The Dragon Protector

by Noah Harris

  Portia walked smugly around the yard, and when she approached the patio, her intelligent, glittering green eyes looked between Ronnie and Frankie J Frankie rushed forward and stared up at her, and then Portia looked over her back at Ronnie. He stood up cautiously, trying to remember that this beautiful monster was Portia. Jack’s daughter. He walked over, the hot air coming from her nostrils blowing his hair back. She lowered to his level and he reached up hesitantly. She pushed her snout forward into his palm, the scales cool on his skin.

  Then she huffed and pulled away, galloping rambunctiously toward Jack, who had shifted without Ronnie even noticing. There he stood, black as night, twice as large as Portia, with formidable claws and teeth, reared back like a playful dog.

  “She did it,” Ronnie said, and Frankie J looked at him tearfully.

  “I am so proud of them,” she said nodding. “It’s going to go by so much faster than you expect,” she said, patting his belly. He laughed and nodded, watching Jack and Portia spar in the grass as he taught her to shoot spires of fire into the air. They were magnificent.

  He felt, even though he hadn’t been around for that long, lucky to see this growth. All of them had reached their full potential, and that, just like his and Jack’s baby, just like Clara and Frankie J’s welcoming of him to the family, was a blessing. Now all that was missing was his family.

  Epilogue

  The woman next to Jack had read about half of her book, a thick Western romance whose cover made him chuckle, in the time he’d been sitting in the airport. She flicked through it intently, nose almost buried in it. At times she would put it down with a shake of her head or a wistful smile.

  It was easier, for Jack, to watch this woman than to watch the hundreds of people milling about, the men, women and children and fussing babies who filed in and out of the jet bridges as the planes landed and departed.

  It wasn’t that airports made him nervous, although he was. He had been around many strange people in many strange places, whether under fire or not. He’d gotten used to people speaking in dozens of different languages around him, completely ignoring his presence or ogling at him as they walked by. But this time, in this airport, he was nervous, he wasn’t sure what to expect, for the first time in his life. But he’d made a promise to Ronnie, to the man he loved, the father of their child, and he was going to follow through. No matter how queasy he felt, the greasy scent of the nearby fast-food kiosk mingling with the body odor of his unknown companions and the anxiety of facing an unpredictable and jet-lagged woman, he would do this.

  “Oh,” the woman beside him whimpered, sniffling and closing her book. He glanced at her as she wiped a lone tear from her cheek, and then noticed him watching her. “Sorry,” she giggled self-consciously, shaking her head. Her short dark hair flapped around when she did so. “These books always get me.”

  “Same here,” he said, and she laughed again, looking at him oddly.

  “Where are you headed?”

  “Nowhere,” he said, and she hummed thoughtfully. “Meeting someone.”

  “Ah. Here I was, thinking you just didn’t want to tell me,” she teased, and he smiled uneasily. “Meeting a…girlfriend? Wife?” Her eyes were squinting at him playfully. She was prodding. He cleared his throat, his smile fading.

  “Sure.” Her own smile faltered, and she swallowed, then dove back into her book with a shimmy of her shoulders. Jack leaned away from her, onto the opposite arm of the chair, and looked around, wondering when she’d be here. A new crowd began to swarm toward the walkway, and he watched the people drag their carry-ons by him. A man with a briefcase, two, three, four men with briefcases. A family with a small child, swaddled against the mother’s chest. A group of teenagers with matching shirts and backpacks.

  Then, as the crowd thinned, she appeared. Wearing a simple white shift that fluttered around her thighs when she walked and deep plum lipstick, Lucy Lazenby pushed her thick mane of hair out of her face and caught his eye. She dropped her luggage and began striding toward him excitedly, and he stood up to meet her.

  “Your luggage,” he reminded her, and she tapped herself on the head with the palm of her hand.

  “Right. I’m just so excited to see you! And my Ronnie,” she said exuberantly. She ran back, snatched up her luggage, and walked back over to him without a trace of embarrassment. She sighed and wrapped her arm around his, handing him her luggage. He chuckled in bemusement and took it from her as she led him toward the convoluted exit of the airport.

  “How was your flight?” he asked, still feeling a bit nauseous. How was she going to react?

  “So boring, Jack. Let’s talk about wonderful, amazing things.”

  “Okay,” he chuckled, shaking his head as he tried to think of something wonderful and amazing. Ronnie was pregnant, but that could wait. It had to, he didn’t think he could handle explaining it to her without Ronnie there to ease her into it. Lucy smiled up at him, looking like she was holding something back, her eyes shining. “What?”

  “Nothing,” she said playfully, shrugging her thin shoulders. They exited the building and stepped out into the sunshine. Jack led her to his car, left in the beating sun that was steaming the parking lot, and tossed her luggage into the trunk as she stood beside the car. She was still watching him joyfully, a knowing smile on her face. He walked to the driver’s side, eyeing her.

  “Lucy?”

  “I’m a godmother,” she squealed rapturously, and he stopped in his tracks.

  “You know? Ronnie told you?”

  “Of course, he did,” she laughed, waving a manicured hand at him. “I thought you folk were supposed to be, like, intuitive.” Jack chuckled in wonder and shook his head as she slid into the passenger’s seat. He followed, turning the ignition. The engine growled.

  “I guess I missed it.”

  “Well, nobody’s perfect, Jackie. Although, it seems like Ronnie thinks you might be.” Jack felt the back of his neck get warm and shrugged humbly, setting off for Fort Anaheim. Lucy watched him for a moment and then chuckled as he drove. “Your face. You were so shocked!”

