Liam Takes Manhattan (7 page)

When Dragos laid eyes on Liam and the puppy, he stopped dead. His entrance got Rika’s attention. The puppy turned to consider him, head cocked.

Then with a playful bark,
she bounced across the room to attack one of Dragos’s shoes.

Dragos cocked his head and gave Liam such an expressive look, he burst out laughing. “Mom!” he shouted. “Did you by any chance forget to tell Dad that we were bringing a puppy home?”

Something clattered in the kitchen. Pia said, “Damn it. Yes.”

“Stop it,” Dragos told the dog.

Growling, Rika tugged at his shoelace then sat to chew
on one end. Bending, Dragos picked her up by the scruff of the neck and lifted her until she was at eye level. He told the puppy, “I said stop.”

In answer, she yipped and wriggled, and tried to bite at his fingers.

Dragos carried her over to Liam and deposited her in his lap. “I’m sure there is a perfectly reasonable story attached to this.”

“Absolutely,” Liam said.

“And what about Glenhaven?”
Dragos asked, one eyebrow up.

“I’m going to take her with me—if I get in. I guess we’ll know one way or another, soon enough.” He stroked Rika then set her on the floor. She promptly ran over to Dragos to bite at his shoelace again. Laughing, Liam lunged after her to scoop her up. “Sorry. I’ll take her out.”

“I’ll just go make sure all the closet doors are closed.” Dragos strode down the hall.

Liam carried Rika out onto the balcony and set her on the fake turf in the litter box. With a gigantic effort, she jumped off the box and raced around the balcony. He went after her and set her on the litter box. Happily she jumped off again. She loved the litter box game.

Somehow, it would all work out, he told himself for the thousandth time.

If he got into Glenhaven.

Realistically, it might
take weeks before he knew anything. Waiting to hear one way or another was going to kill him.

His phone rang in his jeans pocket. Digging it out while he set Rika on the litter box again, he checked the number. The call wasn’t from any number he recognized. He thumbed the answer button and said, “Hello?”

“Good evening, is this Liam Giovanni?” a pleasant male voice asked.

In a Scottish accent.

Surprise pounded in his ears. Clearing his throat, he replied, “Yes, it is. Who’s calling?”

“My name is Ian Killian. I’m a representative of Glenhaven College. Is this a good time to talk?”

“Sure,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. At least, I mean, not so quickly, and it’s Christmas Eve.”

“Ach, Christmas Eve,” Killian said in a tone that clearly dismissed such human things. “I
had traveled to New York for the Masque, and I was about to leave for home again when I received an email from the dean with your application attached. I know this is short notice, but my flight leaves for Edinburgh tomorrow evening—would you by any chance have time to meet in person in the morning?”

“A-absolutely,” he stuttered, while he fist pumped and leaped into the air, making Rika fall
over from surprise. She bounded to her feet and barked at him.

“When and where would you like to meet?” Killian asked briskly.

Cupping his phone to shield the microphone from the puppy’s barking, he tried to think. “Since tomorrow’s Christmas, there’s actually not going to be much open,” he said slowly. Dare he suggest it? “How about the Starbucks in Cuelebre Tower? The Tower is centrally located,
and that Starbucks never closes.”

“A sensible suggestion,” Killian told him. “Let’s say nine o’clock? It shouldna take long, just a half an hour or so.”

“Sure,” he said. “That would be great. Thank you.”

“All right, I’ll see you then.”

Quickly, before the older male could hang up, Liam said, “Wait—Do you mind me asking what to expect tomorrow?”

“Not at all,” Killian replied. “Your application
looks quite impressive, young man. I’ll just be wanting to verify some of the details. Perhaps you can show me a touch of your talents. If everything looks to be in order, I’ll be submitting your request for a scholarship to the finance committee.”

That sounded like it could be a lengthy process. He frowned. “How long will that take?”

“Scholarship students are fully funded, which is an expensive
process, so the committee might not approve your application for another six months to a year.”

His lips tightened. Rika was starting to shiver, so he scooped her up and tucked her inside his sweater, where she snuggled against his chest and promptly fell asleep.

