Chapter 2
Chapter
Two
Lachlan really, really needed for Kieran to come out of his rooms and explore the whole house.
He felt awful that Kieran was just stuck away up there in his little apartment.
He made sure it was comfortable and perfectly acceptable for one omega dragon and a baby who needed to feel safe, but he had all this stuff in his chest that felt like acid and nails and concrete all mixed together. Guilt. He had a lot of guilt.
He wanted Kieran to come out and experience life, not force him out of the house or anything. Lachlan understood how that was so scary, because he looked different from everyone else.
But unlike a great many dragon enclaves, or wings, Oro Escondido was full of dragons who just looked like dragons instead of like dragons pretending to be people. Only the public-facing dragons, the ones who worked out on the main road, had to be good at camouflage.
His phone buzzed, and he knew before he even looked that it was his brother, his twin, who texted before he called out in any kind of mental communication just to make sure Lachlan was in a place where he could talk.
Are you okay bro? I’m sensing some angst in the force
He smiled because his brother always knew. Bryant was such a good guy.
Instead of texting, he shot back some mental conversation. I’m okay. I’m just worried about Kieran.
Has something happened?
No, but he still hasn’t really come out of his rooms, and Micah is just now starting to walk a little bit, and it’s worrying me some. I feel like they’re stunted somehow, and it’s my fault.
Lach. It’s not your fault. It’s sad, and it sucks, but it’s not your fault.
Then whose is it? He was attacked in my name.
We’ve gone round and round about this. Bryant wasn’t going to hear it, and he knew it. Bryant didn’t think he had ever done anything wrong; Lachlan thought he knew better.
I know. I keep trying to coax him out, but he just keeps saying he’s not ready.
Hey, at least he lets you in. He trusts you. It’s everyone else he doesn’t trust.
I suppose that’s true. I’m not sure that makes me feel any better.
What can I do?
Bring over your mate and little Kaden? Spend some time with us.
Of course we can be there in about half an hour.
Thanks, bro. It meant a lot that Bryant was willing to just drop everything and show up.
They’d both had a lot of issues for a little while, but they’d worked it out.
All the guilt and worry and shame and everything the two of them had experienced had pretty much dissipated.
Now it was just a matter of working everything out with everyone else.
He checked the house to make sure it was nice and clean, and then he went to see what kind of baked goods were on offer. The cake last week had gone over really well with Kieran, so he tried to keep things interesting and had asked for maybe some kind of fruit pie.
As always, Alban had totally had his back.
It looked like there were two kinds. Cherry and something with pineapple and nuts that smelled faintly of lemon juice. Interesting.
Alban smiled at him, his keeper nodding, rainbow feathers fluttering madly. “I hear the family’s coming.”
“They are. Are they bringing Arthur then?” He winked at his keeper, the dragon who ran his home. Arthur and Alban were as close as he and Bryant were.
Alban grinned at him. “Every chance I get to hang out with my twin, I will. Is the baby still having bottles?”
He shook his head. “No. Now he’s at the sippy cup stage, and he’s trying different foods. He has teeth...” He grinned over, waggling his eyebrows.
“Oh, that I understand.”
They laughed together for a minute, sharing their joy in their joined families.
“They apparently tried guacamole the other day.”
Alban’s eyes went wide. “Was it a hit?”
“He loved it.”
“Fascinating.”
“Well, I think we have apple sauce. I don’t know if they’re going to stay for food or not. I mean, it will be fine…”
Alban smiled at him. “How’re Kieran and Micah today?”
“They’re both still in there.” He chuckled, because he always said that when Alban asked. “Micah took his first steps.”
“Oh my goodness. That’s marvelous. I’m glad to hear it. I bet he and Kaden will get along fabulously, since they’re of an age.”
Lachlan nodded. If they ever met.
“We’ll get them out here yet,” Alban told him gently, clearly reading his expression. “Never fear. I know it’s hard, but they’ve been through a lot of trauma.”
“I know.” He remembered what it was like. He still had some recovering to do, but Oro Escondido had healed a part of his soul that he thought was broken forever.
“Anyway I hope you guys enjoy the pie, and if you don’t need anything else from me right now, I’m going to go sit and do a little reading until Arthur gets here.”
