“You’re not coming to the thing, right?” Vius asked.
“Nope. As soon as you two leave, we’re locking down. Six kids is just too much to risk. Just remember to let us know when it’s all said and done or we might never come out.”
“Finally, a break from you,” Vius teased, his hand on my shoulder. “You need something you call us. I don’t like when all the omegas start smelling this nervous. I don’t need to see ghosts to know that’s not a great omen.” He ran his free hand through his long mane of sandy hair.
“Put that up before the drama starts,” I laughed. “Don’t want you to have to shave it again.”
“I don’t think this is going to be like the war in London,” Vius said, his smile softening.
“What’s up with you two?” Claw asked, glancing between us.
“He’s trying to pick up on which part of this has me on edge,” I shrugged.
It was a bit more than that. Things weren’t complicated with Vius. With some of the alphas, I never knew who was flirting with me and who was being a shifter driven by touch. With Vius, I knew what his intentions were and there was somethingsoothing about that. Sure, he was trying to use my energy to make his job easier, but the safer the pride and the territory, the better.
“Ghost murderers, brother. Jade is worried about ghost murderers,” Claw rolled his eyes.
Vius cupped my chin and our eyes met. Normally, I’d punch an alpha for handling me so casually but maybe this one time I did want someone else to handle the threat. After months of people threatening Flight School I was ready for someone else to handle the danger. My nervous system could really use the freaking break.
Vius leaned in and sniffed my lips. I opened my mouth and a second later he kissed me. His warm, familiar tongue slid into my mouth, seeking out my worries as if he meant to lick them away. While we kissed, I gathered his thick locks into a ponytail and then maneuvered it around until it sat in a bandless messy bun on the top of his head. He laughed against my lips.
“Look,” he said, pulling away. “It’s like I said. When this is over if you want to go eat the fuckers who want to threaten a children’s establishment, let me know. We’ll fucking eat them. I’ll serve you their beating hearts on a silver platter. No one gets to mess with us.”
I almost sniffed myself because I must’ve been smelling more nervous than I thought I was if he was giving me all this extra attention.
“I’ll think about it,” I grinned at him and waved them off.
“It’s almost like he likes you,” Eran teased, appearing next to me as I shut and locked the door.
“You lost your right to be mad about that when Vatten came around,” I pointed out.
“I’m not mad. I think it’s cute, but then again, a lot of alphas like you,” he said.
“No, they like the idea of me,” I laughed. “I’m the draconic lion who is driven to take care of children. Some of them think that means if I was with them they could have children and do zero work. I grew up watching all these true-mates running around taking care of each other. It’s going to take more than a pretty face and a nice—” Jondi pattered up to us. “A nice smile to keep my attention.” I scooped Jondi up so that he could look out the peephole to ensure the porch was empty and thus safe. “You don’t think Vius? I mean, he didn’t smell like it.”
“Oh, him? Probably not,” Eran shook his head. “I was teasing you. You do smell really on edge, though.”
“For days,” Jondi said, still looking out the peephole. “That’s why I’m glad you came. You can help fight the bad guys.”
“No bad guys are getting past me, kiddo,” Eran said and flexed his arms.
“Yeah, and Vatten will get them. He’s part polar bear,” Jondi nodded. “You carry me now.”
My heart melted when he reached out for Eran. For a long time, my little otter pup trusted no one and then only me. Eventually, he trusted Eran and my parents. Now that had spread to Vatten and a few others. Not every kid needs a million friends but the more trusted adults who he let into his little inner circle the better. All of the GGB would protect my baby, but he’d run away from most of them.
“Did you bring danishes?” Jondi asked him.
“Yep. Bernard’s parents made them,” he nodded. “Would you like one?”
“One for each hand?” Jondi asked hopefully.
“How about we cut one in half, and you can hold half in each hand? Then if you want another we’ll get another,” Eran laughed.
“Okay. Oh! I need to show you the face rock I found out at the pond! It looks at you when you look at it and it bites the swimming pool instead of the clam! I don’t think it has a brain behind its face. So it’s pretty but not smart. It’s sharp when it bites though. Don’t worry. I won’t let it bite you.”
I leaned against the door as Vatten settled in with his babies and Eran loaded up Jondi with a danish half in each hand before sitting down next to Vatten and the babies. I wanted that. Not Eran, exactly, but what they had. Vatten had been in dog form for weeks now and Eran still looked at him in that adoring way. No sex needed. No human mode needed. He loved him no matter what. I bit back a sigh and headed into the kitchen to grab some drinks. There was no use in dwelling on what I didn’t have. I made it this long without an alpha and I’d probably have to make it the rest of my life that way because I wasn’t settling for anyone except my alpha now. Watching Eran and Vatten showed me just how worth it waiting would be.
Chapter 5
