9. Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Kier
“How did we get a car here?” I asked once we were all packed and on the road. Not that there were many things to pack—we already had our luggage from the trip, and we hadn’t worn a whole lot of clothes while we had been at the cabin.
Thankfully, Tav had brought the suitcases along for the flight.
How he got me here and two sets of luggage, I would never know. Or perhaps I could ask him to reenact it. On the days I had let my fantasies about Tav run wild, I had always imagined what it would be like to ride on his back in his dragon form. I knew others took their mates for rides. Of course, their mates could also sprout wings of their own. I tried to imagine what that might be like.
“I had Connor and Nathan drop it off when they brought our luggage.”
I had to smile at that. “You can just send out requests and things happen. I thought you just brought the luggage when you flew here with me.”
Tav winked. “I’m good, but not that good. I was only able to bring you. Maybe with more planning I would be able to carry it all, or perhaps a harness.”
“Did Thorne ever make it back from Europe?” I asked. “I can’t believe you kicked him off the flight.”
Tav’s lips twisted into a grin. “He did, and he racked up quite a few charges there that I now owe him for. It was worth it, though.”
“Yeah, I would not want to be stuck in a heat there,” I said, shuddering at the thought.
“Likely it was being in my presence that threw you into heat in the first place,” Tav teased. His fingers laced into mine. His thumb brushed over my skin.
“We should buy him a nice gift. After all, none of this would be possible without him.”
Tav snorted. “He got a free two days to do whatever he wanted. That was his thanks.”
“This all seems surreal,” I said.
Tav squeezed my hand. “It really does. I suspected you were mine, but I had wanted to woo you.”
“Well, of course. Like I said, you still can. I’ll provide you a list of all my favorite things so you know where to start.”
“Challenge accepted.”
As we continued down the winding road, I found myself staring at my mate rather than at the scenery. I was used to admiring him from afar, trying to keep my attraction hidden. There was no need for that now. He was mine for the admiring. He had let his beard grow in while we had been holed up in the cabin. I had to admit, I liked the look on him. Though it would probably not last once we returned to work. Perhaps his scruff could make an appearance on long weekends.
“What happens now?” I asked.
“We’ll return to the city. Hopefully, I can convince you to move in with me.”
I knew that the idea of being far away from my mate was not one I was going to like. I’d just assumed we’d move in together. That was a no-brainer. “I can still work?” I asked.
Tav nodded. “For as long as you want to. And once you have the eggs—provided that we are blessed with them—you can even bring them to work with you or have a nanny sit with them during the day. Either is fine.”
I, of course, knew about the nest room in the daycare that the clan offered. It was on the first floor of the office building, but I had never been in there. I’d seen omegas bring their babies in the special carrying sacks that were specifically for their eggs. Eggs were private, though, shared only between family members or clan members, and I had never seen them up close. It was never my business before, and I’d thought seeing the eggs would be an invasion of privacy.
“I know a lot of the traditions and things related to the clan, but I had never let myself get too familiar. I’ve never been near the eggs.”
“Guarding your heart, mate?” Tav asked.
I nodded. “My omega father was a single parent, and we traveled a lot. Lone wolves, I guess you’d call us. He was always chasing the next dream, trying to find an alpha who could keep him around or hold his interest long enough. I was fifteen when I stopped traveling with him. I settled in the city.” It was hard to talk about my upbringing, but it was important information for Tav to know. “My father was always chasing a dream, while I’ve been chasing stability. When I got the job with your dad, I was so happy. Finally, I could put down roots and have something constant and stable in my life. I didn’t want to do anything to disrupt that.”
“I’ll be your anchor, omega.”
“What if I’m not a good dad?” I said after a pause. “I mean, he wasn’t terrible. I was taken care of, but I don’t know best practices or what’s normal. There’s so much to know these days. How much screen time can they have? When’s the right time to start school? And that’s just the regular stuff. What about teaching them to honor our shifter traditions?”
Just the thought sent panic down my limbs. My back suddenly grew really itchy. I squirmed, rubbing my shoulder blades on the seat.
“Take a deep breath, mate. It’s going to be fine. I can’t have you sprouting wings right now,” Tav said.
“Is that what’s happening?” I reached behind me, like I could feel the wings there. My skin itched, but other than that I felt normal.
He shook his head. “No, but I can sense your distress. Your body is going through a lot of changes right now. You just finished your heat. I promise you that you’re going to be an amazing father. You’re amazing at everything else you do.”
“You’re biased,” I said.
“Biased? I think not. You have single-handedly managed our entire office. My father would be lost without you, and everyone talks about how amazing you are. You managed to schedule a trip for twenty of us without any issues at all!”
“There weren’t twenty of you.” I laughed.
Tav waved a hand in the air, temporarily letting go of the steering wheel rather than letting go of me. “No matter. Perhaps I am biased, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true.”
“Does your father know about us yet?”
Tav grimaced. “I didn’t state explicitly why the two of us were holed up in the cabin for a while, but I suspect he has a clue. I mean, it wasn’t as if I was going to whisk you away just for the fun of it. He didn’t ask for details, but he would like to have dinner with us soon if you’re up to it.”
“Don’t I have to work tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow’s Saturday, love.”
“Oh, I don’t have to work. I’m so behind—I haven’t even checked my email.” I went to grab for my phone, but Tav stopped me.
“I love your dedication to the clan, but for now, let’s just wait. Please. Everything can wait until Monday.”
“Okay,” I said, trusting my mate. I didn’t have the energy for emails anyway.
“Let’s work on getting you settled into my home—our home—and if there’s anything you don’t like about it, we can, of course, find someplace new.”
“I love your home.”
He raised a brow. “You do?”
My cheeks grew heated. “I remember when you bought your house. I was CC’d on the email with your dad when you sent him the listing. I might have snooped a bit and also driven by. There was... Oh gosh, this is so embarrassing.” I covered my face with my hands. “There was an open house one day before you put in your bid on it. I might have done a quick walk through.”
Tav laughed heartily. “Ah, so you know how it’s set up. I haven’t changed much. I always thought that once my mate came to live with me, he would either love it and we would make it our own, or we would purchase a new one.”
“I do love it,” I said. “It’s very roomy.”
“It is. I’m glad that you’ve seen it. Do we need to get anything from your apartment?”
“Probably. But I can’t think of anything. All of my nicest clothes went with me to Europe.”
“If nothing else, we’ll grab your hoard.”
“Cute, Tav. Wolves don’t have hoards.”
“We’ll grab your pen collection and put it with my hoard where it belongs.”
I fought back a smile. “Do I get to learn about your hoard then?”
Tav’s gaze turned mischievous. I loved the way his eyes brightened when he was happy. “You haven’t guessed what my hoard is? I know all about yours.”
“My pen collection isn’t a hoard.”
“Nonsense. It absolutely is, and when we combine our home, your hoard will be placed with mine.”
“Which is?”
“Ties.”
My brow furrowed. “Like neckties?”
“Exactly like neckties. I have every tie I’ve worn, even when I was just a young dragon and cravats were popular. I have a collection of socks also.”
“No way. I have to see this. Can I?”
“Of course.”
“I only ever see you in pretty basic ties. What all do you have?”
“All kinds. Skinny, wide, bow ties. I even have bolos and kipper ties. All sorts of colors and themes too.”
“This is amazing. I can’t wait to see it.”