with a grin. “We are killing zombies and such in space,” she murmured happily and clicked for the game to begin. When the movie portion started, Jackie looked back at Allister and smiled. “Are you going to cheer for me?” she asked sweetly.

“You’re killing brain-eating undead zombies in space. You wouldn’t be able to hear me cheering for you even if I felt the need to cheer you on and heckle my brother,” Allister pointed out. Shifting, he put his feet up on the corner of his desk and settled his chair into a comfortable reclined position.

“I would always know when you were cheering me on,” Jackie said simply and clicked on the mission file. “Because I would feel your love pushing toward me, darling mine,” she added softly. “So please, cheer me on.” She looked back at him and winked. “Mostly because it will irritate Aiden as well.”

“And we know how much you love doing that,” both brothers muttered at the same time. Sighing, Allister shook his head. “Just go and kill something, love,” he advised her, quietly putting his hands behind his head. “You know how much better you feel after you’ve splattered even undead brains all over the place.”

“Hell yeah, I do.” Since she had been told unequivocally by her boss that she was no longer allowed to be a part of the unit she had been in so long, she needed something to help her get rid of her aggression. Lifting her weapon, she looked to Aiden. “I bet that I have a higher kill count than you,” she tossed out and then focused just on the game.

Catching a look from Allister, Aiden sighed. “Yeah, likely,” he muttered since he’d been throwing every game they’d played just to ensure she was happy and his brother, therefore, was happy. Allister had asked him to do it after Aiden had wiped the floor with her on one game, a game they’d never played again since. He’d asked Aiden to make it close, make her work for it, but, if at all possible, let her have the win. Lifting the “rifle,” he growled. He hated losing.

Jackie looked at him and added, “Oh, and by the way.” She put her face back to the weapon. “This time I’m not going to make it easy on you. I’ve tried throwing every single game, but you are so bad that I can’t even throw the game, so no more. Kid gloves off. I’m wiping the floor with you.”

Feeling his brother’s shock, Aiden grinned. “Oh, darling, I have thrown every game because you got all pouty when I bested you on the first one.” He didn’t even look at the screen as he shot six Zombies in the head. “Bring it, darling, and if you cry this time, I don’t care.” He knocked off three in front of her easily before she could even react.

Jackie grinned and looked back to Allister and winked. “I love you, Al,” she murmured and then allowed herself to get into the game, easily outshooting him by the end of round one. Smiling up at Aiden while the game movie loaded, she said, “No tears yet.”

Growling at her, Aiden settled in a better position. “Don’t taunt him, love,” Allister murmured from his resting position. Yawning, he dozed off again for rounds two, three, and four. By the time they got to round five they were tied and they were also not very happy with the other person. Not sure how it was going to end, he popped an eye open to watch as they were each trying to outdo the other. This was going to get bloody, he realized.

Jackie moved slightly away from Aiden and shot him a nasty look. “Bump me again to try to get me to miss and I’m going to break this freaking weapon over your head,” she told him with a low growl. “I mean it, too,” she said simply. She didn’t even take note of their kill counts. She simply kept shooting, focusing on what she had to do and not worrying about Aiden.

“I didn’t bump you, wench. You stepped into my line of vision trying to get me to stop shooting so you could rack up kills. Big difference. Stay on your bloody side and you won’t have to worry about bumping into me,” Aiden snarled back at her.

Groaning, Allister rubbed a hand over his face. This was so not going well.

“Next time we will draw a damn line between us, put furniture between us or something,” she muttered and took out the last three kills on the level and grinned, then cursed when the game went dead. “What the fuck?” she screamed. “What the hell happened to the game?” How the hell had the whole thing fucking shut off?

Twirling the cord, Allister sat there waiting until they both turned to look at him. “You two are forevermore banned from playing together. Ever again,” he said, getting up to take their controllers and the game console. “I absolutely refuse to be a part of you two beating on one another in any form,” he said and headed for the door. “Either just beat each other up and get it over with or get along. Enough is enough,” he warned before heading for Talon’s office to return the game. He was getting tired of their crap.

