The Boyfriend Cruise

by Deanna Wadsworth

  “Josh, get back!” Nathan pushed Josh out of the way.

  Josh let out a cry as he flew through the air, landing with a thud on his pillows. How had Nathan—

  “What are you?” Nathan demanded, his voice so animalistic and frightening that it turned Josh’s blood to ice.

  Josh blinked a few times, then sat upright and stared. He could hardly believe what he was seeing!

  Nathan’s eyes glowed red and demon-like. And two-inch black claws stretched from his fingertips.

  Sarah hunched up like a frightened alley cat and growled.

  “What are you?” Nathan’s voice filled Josh’s head, echoing all around. “And what are you doing in Josh’s room? He’s mine!”

  Sarah lunged at the same time Nathan did. But she feinted to the left and leaped over Nathan, necklace in hand.

  Oh my God, did she have wings?

  Her contorted body crashed through the closed door, and with an inhuman roar, she ran or flew down the hallway.

  Nathan pursued with a growl, clawed hands yanking open the broken door. He disappeared, and Josh let out a breath.

  What the fuck just happened?

  Sarah had wings, Nathan’s eyes glowed and he had claws….

  Nathan returned to the room a second later, looking like the man Josh thought he knew. He rushed to Josh’s side. “You okay?”

  Josh recoiled. “What are you?”

  Chapter Twelve

  “I’M NATHAN, your boyfriend.” It broke Nathan’s heart to see the fear in Josh’s eyes.

  “What is Sarah?” he asked, voice trembling.

  Nathan wasn’t quite sure how to answer. The only thing that made sense was a dragon shifter. But they were extinct, right?

  Apparently not.

  “Doesn’t matter. Right now we need to get you to the captain, okay?”

  Like a puppet, he allowed Nathan to pull him to his feet and lead him toward the busted door.

  “Where are we going?” Josh asked, his voice sounding nervous and frightened.

  Nathan was concerned, since he’d already told him. Josh was in shock.

  Not a good sign.

  “I already told you where we’re going, hon,” Nathan said patiently.

  “Oh, look at this,” Kevin sneered as they entered the hallway. “I thought you were done hypnotizing your victims, Nathan.”

  “Stow your bitchy attitude!” Nathan’s eyes flashed, and he pointed in the fairy’s face. “There’s a Code Black.”

  “Code Black?” Kevin repeated, incredulous.

  “Yes, Code Black. Tell everyone to keep the humans safe. There’s a dragon shifter loose on the ship!”

  Kevin didn’t run, he simply teleported at once to spread the news so they could contain this before too many humans discovered the truth aboard the Pride of the Caribbean.

  “Humans?” Josh repeated. “You’re not humans.”

  “Obviously.”

  Josh didn’t say anything else as Nathan hurried them to the captain’s office. He did not knock, but rather burst in, shouting, “Code Black! Code Black!”

  “What is the meaning of this?” Raoul demanded from his place on his knees in front of a shirtless captain, moments away from an intimate tryst.

  Oddly, Nathan’s demon didn’t even respond to the scent of their arousal or the sight of the gorgeous captain without a shirt and Raoul on his knees.

  Guess Darrius was right. I only have eyes for Josh.

  “I’m sorry!” Coming to his senses, Nathan spun Josh and himself to face the door. “But we have an out of control dragon shifter on the ship. It was stealing diamonds out of Josh’s safe. It’s the Timbers girl.”

  “So that’s why we’re in Aruba,” the captain said calmly. “I’ll send to wake Darrius. He’ll need to know about this.”

  “I’ll gather the fairies and find her,” Raoul said. “Rally the ogres and the shifters to be on standby if we can’t contain her with magic.”

  There was a shuffling of clothing as the two men dressed. Raoul hurried to the door, glaring at Nathan. “You should learn to knock.”

  “You should learn to lock your door,” Nathan threw back. Raoul might be his superior on the ship, but in the paranormal realm, no one fucked with any kind of demon. And right now Nathan’s demon only cared about one thing—keeping Josh safe.

  Raoul drew up in surprise at Nathan’s tone, and then his eyes went black and he shook his head. “I’ll deal with you later.” Then he teleported out of the room.

