Page 26 of Purple Protector

Hedley was sitting at the center of the nest with two baby dragons in his lap. One of them was so light that they looked almost white, but Aaron could see they were light pink thanks to the sun streaming in through the window. The other was bright orange, and they seemed to be the bravest of the two because they climbed onto Hedley’s shoulder to peer at Aaron. The pink baby stayed in Hedley’s arms, while Hedley turned to smile at Aaron.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t in the sitting room to welcome you, but these two just woke up.”

Aaron couldn’t stop the bright smile from blooming on his face. “They hatched.”

“A few days ago. We haven’t told anyone yet because we’re trying to enjoy the moment. It won’t stay a secret for long, though.”

Aaron snorted. “Nothing does in this place.”

“You’re not wrong.”

“Can I ask what their names are?”

Hedley patted the back of the pink dragon. “This is Zephyr, and the little one on my shoulder is Vesta.”

Aaron didn’t move too close to them. He didn’t want to spook the babies, even though he desperately wanted to cuddle them. They were bonding with one of their fathers, and Aaron didn’t want to interfere with that. “I can go and come back later,” he offered.

“No, please stay. If you’d rather go back into the sitting room, I’ll join you.” He hesitated. “Is it okay if I bring them with me?”

“Of course.” Aaron's smile widened. “They’re incredible.”

“They are. I knew I was going to become a father when I made the decision to adopt their eggs, but it’s all more real now. They’re babies, and they move and sleep and eat and everything else.”

They were babies, and they were beautiful. This time, it didn’t hurt to see, though. Aaron knew that he had a real chance at having the same. When he was ready, in a few years or even longer, he could build a family.

He quickly moved back into the sitting room. He sat on the edge of the couch closest to the window, wondering why Hedley had wanted to see him. Was it to introduce him to the babies, or was there more to it? Either way, Aaron was glad to be here.

When Hedley finally appeared, he had one baby in each arm. He sat down on a massive couch that Aaron suspected could hold a shifted dragon. It was so big that it might as well be a bed.

“They won’t shift into their human form for a while,” Hedley explained as he put down the babies next to him.

“Congratulations.”

Hedley’s smile was soft as he watched his children. “Thank you. And thank you for not asking more questions. I know you must have dozens of them.”

Aaron felt his cheeks flush. “I do, and not all of them are for my articles, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. This is a special occasion.”

“It is.” Hedley made sure that the babies couldn’t fall off the couch by placing pillows around them, then fully turned toward Aaron. “How are you feeling after what happened the other day?”

Aaron had wondered why he hadn’t seen Killian or Hedley after he’d been attacked. They were the king and his consort, so of course, they had better things to do than to talk to him. It wasn’t like he’d been seriously hurt or anything like that.

Now, their absence made more sense. They’d been dealing with the babies coming into the world. Aaron was glad that they’d dedicated their time to them instead of him. He wasn’t worth missing the birth of their kids.

“I’m fine,” Aaron promised. He gestured at his face. “I know it looks bad, but the bruises are already healing, and it almost doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Hedley didn’t look happy. “I hate that you were attacked in our palace. I’m sorry it happened.”

“You don’t have to worry about me changing my mind about becoming a clan member. I’m here to stay.”

“That’s good to hear, but still. I don’t like the fact that you’re in danger, especially when we don’t know where the danger came from.”

“Well, whoever’s after me, they won’t be getting anywhere near me. Birch won’t let them.”

“I’ve been told he takes your protection very personally.”

Aaron told himself not to be embarrassed. There was nothing embarrassing about the situation. “I’ve moved in with him for the moment. I didn’t want to go back to my rooms, and since Killian told Birch to stay with me, we both thought it was the easiest way to deal with the situation.”

Hedley slowly nodded. “So you’re living with Birch.”

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