Jackie grinned up at Aiden and held out her hand. “Pay up,” she told him with a smile. “I told you that he wouldn’t put up with us arguing and you thought it would take more than one game. Silly Dragon. I told you that I knew Al and knew that he wouldn’t put up with us bitching at each other. He loves us both too much so”—she wiggled her fingers—“a hundred bucks, right?”

“You suck,” he muttered, digging out his wallet and giving her two fifties. “Fleecing unsuspecting Dragons.” He shook his head and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they headed out of the office. “Feel like getting a bite?” he asked curiously.

“I would love to,” she said and wrapped her arm around his waist. She and Aiden got along wonderfully, now. At first she knew the Dragon wanted her dead, but now the two were as tight as siblings. She adored her brother-by-bonding, thought that he was nearly as amazing as his younger twin. Nearly. “You do know one day Allister is going to catch on to the fact that we pick on each other around him only, right?”

“One day but not today,” he said with a grin, leading her to the mess hall. “We may even break it to him eventually. But again, not today.” He chuckled, hugging her in close. “You are good for him, darling. I’m really glad you two got your acts together,” he said quietly but sincerely. Allister was his baby brother. Aiden worried for him and likely always would even when they eventually were old and gray.

“Thank you for that. I know I’ve said it before, but thank you again, Aiden. If not for you…” Jackie shivered. “Well, I don’t want to think about it,” she whispered. “All that I want to focus on is that we got over it, I got over my bitchiness, and he and I are together now.” She looked up and added, “I’m going to ask him for a baby tonight,” she said to Aiden, her brother, friend and confidant. “I want a baby. I’ve gone off my birth control, and tonight I’m going to make sure he knows.”

“Well, good, I need some semi-adorable nephews and nieces to spoil rotten and play with. To teach how to be absolutely rotten and enjoy every second of their lives.” He grinned at her. “I adore you, Jackie. You’re good for him and I know you will make an amazing mother.”

“Thanks, Aiden, and I think you are going to make an amazing uncle.” She looked up at him. “But just know, if you hype them up on sugar and try to send them home to me to deal with I’m totally sending them right back to you,” she told him with a wink.

“Sugar only works on Dragons for about ten minutes,” he told her honestly. “Chocolate is our Achilles, darling. Something in the cocoa beans makes us all souped up. Watch out for that stuff. As adults, in small doses we can handle it and burn through it. But as kids”—he shook his head—“totally off the wall.”

“Oh good lord, then there is no chocolate allowed around my kids when I finally have them,” she muttered. “I mean it. If you or anyone dares feed my babies chocolate, when I am blessed with them, I’m making whoever does it babysit for them for a month of Sundays, and before they get them I will pump them full of chocolate myself,” she muttered. “So get the word out.”

“All the changer races know about the chocolate. No one willingly gives a child anything that could get them fried by their mother or father. Or uncle who loves the little boogers more than anything.” He hugged her tight to him.

“Good, because I can’t fricassee anyone, so I’m totally going to rely on you and my Al for that,” she said with a smile. “But let’s not tell him yet,” she said with a grin as she got into line with him for food.

“I try not to discuss my brother’s sex life at any time,” he said, popping a grape in his mouth and grinning at all the sudden attention they had. “He’s my baby brother. I so do not need to know all the crap you guys do behind closed doors.”

“And here I was going to make sure that you had detailed lesson plans so that when you finally found a woman to sleep with you would know just what to do to give her pleasure. Silly man,” she said with the shake of her head, grinning as she did so and taking the grapes from his tray since he took the last bunch. “Hey, I need the vitamins. Possible baby maker here, mister.”