He said, “What if I told you I’ve come up with financing on my own, so I won’t be needing a scholarship after all?”

“Ach, well, that
changes things completely,” Killian said.

“Do you think my application might be approved in time for me to start the next term? I mean, if there’s room for Glenhaven to take me.”

“Young man, I can approve your application when I meet you tomorrow. As long as everything is in order, of course. And yes, there’s room for you to start this next term, if you can be ready by then, and you don’t mind
being flexible on what kind of housing you get. If your financing is enough to allow you to get your own apartment, you should be fine. The new term begins on January fifteenth, so that isn’t much time for you to prepare. But we can talk all about that tomorrow morning, so be sure to come with a list of your questions.”

Excitement pounded through his body. He could hardly believe it, but it sounded
like everything really would fall into place. “Yes—yes, I will. Thank you so much, Mr. Killian!”

“You’re welcome, Mr. Giovanni. See you in the morning.”

As Killian disconnected, Liam let out a loud whoop. Rika was sound asleep by that point and never stirred, but Dragos and Pia strode quickly into the living room, drawn by the noise.

He rushed inside and waved his phone at them. “That was a
representative from Glenhaven College! He wants to meet me tomorrow morning!”

“You’re kidding,” Pia said faintly. “Already?”

“He said he came to New York for the Masque, so he’s already here. The dean forwarded my application to him, and his flight leaves tomorrow evening, so we’re meeting in the morning! The next term starts January fifteenth, so it’s not quite as soon as I was afraid it would
be. And if I can afford an apartment, he said there would be space for me!”

His dad and mom gave each other a long look. It was complicated, that look, filled with a lot of things Liam didn’t know how to categorize. Wryness was there, and a touch of sadness, along with pride and acceptance.

“Kids these days,” Dragos said quietly. “They grow up so fast.”

“Supersonic fast,” Pia said just as quietly.
She laid a hand on her flat abdomen. “I guess we need to fasten our seat belts, because we’re about to go through it all again.”

It touched Liam’s heart, how much they loved him. “Come on,” he said gently. “Be happy for me.”

Immediately, Pia strode over to throw her arms around him and hug him, puppy and all. “I am so happy for you,” she told him. “And so proud of you, I don’t know what to do
with myself. I’m not going to lie to you, Liam—I just hate the thought of Glenhaven closing its doors for an entire term. But I understand why you need this, and I’m behind you every step of the way.”

Dragos strode over and clapped him on the shoulder. “Good job. I’m proud of you too.”

“Well,” he felt compelled to say, “I’m not in quite yet.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,
pfft
,” Pia said, brushing
his caution aside with a wave of her hand. “You’re in.”

“I think this calls for a toast,” Dragos said. He looked into Liam’s eyes with a smile. “How about a glass of champagne?”

Liam perked up. He wondered if he would like champagne. He knew he would like finding that out. “Hell yeah.”

Pia’s eyes sparkled. “Dinner’s in the oven, so while we drink champagne and the puppy sleeps, I think we should
open a few presents.”

Liam nodded. “I second that idea.”

While Dragos and Pia left to collect a chilled bottle of champagne and three flutes, Liam pulled Rika out from underneath his sweater and carefully settled her on her new dog bed. She was so sound asleep, she never noticed a thing.

“You need to crate her tonight,” Pia said as she came back into the room carrying the champagne flutes.
“She needs to get used to sleeping in her own bed, even if she cries a bit at first.”

He nodded. Probably so. But he had a feeling he would let her out of the crate and let her sleep with him.

Dragos strolled back into the room, a bottle of champagne in one hand. Pia and Liam watched as he opened it and poured the frothing golden drink into the flutes. When he was done, Pia handed the flutes
around, and then she raised hers in the air.

“To family,” she said. “We can get through anything together. Even arguments and really weird stuff. Merry Christmas, guys. I love you with all my heart.”

They clinked glasses, and Liam tasted champagne for the first time. He said, “Oh God. Oh damn.”

Dragos and Pia laughed, and Dragos asked, “Is that good or bad?”