“Of course, Alban. Thank you so much for all your hard work.”
He hadn’t wanted someone like Alban in his household, not after what had happened the first time around, but he’d been wrong.
Alban was nothing like the keeper who had injured Lachlan so gravely, betraying his family for money.
They were a good match. Alban’s energy was calming and happy, and Lachlan knew at this point now that Alban would never betray him.
He bent over and sniffed the pies again, filling his body and mind with the beautiful scent.
He couldn’t wait to see his family, have them reassure him, too, that he was doing the right thing with Kieran and Micah. What if he wasn’t? What if he shouldn’t be letting them hide away in his house?
He just didn’t know. He was supposed to be a platinum guardian, and he did perform his job now. He did it well in fact, but sometimes he still felt totally out of the loop.
Of course, with Lars and his brother, they were half of the Guardian group, with Bea and Jake and Logan. If someone had thought he’d done anything wrong, they would have told someone. None of them were known to be particularly delicate.
Lars, of all of them, was the most delicate, and he might still kick somebody’s butt.
Lachlan puttered around until he heard the sound of Bryant’s truck trundling up to the drive.
He could hear the happy laughter from his fiery little nephew.
Lockie, Lockie, Lockie, Lockie, Lockie, Lockie.
The call had him running from the house to scoop up the little silver dragon who had tiny little red scales interspersed in, and the most amazing ruby eyes.
“Hello, little one, I’ve missed you.”
Lars chuckled softly. “You saw him three days ago.”
“That was three whole days ago, wasn’t it, my love?”
Kaden snuggled into him, nuzzling him and holding on tight like a monkey.
“He’s happy to see me. I’m also happy to see you.”
Bryant kissed his cheek. “Hello, brother.”
Arthur exited the truck, carrying a couple of bags, and what looked to be a crockpot full of…
“Ooh, chili.”
Arthur nodded, his feathers bobbing. Dragons were so wondrously diverse. “There’s cornbread too. Alban told me he made dessert.”
“He’s reading, but he’s in there.”
“Wonderful. We’re going to do some art.” Arthur beamed “He has some paint-by-numbers that look fun.”
“That’s what those paint markers he bought are for.”
“Yep. Dual-point ones with different colors and different-sized tips.” Arthur swept past him, heading on into the house without even needing permission.
Bryant wrapped an arm around him and steered him into the house while he held the Kaden. Bryant’s mate was laughing at them both. “So how is it going with the omega and the baby?”
“Slow, very slow. I feel bad because they’re just hiding in there, bro.”
Lars shrugged. “Well, maybe you should just take the baby and introduce him?”
Lachlan wrinkled his nose. “That seems a lot. You have Kaden. Go introduce them.”
“I don’t know if—”
Lars stared at him. “Babies need other babies. Dragons need community. He’s going to have to come out sometime. He can’t just stay in that room.”
Lars seemed so sure.
“It’s not that easy.”
“Of course it is. He doesn’t have to leave.
He doesn’t have to do much at all, but he can’t stay in that room for the rest of that baby’s life.
It’s not nice. Babies need fresh air. Outside, sunshine, friends.
” Lars pierced him with a look. “I’m not going to let this go.
This isn’t right. At least go in there and introduce Kaden. ”
He glanced at Bryant, who shrugged. “That seems fair to me.”
Okay. Lachlan straightened his shoulders. Why was he intimidated by Kieran and the baby? There was nothing to be scared of.
He would take Kaden. He would introduce him, and he and Micah would be fast friends. He just knew it.
Lachlan kissed Kaden’s little forehead. “Come on, buddy, let’s go upstairs. I want you to meet somebody. You’re going to be so happy. I know you are, and he’ll be over the moon. His name is Micah.”
Kaden babbled at him as if he totally understood what Lachlan was saying. As if he agreed, which was great. That was just what he needed, someone on his side besides Lars.
Though he thought Lars was probably on Kieran’s side. Which was the same side. This was all meant for Kieran and Micah’s good.
He tapped on the door. “Kieran, I brought my nephew, Kaden, up for you to introduce to Micah. They’re the same age, pretty much.”
Kaden reached out, copying him, and tap-tap-tapped on the door. It was adorable.
“That was Kaden. He was knocking.”
