Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
“Ihaven’t seen you down at the tavern.”
Tyr blinked up, trying to focus, trying to figure out who was speaking to him. “Harden?”
The grumpy dragon’s indigo braids clicked and clacked as he bobbed his head. “Yes. Very good. You remembered who I was. Don’t you have a mate? Isn’t he supposed to be keeping you from working yourself to death?”
“It’s late summer.” He stared at Harden. “You know how hard late summer is.”
It wasn’t quite as busy as the height of summer, but he was so tired by the time they reached this part of the year, and so were the bees. Everyone was in the middle of that final push of honey making. And then they would be preparing for the hard winter ahead.
“Uh-huh. Very good. Late summer. I got it. Where is your mate?”
“Flying with Cade. They’re all very concerned about security.” It was nice, because with them all being so concerned about security, he didn’t have to think about it. He really wasn’t concerned about security. He was concerned about honey.
“Huh. Why aren’t you pregnant yet?”
He glared at Harden. “You are a nosy, not very kind man.”
He wasn’t pregnant yet because it wasn’t time to be pregnant.
He didn’t have time for the nonsense of being ill.
That would come in the fall. In the winter, he could be pregnant, spend the early months when he was too tired and not feeling great at home, and then spend the summer with the bees when he was fat and sassy before returning back home for the rest of the fall and then having of the baby. It wasn’t time to be pregnant.
He knew that.
“So I’m nosy. Why aren’t you pregnant?”
“Because I’m busy.” Idiot. “Soon I will not be busy, and I can then become busy being pregnant.”
Harden looked at him, head tilted, and then he nodded. “That makes sense. I prefer it when things birth in the spring, you see. It makes for healthier babies.”
“I wish to give birth in the fall so that we can winter at home while the baby is young.”
“You’re a strange, odd little man, but I miss you. Can you come to the tavern? I’ll feed you.”
He nodded. “I can, I think.”
“I brought my cart. You don’t have to fly.”
Tyr honestly thought that Harden brought the cart so that he could get some honey.
Because why trade for it when you had friends who would just give you some?
It was a wonderful arrangement because whenever he needed an animal to help pull a wagon or something on that front, he could just ask, and Harden would provide.
“That sounds perfect. I’ll let Sloan know so that he can meet us there when he’s done, perhaps?”
Harden nodded. He and Sloan got on as well as anyone did. “Are they still worried about the dragons from the city?”
Tyr nodded. “I think so. Sloan fought the cursed ones in the world he’s from. I think he’s used to watching for trouble. I think they all three were.” He didn’t understand it, but it was important to Sloan, so it was important to him.
“Where did they go?” Harden asked. “The other two.”
“Riley went to play awak, and Brayden… last time I heard Brayden was back in the ocean.”
Harden frowned. “He doesn’t seem like the guardian type.”
Tyr shrugged. “Is there a type? Brayden is curious about everything. I told him he should come and ask to see your stables.” But Brayden had just blushed and shook his head, which was interesting, but none of his affair. He did not meddle in the romantic lives of other dragons.
“He’s welcome, so long as he doesn’t upset anyone.”
“Why would he?” Sloan’s brothers were fun, joyful, loving dragons. They were a little wild, perhaps very focused on things that interest them for sure. But fun.
“Well, he is an outsider. Poe is the first outsider who really understood the animals. Poe and Samuel.”
Tyr laughed, and they headed for the house. “You just like Samuel because he gave you a larparca.”
Harden’s eyes lit up. “No. He gave me two! A breeding pair and, I believe in the spring, there will be baby larparcas!”
“Baby larparcas…” They were so pretty with their long necks and their great big long eyelashes. “Every so often, I think I would like to raise larparcas.”
“You are a beekeeper. To stay with your bees.”
“Yes, I suppose I should, but. They’re so cute.”
“They would eat all your flowers, and then you would be angry with them, because they would take from your bees.” Harden snorted. “Come along. I am starving.”
