Chapter 21
Chapter
Twenty-One
“Ithink I need to get Kieran and Micah out of the house.” Lachlan told Bryant as they made rounds. They were not flying, they were walking along the river where the wards often needed to be shored up near Mariposa’s cabins.
Walking like this gave them a chance to touch base with each other, to do their twin mind meld. He loved how easy it was to fall back into this pattern with Bryant now. It had seemed so difficult before the time when everything had gone wrong.
But Lachlan was settled now, happy in his life, not at all missing his high-powered world on the West Coast.
Bryant gave him a sideways glance. “What makes you say that?”
“Well he’s very comfortable in the house and the land right around it now.
He’s been to yours and Lars’ place a few times and Logan’s but I want him to get out and meet the people of the wing.
” It seemed so important, and he knew Kieran could do some real good out there.
If nothing else he could teach the children art and music because he was accomplished at both.
Some instruments and some art supplies had been an amazing idea.
One more thing he had to thank Alban for.
“That’s fair. And you think he’s hesitating because he’s afraid?”
“Mostly yes. Maybe it’s habit now. He just stays to himself but he needs people and so does Micah. They’re not like me. They’re not solitary.”
Bryant laughed a sound low and fond. “You’re not particularly solitary either. That’s why you have a mate and a child and another one on the way.”
“Yes, but I also get out and see the people of the wing. I may not be able to go to the human side of the wards, but I’m out all the time talking to other dragons.”
“Okay, how about I have Lars invite him to one of the schools? Like to talk to the art teacher and see what they need.”
“Oh I love that idea.” Lachlan clapped Bryant on the shoulder. “If we make it about the kids, he won’t be able to turn it down.”
“Right? It’s in their genes, the omegas. They’re all about helping the kids. Lars would be happy to do that. He loves to show off the schools here.” Bryant’s grin went a little bit lascivious, he thought. His brother was always thinking about Lars in a family sort of way.
“And I’ll leave it to your discretion to talk to Lars.
I just want Kieran to be fully happy.” He knew Kieran was content and he knew Kieran loved him and Micah and had a wonderful time being at home with them, but he also knew his sweet love was meant for more than that.
It was time for him to get back to the world, even if it was only a small section of it.
Movement along the edge of the water over on the human side caught his eye, but it was only a deer going to the edge of the river to drink.
He and Bryant paused, holding still so they could watch the doe, not wanting to scare her off.
They were apex predators after all, and sometimes animals had an instinctive worry about that.
“She’s beautiful,” Bryant whispered.
“She is. That’s one of the things I love about living here as opposed to being urban like I was before.”
The deer lifted her head, scented the air, and then turned tail and went back the other way, making them both chuckle. “I can tell you’re happier now. I mean even before all of the stuff that happened, you were stressed all the time.”
“Kieran and Micah are everything to me, and this new baby makes me so happy. I can hear her singing all the time.” Lachlan scanned the area around the river, the wards clear to his dragon vision, shimmering and strong.
“They look good, no?” Bryant sounded relieved, and Lachlan couldn’t blame him. The alarm with Wiver had scared them all. But he supposed it was good to shake them up sometimes. They needed to know that sometimes things could get through. They needed to keep everyone safe.
Wards look good on the west side, Logan called to them. How’s the river?
Holding strong. Just a doe drinking water.
Want to meet for coffee at Lulu’s?
While the coffee shop on the edge of town where it met the human line was more popular, Lulu’s was a small three- or four-table place in the middle of the wing near the administrative buildings and the schools, where teachers and other folks got together a lot to just sit and have a cup of joe and some pastries.
Lachlan always felt safe going there because there were never any people who wouldn’t react well to seeing a dragon who was partially shifted all the time.
Sounds great my friend. We’ll meet you there.
See you in about fifteen.
He and Bryant went back to their SUV, which was parked at Mariposa’s cabins, and headed back into the wing by driving.
Staying on the ground sometimes helped them see things that they otherwise wouldn’t see, whether it was people they didn’t know or someone within the wing who might need assistance with something.
Just like Mrs. Wiley, who was having trouble right now hauling her trash can in from the street.
Lachlan pulled over to park on the side of the road and Bryant jumped out to roll her trash can in for her.
She and Bryant chatted. Lachlan sat leaning back, feeling sad, resting, closing his eyes.
Kieran had been really uncomfortable last night.
He’d had some kind of terrible gas problem and had spent a lot of time clutching his belly and shifting around.
He had taken Micah and let Kieran go back to bed once everybody had gotten up because it just seemed so much easier that way.
Right about now Lachlan would love to go and take a nap with him.
Instead, he waited for Bryant to hop back in the SUV, and then drove them to the coffee shop where Lulu greeted them with a hearty smile and waved. “Hola, mis amigos. Have a seat. I bet Logan will be here soon no?”
“He’s on his way for sure.”
“How is your mate Lachlan? Is he doing all right?”
“He was having a really hard time last night with some gas pains.”
“Pobrecito. Tell him to make sure he doesn’t talk while he’s chewing. It’ll get too much air in his belly.”
“I will tell him, madre.” Everyone seemed to have some sort of an opinion about how to make a pregnant omega more comfortable.
Too bad that didn’t help very much at two o’clock in the morning.
Poor love.
“We have conchas and orejas, or I can fry you up some sopapillas.” Lulu waved a hand at the pastry case. “For your mate I have cinnamon cookies and bunuelos.”
