Page 26 of Unhaunt Me

“Have you lost a child?” Tritus asked.

“Not directly,” I said, letting the word roll off my tongue.

“That’s why you’re so indecisive about everything. That’s why you smelled like you wanted to dismember everyone who came near the nest. It makes sense that you’d worry about something bad happening to your first if something happened to a child you were close with,” Tritus said, turning off the shower and stepping out of the tub.

He hadn’t exactly hit the head on the nail. It all ran so much deeper than that like a river carving its way through my every waking moment.

“You don’t have to talk about it, of course,” he said, handing me a towel. “I shouldn’t have pushed for you to talk about your family. I know not everyone has a great family and not everyone has a living family either. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed at all. I’m a guide I know better than that.”

“You’re also a mate now. A true-mate. A lot of magic comes with that. A lot of magic that you’ve never experienced firsthandthis time, Tritus. Don’t beat yourself up about it. I don’t think you should have to know. Sometimes when I think about it really hard, I think you deserve better than me and that’s not fair to say because I can’t even tell you what happened. Literally can’t say it.”

“Let’s have dinner,” Tritus said. “I’m not trying to change the subject, but everything is easier on a full stomach. We’ll have dinner and we’ll see where tonight goes.”

“Thanks.”

“We’re mates. You don’t have to thank me.”

“Everyone should know when they’re appreciated,” I stole a kiss before we left the bathroom.

Chapter Fourteen

Tritus

Casimir was a Starscale now, but we had no record of his current family in the Star Room. I didn’t have to go there to double check. I’d have remembered because I’d have found something when Castor wanted me to check for his. They were cousins after all. I didn’t want to pry into his business, but I wanted to help him. I wanted to soothe away those ragged edges that made him lock everyone, including me, out.

We spent the next few days decompressing from all the excitement of Baby Casalona hatching and from all the time we spent around others. The magic of the true-mate response played with everyone’s head when they were under its spell. Being alone with Casimir was the only time the world felt right. We alternated between talking for hours and foreplay. Well, more than foreplay. We always came. Sometimes even more than once. Still everything inside me wanted more and it smelled like he did too.

The claiming gland that lived on my shoulder ached a little more with each passing day. It filled up with all the clear magical fluid that held everything the magic wanted Casimir to know about me. I took to trying to sneak a peek of his without being obvious. Mine was a clear bulge on my shoulder. His was almost invisible. I wanted to poke and prod it to see if the clear magical fluid sloshed around under his skin too but didn’t want him to think I was trying to push him into anything. Because even without the romping, our lives were good together. We enjoyed the same books and both liked to spend time in nature. Much to my surprise, Casimir enjoyed talking cosmic ‘what-ifs’ in circles too. We talked about past lives and what our futuremight look like. Sure there was a sword of memory hanging above our heads but that was life. There was always some big-bad thing on the horizon waiting for you to trip over it or to jump out from the shadows and gobble you up. That was life. That was the unknown future and the future was always evolving and changing. Not even the best oracles and seers predicted the future with perfect accuracy. At least we knew what the big-bad thing was. Well, I knew more or less. He was an extra protective daddy.

That wasn’t the turn off some omegas might’ve found it to be. The Starscale worlds were safe but our flight wasn’t always safe. That’s why we left Earthside and built worlds in the middle of nowhere. I wanted a mate who wanted to keep our future children safe. I wanted a mate who would eat those who dared to trespass in our nest. MaybeIwas the cave-dragon.

A week passed and it was time for the guides’ annual post-harvest camping trip. With all the food tucked away safely for winter we all would gather together and camp on one of the mountains not far from the Star Room. We brought our family and kids. Some people brought a friend. Usually, I had a tent all to myself. This year, I looked forward to sharing it. I looked forward to cuddling up with Casimir after a long evening of roasting edible treats over a bonfire. I didn’t look forward to the questioning looks we got when the other guides realized Casimir and I still hadn’t exchanged our claiming vows but as we all gathered in front of the Star Room to lock up no one brought it up. We all studied enough of the past to know each and every relationship moved at its own pace. Still, they had questions.

“What happens if someone needs guidance while you’re camping?” Casimir asked as the group set out.

“They wait until we get back. This is an important time for us. Back in the old days we’d make elaborate plans for what the next year needed to hold. We’d figure out how to handle councilmembers and world leaders. Sometimes that still happens but not as often as it did with our predecessors. The worlds are more stable now. We uphold the tradition in case we ever have need of it again. Hush is good about listening to our suggestions but we can’t guarantee it will stay that way forever and we are in the unique position of studying the past and protecting the future of the flight.”

“And they all know when it’s gonna happen,” Roary added on.

Taza their youngest sat on their shoulder, with her arms and wings out to the sides as if she were flying up the mountain instead of being carried by her parent.

“So they can plan to ask their questions now or later,” I said. “Believe it or not, there aren’t very many pressing questions these days. Before the whole Other World gateway thing we had peaceful jobs more or less.”

“That’s going to be all anyone can talk about this time around,” Roary said. “I swear I’ve started to dream about scrolls.”

“It’s like university all over again,” I laughed and gave Casimir’s hand a reassuring squeeze.

“You two should sneak away when we get there. Set up further out,” Breezie, Roary’s mate, chimed in. “We did the first trip after we met.”

“Maybe,” I shrugged, not looking at Casimir.

Roary changed the subject to the nameless woman who gave away the magic to create portals between worlds and I was silently grateful. I didn’t want to add fuel to the fire. I’d felt Casimir’s body tremble against mine as I sucked and milked the pleasure from him. He wanted me too. Sometimes what you wanted and what you could give yourself weren’t always the same thing.

The mood was boisterous when we arrived at the camping grounds. Roary and a few of the other alphas did a quick security sweep of the area. There were more kids with us than ever before. The only ‘threat’ to be found was a stink cat. A purple animal with a black stripe down its middle who produced a noxious cloud of purple smoke whenever it was startled. To the best of our knowledge the stink cat was vaguely related to the Earthside skunk but what the Earthside mammal crossed with, we might never know.

“Do you want to pitch further out?” Casimir asked, holding our tent on his shoulder.

“Do you?”

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