“I can see that,” Tyr teased. “Wasting away to nothing.”
“Come on, you.” Harden slapped his back, all but knocking him down. Tyr snorted but grabbed a few big jugs of honey. “One for you. One for Nyra at the tavern.”
“Perfect.” Harden drove a bocapal cart today, the big, slow grazing animal pulling it was chewing placidly, staring at them as they came out of the house.
Love? I am going to the tavern with Harden if you wish to join us.
We’re on our way back, so I’ll join you in a bit, Sloan told him.
I’ll see you there. Sloan usually answered right away if he could, and Tyr loved that.
His mate treated him as if he was precious, and that was a lovely thing.
Even his twin had always been more… rough and tumble with him.
But Sloan acted as though he was the most delicate omega while still his own dragon capable of anything.
He climbed into the cart, and he and Harden sang together on the way down to the tavern, giving the bocapal something to walk to. The creak of the harness and shush of the cart wheels made a fine percussion section.
They arrived at the tavern, and Tyr felt surprised when his stomach growled.
“See? You need to stop now and again and eat.”
He scoffed. “I eat.” His belly rumbled once more, and he sighed. “Though perhaps I haven’t today.”
“Mmm.” Harden hopped down and stretched, then lifted one jug of the honey. “Let’s go. It smells so good.”
“It does.” Some kind of roast, he thought, tipping his head up to sniff. And fresh bread. He loved that with bocapal butter and honey. “Nyla makes the best bread.”
Harden chuckled. “Don’t let Leanda hear you say that.”
Leanda worked at the baker’s, and she could be proud. Not that she had no reason. She made amazing pastry.
Nyla’s bread was better.
So many people said hello to him, when they walked in.
“You look so tired, Tyr.”
“Where is your mate, Tyr?”
“You need a nap.”
“We’ve missed you.”
“Are you well?”
“Come sit and rest.”
He waved one hand, dismissing the worries. It was the summer. He was always tired in the summer.
They wound their way along the well-worn floors, through the maze of carved tables. They preferred a quiet place near the huge hearth that was set, but not lit.
There was a breeze here, and they were far enough back that Tyr felt less exposed.
Nyla came by with tankards of mead and a plate of bread and honey, butter, and cheese. His belly snarled, and he grinned at her. “It smells so good.”
“Fresh from the oven. Please eat.”
“I brought you this, lady.” He handed over the honey with a wink and a smile, and Nyla bounced and kissed his cheek.
“I’ll take this back. Is your mate coming?”
He nodded. “Soon.”
“I’ll bring the roast then. Eat!”
“Everyone’s acting as if I don’t have the same responsibilities every summer, as if I’m not tired from work every summer.” It simply didn’t make sense.
“Yes, but you have a mate now.” Harden acted as if that made some sort of sense.
Tyr nodded, because he did, and it was wonderful to share his life with the other half of his soul. “Why do I feel as if there’s a but coming?”
Harden’s scales tinkled as he shrugged. “I think we’re all just a little worried. I would have thought that he would have been more help with the bees, perhaps?”
Tyr shook his head. “He has his own responsibilities here, his own place. The bees love him. There’s a rhythm to our live, as you well know…”
“Of course there is.”
“Well, then?” He stopped himself, drinking deep from his mead, the sweet alcohol sliding down his throat.
Harden shrugged a little bit, turning his tankard on the table. “I think we all hoped that when you were mated, we would see more of you.”
Well, that was surprisingly gentle coming from his decidedly not gentle friend.
“I appreciate it. Now can we talk about something more entertaining than me?” Anything else? “You have larparcas now.”
“I do, and I’m about to go on a trip. I hear that there are giant birds that can be saddled and ridden. They grow in the plains south of us.”
“Giant birds? How big?”
“The size of the bocapals, larger.”
He tried to imagine this bird—a bird the size of a beast. “Do they fly?”
“Well, we fly, don’t we? And we’re large.”
