I was experiencing guilt because one whiff of Ledger, my fated mate, and I’d been captivated. I felt as though I’d betrayed Vince, even though part of me was still with him, wherever that was.
It's not betrayal,my dragon insisted. Vince would want you to be happy.
Don't. We’d never discussed what would happen if he died when the kids were young.
I wondered how long before Ledger pieced together that we weren’t like other families. I choked back a laugh because it was obvious that we were probably nothing like any family he’d worked for or encountered previously. The heated house, our warm skin, the desire for meat, and the scorch marks formed a pattern.
Ledger was a researcher and spotting patterns was what he did, though I doubted he’d land on dragon shifters. But whatever his conclusion, I’d bet he’d combine it with, “I have to leave.”
Turning off the computer, I decided to be with the kids and tell Ledger he had the night off. I took my three into the garden, but our manny didn’t go out with friends. Instead, he said he’d work on his dissertation.
I sat in a lawn chair as Rory kicked a ball, Fraser was studying the chilis, and Skye was telling her doll about the creatures that lived in the woods. They asked if they could remove their bracelets, and I agreed. Ledger’s room was on the other side of the house, and he was busy studying.
“Daddy.” Fraser had dirt on his face and something in his hand. “Look.”
He was grinning as he opened his palm and a small flame sat in the center of it. It was blue at the base and orange at the tip.It was so beautiful, and the other two admired it too. But I reminded him he had to keep his bracelet on around Ledger.
Once again, I worried about what I was doing to my children. I’d brought a human into the house and was keeping him employed because he was my mate.
He is very good with the children, and they really like him, I told myself.
But I was expecting my kids to conceal who they were. Vince would be disappointed if he could see me acting selfishly, and for the first time, I hoped he was sleeping or at the goddess’s version of the movies.
I hugged my younger son close and kissed him. “I’m so proud of you three for making sure Ledger doesn’t find out about us.”
Rory brought the ball over to me. “Dad, we've never had to hide before.”
The previous mannies had been shifters. My children had never needed to suppress who they were in their own home. Asking them to do it every day was unfair.
“I know it's hard.” I sat on the grass, and they gathered around. Fraser climbed into my lap, and Skye closed her book and leaned against me. “But if Ledger finds out before he's ready, he might be scared.”
“I’d hug him and tell him it’s okay.” Fraser broke a chili in half and sniffed it. “I don't want him to leave.”
“Neither do I.”
“Why can’t we tell him? Everyone loves dragons.” Rory extended his arms and raced over the grass, dipping and swirling.
I imagined the reaction of a human, who not only didn’t know shifters existed but also assumed dragons were mythological beasts.
Tell our mate the truth,my dragon echoed Rory.
Not yet.
When?
I didn't have an answer, but I couldn’t expect my children to live like this.
FIVE
LEDGER
My dissertation was suffering, and it was Theron's fault.
Not that he’d wiped the files on my computer or trashed my handwritten notes. He hadn’t set out to sabotage my studies. But he existed, and he was doing that in this house, and that made concentration impossible.
Today was a weekday, so the kids were at school. The last load of laundry was in the dryer, and Theron was in his office for the entire day, he’d told me as he carried a whole roast chicken out the door.
As I was waiting for the dryer cycle to finish, I needed a content stream of coffee, and as there was no one around to disrupt me, spread my papers on the enormous dining room table. The room had a dark, formal set-up with heavy drapes and old-style furniture which was very different to the rest of the house.
