Chapter 21
Klynn
“You need shelves.” He didn’t have anywhere for me to put my box besides the top of his dresser and it just looked wrong. “My present looks odd.”
Daddy paused by the bed, cocking his head and studying the box. “Should it go on your shelves? I was thinking we’ll probably spend more time there.”
Maybe.
Did he know he was supposed to move in with me?
“I don’t have a lot of extra room for stuff.” Daddy’s things specifically. “I’ve got a smaller set of rooms because it was just me.”
Now it wasn’t just me.
Daddy swallowed and started nodding but he didn’t say anything for a few moments. “For the time being I can keep my clothes and stuff here while we figure the rest out.”
So he knew he was going to be moving in but wasn’t ready to say it?
Humans were weird.
“Okay.” I could be patient with the practical side of things as long as he wasn’t going to try to actually live separately from me. “Are you ready to go to my place?”
I needed to change and we needed breakfast.
Thankfully he didn’t have another early meeting but he was going to be spending half the day with the council ironing out the rules for visitors and what would be able to be taken across the portal.
The biggest issue seemed to be a lack of fine print on our end.
The council seemed to think they could make a few broad rules that everyone would follow and Daddy thought that was insane.
After meeting the dragons on the other side and reading about humans, I knew Daddy was right but there wasn’t going to be any way to explain it to the more sheltered leaders on the council.
For the most part we weren’t the chaos-causing type for a variety of reasons and they just couldn’t wrap their minds around the problems that were in store for us.
“Yes.” Nodding to himself, Daddy slipped into work mode. “I don’t think I need to bring anything today. I gave them an American-style gift basket when we first got here so this should be a practical meeting.”
The human need to gift was an interesting aspect of their personality I hadn’t taken into consideration.
I wasn’t sure how it would change our world, but I had a feeling it would spread.
The idea that someone else would gift a dragon something for their hoard or would surprise a mage with something related to a special interest was going to be appreciated.
Before I could ask his opinion on that, the tablet device that contained his schedule let out a low tone that made Daddy sigh. “I’m starting to hate that sound.”
My first thought was to offer to change the sound, but I quickly realized that was not what he meant. “It may be just a simple correction. Whoever was writing the updates in English last night does not have a clear understanding of the language.”
Thankfully most notes were written in both languages so I could translate the oddly worded ones.
My mate’s wince said he wanted to believe me but his immediate sigh said he was feeling realistic. “Let’s see what’s changed.”
No matter what anyone had tried to change, my mate needed food first. “Remember we have the ability to decline changes without being seen as rude. They are taking advantage of your manners.”
My mate had too many manners sometimes.
His smirk said he knew what I was thinking but he quickly walked over to the bed where he had set down his tablet. “I can’t see what changed.”
“Someone may have been editing the poor wording of the dinner event. That was very confusing.” Someone needed more practice with English before they tried to be helpful…and probably to pay more attention when dealing with anything like a language transfer. “Would you like me to check?”
He nodded, handing over the device like it was heavier than it appeared. “Yes. That thing is worse than my calendar at work and my phone combined.”
Because he did not have full control over it.
We were working on changing that, but for the time being, there were many people who claimed to need to be able to take parts of his time and have access to the calendar.
“Yes, someone has fixed the wording on the dinner event and it makes much more sense. It is related to the council as we thought but this is a wider dinner where they invited leaders from each community. So it will be a large meal but not one you have to provide special presents for.” What would someone ask him that they would not realize was rude?
Someone would ask something ridiculous.
“I think taking time later to prepare a few words may be a good idea.” I gave the device a frown that made my mate smile. “No one is indicting you need to speak but I think that was an oversight.”
Chuckling, my mate looked more like Daddy as he shook his head. “I should’ve thought about that right off the bat, but it won’t be hard as long as we have some way to translate for people who don’t have English yet.”
Ah.
“I will make sure someone has thought of that.” In the excitement, they would not have thought about the obvious. “Oh.”
Daddy sighed as his work persona took over again. “What else did they do?”
“Someone requested that we move up the start of the morning council meeting.” Why? “Let me see.”
There was not enough fine print as the people who spoke English would say.
“There is just an added detail about an additional visitor.” I shrugged, giving my mate the visual clue to let him know I had no idea what was going on. “That shortens our timeline to have breakfast but we should be able to make it.”
Glancing up at my mate, I aimed to give him a curious expression. “Would you like me to decline the change and indicate you are not able to make it that soon? It was a rude assumption on their part to change your schedule at the last minute.”
Frowning, my mate thought before sighing. “Not this time. It might actually be important, but if it’s ridiculous I’m going to ask you to make me guard my time better. I think they’re expecting dragon behavior from me and seeing a prey animal.”
Quite possibly.
“I certainly think there is a bit of boundary testing going on.” Like a submissive testing a Dominant? “We may have put all submissives on the council without realizing it.”
Ah.
That was what books meant by having a lightbulb moment.
I could almost see Daddy perking up and the imaginary bulb going off over his head.
