Chapter Twenty-Five #2
“As if.” Now that had us all in stitches. Caro stealing my lines was something else. Though what, I wasn’t quite sure.
Ionus shook his head. “That response I’d expect of Odem but coming from you, Caro… I’m at a loss.”
That was never a bad thing.
“Give Aris and Tasi a hug for me please,” Emerson kissed Caro, who then leaned down and kissed his son. “Tell them to come for a visit.”
“I will, my love. I’ll do my best to remember everything we encounter so you can add it to your beloved journals. And maybe one day, Cade, you can swim the depths of the ocean with your Papa and Uncle Mattias.” Cade cooed and kicked his feet. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Kaelith hugged Ronan and Upalo. I was glad to see Upalo took his father’s word and stayed behind to be with Rory. Soon enough they shifted and dove beneath the water, lost to the depths of the sea.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s take the girls for a walk around the grounds.
” Ronan dabbed at his eyes and nodded, taking my hand in his.
The others parted for their own destinations.
I was happy to have this alone time with my family.
“Would you like to float in the springs later? We can take the girls if you wish?”
“I’d like that. I love the nursery and the nest but it’s nice to get up and out for a while.” Ronan stopped and stared at a cluster of trees. “Did you see that?”
“See what?” My hackles shot up but I didn’t sense anything.
“Just over there. It was there and now its disappeared.”
“What was it exactly?”
“I don’t know. It was big, dark, and staring right at us, then poof! It vanished into thin air.”
Brothers, Ronan swears he saw something dark in the trees along the south lawn.
Do you see anything?
No. Nor do I sense an unfamiliar presence.
Take your family inside. Baird and I will check it out.
“Let’s head back in. Time for that soak I promised.” We’d barely turned to head back toward home when Ionus and Baird hovered over the trees. It had slipped my mind that they were on duty today when I first alerted him.
We don’t see anything. Possibly, it was a shadow.
Possibly. But it’s not like Ronan to see things.
We’ll keep an eye on it.
Thanks, Ionus.
“They must think I’ve lost my mind,” Ronan said.
“Not even close. Now is not the time to let any lead go without checking. If you see something, like you just did, make sure and tell us because the one time you don’t will be the one time there will be an issue.
” And I hated to think what could happen if it was an unfriendly, though they’d not easily make it through the wards without us being notified.
“We’re all just a bit on edge, I’d imagine.”
I was a firm believer in if you said it aloud, it may happen, so I’d keep the thoughts of how true his words were to myself.
Part of being in the position my brothers and I were in was remaining calm, not letting our outer self reflect our inner turmoil.
That would only insight unnecessary fear into those we protected.
But yeah, we were all teetering on the edge.
We gathered a couple of blankets and a few snacks for our trip to the springs. The cradle like inset in the rock wall was perfect to tuck the girls into while Ronan and I let our dragons out to swim. Soaking and floating with my mate was the perfect way to spend the afternoon.
He fussed over them, checking every edge or ability for the eggs to roll, for which, there were none.
“They’re fine, Ronan. That lip is too high for them to topple over.
Come on.” I stripped down and shifted, waiting for the show.
I loved a dressed up Ronan, but a naked one was breathtaking.
Add in his gorgeous dragon… Yeah. My dragon and I were ridiculously head over heels for them.
Our dragons frolicked and played. Flirting and riling each other up. A new form of foreplay with my mate and it was so freaking hot. Wait, how did he learn to do that with his tail? Ronan giggled.
Naughty mate.
Mmm, maybe.
Having never been sexual while in dragon form, I wasn’t sure how this worked, exactly. That was saying something for a dragon as old as mine was.
Hey, do you mind? My dragon protested.
Sorry, my bad.
Yeah, it was. You’re killing the mood, human.
Could our dragons even make love?
Well, that idea was nixed when in walked Upalo and Rory.
“May we join you?” I nodded and gave them their privacy to shift and join us. Never had four dragons in the pool at once that I was aware of. Not too tight but still a challenge to spread all the way out without wings poking places that shouldn’t be poked.
It didn’t take long before their playful antics turned amorous and with a yawning mate, it was time to retreat to the nest. Those two were so wrapped up in each other I’m not even sure they heard us leave.
“I’m so excited for Upalo and Rory.” Ronan was all smiles. “We’ll have more little ones running around before you know it.”
Blink-blink. “I thought you said you’d end me if I knocked you up again but I’m all for practicing.”
He smacked my arm. “Not me, them. I bet Rory is the next one to pop a couple out.”
“Huh, maybe so.”
“That swim was refreshing, thanks for suggesting it. Now I’m ready for a nap.”
“Hmm, nest nap or…”
“Nest nap now, playtime later.”
“I’ll hold you to it. Think you can do that thing with your tail again.”
Ronan trailed a finger along my sternum. “If you’re a good boy.”
I nearly barked and begged. Oh, I’ll be his good boy anytime.