Chapter 16
Beryl
Guardians of Glitter Bomb Territory
I was surprised that Jade didn’t even allow Jondi onto the playroom floor. The whole place was designed with winged children in mind but I expected him to make exceptions for his own kid at least. Jondi and I waited in the office where he ate a frozen fish stick from each of his hands.
“Do you mind waiting on your dad?” I asked.
“No, I like being with him and that means waiting sometimes. He has to make sure the business is okay and safe for the winged kids. It’s how we have our money.
I like being able to buy things at the store.
It makes him happy too. I’m glad there is a place for winged kids to play.
When I grow up I’m going to open a water park for water shifters only.
There are some in other places but not here.
I don’t mind, though, because the water dragons have something for us.
We go there a lot. Then Dad waits on the shore for me while I go out and play.
Sometimes you just have to wait on people you love. ”
The kid could sure talk forever. It was hard to believe it when Jade said he was nearly nonverbal in the beginning. Not that there was anything wrong with being nonverbal, but I couldn’t imagine Jondi not voicing his thoughts.
“He learned from his dad,” my dragon chimed into my thoughts with a chuckle.
“Do you mind waiting on him?” Jondi turned the question around on me when I didn’t say anything.
“Not really, but I miss him.”
“I miss my big otter,” he said. “Only sometimes, though. I know I can’t go back and live with her because she only has the one form.”
I opened my mouth and shut it again, because what did you say to something like that?
“I don’t know my dad. So it’s sort of the same.”
“I don’t think I had a dad. I think my mom just made me on her own,” Jondi shrugged. “But I’m sorry you don’t know your dad. Did he die?”
“I don’t think so,” I shook my head.
“Well, I’ll leave a rock where the otters leave their wish rocks next time we go to the lake so that he comes back,” Jondi grinned.
“The last time I made a wish was for Dad to have someone like Vatten to live with him because Vatten makes Uncle Eran happy. Then you showed up. So, I guess, my wishes are lucky.”
“Thanks for wishing for me,” I laughed.
“Shh… It’s a secret. Only otters know where to leave the rocks for it to work.”
I mimicked zipping my mouth. His secret was safe with me. I didn’t know if I believed in magic otter wishing rocks but was glad Jondi did. Kids needed hope and a bit of imagination to navigate this world.
***
That evening, I stayed at Jade’s house while he walked to Eran’s with Jondi.
The kid had his pool and two backpacks full of stuff for an evening and a night.
If Jade packed like he did for our vacation, I might have to hire a moving company on both ends of the trip.
I’d do it, but I’d always traveled light, buying or finding what I needed as I went along.
“That won’t work with a kid in tow,” my dragon chimed into my thoughts as I ran Jade a hot bubble bath.
Jade came back all misty-eyed. I felt like an ass because I hadn’t even considered this might be his first night away from Jondi since adopting him.
He sat down on the sofa with his head in hands and for a moment I was unsure of what to do.
What if he was crying because he was happy that Jondi had reached another milestone?
What if he was sad because his little boy was growing up?
As usual, Jade smelled like a dozen emotions all wrapped up into one.
“Go sit with him, you obtuse scaleless creature!” my dragon roared into my thoughts, and I joined Jade on the sofa. I rubbed small circles on his back until he finally looked up at me. I waited for him to speak because I was sure whatever I said would be the wrong thing.
“He went straight to playing with the babies,” Jade said. “Like he always does. He didn’t even get nervous when I told him I was going home. I told him that I could come back any time he needed me too and he hugged me.”
“It’s just for a night,” I said, gently.
“I know, but for a long time I was so worried he’d never see anyone else as family. Then he took to Eran, but only from a distance. Then Vatten and my parents and now the pride and you. I’m so relieved for him, because this world is so shitty and we need people around us to make it worth it.”
“Jade, you’re worth the whole world.”
“Mate, we’re all worth more than this world will ever do,” he flashed me a sad smile.
“This isn’t me being nihilistic. It’s how I’ve always seen the world.
Why would any of us do anything in this world if not for each other and the little things we love?
Your mom went out of her way to make you.
There was never a doubt that you’d exist. So maybe it’s hard to wrap your head around, but without the shifters here in the GGB and on the farm, I wouldn’t be here.