That was a non-answer answer. They began to discuss these giant birds and whether things that grew in one land ought to stay there. On this, Tyr had opinions.
They were on their second tankards and well through the bread and cheese when Sloan arrived, Cade at his side.
Caderyn, of course, knew everyone, and it took a long few moments before the big dragons sat down at the table with them.
“Kob iwk!” Harden called out in greeting, and Cade nodded to him and to Harden.
“Akaki. I can’t stay. My mate wants me home. I have been reliably informed that you and Sloan are expected at supper at our home tomorrow evening.”
“Oh?” He couldn’t help his grin. “Are there little boys who miss their Tyr there?”
“There are. The boys are a source of constant blessing, constant entertainment.” Caderyn rolled his eyes. “You look tired.”
“I wish everyone would stop saying that. It’s the summer.” He only came in tired.
“This is true. However…” Cade stared at him. “I believe you need to bond with your mate. Spend some time together. After tomorrow, you should have a fortnight. To simply bond.”
“I’m fine.” Not that bonding with his mate didn’t sound delicious, because it did. It sounded perfect.
“Of course you’re fine,” Sloan said. Looking him over closely. But I personally think that sounds absolutely divine. You could spend time in the pool. I could help with the hives.
Do you think I look tired? He pressed his hair back, away from his face, searching his mate’s eyes. He wasn’t a vain dragon, was he? He did want Sloan to find him irresistible. Desirable.
A bit, but you’ve been working with the bees. They look tired too. You promised me that soon we will be curled together for hours being lazy.
Tyr smiled, nodded, realizing suddenly that Harden and Cade were watching them—Cade more amused. Harden more curious.
“You’re doing it again. Having private conversations in public. Very rude.”
Sloan blushed dark, making Tyr shake his head. “Harden is a terrible tease. Awful. Don’t let him make you feel bad. And you?” He glared at Harden. “Don’t made me switch you.”
“I must go.” Cade shook his head at them. “Enjoy your roast. I will see you tomorrow evening. Poe requests that you bring mead.”
“I can do that. Kob iskar, bright evening, friend.”
Then Cade wandered off, making his way back through the tavern toward the door.
“Everyone knows him.” Sloan shook his head. “Hopefully I’m fitting in, too.”
“Of course you are.” But Tyr studied Sloan, noting that his mate looked tired as well. Worn. Oh, maybe Harden was right and they needed to work on bonding more firmly.
Had he been selfish?
Had he been too wrapped up in his summer beekeeping to give their bond the attention it deserved?
Sloan reached over to grab his hand just as another plate of roast was brought out, along with more bread, and a cup of ale. “Bright blessings, Sloan.”
“To you too.” Sloan smiled, sniffing deeply. “Oh, that smells so good.”
“Thank you.” Nyla bobbed her head and rushed off to serve the next table.
Sloan squeezed his hand. You are not selfish or anything remotely close. You’ve been with the bees in the day and me at night.
Harden cleared his throat, and they both glanced at him. “Do I need to go to another table?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Tyr snapped, and then he immediately felt badly. “No. No, of course not.” He summoned a smile for his friend. “I was just worrying.”
“Oh, Tyr.” Harden leaned halfway across the table. “I did not mean to make you feel less.”
“I know. I do. I’m just so tired.”
Sloan brought his hand up and kissed it. “We’ll work on this together, love. We will.”
“I would love that.” He brightened up his smile some. “Now, let’s have this amazing stew. It smells like everything good in the world.”
“It really does,” Sloan agreed. “Brayden might join us.”
Harden’s sudden intake of breath made him blink at his friend, but Tyr didn’t say anything. Nope. Not going to poke and prod that.
At least not right now.
He just nodded gently. “He should. He’ll love the bread.”
Sloan grinned at him, a wicked glint in his eye, and Tyr felt better suddenly. They would do this bonding thing their way. But he was tired, and maybe he could slow down some now. Spend a few lazier weeks with Sloan.
In fact, that sounded like just the thing.