Taking back half, he stuck out his tongue. “Get some protein, too. Since you’re trying to make a Dragon baby you’re going to need a lot. Steaks are good, really good, especially if just lightly singed and juicy inside.” He smacked his lips with a grin.

She frowned. “Oh no, not bloody. I’m totally good with being able to have steaks all the time because I’m a total carnivore, but I want them less bloody than you boys like your steak.” She grabbed a plate of chicken instead of steak since there weren’t any out.

“That’s because you don’t yet have a little fire breather inside demanding it,” he pointed out and grinned when one of the staff brought him out a perfectly cooked steak. “I sent a text ahead of us to let them know to throw one on the grill,” he supplied to answer her questioning look.

“Awesome, thanks,” she said with a grin and put the chicken back to accept the steak. “It’s going to be handy having you around feeding me as well, huh?” she teased him happily. “Good thing that I do have you and my Al as well. Between the two of you, I and the little fire breather that I want to have will never want for anything.”

“Course it won’t,” he told her with a smirk and took his own steak. “Thanks, Trace,” he called to the woman and moved to get some other goodies. “We’re going to ensure you are properly pampered and relaxed. Dragon babies tend to be larger than your average baby, and the birth is often a little trying, too, so the more relaxed you are, the better.”

“Relaxed is damn good,” Jackie murmured, “but remember, we aren’t telling Al that I told you first,” she teased with a grin. “And I’m totally naming our firstborn son at least with your name as his middle name.” She would be fine naming her son Aiden. He was, after all, the reason she and Al were together. “But I will call him Ai, so get used to it, mister,” she teased with a bump of her hip to his.

“You are just so wrong in so many ways,” he muttered to her, grabbing a container of milk for her. “You need your calcium,” he said and grabbed a bottle of water for them both. “I won’t tell him a damned thing as long as you promise never to use the nickname around me, please?” It still made him cringe and actually hurt him to hear it.

That had her snickering, but she did sober. “I’m just pulling your leg, Aiden. I know how much that name makes you cringe. I was just giving you a hard time because I can.” She bumped against him. “After all, I am your sister and your co-conspirator in driving Allister batty at times.”

“I know, Jacqueline,” he said with a straight face even as he was grinning with glee inside at her near shudder. Sitting across from her, he handed her a water. “The sad thing is I don’t even think we have to try all that hard anymore. He’s so paranoid I’ll say something to upset you or you’ll go and get mouthy as you tend to do and piss me off. He’s always waiting with pillows to cushion one fall or the other. I think we need to let him mellow out a little, chill, sit back, and not have his paranoia running rampant all the time.”

“I could beat you,” she said with a smirk and cracked open the bottle of water. “Should we go ahead and make sure that he knows that we aren’t really at each other’s throats like he seems to think that we are?” she murmured. “Maybe we should let him know that you and I actually really like each other and just give each other trouble for the hell of it.”

“Oh yes, you both should definitely do that,” Allister said from the doorway to the mess hall.

Turning his head, Aiden took in his brother’s stance, the look on his face, and the fact his entire demeanor screamed that he was seriously displeased. Falling on the old standby, he pointed at Jackie. “It was all her idea. She was blackmailing me, bro.” To her he hissed, “He won’t pummel you if you suck up, woman.”

Her eyes went wide as she watched her co-conspirator jump off the ship as fast as possible. “Oh that’s so wrong.” She turned and looked up at Allister with a smile. “Hello, honey,” she told him with a smile. “I love you, Allister, and I really wanted to have a nice lovely conversation with you tonight, if you wouldn’t mind?”

Snorting at that, Allister shook his head. “Neither of you are getting off yanking me around like this,” he said. Shaking his head again, he headed for the food to get something to eat.

“Sorry,” Aiden muttered. “I panicked,” he said and then grinned because that was a load of shit. Yeah, he was a horrible liar. “But it worked. He’s amused instead of pissed like he was when he first showed up.” The fact Aiden hadn’t sensed his brother though was weird, very weird.