Chapter Thirteen
Ladon
I set a plate with Kirin’s favorite sandwich in front of him.
Chicken with mayo and pickles. On the side, I put slices of apple with cinnamon sprinkled over them.
He wiggled as he ate, as if he hadn’t been up all night from a sugar high and the excitement of seeing Blaze again.
Probably because he’d had a nap in the morning while I tidied the apartment and did laundry.
No time to sleep for me as I had no chance to recharge.
Even while I ran on little energy, I refused to cancel on the alpha. While I was sure he would understand, I felt like I owed him for not answering his texts from the previous weekend. Plus, Kirin would not forgive me or let me sleep.
In the fridge, I grabbed an apple for myself then washed it and took a bite. Not an ideal meal, but it would complement the protein drink I’d consumed while making my son’s lunch.
My phone buzzed on the counter and I reached for it, checking the type of notification that had come in. A text. I unlocked my phone to read the message from Blaze.
Is it still okay to see you and Kirin today?
Yes. I wanted to say we were both excited to see him, but I didn’t exactly radiate enthusiasm.
I will pick you up in about an hour. Also, I already have a booster seat for Kirin.
My heart melted, amazed at Blaze’s consideration.
I doubted many alphas would be thrilled about taking a kid along on their date, let alone think about how to transport that child safely.
I really couldn’t find any faults in the alpha.
He was sexy and made my heart and my dragon flutter.
Sounds good. Thank you! We’ll see you soon.
He replied with a smiley face, bringing the same expression to my lips. I didn’t know how I was so lucky to meet him.
“Hurry up and eat,” I called to Kirin as he danced around his chair.
“Blaze will be here at two.” Probably sooner, but I knew my son would count down the minutes and seconds until he arrived.
If Blaze was even a second late, Kirin would be offended.
It was better for the alpha, and me, for him to show up earlier than my son expected.
Kirin cuddled in beside me on the couch as we watched colorful animated worms dance on the screen as a red-breasted bird counted them, when a buzz filled the apartment. My son jumped up and raced to the intercom, pressing the talk button. “Blaze, is that you?”
I chuckled and shook my head as I headed toward my son, hoping it was the dragon shifter alpha at the front door of the apartment.
“Yes, Kirin, it’s me. Are you ready to go out?”
“Not yet, but I will be in a minute.” He buzzed Blaze up then raced to the shoe rack to put on his runners.
I gathered up my wallet, some snacks and water bottles, and a change of clothes for Kirin, shoving it all into my backpack in the time it took the alpha to reach our place.
Kirin opened the door before Blaze had a chance to knock. “I’m ready to go out with you.”
The alpha chuckled. “And what about your daddy? We can’t forget him.”
Kirin looked back at me. “Daddy, are you ready?”
I grabbed my keys from the hook in the entrance closet. “I am now.”
Instead of walking with me, Kirin clung to Blaze, holding his hand until we reached the alpha’s black truck.
“Wow, this is big!” Once Blaze opened the back door, my son had no problem climbing up inside, probably because he was used to pulling himself up the steps into some of the city buses and enjoyed the jungle gym at any park we visited.
Kirin buckled himself in and the firefighter, with more experience with booster seats than me since I’d never owned a vehicle, double-checked the belt’s tightness.
I got into the passenger side on my own, thankful for the running boards that gave me a boost up to the seat.
“Ready?” Blaze placed his hand on my thigh once he sat beside me and started the truck.
I gulped then nodded. His simple touch ignited parts of me that I had long ignored, including my dragon. I’d made sure to take my suppressants all week, including that morning, so I didn’t end up embarrassing myself again. Yet I couldn’t deny how much I still wanted him.
“Okay.” He gave me a soft smile that creased the corners of his eyes before removing his hand to shift the truck into drive.
“Where are we going?” Kirin called from the back seat.
It was a question I’d forgotten to ask, too caught up in everything else from my son’s birthday, falling in a sinkhole, and getting a second chance with Blaze.
“We’re going a couple different places.” The alpha did a U-turn on my street to head west. “And they’re all a surprise, but I’m sure you’ll both enjoy yourselves.”
Kirin clapped his hands from the back seat as a wave of contentment washed over me.
As a single parent with no family to help me out, I was in a constant state of anxiety, worrying about how to ensure Kirin had everything he needed while trying to take care of myself so he never found himself on his own.
Being in the truck with someone who knew how to take care of my dragon shifter kid for even a little bit lifted some of the burden from my shoulders.
While my son was in the care of others at the day care, I still worried about him blowing smoke or fire in front of others and causing all kinds of trouble or damage.
With Blaze, I finally felt like I could relax.
“You okay?” The alpha reached for my hand and squeezed it, sending a warmth up my arm to my chest, where it radiated throughout my entire body. There was something about him that I could not resist. Not in person, at least.
“Yeah.” I turned to him and smiled. “Just a little tired from the excitement of yesterday. Didn’t get much sleep.”
“You sure you’re up for this, then?”
I nodded. “I promised you and Kirin. I’ll be okay.”
He moved his hand back to my thigh. “Well, we’re almost at our first destination.”
A couple minutes later, he pulled into the Children’s Museum, the same place as our annual field trip for ST Kids Care Center, but it had been almost a year since we’d visited, and I didn’t know how much my son remembered from the last time we’d been there.
Plus, the place changed exhibits on a quarterly or yearly basis.
Kirin gasped. “I’ve been here before.”
“You have.” I looked back at him. “It was last year. Do you remember how much fun you had?”
He scratched his head. “Not sure. I think I played in the balls.”
I laughed, recalling all the adults trying to wrangle up the preschoolers who refused to leave the wading-pool-sized ball pit.
