Hidden Flame 41

*Avery**
Time has flown by and I have gotten closer to The Trio, however, I still don’t understand why I am their queen. But I have
grown quite fond of Regina even if she’s as clueless as I am. I am in the kitchen trying to get a box of oats from the
cupboard when my boobs knock over a sack of flour. “For fuckssake! These things are dangerous and could poke an eye
out.” Then when I tried to turn around my ass knocked something else over. “Seriously, my boobs and ass need their own
time zone!”
Then I hear chuckling behind me which causes me to turn and drop the box of oats. They fly everywhere too. “I can think
of other things that I would love to see you covered in,” Cassius teases.
Clint comes over to me and starts dusting me off, “Avery, you look like you tried to eat out a blizzard.” My cheeks redden
and he kisses them. Since our dragons mated, we all have been more affectionate toward each other but I have not had
sex with them yet. I still worry that they will reject me despite Regina telling me that it is impossible for them to.
Conner says, “After we eat and then hose Avery off, how about we all go shopping? We all need something special for
the ceremonial dinner.”
I reluctantly agree. Do I like looking at pretty things? Yes, but I don’t like the cost or thinking that I owe someone
something because they bought me a T-shirt. In case we are going into the human world, I grab around one hundred
dollars in cash. I don’t have much human currency saved compared to the gemstones and other items that we use as
currency in the dragon world. Ever since I have been able to earn a wage, I have been thrifty.
It is Saturday so we don’t have to go to school. Cassius drives us all to a huge mall in the human world. It has three floors
as well as a few hundred shops within it. I can smell all kinds of foods cooking so the food court must be massive as well.
I feel so out of place here even more so than when I am at the palace. I am disheartened because I thought that I would
fit in in the human world, but I don’t. Apparently, I don’t fit in anywhere.
Clint excitedly leads us around. Many of the workers in the stores recognize him and his brothers while I get nothing but
hateful looks except for a few of the male workers. Maybe holding onto the dream of being able to go to college is a bad
idea. Despite having Regina, I don’t feel as if I should stay in the dragon world either.
As the guys were discussing plans for the ceremonial dinner and me officially becoming their queen, I zoned out. My
thoughts drifted back to when I was a kid at that orphanage and played with Tim. I miss it when things are easier. Yes, I
did get bullied but I had a friend to back me even if it didn’t help much. The Trio swears that the Hags will be held
accountable and that any who lays a hand on me in the future will be punished, but I still have my doubts.
“Why don’t we make it fun instead of so formal? Avery loved shooting sh^t!” Conner suggested which pulled me from
my thoughts.
“I did. It was fun too. Maybe we could do both?”
Cassius grins as he says with a predatory gaze that sends butterflies flailing about in my stomach, “I think that can be
arranged. Now to decide what’s for dinner.”
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I pick up a fry and throw it at him, “Eat that because you won’t be eating me!”
As we were throwing fries at each other, I heard a laugh that I hadn’t in a very long time. I immediately turned to it, “Tim?
Tim, is that you?” He looked different but his eyes and freckles were the same.
“Avery? I thought that was your laugh but I wasn’t sure. You look different,” Tim says.
“This is a new development, trust me. Tell me about what happened after you left,” I said as I got up to offer him my seat.
Clint pulled me to him and lightly guided me onto his lap. He leans down to whisper, “I know that you once knew him,
but I won’t take any chances so please don’t fight me on this.” I sighed as I nodded. However, I don’t get a bad feeling
from Tim. I still feel that friendship that I once had with him and I feel a familiarity too but I just can’t place where or how.
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Noticing how protective Clint became of me, Tim says, “I mean no harm. I am Timothy Green, well Balans now. Avery and
I were friends before I got adopted by a distant cousin.”
Clint nodded but I noticed his eyes temporarily glazed over. I wonder what he needed to talk to Carter about. I put my
hand on top of his as I looked at Tim, “I am glad that you got adopted. I wish that you would have contacted me
somehow, but we can still catch up. That is Cassius and Conner and this is Clint, my boyfriend.” I felt giddy calling him
that until I felt the envy from Cassius and Conner but I couldn’t claim them too because humans wouldn’t understand,
hell I barely do.
We all engaged in small talk for a little while before we parted ways. Tim gave me his number which Clint abruptly took. He then went to a cell phone store and bought me a phone to use to text Tim on but I am only to use it when we are in
the human world. I agreed, but I don’t see why it would matter since the dragon world is protected by a magical barrier.
A week has passed since our shopping trip and now it is time for me to be welcomed as queen. I put on my long-flowing
rainbow ombre gown that has a removable skirt to reveal a shorter more casual dress. As I gaze at my reflection, I almost
don’t recognize myself. Regina pushes forward and I can faintly see her silhouette overlapping mine, “Avery, this is the us
that we would have been had I been present as I am now. My absence weakened us both and we aren’t at full strength
yet either. I don’t know what our future holds, but I do know that we have mates who will never wrong us again. Avery,
they love us even if they haven’t said it yet.” Maybe she is right. After I nodded, she disappeared from my reflection.
There was a knock on my door. “Avery, are you ready?” Cassius asks. As I opened the door, I was met by a gasp. “You look
better than I could have dreamed.”
I offered him a shy smile as he extended his arm to me. Maybe Regina is right, if they don’t love us already they’re close