Page 38 of Worthy Promises
“Maybe that’s because there is only one pink dragon.”
“You know them?”
“I met him two nights ago,” Oliver replied. “Remember the party I had to go to?”
“Yes, and I still don’t like my nanny.”
“He likes you. He thinks you’re smart and polite,” Oliver said. “I spoke with him yesterday, and he was surprised you don’t enjoy his company.”
Orion pushed his peas around his plate with this fork. “Can we talk about the pink dragon?”
Since Oliver didn’t think it’d be a good idea to switch nannies again before their move to Arizona, he let the issue go. They’d have to make arrangements with someone local once Worthington and Oliver were cohabitating. Perhaps, with some help, Oliver would do better at choosing someone to care for Orion when he was unavailable.
“If that’s what you want, okay. His name is Duke Argent Worthington D’Vairedraconis,” Oliver commented softly, then took a deep breath. “He is my mate.”
Orion’s mouth popped open, and he stared owlishly at Oliver. “Your mate is a dragon?” Orion whispered.
“Yes, the world’s only pink one.”
“Did you see his dragon?” Orion asked in that same soft tone.
“Nope, not yet. We’ll see him together for the first time on Saturday.”
“He invited me too?”
“Yes, he’s looking forward to meeting you,” Oliver assured the still-gawking boy.
“Is he nice?”
“Very,” Oliver replied, desperately wondering how to interpret Orion’s reaction. Obviously, he was surprised, but what else? Was he happy, scared, or what?
“Is he going to live here with us?”
Oliver paused before answering. Although he’d known at some point he’d have to explain to Orion they were leaving their home behind, he hadn’t expected to be put on the spot so quickly. “How would you feel if we didn’t stay here?”
Orion pursed his lips, and his cheeks filled with splotchy color. “I don’t like this house. It made Mommy and Daddy sad because they thought it was ugly. They never stopped talking about it. I didn’t want to hear it anymore. Instead of playing with me, they’d drink their wine and talk about their old house that you sold. I wanted them to stop, but they wouldn’t. Sometimes…sometimes I’d tell them to get out of my bedroom. But they’d keep laughing and talking to each other. Do you think it’s my fault they died? Because I didn’t want them to keep coming in my room every day?”
“No,” Oliver stated forcibly. “Nothing that happened to them was your fault. I’m sorry you ever thought that. I wish you’d have told me sooner. No, it was an accident, Orion. No matter what you did or what you thought, it had nothing to do with their deaths, okay?”
“I thought maybe I’d messed up,” Orion said, a fat tear streaking down his cheek. “I begged Fate to find me someone to play with. Then they died, and you hired nannies. They want to play with me, but I was wrong to ask Fate to bring them here.”
It pissed Oliver off that his parents had lazily lounged in Orion’s bedroom to drink and complain while their son suffered in the same isolation Oliver had experienced growing up. Oliver had assumed that because Orion was with them constantly, he’d been spared a repeat of his own experiences. But his littlebrother had unfortunately learned that just because you weren’t physically alone didn’t mean you weren’t lonely.
“Orion, look at me,” Oliver ordered quietly and waited until his brother’s pain-filled gaze met his. “You didnothingwrong. I asked Fate to bring me someone to play with when I was little too. It’s okay that you did that. You wanted a friend. Me too. What happened was an accident, and nothing you said or did had anything to do with them being gone now. I know that’s hard to believe, but I promise I won’t ever lie to you, okay?”
“Mommy and Daddy said you were mean, but I like you.”
“I like you too, Orion. I could use a hug right now if you wanted to give me one.”
Orion scrambled out of his chair and flew into Oliver’s arms. “I’m happy you met your mate,” Orion whispered.
“Me too. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”
“Are we going to move to his house?”
“Someday, yeah, I think so. I hope so. We just met, though, so we have to get to know each other.”
Orion grinned at him. “But can we ask him to fly for us whenever we want?”