  When they turned back around, the captain was adjusting his tie as if nothing untoward had happened. “Tell me everything, Nathan.”

  So Nathan laid out the whole story as quickly and as detailed as he could. Raoul returned halfway through the telling.

  “You should not have brought him here,” Raoul said, glaring at Josh when Nathan finished.

  “He saw everything,” Nathan insisted, his demon calming with the imminent threat to Josh having passed. “Even my eyes and my claws. What was I supposed to do?”

  “Claws?” the captain questioned. “That’s new.”

  Last night, Darrius told Nathan the claws came from an instinct to protect what belonged to him. Usually reserved for those a demon wanted to possess as sex slaves—much like Bartholomew had wanted to do to Nathan. But Nathan had insisted he did not want to possess Josh, and Darrius reminded him he was mostly human.

  And humans who were in love also wanted to possess and protect their mates.

  So Nathan’s demon was repulsed by sex from anyone else, protective of Josh, jealous of other men talking to him, and all of that meant his human side was in love with him.

  I love Josh.

  After the night he grew claws, Nathan worried his demon liked Josh too much and he might reveal himself or, worse, hurt Josh. A night of meditation with Darrius had helped him see clearly.

  He was in love.

  Nathan looked at Josh now, standing there quietly stunned.

  He’d known the truth would have to come out if this relationship was going to work, but he hadn’t anticipated such a dramatic reveal.

  Now that the cat was out of the bag—or rather the dragon—would Josh reject the paranormal?

  He longed to pull Josh into his arms, assure him that it would all be okay soon. But what if, now that Josh saw the truth, he didn’t love Nathan back?

  “The fairies have located her,” Raoul said, as if someone had spoken to him in his mind. Fairies were creepy that way. “They’re gathering her fathers, the stolen jewelry, and are bringing her here.”

  “Thank you, Raoul.” The captain looked at Josh and pursed his lips ruefully. “I suppose Brian should wipe his mind.”

  “For the best,” Raoul agreed.

  “No way!” Nathan threw his arms around Josh, as if their words were the very spell used to erase minds. His demon roared inside him, ready to defend what was his.

  The captain and Raoul gaped at Nathan.

  When he noticed they—and everything else in the cabin—had gone red, he realized his eyes were glowing.

  Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he blinked a couple of times until his vision returned to normal. He hoped he didn’t have to physically defend Josh against the people on this ship he considered friends, but no one was getting near his man.

  The demon wouldn’t stand for it.

  “No mind wipes,” Nathan said with finality. “None.”

  After a moment, the captain conceded with a nod. When Raoul pursed his lips in disapproval, Nathan believed it might be okay, and the demon settled once more.

  Thank goodness they wouldn’t try to wipe Josh’s mind!

  Suddenly Josh began to struggle in Nathan’s arms.

  Nathan loosened his grip at once.

  No longer passive or in shock, Josh broke free from Nathan. He took three steps backward, huge eyes darting back and forth between Nathan and the captain. “Who are you people?”

  “I am Captain Alexander Leonides, son of the Greek go
d Dionysus. Raoul is the leader of the fairies in this region. And Nathan is one-quarter incubus. Do you know what an incubus is, Josh?”

  Josh’s gaze shot toward Nathan, his eyes wide. “A male succubus that seduces people, or something?”

  Nathan couldn’t read the expression on Josh’s face. Please, be able to handle all this, baby. Please!

  The captain nodded. “In so many words, yes. Incubi are demons that feed off sexual energy.”

  “I’m dating a sex demon,” Josh muttered.

  “My ship is a sanctuary for paranormals,” the captain continued. “There are very few of us in existence, and I provide a safe haven for many.”

  Josh took another step back, and his foot bumped into a chair. He glanced quickly behind him, and when he realized what it was, he sank heavily into the chair, his eyes rolling as he muttered, “Sex demon.” When he chuckled to himself, Nathan and the captain exchanged glances.

  If Josh rejected their world, panicked—or worse, rejected Nathan—Captain Leonides would have to order a mind wipe to keep the paras under his care safe. And Nathan would have to allow it. One demon’s heart wasn’t worth the risk of exposing their world.

