A Hippogriff for Christmas - Zoe Chant Page 0,1

got riled up.

Within him, he felt his hippogriff lift its head now, shaking it in impatience.

When will we see our family? You said we’d see them soon.

Beau swallowed, doing his best to soothe it.

It will be soon, he promised.

Beau might have regretted how little he saw his family, but his hippogriff was downright ornery about it most of the time. So when it had sensed Christmastime was almost upon them, it had barely given him a moment’s peace.

“Well, all right then,” Hardwicke said. He slid a piece of paper across his desk toward Beau – his approved leave form.

If he already approved it, why give me the third degree? Beau wondered, but for once he managed to keep his mouth shut, and didn’t blurt out the first thing that crossed his mind. He might not have had a dragon’s fire burning within him, but he did have a pretty bad habit of sticking his foot right in his mouth, and sometimes then jiggling it around a bit for good measure.

“Thanks, boss!” He grabbed the leave form before Hardwicke had the chance to interrogate him even further, giving him a quick, jaunty salute as he opened the door of his office.

Beau caught the tail end of Hardwicke’s irritated sigh as he closed the door behind him again, and couldn’t help but grin a little. Hardwicke might act like a hardass, but beneath the gruff exterior his concern for his agents was a by-word around the office.

I just wouldn’t want to ever, ever piss him off, Beau thought, a shiver running down his spine at the mere idea of it.

Making his way through the sleek, black and silver office, he glanced around, looking for someone he could share his good news with. The office was, as usual, pretty bare of actual agents, since most of them spent the majority of their time out in the field.

Aw.

Beau resisted the urge to sigh a little – he was happy, and he liked to be around other people when he was happy. Or just anytime in general.

Oh, you’re a people person, was the other thing he most often heard about himself, right after the part about how easygoing he was.

Good, it means we can leave this place and go see our family all the faster, his hippogriff said moodily, flexing its talons and shaking its head. We shouldn’t delay any further.

You’re probably right, Beau admitted. Still, part of the fun of going on a trip is saying goodbye to people, don’t you think?

No, I do not, his hippogriff replied, right as Beau heard a sudden chatter of voices and three men rounded the corner from the office kitchenette, coffee cups in hands.

Beau perked up immediately – he recognized the men at once as his friends and fellow agents, Rowan Stanton, Garrett Kolev and Declan Reed – at least until he realized they seemed to be in the middle of an argument.

“Look, all I’m saying is, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. But you’re wrong. You’re very, very wrong,” Rowan was saying in strident tones.

“I’m wrong?” Garrett growled out, eyes flashing in anger. “How can you stand there and say that? On what grounds am I wrong?”

“Now, now.” Compared with Rowan and Garrett, Declan sounded at least a little more reasonable. “Think about it like this: you’re both wrong.”

“What?” Rowan and Garrett said together, both sounding as outraged as each other.

“What the hell do you mean by that?” Rowan demanded. “I’m obviously right, and I have the figures to back it up.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” Garrett shook his head. “You’re being serious right now?”

Swallowing, Beau made his way over to where the three of them stood, wondering what could be the cause of such a rancorous argument. Maybe he could help smooth things over.

“Hey guys,” Beau said as he approached. “What’s up? Anything I can help sort out?”

“Not unless you can convince this idiot to get his head out of his ass and admit he’s wrong,” Garrett growled.

Rowan shook his head. “Just admit it, Garrett – Wannabe is the best Spice Girls single. I know it, you know it, the whole world knows it. You just think you sound cooler if you pretend to like something else.”

Beau blinked. The Spice Girls…?

“That’s not true at all,” Declan broke in. “Wannabe might have been their first hit, but Spice Up Your Life is obviously the better song.”

“You are both so full of shit, I can’t believe it!” Garrett slapped his hand – the one not holding