The brothers stared out the window of their carriage house apartment, enthralled by the sight of snow pelting from the sky. Drifts had built up to ankle height and not a car or person was on the streets.
"It's so beautiful," Cale said. "Wipes away all the ugliness of the concrete."
"Ugly concrete with lethal cars," Gabe said.
"Only covers up the ugliness," Rile said. "It's still there."
Cale sighed and Alex patted him on the shoulder. They shared a small smile and she winked.
Alex clapped her hands. "No heat, no electricity, and a blizzard in New Orleans. Happens once a century. Sounds like the beginning of a novel."
"Heat will be a problem," Gabe told her.
"We'll build a fire." Rile started looking for material to burn.
"A fire? You can't build a fire in an old carriage house like this," Alex said, horrified. "It's over a hundred years old."
"You have a better idea?"
"Actually, Rile, I do. Follow me." Alex opened the front door started up the steps to her apartment.
"Like your apartment is any warmer."
She didn't want to turn on the narrow stairs, so she called over her shoulder, "Heat rises!"
The brothers followed her into her bedroom. "Everybody in. We have a bed, a comforter and a willing endotherm." Alex smiled, willing her pounding heart to slow down.
Life's short and mine is shorter, sooooo...
Alex jumped in the middle of the bed. "I won't bite and am well behaved. C'mon." She patted the bed. "That clan bed concept of your kind is extremely useful."
It speeds up that slide down the slippery slope. First you sleep with one alien dragon to keep him alive, then you sleep with all three when one's cold, now you invite all three at the possibility they'll be cold . . .
"Gabe?" Cale and Rile both asked, but Rile made it a challenge.
He shrugged. "We don't have a lot of options." He climbed in next to her.
"Don't be shy, boys. I'm embarrassed enough for all of us." Alex kept her tone light.
She lay down on her side. Gabe quickly claimed prime spot and curled along her back. Rile was next, shoving his back against Alex's chest. A quick fear shot through her, but she reminded herself that his brothers were here.
"What about me?" Cale asked, odd man out.
She regarded him a moment, and remembered how sinuous they were."On top, along my hip and shoulder. Don't forget to pull up the comforter."
It was like being encased in soft leather. Alex never slept better.
*****
Alex's mind awoke before her body could move. She was surrounded by utter softness. There was a knock on her outer door. Three bodies around her tensed.
"It's Dr. Dewey. The power's back on."
"Thanks. Go away," Rile answered.
"Everyone all right?" Dr. Dewey asked, standing outside in the snow.
"Fabulous. Bye," Rile said.
"Rile, that wasn't nice," Alex whispered. The footsteps faded away. "I gotta get up." Alex still whispered. No one moved. "Just for a sec, I'll be right back." Pressure around her lessened. She slid out. "Cold cold cold cold cold cold!" she half shrieked, half chanted, to the bathroom and back. Grateful, she eased back into bed.
"Cold feet!" Rile complained.
"It's freezing out there. We better stay put until the apartment heats up," Alex pronounced.
No one argued.
*****
A/N
I had written this, then labeled it "Orphan Chapter" and filed it away.
Thanks to Wattpad, it can find new life as a Bonus Chapter
Dedicated to my newer readers
Oneofakindbelike
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