  His stomach lurched at the harsh reality.

  Then Josh will forget all about his time with me….

  The crew of the Pride was incredibly efficient at putting down paranormal uprisings and keeping humans unaware. Within five minutes of Raoul’s return to the captain’s quarters, Brian and Darrius had joined them. Nathan was smart enough not to try to touch Josh again, but the presence of Brian—the ship’s most experienced mind wiper—put the demon on edge. He would not allow them to delete Josh’s memories before Nathan had a chance to explain everything and see if Josh could love him anyway.

  When the Timbers family arrived, Josh let out a yelp when he saw Sarah.

  And he grabbed Nathan’s hand.

  Their eyes met, and when Josh did not look away, the ache inside Nathan’s chest eased. He offered Josh a faint smile, and Josh gave him one in return, squeezing his hand.

  “I’ll keep you safe,” Nathan whispered. “You don’t have anything to be afraid of.”

  Josh gave him the faintest nod, then stared at their clasped hands.

  Nathan thanked every god and entity in existence that Josh did not let go.

  “Thank you for coming, Winslow, Tom, and Sarah,” the captain said. The two fairies who brought the family dumped a handful of jewelry on his desk, then with a nod from Raoul, teleported out of the room.

  “What is the meaning of this?” the heavyset Mr. Timbers said. Nathan thought he was Winslow. “My daughter is terrified.”

  Darrius clasped his hands together, weathered face bright with delight. His skin was pale, hair a bit shaggy and gray, but his dark eyes were full of wisdom and youth. “She is not terrified. She is confused, Winslow. She just learned that she’s a dragon shifter. A fire dragon shifter!” He beamed at Brian. “Can you believe it?”

  Brian grinned, and Nathan was a little surprised by the glee in his expression.

  “Well, she’s half fire dragon shifter.” Darrius began pacing in little circles around her, as if he’d discovered the most wonderful gift under the tree on Christmas morning. Darrius never wore the standard Pride uniform or a wizarding cloak. He liked track suits, today’s a red Adidas one. “Germanic, I would think.” He touched her mousy brown hair, and the girl flinched, growling at him.

  Darrius raised his hand at once. “Nope, she’s Nordic. They’re feisty,” he said to Brian, who eagerly wrote that in a notepad.

  “I don’t understand,” Tom Timbers said. “What do you mean?” He looked around uncomfortably. “There’s no such thing as dragons.”

  Darrius gaped as if Tom said he hated puppies and babies. “Of course there are dragons. Dragons, fairies, gods, demons, witches.” He gestured to each of them in turn. “We’re all real. There just aren’t many of us left in this world.”

  Darrius did not take his eyes off Sarah as he spoke, and her dads stood protectively on either side of her, each holding one of her hands.

  “I don’t understand,” Sarah said, looking at her dads, then back at Darrius.

  “Oh, my darling, but you do,” Darrius countered in the most gentle voice, the smile he gave her so similar to the one he’d given Nathan when they’d first met.

  Suddenly the whole situation seemed calmer, and Nathan smiled reassuringly at Josh. Josh’s brow furrowed, and he watched the scene intently.

  Nathan hoped that was a good sign. At least he didn’t seem afraid.

  “You dream of flying, do you not?” Darrius asked her.

  “How did you know?”

  “Because your wings are coming in. And you dream of sparkly things and burning things, don’t you?”

  The dads shared a shocked look.

  Darrius didn’t miss it. “Let me guess. Sarah likes to play with fire, and she likes to steal pretty sparkly things?”

  The dads said nothing, and Darrius giggled, clasping his hands together like a child. “Oh, my darling, we thought you were extinct. It’s no wonder we came to Aruba. Oh, this ship.” He looked around in wonder and admiration at the vessel. “She always knows.”

  “Why did we come to Aruba?” Josh asked, as if it were the most important question.

  Darrius jumped, startled to see Josh there. Then he smiled. “Ah, Nathan’s little human. Oh, he does love you so.”

  “Darrius,” Nathan scolded, but Darrius’s attention was back on Sarah, eyes twinkling as he stared at her.