“Oh, senora you’re too kind.” Kieran would be ecstatic. The bunuelos especially would be crispy and crunchy and coated in the cinnamon sugar.
“I like your mate. He sends a very nice email.”
That had a laugh bursting out of him. “I like him too. You’ll get to meet him in person soon.”
Bryant’s chuckle was warm as well, and they sat together waiting for Logan. When Logan joined them, Lachlan brought the same subject with him.
“Do you think Lars would be willing to take Kieran around to the schools and get him out of the house?”
Logan’s eyes lit up. “He would love that and the kids would love it too. They always like to meet somebody new.”
“Then that’s what I’ll encourage them to do. Bryant says he’ll talk to Lars.”
“Then we’ll do it, and if you feel like someone needs to go with them, one of us can. Or we can send Amber or Mariposa. They both work with the schools too.”
“Oh, he would adore that sort of mamacita influence in his life.” Kieran got along so well with all of the other omegas but Amber and Mariposa were like the alpha and omega mothers of the whole wing. They took everybody into their dragon den and held them close.
“I’m glad you’re getting Kieran out into the things and meeting people. That’s the next step.” Logan tilted his cheek when Lulu came to give him a kiss, setting a coffee in front of him.
He was so effortless with everyone in the wing. But then he had been born and raised there, hadn’t he? Him and Lars. Bryant and Lachlan were sort of Johnny-come-latelys. Still, this place was sunk into his soul now.
They had pastries and coffee, and Lulu handed him a bag to take home to his mate as he was on the way out the door. He would have to wait until Bryant talked to Lars to spring this news on Kieran, but he was excited for it.
“Love,” he called out when he got home. “I brought you some pastries from Lulu.”
“Papa!” Micah came scooting out of the kitchen as fast as his little toddler legs would carry him. He held his arms up, and Wiver followed along behind, making sure he didn’t fall over backward.
Lachlan scooped him up into the air and tossed him, and Micha squealed, coming down to kiss him with a smacking sound on his cheek.
“Hello, my little love. Did you have a good day today?”
“Good. Da seeping.”
Lachlan frowned. It hadn’t been too long since he’d left for his rounds but was Kieran really still asleep? He took Micah into the kitchen where Alban was busily stirring something on the stove. “Hello, Alban, I hear Kieran is still asleep.”
Alban glanced at Lachlan and winked. “I think he might be resting, yes.”
Ah, that meant Kieran was taking a little alone time. He was doing something like reading a book if he couldn’t sleep.
“Well, maybe I should take him a tray of tea and his bunuelos.”
Alban nodded. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. Micah and I are making lupper, so don’t you worry about us. We have plenty to keep us busy.”
“Sounds good.” See, this way he could crawl into bed with Kieran and feed him sweet treats. And then he’d also talk to him about what he’d said to Logan and Bryant today instead of just springing it on him.
Lachlan gave Micah one more kiss before he left him to Alban and Wiver. Then he climbed the stairs and strode to his bedroom, eager to see his mate.
When he walked inside the bedroom, he found Kieran reading on his tablet. Kieran smiled up at him, putting the tablet aside. “You’re home.”
“I am. I wanted to come spend a little time with you. Alban says he’s got Micah for a while.”
Kieran lifted the covers for him to come slide into the bed, so Lachlan stripped off the outer layer of his clothes and crawled in with him. They cuddled together, wrapping around each other, his chin on top of Kieran’s head.
“Feeling a little better, love?” he asked.
“I am. My tummy is better and it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
He stroked Kieran’s back, because he’d pulled his mate on top of him, making it easier to see and touch him. “Good. The wards were holding nice and firm, and I saw a sweet little doe at the river.”
“How wonderful. Was she very worried about you being there?”
“She did leave when she sensed us but it was all right. We didn’t upset her really.”
“Good, good. We want her to come back.” Kieran drew patterns on his chest. “I’m sorry I’ve been under the weather.”
“Love, your body is changing every day. And it takes an enormous amount of energy to grow a baby dragon.” The magic that went with such a thing was immense. He knew Kieran knew that, but by all accounts, Micah’s birth father was not a guardian. That fact just added to the intensity.
“I just feel so tired right now.”
“Well, everything is under control out there so we can just be here together.” He nuzzled Kieran’s hair and took a little kiss when Kieran looked up at him.
“Thank you, love. So, tell me what this plan is you have for me.”
He drew back and raised an eyebrow. “What now?”
“I can hear you thinking about a conversation you had with Bryant and Logan, and how now might not be the best time to tell me about it. So just tell me.” Kieran’s tone was fond, amused.
“I was just thinking maybe it was time we went to the school with Logan and met some of the kids and teachers. Maybe do an art program with them. You could teach them to knit or you can paint with them.”
“Oh, that sounds fun.” Kieran didn’t seem upset with the idea at all. “I think you’re right. I think it’s time I get out and meet the wing.”
Relief flowed through him. “Yes. I want you well familiar with everyone. Especially the young and old wing members.”
They had talked about how Kieran would be his helpmate and how it was time for Kieran to start doing things to assist him and the other guardians, but this was more concrete. This was an actual plan.
And he was glad Kieran was truly amenable to it.
“You know I would do anything I could to help you, Lachlan.”
“And I would never ask you to do something I didn’t think you could.”
“Mmm.” Kieran drew the covers up over them, cocooning them in warmth and darkness. “But right now we can hide together and rest, yes?”
“Yes. I love that idea.” And I love you.
I love you too. Kieran said it as he dozed off, and Lachlan held him, keeping him safe while he dreamed.