Page 71 of The Platinum Dragon's Courageous Mate

In fact, he never wanted it to end. He wanted to sit and listen to Lachlan’s voice rise and fall. To Micah laugh. To Alban move around in the kitchen. Oh gods, that this was his life.

Honestly, he could be happy for the rest of forever just like this.

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 apexpredators 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.