Page 10 of Dragon Keeper
Apparently, Sloan had something of a sweet tooth, which suited Tyr just fine, since he had tons of honey to make things. He’d brought honey cakes to Sloan and his brothers just a few days ago, but now it was in the middle of the dark of night, and he knew that Sloan would be sleeping peacefully in his bed. And it was probably strange and intrusive for him to be out here staring into the windows, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed to be close to Sloan, and this was the only way he could accomplish that goal.
He wanted to touch that big alpha so badly. In fact, it was becoming a terrible physical ache, a deep itch inside him, but he also knew that it was an impossible thing. If Sloan walked out of the house’s back door, he would never be allowed to go back to the human world, and Sloan had explained to him about Riley. Sloan’s youngest brother was so attached to all things human.
It wasn’t fair. Not to Tyr, but it was to Riley who had depended on Sloan his whole life, and who had been brothers with him for their entire history. Tyr could understand why Sloan didn’t want to give that up for him.
Even if he wanted to be mated.
Though if he were honest, from what Sloan said, even if it was obliquely, Sloan did want to give that up, or more precisely he wanted to give up the human world,andhe wanted his brothers to come with him.
But that transition had to be hard. The dragons who had come across the veil from the human world, the ones he knew—the Rocky Mountain clutch and even the guardians Cosmo and his brothers—hadn’t had a choice.
The veil had pulled them through to Lunastra, bringing their houses and their belongings and everything with them. Their whole families and even their pets and some of their friends had come along. Tyr thought the werebears were fascinating. But to actually have to make that choice to leave everything you knew might be too hard.
Tyr didn’t think he could do it, really. If someone asked him to give up his home and his bees… Well, he simply didn’t think he would be able.
He sat on one of the lovely chairs scattered about outside the conservatory windows on the little patio, and he watched the inside of the house. One of the familiars, a sweet little Earth creature called a marten, came to peer at him, paws up on the glass, and he smiled.
“I didn’t bring any honey this time. I’m sorry.”
The little beast just chittered at him and then ran off. He guessed it was making the rounds maybe. He had no idea if that sort of animal was nocturnal.
Tyr sat for a long while, and then he finally decided that nothing was happening, that his little bee friend had just wanted him to go up the mountain because he thought Tyr was sad. Which he supposed was a fair analysis, although really it was more wistful. But it was time to go home. There was no sense in sitting here when he could be in his comfortable bed.
He rose to take off his robe, and that was when he saw Sloan appear in the conservatory, gliding over to the window to open it and then smile at him. That one blue eye somehow shone brighter in the moonlight than the green, and it was fascinating to him to watch.
Sloan said his name. Just his name, “Tyr”, and he caught his breath, his whole body tightening with need.
“I wish you could come out,” he said. “I feel a terrible need for you.”
“I feel the same way. I just haven’t convinced my brothers yet, and it’s not fair to try to take that choice away from them.” Sloan put his hand on the window next to him.
He nodded, his shoulders rising up around his ears, so he forced them down. “I know, and I know that it’s not right for me to be angry at you for it.”
Sloan frowned at him, but he didn’t think it was because he was mad. Tyr thought it was because he knew Tyr was upset, and he was trying to figure out how to fix it. That was the alpha way. He experienced the same thing with Cade, who got angry when there was nothing he could do to solve a problem.
“I’ll talk to them again tomorrow,” Sloan said. “I know it’s hard for Riley. I think Brayden would come over with me today. He wants to fly free so bad, and he’s never been particularly technological, but Riley…”
Sloan trailed off with his words and shook his head.
“Perhaps he should speak to the Culebre brothers,” Tyr suggested.
Sloan raised an eyebrow. “Who are they?”
“Part of the Rocky Mountain clutch. They lived in a place called Santa Fe. And apparently, they were very technological. They have ways of getting some of the things they used to like through Cosmo and his brothers in the house, even though they can’t go in. Maybe you should ask them how they did it, or how they do it, or whatever. It might make Riley feel better to know there’s someone else like him here.”
Sloan brightened, his smile returning. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. I want Riley to know that there are people who are like-minded, that there are dragons he could get to help him to transition. I feel bad that I suddenly want to change his life so much, but I know you’re my mate. Iknowwho you are,and I want to touch you and kiss you, and I want to meet your bees. I want to visit your village.”
His heart swelled in his chest, because that was the most wonderful thing anyone had ever said to him, and he didn’t quite know how to respond. Except that he smiled wildly; he smiled so hard it stretched his cheeks.
“I want that too,” he said, “and I’ll do anything I can to help, but I would never ask you to leave your brothers behind or to hurt them so that you could be with me. Family is important. As important as the rest of the clutch if not more so.”
“That’s exactly how I feel, and that’s how I know you’re going to be the perfect omega father to our children.”
His scales felt like they were rattling, and goosebumps stood up on his actual skin. Even his hair tingled just at the mention of having babies.
Tyr had never really thought he would. So many years had passed in the village with him and his friends remaining single dragons and not mating off.
But then Cade had mated with Poe, and that had made him start thinking about how much he wanted it. About how he adored the idea of having children who could learn to love his bees and to take over his hives should something ever happen to him.
