Page 48 of Walking in Darkness

“My court is not like that.Iam not like that,” Hudson stressed.

“And quite frankly, if we tried to make Kit fit into what we thought was appropriate, then we don’t deserve to be his mates,” Connie added. “Making him change would mean Kit wouldn’t be the person we both have come to care for.”

“I can tell you right now, if you had tried? I certainly wouldn’t have come here, threat or no threat. I wouldn’t have let either of you in my life, either,” Kit said.

“You’re assuming, Kit, that they would have gracefully backed off. Which was why I was concerned. Dragons are notorious for being unable to take no for an answer. They take what they want and damn the consequences,” Michail said.

“It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission? Is that what you’re saying? Yeah, ask me how well that would’ve goneover.” Kit crossed his arms and glared at Hudson and Connie. The very idea made him want to throw hands.

“We would’ve never done that,” Connie insisted. “Hudson may be an Ancient, but most of his court isn’t. I don’t know if you’ve noticed that or not. A lot of us are considered young dragons.”

“They help me resist my more primitive urges,” Hudson admitted. “Which means my court follows a more modern line of thinking. I understand you didn’t know that, Michail, so I understand your concerns. But I’d never do something I purposely knew would make Kit unhappy.”

“He means that. And to be fair, he told me he wanted to send dragons back with you guys, and I agreed to it.” Kit looked at Michail. “Lennox might have transferred his obsession on to me, but don’t assume you’re safe, or that your mates are safe.”

Kit didn’t want to think about what absolute destruction Lennox could create in his parents’ lives if he could get his hands on one of them. So maybe Hudson had been a little heavy-handed in dealing with his pops, but their safety was paramount.

“Who are you sending?” Chris asked. “Can I meet with them while we’re here?”

“Most certainly,” Hudson said. “But I don’t know who I’m sending yet. I’m going to ask for volunteers because I don’t know how long this assignment is going to be, but I will have an answer before you return home.”

“Okay.” Chris rubbed his hand over his face. “Okay. I guess I should also tell you that my commune has several werecreatures who live there. I don’t turn away anybody just because they’re not a feline.”

“Oh, so it’s mixed?” Connie asked.

“Yes, outside of the feline shifters, there are a couple of wolves, a few bears, and some witches. Two vampires too. A mer.”

“That’s a nice makeup of powerful individuals,” Hudson mused. “I’m surprised at the mer. They usually prefer the ocean.”

Chris nodded. “True, but we have a large lake on our land, so that helps.”

“This actually makes me feel better. You’re not as…” Hudson trailed off.

Chris smirked. “Not as helpless as you first thought?”

“Okay, yes. But having a few dragons around will only increase your power.”

“It certainly makes me feel better,” Kit admitted.

“And that’s why we’re doing this.” Chris looked at Michail, who nodded. Chris exhaled roughly. “We know what Lennox is capable of.”

So did Kit, thanks to Gaura. “Now that we have that settled, how about we show you around the property?” Kit asked. “There’s a community pool, tennis courts, and two lakes.”

Michail perked up.

“Did you bring a bathing suit?” Hudson asked. “If not, I’m sure we can find something that would fit.”

“It’s California. Plus, we’re near the ocean. Of course we brought bathing suits,” Grace joked.

“We can fish and hang out at the lake today, if you want, then tomorrow we can take you to the ocean,” Connie volunteered. “We have jet skis too.”

“Sold!” Michail laughed. “These two love the water. Grace especially.”

“Mom taught me how to swim,” Kit said, standing up. “Why don’t we all go get changed and then meet back here in twenty minutes? How does that sound?”

“Why don’t we make it forty minutes?” Hudson asked, also getting to his feet. “That way I can ask the kitchen to make a picnic basket, and we can stay at the lake longer.”

Kit loved that idea. “That’s perfect. Mom? Dads?”

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