It’s Wednesday. There’s still snow and cold and I’m really, REALLY glad I kept my heavy-duty hairdryer even after I cut my hair really short. Frozen toilet water line a couple of days running. At least all the other water lines are good. Speaking of lines, it’s Wednesday. That means words to share. Today’s #1lineWed THEME is…**HEART**. And while I had some heart snippets, this one was close and it made me laugh. So it’s the one I’m sharing. It happens in Chapter 2 of the current WIP so not a whole lot of explanation needed.
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The Director leaned back in his chair. It didn’t creak. He steepled his fingers, stared at them through a moment of silence before he mused, “There have been no rumbling of any problems in the dragon realm. At least none that would spill over here.”
“That doesn’t mean that Nikos is beloved by all his Klan. He’s the Drakon.” Which meant he was the Klan’s enforcer. Not only did he protect the royal family, but he guarded the whole kit and caboodle from outside interference and dealt—swiftly and quite likely bloodily—with all inside situations. She could think of a few dragons who wouldn’t mind taking Nikos down. Along with a certain vampire. Except Sinjen wouldn’t play games. He’d just go for the jugular. Literally.
She stared out the window, eyes focused on one of the Smithsonian buildings barely visible several blocks away. “This whole thing feels…off.”
“So figure out why.”
Cutting her eyes to the Old Man, she resisted sticking her tongue out at him. It took a lot of self-control. “Why target Nikos to get at me?” she wondered.
“It’s obvious why they’d target you to get at Nikos.”
“That’s ridiculous, Caleb.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
“We all know he’s…well let’s say infatuated with you.”
“That’s bullshit.” Sade snapped off the rest of what she’d intended to say when the Old Man cleared his throat. “Sorry, sir.”
“No you aren’t, but I happen to agree with your partner. The truth isn’t bullshit.”
“But it’s not true.”
Both men gave her identical “oh really?” expressions. She didn’t appreciate the fact her partner and boss appeared so incredulous.
“Okay, fine,” she groused then muttered, “whatever,” under her breath.
“Do you have any leads?”
She just managed to hold back an aggrieved sigh and was saved when Caleb answered, “No, sir.”
“We have some strings to tug,” Sade interjected and received a sharp kick to her ankle.
“Then get out of here and go tug them.”
Relieved, she and Caleb quickly stood and exited before the Old Man called them back. They passed Alice’s desk, giving her a nod. Just before they stepped out into the hallway, the little woman called,
“Do be careful out there, you two.”
Opting for the stairs, Sade glanced back over her shoulder at Caleb. “Did that sound a little ominous to you?”
“What the Director said?”
“No. Alice. And what is she?” Sade had been convinced that Director Bailey’s admin had more than a touch of magic running in her veins from the moment she first laid eyes on the woman.
“Don’t go there, Sade.” Now Caleb sounded a little ominous.
She made big eyes at him. “Go where?”
“Places where you shouldn’t stick your nose.”
“My nose got pressed to the glass the moment Oberon kidnapped me when I was a baby.”
She had a point but she was still human and that meant she was mortal. Granted, the chess game played by Oberon and Mathias using Sade as a baby pawn had left her with some unusual…talents, she still wasn’t a magick. Werewolves could live for a couple hundred years and a little change and while they weren’t immortal, they were damn hard to kill. Sade, for all her bravado, could die between one heartbeat and the next.
“Alice is what she is. We have tougher hides to skin.”
A picture of Elmer Fudd, wearing his cap and carrying a big shotgun, holding his fingers to hips and whispering, ‘Be vewy, vewy qwiet. I’m hunting dwagons” popped into her head and made her giggle.
“Do I want to know?” Caleb muttered as he reached around her to pop open the door to their floor.
“Probably not.”
****
Hope you enjoyed! I’ll admit the weather is playing shennanigans with my brain and concentration. Not that I’m easily distracted. Ooh, look! SQUIRREL! Anyway, writers, any heartfelt words to share? Readers, what romance trope is near and dear to your heart?
Silver James 
Got to remember the hair dryer hack!
Yeah the weather is doing a number on everyone. Waking up to 8 degrees, 6 inches of snow and no electricity Monday am is not a South Texas normal😒. Its weird to dig your way out to your car and use it for a phone charger, but I was one of many neighbors who did, my next door neighors gf was in his truck to use the wifi to work.
But Mother Nature has her own agenda, Phil seeing his shadow no one imagined this??
I did finally get power back in the wee hours yesterday, which meant space heater warmth, coffee and internet.
Branch has been closed since Monday, can’t roof load in snow and ice, not sure about today.
So I hope you stay warm, and safe.
Right back at’cha! Texas energy infastructure grid took a hard hit. We’ve been lucky, all things considered! Natural gas still churning in the heater, lights and wifi still on, and water running. *knocks on wood* I’ve been watching the news and all the idiots getting out in 10 inches of snow in cars that don’t have 10 inches of clearance, much less 4WD. The storm trackers are busier digging stuck motorists out than they are reporting on conditions. And it’s not like the masses haven’t been told! I mean, it’s totally “Here. Hold my beer! I can drive my sports car in this!” Hope you warm up soon! And that your pipes don’t freeze. Drip a little water through your faucets and open cabinet doors under sinks. That’ll help some too. ❤ you!