“It’s very, very good.” He took
another sip and savored the flavor. He said fervently, “I love taste buds.”

Dragos held his flute up for another toast. As Pia and Liam joined him, he looked at Liam and smiled.

Dragos said, “To your future, son. May it always be bright, and may you find your way home again when you’re ready.”

They clinked glasses again. Thinking of the golden woman, Liam asked, “Even if it is filled with really
weird stuff?”

His parents laughed.

“Even then,” Dragos replied.

Pia had the final word on that toast, as she added, “Especially then.”

Happy Holidays

Love, Thea

Dear Readers,

Thank you for reading my short story
Liam Takes Manhattan
. Dragos, Pia and Liam Cuelebre are some of my favorite characters, and I’m delighted to share this new story with you. I hope you have as much fun visiting with them as I did!

Would you like to stay in touch and hear about new releases? You can:

•    Sign up for my monthly newsletter at:
www.theaharrison.com

•    Follow me on Twitter at
@TheaHarrison

•    Like my Facebook page at
facebook.com/TheaHarrison

Reviews help other readers find the books they like to read. I appreciate each and every review, whether positive or negative.

Liam Takes Manhattan
is the third story in a three-story arc featuring Dragos, Pia and their son Liam. The first story is
Dragos Goes to Washington
(released October 12,
2015), and the second is
Pia Takes Hollywood
(released December November 17, 2015). While each story is written so that it can be enjoyed individually, the reading experience will be stronger if you enjoy all three in order.

Happy reading!

Thea

Dragos Goes to Washington

(A story of the Elder Races)

Dragos Cuelebre, Lord of the Wyr, needs to throw a party without maiming anyone. That isn’t exactly as easy as it might sound.

After the destructive events of the last eighteen months, the Elder Races are heading to Washington D.C. to foster peace with humankind. Not known for his diplomacy skills, Dragos must rely
on his mate Pia to help navigate a battlefield of words and polite smiles rather than claws. With Dragos’s mating instinct riding close to the surface, his temper is more volatile than ever and the threat of violence hovers in the air.

Then the human spouse of a prominent politician winds up murdered and Dragos and Pia must race against time to hunt down those behind it before they are held responsible
for the crime.

For fans of
Dragon Bound
and
Lord’s Fall
, the latest novella in the Elder Races holds passion, peril, political intrigue, and revelations that will change Dragos and Pia’s lives forever.

Dragos Goes to Washington
is the first part of a three-story series about Dragos, Pia, and their son Liam. Each story stands alone, but fans might want to read all three in order of their release:
Dragos Goes to Washington,
Pia Does Hollywood
, and
Liam Takes Manhattan
.

Pia Does Hollywood

(A Story of the Elder Races)

After making a diplomatic pact with humankind and the other leaders of the Elder Races, Pia Cuelebre, mate to Dragos Cuelebre, Lord of the Wyr, reluctantly heads to Hollywood to spend a week with the Light Fae Queen, Tatiana, before the busy Masque season hits New York in December.

Dragos has never let the lack
of an invitation stop him from doing anything he wanted. Unwilling to let his mate make the trip without him, he travels to southern California in secret to be with her.

But when an ancient enemy launches a shattering assault against the Light Fae, Dragos and Pia must intercede. The destruction threatens to spread and strike a mortal blow against all of the magically gifted, both human and Elder
Race alike.

Working with the Light Fae to neutralize the danger, Dragos and Pia find their deepest vulnerabilities challenged and their most closely held secrets threatened with exposure.

Pia Does Hollywood
is the second part of a three-story series about Pia, Dragos, and their son, Liam. Each story stands alone, but fans might want to read all three in order of their release:
Dragos Goes to
Washington,
Pia Does Hollywood
, and
Liam Takes Manhattan
.

THE ELDER RACES SERIES – FULL LENGTH NOVELS

Published by Berkley

Dragon Bound

Storm’s Heart

Serpent’s Kiss

Oracle’s Moon

Lord’s Fall

Kinked

Night’s Honor

Midnight’s Kiss

Shadow’s End

ELDER RACES NOVELLAS