  Josh shot a nervous look at Nathan but quickly glanced back to Darrius.

  That was not how he’d planned to tell Josh that he loved him. Naked and cuddling after the best sex of their lives would’ve been much better.

  “The last clan of Chinese dragons lives in Aruba. The Wong family. They run a convenience store in Oranjestad. They’re water dragons, but a dragon is still a dragon. They will be able to help you. This is just so wonderful. Can you fly?”

  “Today was the first time I felt wings,” the girl said, as if ashamed.

  “Wings?” Both dads instantly looked at her back, then at each other.

  “I’m assuming you haven’t had your menstruation yet.”

  “Excuse me, sir,” Winslow blustered. “That’s highly inappropriate.”

  Most people were not used to Darrius and the way he went about things. He had no filters and always seemed to be having the same conversation as you, but he was already five minutes in the future.

  Darrius waved his offense away. “Your family has arrived just in time. Sarah is getting her hoard ready. Think of it like a pregnant woman nesting before the baby comes. Sarah is preparing to become a full-blown woman and dragon. But of course we don’t quite know how much dragon you will be, since you’re half dragon. May I touch your hand?”

  Hope burned bright in the child’s eyes, and she held her hand out to Darrius. He took it and closed it in both of his own, then shut his eyes, muttering words.

  “What’s he doing?” Josh whispered as Nathan felt the magical shift in the air.

  “Just wait,” Nathan told him with a smile. Darrius had read Nathan this way when he’d arrived on the Pride too. It had been such an intense relief to finally find someone kind offering answers and guidance after so many years of struggling on his own. “Yes, I see,” Darrius said. “It was your father. He was the dragon. A very old, old, powerful dragon. There was talk twenty years ago of a dragon in northern Siberia, areas under Russian control.”

  “Sarah was from Russia. That’s where we adopted her,” Winslow said, hope in his voice.

  “Human women cannot handle giving birth to a fire dragon child, so I’m assuming her mother died during childbirth?” Darrius asked sympathetically.

  “Yes, that’s what we were told when we adopted her,” Tom agreed. “She knows that.”

  “My guess is that your father knew he was the last of his kind if he chose a woman to carry his child, knowin
g she would not survive. He may still live, but one assumes he would have claimed you… but then he may not have known he impregnated your mother. That’s happened before, of course, but is very rare.” Darrius seemed to be talking to himself.

  “We are her parents,” Winslow asserted, putting a possessive arm around Sarah’s shoulders.

  “Yes, yes, of course. But if Papa Dragon still is alive, Sarah will need to meet him. I will contact the local yetis and see if he’s still around. For now, the Wongs will help. The Fates are working well today. Everything’s going to be okay.”

  “Did he say yetis?” Josh whispered.

  Nathan nodded, and for a moment thought Josh might burst with laughter. Instead, he shook his head, as if he’d just walked into a screen door.

  Tom gave his husband a desperately hopeful look, then addressed Darrius. “You mean our daughter isn’t… disturbed?”

  “Dad!” Sarah looked just shy of murderous. A little swirl of smoke came out of one nostril.

  Tom quickly put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s what therapists told us. She’s a pyromaniac, and she likes to steal things, and….” He looked apologetically at his daughter. “And she gets so angry, that we….”

  “Well, of course she’s angry,” Darrius said. “She needs to shift and fly. But my friends, the Wongs, will help you sort all of that out. No more need to worry, Sarah’s dads.” He grinned at them, then addressed Sarah. “They’ll teach you to shift and fly. And when you burn things, they’re water dragons, so there will be nothing to worry about. Yin and yang.”

  “And the stealing?” Winslow said, looking guiltily at Josh.

  “Oh, we’ll take care of that too,” Darrius promised with a wink. “But maybe we’ll learn about stocks and day trading instead of passengers’ jewelry, okay?”

  “So all this time… she was okay, and we didn’t….” Tom was shaking his head, still in shock.

  Darrius placed a hand on each father’s shoulder, and Nathan could feel the magical shift in the air. “It will all be okay. Your family will heal. Do not worry.”

  He released the entire Timbers family, and they shared a group hug, muttering both relief and disbelief while sobbing quietly.