Page 25 of Purple Protector
That didn’t mean he wasn’t scared. Birch needed to get his hands on the attacker ASAP so that Aaron would feel safe again. The problem was that he had no idea where to start. Marlin was already looking into it, but with only the color of the dragon, they wouldn’t be going very far.
Taylor did as he had promised and brought around a few changes of clothes, including socks and underwear. Birch didn’t understand why humans felt the need to be covered so strongly that they used socks, but he’d stopped trying to. It was a cultural thing, and since he wanted Aaron to be comfortable, this was the least he could do.
He sent Taylor on his way with the promise that Aaron would call him later tonight and went to the nest room. Aaron was nowhere to be seen, so Birch left one change of clothes by the bathroom door and put the rest in a drawer in the nest room. Since he didn’t have anything else to do, he fussed with the nest, adding more pillows and pushing the blankets this way and that until he heard footsteps behind him.
Aaron’s skin was flushed, and his hair was damp. He looked comfy in the clothes, but he hadn’t put on the socks, so Birch could see his bare feet. They were pale and long, with neat nails and a smattering of dark hair.
“The nest is ready for you,” he said, gesturing at it.
Aaron bit his lower lip as he looked at it. “It looks great. Uh, thanks for the clothes.”
“They’re Taylor’s. He said to call him once you’ve rested and feel better.”
“It’s going to take a little more than a nap to feel better, but I’ll call him.”
When he didn’t move to climb into the nest, Birch took his hand. Aaron didn’t pull away like Birch half expected him to. He allowed Birch to guide him into the nest, but when Birch made to lean back to grab a blanket, Aaron clung to his hand.
“Can you stay? Please?”
It was clear that he expected a rejection. It would make sense since they didn’t know each other well enough to share a nest, but after what had happened today, it wasn’t a surprise that Aaron didn’t want to be alone. He was still scared, and he was in a new place. He might not know Birch all that well, but he trusted him. He trusted Birch to keep him safe while he slept.
Birch couldn’t say no, and he didn’t want to. He slid into the nest, keeping enough distance between them that they didn’t touch. It was awkward, and Birch couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so tense in his nest. Probably never. He loved burrowing under the blankets at the end of a long day.
It seemed to be enough for Aaron. He smiled softly and settled in with his head pressed into Birch’s favorite pillow. His eyes fluttered shut, and Birch was careful not to move until he was sure that Aaron was asleep. He wouldn’t go back to Killian’s office, but once Aaron was out, Birch would call both Killian and Marlin to see if they’d found anything new about the attacker.
Unless this dragon had a personal grudge against Aaron, Birch would guess that they’d been sent by someone. Pearl was the first name that came to mind, but she wasn’t the only one of Killian’s siblings who might be trying to get to Killian through Aaron.
Or maybe the dragon just didn’t want humans here. No one had ever attacked Palmer or Taylor, but they weren’t as visible as Aaron, who’d grown somewhat close to the king and who was working to give the clan more visibility.
Aaron snuffled softly, and Birch looked down at him. He looked at peace, and Birch hoped that would continue once Aaron woke up.
He started to roll to the side to leave the nest, but Aaron caught him before he could. He swung an arm around Birch’s waist and snuggled close. He pressed his face against Birch’s neck, and Birch felt his entire body relax as if it had been waiting for Aaron to feel safe.
Birch couldn’t take that from him. If Aaron wanted to use him as a pillow, then Birch would stay where he was. He had his phone in the pouch around his neck so he could text Marlin instead of calling. One way or another, he’d find out what was happening.
As long as Marlin had found out, anyway.
Chapter Nine
IT WAS STRANGE NOT to be escorted by Marlin or Birch. When the guard had knocked on Birch’s door, Aaron had almost told them that he wasn’t going anywhere. He hadn’t wanted to leave the safety of Birch’s rooms. He felt safe here, even when he was alone, which didn’t make sense. If someone attacked him here, he’d be in the same position as he had been in his room.
Birch hadn’t wanted to leave, but at the same time, he had a job to do, and he’d wanted to talk to the other guards and Marlin about what was happening. When Hedley had sent word that he wanted Aaron to visit and spend time with him, Birch had been relieved. Knowing that Hedley had sent a guard so he’d feel safe the entire time had helped Aaron relax, too.
Still, he breathed easier when he and the guard reached Hedley’s door. They weren’t meeting in his office today because Aaron didn’t recognize the hallway. He wasn’t sure where he was, but he knew no one would attack him here.
The guard stopped in front of a door and knocked. When Hedley told them to come in, the guard opened the door but didn’t walk into the room. Instead, he stepped aside and nodded at Aaron to do so alone.
If Aaron hadn’t known Hedley, he wouldn’t have. He did know the consort, though, so he didn’t hesitate.
He realized where he was as soon as he stepped through the door. There was no way this wasn’t where Hedley and Killian lived.
It was luxurious, but not overly so. The room was neat and clean, except for a blanket on the back of the couch and a pair of slippers under the coffee table. There was an open book on the table and an empty cup next to it. Everything gave Aaron a sense of domesticity. Hedley lived here. He belonged here.
“I’m in the nest room,” Hedley called out. “Please, join me.”
Aaron’s eyes widened, but he wasn’t about to say no to the consort. He slowly made his way in the direction from which Hedley’s voice had come from. He could hear strange sounds coming from the same direction, something like gurgling. He frowned, wondering what Hedley was up to, but he didn’t have to wonder for long.
He stepped through the open arch that led into the nest room. For a moment, he couldn’t see anyone, not even Hedley. When his gaze stopped on the nest in the center of the room, he gasped.