“Was this a good idea?” Blaze scrunched his nose, waiting for a response.
“Yes!” Kirin shouted.
I touched the alpha’s arm. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“Okay.” He opened the truck door. “Let’s head inside, then. I already bought tickets online, so we don’t have to wait to get in.”
I didn’t know how I felt about Blaze paying for our admission, but I liked the idea of not having to stand in a line with an impatient preschooler.
The museum had changed since the year before, the most notable difference being the removal of the ball pit for a nature-themed gated-in playground with rubber flooring. Probably a lot more sanitary, especially since it was beside the cafeteria.
“Can I play in there, please?” Kirin stared up at me with wide eyes and his bottom lip sticking out.
“How about after we’ve seen the rest of the museum?” I wasn’t sure how long Blaze planned to stay or where we would eat.
“Okay.” Kirin huffed but didn’t release any smoke. Things were looking up.
“Do you want to start upstairs or downstairs?” Blaze asked, flipping through the guidebook. “There are caves to explore downstairs and a rocket ship on the top floor in the space exhibit.”
“Downstairs.” Kirin tugged on both our hands as he walked backward. “Emery said they have dinosaurs down there.”
And they did. Dinosaur bones of those believed to be prehistoric ancestors of us dragon shifters. My son explored every part of the display and even had a chance to dig some bones on his own in a sand table.
As we explored the rest of the museum, Kirin interacted with everything he could and often invited Blaze to play with him.
Unlike when I played with him, he never corrected the alpha, telling him he was playing wrong.
I wondered if he would after the alpha had been part of our life for a while.
If… If he wanted to be. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, wasn’t sure if the strange connection I felt was real or just wishful thinking after being alone for so long.
After four hours of exploring all four levels of the place, Kirin finally slowed down long enough to throw himself across one of the twisty chairs in the cafeteria. “I’m starving. I can’t play anymore until I eat.”
Blaze looked to me. “Do you want to stay here to eat or go elsewhere? I was originally thinking we could go to The Firehose, but I wasn’t sure if Kirin would like any of the food there.”
Trying not to melt at how thoughtful the alpha was with every decision he made regarding our date, I rubbed Kirin’s back. “Hey, do you want to stay here and eat, or do you want to go to The Firehose, the restaurant that looks like a fire station and has the fire truck out front?”
My son sat up so fast, he almost banged his head on the bottom of the table. “Firehose.” He held his hands out in front of him. “I don’t need to play on the playground. We have one like that down the street already. But I’ve never been to The Firehose.”
“I’m not sure what the menu is like.” I rubbed his hair as he clung to my leg. “Are you willing to try some new foods?”
He nodded with less enthusiasm than he had earlier. “If Blaze likes it there, I do, too.”
I couldn’t believe how much my son was smitten with the alpha, and Blaze never once seemed offput by Kirin’s attention. It was strange how comfortable it all felt.
The restaurant did have chicken fingers and fries, satisfying my son’s tastes, though he did try the steak Blaze ordered when the alpha offered him a piece.
After we left the restaurant—the bill for which the alpha paid for when he claimed he was going to the bathroom—Blaze offered to take us to see the latest animated film about long-lost unicorns and the shifter kids who team up to search for them.
When we arrived at the parking lot, Kirin was fast asleep, his head resting against the door.
“Maybe some other time.” Blaze cupped the side of my face and ran his thumb along my cheek. “You look tired, too. I’ll take you both home now.”
As much as I wanted to spend more time with him, I doubted I would have stayed awake in the theater.
Blaze parked in front of the walkway to my apartment then carried Kirin up to my place, far more comfortable with my son than I imagined any alpha to be.
I woke my son, insisting he use the bathroom, brush his teeth, and change into his pajamas before going to bed. Of course, he wanted to say good night to Blaze first.
Surprisingly, the alpha waited as I tucked my son in then searched for where he’d left the fire truck Blaze had bought for him.
Back in the living room, the alpha stood as I came out. “I hope you both had a good time today.”
“We did.” I reached for his hands as I gazed up into his golden eyes. “Thank you for everything.”
He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “It was my pleasure. I enjoy spending time with you. Both of you. But you look so tired, so I’ll leave now and let you sleep while your son sleeps.”
My stomach twisted. For some reason, the idea of Blaze leaving felt wrong. We barely knew each other, had only been on a couple of dates, but I did not want him to leave.
Pushing up to the tips of my toes, I kissed him. I think I caught him by surprise, but within a couple seconds, he responded, wrapping his arms around me and holding me close as he lined his tongue along my lips. I opened to him, the intimacy feeling so natural and needed.
When he pulled away, I gasped for air.
He placed his hands on my shoulders. “You should sleep.”
I shook my head. “For some reason, I don’t want you to leave.”
“Ladon,” he whispered as he tilted his head to the side. “Remember what happened last time. I don’t want you to be embarrassed or regretful.”
“No.” I leaned against his shoulder blade and wrapped my arms around him. “Not for that. At least, not right now. Just to sleep. I want you to spend the night.”
He was silent for several seconds, his deep breaths and the beat of his heart becoming deafening as I waited for his answer.
“Okay.” He kissed the top of my forehead. “But I should probably move my truck.”
“I have spot 205 in the back if you want to park there.” I gave him the key to my apartment so he could get back in without buzzing up then raced to my room to ensure it wasn’t a mess.
The buzz of lust battled with my tiredness when Blaze slipped into bed beside me.
I only had a double mattress, so we had to squeeze together.
As I cuddled into him, resting my head on his chest, he ran his fingers along the side of my face.
That was when I slipped into dreamland, never more content in my life.