It took Kieran a minute, but he answered the door, mossy green eyes wide, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, hair in a long braid. “Hey.”
“Hi! This is Kaden. He wanted to meet Micah. It’s my nephew. They’re the same age. Say hi to Micah.”
Kaden blinked and waved.
“He’s not really talking too much, a lot of “Papa” and “Dada”, but he’s still…mentally, he does great, and he can say, “Lockie.”
“Lockie Lockie Lockie!” Kaden crowed, so proud of himself.
“Can we come in? It’s just the two of us?”
Kieran backed up a little bit, waving them in. “Sure, I guess, yeah.”
Micah was sitting on the floor in a little purple outfit, playing with one of the activity toys that he’d brought in from outside. Kaden’s face lit up, and he wiggled madly to get down, get to Micah.
All right, that was what he wanted to see. The babies interacting at least a little bit.
Micah watched Kaden with the same wide-eyed stare Kieran was looking at him with, but he didn’t look scared. He looked interested, maybe a little intimidated, but… Lachlan put Kaden down on the floor and told him, “Be good now. Micah’s not used to people.”
Kaden scooted over rather than getting up to walk and leaned into Micah’s space but not close enough to be weird. “Babb.”
“Yep it’s another baby just like you.” Lachlin gave Kieran an encouraging smile, like “See? Easy.”
Micah stared, tilted his head, then reached out, making grabby hands, and Kaden took his hand and squeezed it, then lunged over and hugged Micah close. “Babb!”
Micah looked startled, and then he grabbed Kaden back, holding on tight. Amazing little sparkles began to pour from the little dragon, glittering bits of purple and green.
“Oh my gosh,” Kieran whispered, “Look at that! He’s making magic!”
Lachlan nodded, “That’s amazing.”
“It is.” Kieran began to cry, tears streaming down his face, a look of wonder in his eyes. “Look at all of that.”
Kaden, who dealt with Logan’s twins, both sets, along with Samuel’s children, was remarkably copacetic with this whole thing.
Mari and Ari, who were Lachlan’s dearest friends in the world — just ask both of them, and they would tell you — both blew fire like their father, while the twin boys were super easygoing.
One made plants grow; the other spoke to animals.
Then Grant could teleport at will, and little Gwenyth could create clouds in whatever color she wanted.
No one knew what good that was, but she was a happy little bee, and no one minded.
So there was a lot of magic in Kaden’s life. He just accepted it all.
In fact, he was gathering up the sparkles and throwing them in the air and cheering. Every time he clapped, a little spark flew.
“Is he going to set something on fire?”
“Not if we can help it.” He winked at Kieran. “Honestly he’s pretty good about it. He just likes to make little bits and pieces. Nothing that would set the floor on fire or immolate himself.”
“Oh good.” Kieran said it a little faintly, staring at the two babies as they played, but nothing did start smoldering, so that was a good sign. “Thank you for this. I see now that what he’s been missing is other babies and children, who can show him how he needs to develop.”
“Hey, it’s not that bad but it would be great if you came down and met some of the other kids at some point.” When Kaden stiffened under his arm, he squeezed a little. “And until you’re ready to do that I can bring them up here, one or two at a time.”
Kieran let out a big gust of air. “No, I really need to give him the full experience. We won’t come down today. I can’t promise we’ll leave the house any time soon.”
“Oh my sweet, there are times that I don’t leave the house for weeks at a time.”
He chose his battles these days, and there were people that he trusted immensely, like Bryant and Lars and Lars’ brother Logan and his mate.
He loved going to their houses and just hanging out and being friends, but sometimes a call for guardianship would leave him mentally and physically exhausted for weeks, and he would have to recharge.
“You’re sure it’s not a giant imposition?”
“I’m absolutely sure, although I can’t guarantee that this one’s omega dad won’t be up here trying to sneak in and meet you early.” Lars could be stubborn and he was a force of nature.
Kieran grinned “If he’s as magical as this one, that shouldn’t be too much of a hardship.”
“You’ll love him. I promise everyone does. He’s charming, he’s funny, and he rarely takes no for an answer.”
Kieran made a face. “I’m not sure that’s such a great recommendation, but I’ll take it.”
Lachlan would take it too because he had already made more progress today than he’d made in weeks.