Chapter 12
Chapter
Twelve
“Mate? Can we talk?”
Lachlan glanced at Kieran, who had come to visit him in his office, his smile making Lachlan happy to pause in his work.
“Of course, love. What is it?”
Kieran came to kiss him when he held out his hand to draw him in. “Two things. I want to fly with you.”
He blinked, stared, and immediately nodded. “There’s nothing I’d love more.”
“Nothing?” Kieran arched an eyebrow.
“Well, maybe…” Lachlan grinned. “What’s the other thing.”
Kieran went to sit in his lap. “Do you want more babies?”
“I do. I know we talked about it a little bit before but as long as you do I would love that.”
“Because I want more babies.” Kieran stroked his heated cheek. “I want them a lot. With you.”
“So what are you saying? You want to start now?”
“Yes. I think with my next heat we should just go ahead and try for it.”
Lachlan searched his face, his gaze serious. “I want that, too.”
“I do know that Micah’s young, but Lars and Bryant are pregnant again, and those two boys are so close together. It might be nice to have our next babies close together, too.” The words all exploded out of Kieran in a rush.
“I think it would be.” Lachlan winked at his mate, waggling his eyebrows. “I mean, the simple fact is it will be fun to practice one way or the other.”
“Why did I know that was going to be your response?” Kieran blew out a long, slow breath, winking at his mate, obviously fighting a goofy assed grin.
“And I think it’s time for me to move into your bedroom.
I want to keep my rooms, though, for bigger a studio, a craft room, something where it’s just mine, no babies. Is that okay?”
He nodded. “That sounds perfect.” Of course it was all right. Lachlan would never deny Kieran anything. “Is it okay if I say I’m very excited about this?”
Kieran snuggled right in, grinning wide. “Which part?”
He shrugged, his cheeks heated. “All of it, but especially the flying. I love flying; it’s one of the times where I don’t feel like a big, hulking, awkward monster. The other time is when we’re practicing making babies.”
“Listen to you.” Kieran kissed Lachlan’s cheek. “I love you.”
“Mmhmm, and I adore you. We’ll get Alban to watch our Micah, and we’ll go flying any time you want.
Although if you want to get pregnant we should probably do it sooner rather than later.
” Lachlan winked at him. “Not that I believe you have to stop flying once you’re pregnant, but once you’re really pregnant, you might be grounded for a while.
” Lachlan couldn’t stop petting him, Kieran’s skin calling to him.
“Do you have time now? Before I get unnerved?”
Now? Honestly? Whoa, and also wow. “Of course. Where’s Micah?”
“He’s sleeping. It’s nap time.”
That made it easy. “We’ll have to go tell Alban what we need. Does that work for you?”
Kieran nodded. “Alban will protect him. He’s a good guy.”
“He is. I trust him.”
And that meant a lot.
Lachlan rose, lifting Kieran with him, and they went to find Alban, who was puttering around in the kitchen.
“Alban, I was wondering if you could keep an eye on Micah for us?.” Lachlan asked. “I’d like to take Kieran flying.”
A bright, beaming smile bloomed on Alban’s face. “Of course, absolutely. He’s down for his nap right now, correct?”
“He is and Kieran feels like now would be a perfect time to go to the wing and see his territory.”
Alban nodded, his rainbow feathers bouncing wildly. “It’s a beautiful day. The sun is shining, and it’s nice, still warm. You should totally go and have very much fun. We’ll be fine.”
“Thank you.” Kieran grabbed his hand. “We should go. I’m a little scared.”
Lachlan didn’t bother to wait. He just walked outside to the front of the house where there was a place for them to put their clothes aside and a space to launch. “Let’s go. I’m very excited to see your dragon and to fly with you. My heart is pounding so fast.”
“You don’t think I’ll be bad at it, or that I’ll freak out and forget how?”
Lachlan turned to Kieran, grabbing him by the shoulders and staring into his eyes, trying to will him to understand. “You’re a dragon. You’re not going to forget how to fly. This is you allowing yourself to be free.”
“Are you scared too?” Kieran asked.
“Just excited.”
He loved to fly. Lachlan didn’t feel awkward when he did. He didn’t feel misshapen. He felt strong and powerful and he felt as if he was doing his job by the wing.
He shifted easily, offering Kieran his head to touch and explore before backing away so his mate could shift.
Kieran hesitated for a long while, but then he shifted in a rush. Oh, he was lovely. A shimmery lavender body with darker purple around his face and wings, and he radiated light. He was so beautiful that Lachlan’s eyes stung with tears.
He bowed, his scales rattling. My beautiful mate.
Me? Look at you. You glow.
He preened, so very pleased. He wanted Kieran to find him as lovely as he found Kieran. Mutual admiration.
Spread your wings, love. Get a feel for the air and windage.
It’s safe?
He bobbed his head. Our wing is safe. The wards will hold. They had worked hard to assure the magic defending them was impenetrable, protecting their dragons, their babies, their wing.
Sometimes things got through, but with the guardians Oro Escondido had in place now, it was difficult as hell to even squeak past at the very edges. The river was the hardest, because magicking water could be tricky, but they did it. Bea had an affinity.