My sire may have never come here because Brent and Evie might not have survived or stayed if they did.
Without them, my carrier might’ve died at the hands of his father or being tormented for the rest of his life.
They’d never have met. So, it’s the people who surround you that make it worth it. ”
I was quiet because he was right, I didn’t get what he meant.
Growing up, my mom was mostly enough for me, but I had never thought of it the way he put it.
She really did go out of her way to have me.
Was she lonely before that? Did she really not like anyone enough to settle down for a few decades and raise a kid with them?
“Mum still hasn’t settled down,” my dragon laughed into my thoughts.
“I’m not going anywhere without you, mate,” I finally said. “You and Jondi.”
We cuddled on the sofa for a few minutes before I scooped Jade up.
He laughed and wiped his tears on my bare shoulder.
I’d lost my shirt as soon as he and Jondi had left for Eran’s place.
I carried him past his bed and into his bathroom.
I’d taken a few minutes to straighten up too while his bath was running.
I thought he might protest when I sat him down on his feet and slowly and gently stripped away his clothes.
But alone in the house he let me undress him before he stepped into the bathtub.
Jade sank deep into the water until only his face showed through the bubbles in the glow of all the candles I had lit around the room. His eyes drifted closed and for a moment I wondered if he’d learned to nap in the water for Jondi’s sake. I wouldn’t put it past him.
“This is nice,” he murmured. “Really nice. Are you going to get in with me?”
“Is there room?” I teased him, sitting on the edge of the tub.
“I can sit up in a minute” he laughed. “I love stretching out. I love being nice and warm.”
He ran his hand up and down my arm for a long moment.
Then he tugged me back into the water with him with my pants still on.
I’d have been pissed at anyone else who did something like that, but I loved and reveled in the mischievous look in my mate’s eyes.
The tub was deeper than it looked as he leaned back against the side opposite of the faucet and pulled me on top of him.
His lips met mine, soft at first, but then demanding as soon as his tongue snaked into my mouth.
I pushed his wet hair away from his face and kissed him hard.
My pants weighed me down, but I didn’t want to stop holding onto him long enough to take them off.
Our tongues danced between our mouths. Jade’s scent changed from its usual mingle of emotions to aroused with a bit of excitement and safety.
How long had he felt unsafe? Was it the threats?
Ferrick? I let go of the thought for now.
Later, we’d work all that out. For now, he was safe and sound with me.
Anyone who tried to hurt him had to go through me and while I might not be down to toast a bunch of his lion friends, I had no problem serving an intruder up crispy with ketchup.
Jade ran his warm hands up and down my back. Phantom fur played at my skin and my dragon leaned in, trying to get closer to the winged lion who lived inside our mate. He wouldn’t fully be able to connect with him until after we exchanged our claiming vows. We were doing that tonight?
“How far do you want to go tonight?” I pulled back to ask Jade. As soon as the words were out of my mouth I realized how young and inexperienced they made me sound. “I mean do you want to exchange our claiming vows tonight?”
“Yes,” he nodded and leaned back up for another kiss.
“Wait!” I said.
“I think I already did,” he laughed, wrapping his legs around me. “I’m hard and slick and I want you. I want to make the most of tonight because we probably won’t have another full night alone for a while.”
“I know,” I said and traced his bottom lip with my thumb. “I just have to ask – condom, or no?”
“No,” he said. “No, if you want a family.”
“Do you?” I asked. There was so much I could’ve dived into about foster kids and everything else, but I trusted Jade to know what he wanted.
“Yeah, or I’d tell you to get a damn condom,” he laughed and kissed me again.
That was all our bases covered, right? Claiming vows? Check. Pursuing reproduction? Check.
The tips of Jade’s claws played over my back, drawing me back in the current moment.
He leaned up, kissing me harder, as he grazed them up and down my back, sending a cascade of tingles up and down my spine.
Reaching between our bodies, I took his hard dick in my hand and stroked him.
He was warm to the touch as I explored his silky, smooth shaft.
He moaned into the kiss, whiskers brushing against my face.
It seemed that my dragon wasn’t the only one trying to reach out.