“Oh.” His brain seemed to be processing on several levels because I could almost see him thinking as he took my hand. “Let me…yeah…let’s get you ready for the day and I’ll…”
Think.
My mate needed to think.
He may not have given me enough words but I could feel his emotions changing quickly as he considered what I had suggested. He didn’t seem to realize how distracted he was or that the faint bond forming between us had strengthened into something noticeable.
That seemed like an after-our-date conversation but I wasn’t sure we’d ever be left alone enough to have one.
But as we used the transportation spell to go to my home, I had thought about how to fix that situation.
I was going to put it on his calendar.
No one had tried to claim tomorrow’s dinner, so before I changed clothes, I quickly edited his time and indicated he had a meeting. Leaving the details vague would not be questioned because too many people had done that already. I was just using it strategically instead of out of laziness.
“Should I ask what you just did?” My mate gave me a very Daddy grin as I shrugged and did my best to combine looking innocent and slightly sneaky. “Nope. I’m not going to ask. I think I’ll let you surprise me.”
“I’m going to change clothes and make sure to feed you.” If that was a slightly dubious answer that left out important details…oops. The characters from my books would definitely approve of my behavior so that let me know I was making the right choice.
****
Interesting.
It seemed all the people of Earth had been badly invited to the earlier meeting because they were slowly making their way toward the conference room looking a bit like zombies from a horror story.
Ah.
Caffeine.
My mate was not highly addicted to the substance because he was smart, but it seemed like others had not made the same good decisions.
“Do you…do you know why the meeting was changed?” Wren’s question was accompanied by a yawn, but the meaning was clear.
“No.” My response was accurate but his glare said he did not appreciate it.
His mate saved him from rude behavior, however, even if Toman did not seem impressed either. “Are your schedules being changed without warning too?”
“Yes.” My mate took over, shaking his head. “It’s becoming a problem. Too many people trying to help and make decisions, I think.”
As more of the people of Earth gathered around us, Wren sighed. “Somehow our council seems to be able to organize shit better.”
“Because your cousin was an amazing…taskmaster.” Beatrice managed not to say anything controversial but still got snickers from several of the other people of Earth.
“We need more…organizers here and less…helpers.” Wren seemed to have decided to behave, which left me wondering what Toman had said to him.
“I agree.” My mate wanted to sigh but kept that expression of emotion to himself as he tried to explain the schedule change. “But I’m sure there’s a reason for it. I know some of the leaders were trying to arrange for times where we could meet with more locals.”
That was a point I had not considered.
“An early morning meeting may be easier for some people with families.” Most jobs were fairly flexible and could be paused for important events but children were not always flexible creatures.
As everyone nodded in a thinking manner, acknowledging my idea, they quietly gave options and chatted as we got closer to the conference room. My mate used the time to do his touching base conversations, but it was clear everyone was not content.
“Did anyone bring real coffee?” Beatrice studied everyone hopefully while Wren groaned.
Again.
“The half tea and half coffee drink they’ve got stocked in the kitchen doesn’t really taste like either and I can’t get used to it.” She seemed to be trying again to get help but I was fairly certain I was missing the subtext of her smile or tone. “No one?”
Shrugs from the people of Earth seemed normal but her glance at Wren lasted too long. Oh. Was she suspicious? Was that another form of the facial expression? How did smiling too widely indicate that?
“I was curious to know if a mage could duplicate a food that humans might want to bring with them when they travel.” My mate glanced over at Hugh, the Team Boring member who liked to frown. “Like a traditional steak?”
Oh.
“Do you think they could do that?” Looking more excited for meat than I had expected, I wondered if it was somehow more special than dino nuggets. Hugh was not the person to ask, however. “Chicken steaks weren’t meant to be a thing.”
Chicken steaks?
Did they come big enough for that?
“I thought it’d taste like a large nugget but it didn’t.” Wren frowned but at least he was not making sound effects any longer. “I don’t understand how they do that. They taste like chicken but it’s wrong.”
What tasted like chicken?
Oh.
The steaks that they’d been served for a recent meal?
My mate seemed like he wanted to laugh but he kept his professional expression. “We’ll have to compare notes for my report and we’ll see if the food copying spell is a thing.”
Toman and I both shrugged, but he took the question seriously instead of just focusing on the privacy aspect as little me had. “Logically it should be able to be done, but I don’t know how the spell would be constructed. I’ll have to think about that.”
His head subtly tilted toward Wren, making me think he was either promising to work on it for his mate or about hiding it from others.
Either way, I would get access to the spell for my nuggets.
Daddy would make sure of that.
It was his job.
Oh.
My mate.
Daddy was not for public thoughts.
Just the word triggered inappropriate behaviors and the desire for attention…neither of which were things I could indulge in at the moment.
Oh.
Indulge.
That was a very good word.
I would indulge my little side later and Daddy would provide all the attention I needed.
Ugh.
My mate.
My mate.
Yes. I could remember that.