Not only that, but Mara owned the cabins there, and she was fierce.
Kieran nodded, crouched down, and leapt up, a beam of light seeming to emanate from his mate as he rose.
Oh. Lachlan watched for a moment, simply transfixed. Then he jumped himself, beating his wings to get height, then slowing down to just stay aloft.
Kieran was a literal streak of light, moving through the air like fireworks.
He called down to Bryant and Logan. The light is Kieran. Let everyone know? We’re flying.
We’ll broadcast it. Don’t be surprised if the whole village turns out to watch you and your mate fly. People are curious.
I’ll show him off, he promised.
To be honest, he was too. Curious. Proud. Fascinated.
There were so many words.
He glided along behind Kieran, watching him float on air and light, just shining in the sun. He’d never been more in love than he was at this moment.
You’re beautiful, Lach. I’m so glad you chose me.
How could I not? I was made for you.
Kieran slipped back to let him lead. Show me our wing.
Yes, love. He swooped down and flew over the village proper, showing Kieran the school and the houses and the office buildings and library.
He showed him the river and the cabins, and the boundaries all held by the guardians. He showed him the main road from a safe distance, pointing out the bookstore and the restaurants…
You’ve never gone, Kieran said.
To the bookstore, in the early hours. Amber lets me in to browse before she opens.
Oh, that sounds so lovely. I adore books.
I’ll tell her we want to come. He would do anything for his mate. Or you can go with Lars. They would welcome you with open arms.
No. I will go with you. You’re my mate.
Then we’ll make a date of it. Come on. Let me show you where the foothills become the mountains.
They soared together, and at some point Bryant and Logan joined them, greeting and playing, all of them arcing through the air.
Kieran made the most amazing sounds of joy, trumpeting it into the sky, and Lachlan was so proud that his brother of blood and his brother of guardianship and his mate were all close and enjoying themselves.
Though he glanced over and noticed that Kieran’s color was beginning to fade, he called them all in. We need to go rest and eat, mate. Brothers are you going to join us?
I think we’ll let you enjoy each other’s company, Bryant told him. Logan and I will go back to our mates and have lunch there.
He chuckled to himself because he wasn’t disappointed by that at all. He could take Kieran back and feed him and make sure he was well hydrated, and then love him into a puddle.
A puddle? Kieran asked, his mental laughter like clouds and rainbows or something. He sounded so incredibly happy.
Yes! To celebrate we flew - you and me all around the wing. Kieran trusted him enough to leave Micah with Alban and to go outside of the house with him and fly. That honored him more than he could ever express.
I trust you. I love you. Of course I was going to fly with you.
They rolled in for a landing, both of them touching down gently. He could tell by the way Kieran slumped down immediately that he was very tired.
All you have to do is shift love. I’ll take the rest from there. He called to Alban in his head, letting them know they were at home now and that they needed some food prepared, something that would give Kieran a great deal of energy.
Of course. I will have burgers and fries ready, with milkshakes.
Oh, I love milkshakes. Kieran winked at him. Sounds perfect.
It does. He waited for Kieran to shift, shrinking back down to human. Lachlan did the same thing, then lifted Kieran into his arms to carry him inside. They would put on soft lounge clothes.
Sweats awaited them in the foyer, and they dressed, going to settle and wait for their food.
“That was wonderful. Thank you.” Kieran leaned on him once they settled on the couch. “I haven’t flown in so long.”
“I’m so proud of you. And you were amazing. Logan and Bryant had to work to keep up.” He wrapped an arm around Kieran and kissed the top of his head.
“Thank you.” Kieran snuggled in, trembling just a bit. “It felt amazing, like I was free again.”
“You are.” He cradled Kieran in one wing.
“I am.”
Alban served them food with a smile. “I’ll go get Micah, hmm?”
“Oh, please.” Kieran grinned. “I can hear him being fussy now.”
“He just wants to hang out with his beloved Alban.” Alban winked at him. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring him in for kisses, and then I think he and I are going to go have a bite to eat and then play in the ball pit. We’re learning about our colors.”
Kieran sipped at his milkshake. “That’s very sweet. Do you think that he knows what you’re talking about?”
“Oh, he knows purple for sure.”
Lachlan believed that. That little boy blew purple balls of sparkle.
“He likes to gather all the purple balls. Today we’re going to try to separate purple, red, yellow, blue, and green into different corners of the ball pit.” Alban winked at him. “He matches them to my feathers.”
“If you need us…”
Lachlan growled a little bit under his breath and Alban laughed.
“I can keep Micah busy for quite a while. Don’t worry about it. If you two want to have some adult time after lunch, feel free.”
“Thank you, Alban,” Lachlan nodded to his dear friend.
Kieran’s cheeks turned bright red, but Lachlan’s didn’t so much as warm.
He wanted to love on his mate, and they needed to practice that whole baby making thing.
I want that too. Kieran’s laughter was as light as air, making him smile so hard his eyes crinkled tight.
I’m glad. We’ll say hi to Micah, finish eating, and then go for our own nap, hmm?
I do like napping with you. Kieran dug into his meal, the color in the beloved face getting stronger.
Yes. He liked napping and what came before it…
All in all, this was turning out to be an amazing day.