  “Well, Ronnie didn’t say he’d told you,” Jack defended himself, and she laughed again.

  “Of course, he told me, he told me everything there is to know, Jack. About Drake Street, and the baby, and what you guys are, I mean, what a world we live in. It’s really stupendous. I can’t wait to see it all.”

  “Well, if you’re staying with us for a few weeks, I’m sure you will. Portia’s really gotten the hang of her shift, and she’s in that form the majority of the time now, even if she’s just lying in the back garden.”

  “Ronnie told me she’s the most wonderful seafoam color. How big does she get? I can’t believe this is real,” she mused, cupping her face in her hands. Jack glanced over and laughed, she looked like a kid in a candy shop. “I’m just so glad Clara invited me.”

  “What?” Jack asked, surprised. “Clara invited you?”

  “Yeah. Ronnie didn’t tell you that either, huh?”

  “I think he’s trying to punish me. Two nights ago, he told me that ‘I did this to him’ and I would pay for it,” Jack chuckled, thinking of Ronnie’s round belly, the tiny amount of weight he’d gained in his face, how soft and cherubic he looked when he wasn’t growling at everyone or ravaging their refrigerator. “I thought he was joking.”

  “I’m sure he is…although he can get irritable when he’s very tired. I bet this is a whole new level,” Lucy said ponderingly. “Well, it’ll be good for me to be around. Clara said it would be good for me to come in just for the last few weeks of his pregnancy, and then maybe another few to help around the manor. He’s going to be so bored having to sit at home and wait for the baby to come.”

  “I think that will be very helpful,” Jack agreed. He thought back to when Portia had been born, she’d been a tiny nightmare. An extra hand around the house would be a good thing.

  Lucy hummed happily and fiddled with the radio, apparently
happy with the comfortable silence between them and the crackling music coming from the speakers as they drove. He was relieved, in all honesty, sure, he hadn’t thought it would go badly, but this had been less of a big reveal with possible fallout and more of a homecoming, a reunion. He was surprised by how much he’d missed Lucy’s bubbly presence, serious when she needed to be. Apparently, now was one of those times. She’d lowered the radio and was pursing her lips, tapping her fingers on her thighs.

  “I figure I’ll get this out of the way before we see Ronnie,” she said, nodding as if she was encouraging herself to say whatever it was. “Perry, any news? I don’t want to upset Ronnie, so I haven’t asked him, and…they’re keeping it all hush-hush in LA.”

  “Well, he got charged with more crimes than we’d even known he’d committed, so he’s going to be in jail for a long time. There was actually a settlement, and Ronnie got most of it.”

  “That’s amazing,” Lucy gasped, grasping Jack’s arm. “Reparations,” she said boldly, and he nodded.

  “Ronnie’s actually using some of it to fund a new wing at the rehabilitation center on Drake Street.”

  “The Drake Street Home? He mentioned that, he was so excited,” she said, and Jack nodded.

  “Yeah, him and one of the other omegas…”

  “Omegas?” Lucy interrupted, looking confused. Jack took a right onto the main road that would lead to Drake Street slowly, thinking of how to answer her. Things were so much more complicated when he had to dissect them, instead of just accepting them at birth as one’s culture. He was shocked Clara had been able to fully explain it in a coherent manner to Frankie J and Ronnie with such success.

  “Well, the shifter in the relationship is typically the alpha. If the relationship is two shifters, either can be the alpha or the omega. But with humans, because you’re naturally weaker than us…”

  “Hey! I can hold my own,” Lucy objected, and Jack shook his head in amusement, turning onto Drake Street.

  “Not against a dragon or a wolf, you can’t.” He looked at her, and she seemed to be considering it. “Because of that, humans are omegas.”

  “I don’t agree, but I understand,” Lucy said lightly like she was offended, and Jack laughed.

  “Anyway, Ronnie and this other omega, Shaeffer, have been working together on this new wing. It’s a passion-project for him, now. He and this guy have gotten to be pretty good friends.

  “You don’t mean Shaeffer Gipson?” Lucy gasped. “He’s only like, the most famous model in the world. That Tokyo show…so that’s why he’s not modeling anymore…”

  “I guess so,” Jack shrugged, knowing nearly nothing about the man. LA was a funny place, everyone knew everyone, for the wrong reasons. He was glad Ronnie lived on Drake Street now. It was a healthier place. Everyone knew everyone, sure, but that’s because they were a family. The word made Jack smile involuntarily, but Lucy was already moving on to the next topic of conversation.

  “So, this must be the rehab center that Travis checked into?” She seemed hesitant to talk about him, but too curious not to.

  “Yeah, that’s the one.” They pulled into the driveway of the manor, and Lucy nodded stiffly.

  “I’m glad to hear that. I don’t know if I ever want to see him again, after everything…but he deserves to get better.” Jack looked at her, impressed, and she shrugged. “I can be nice.” They climbed out of the car, and Jack grabbed her suitcase. “You know, this is the first time I’ll see the inside the manor.” They climbed the steps, and Jack opened the door. Lucy walked in like she was in a trance, looking around with wide, shining eyes.

  “What do you think?” Jack asked bemusedly, and she shook her head in amazement.

  “It is more beautiful than I ever imagined. Pink marble floors. Iconic,” she breathed, walking on each tile like it was made of glass.

  “I’ll put your bag over by the stairs, and then we can find Ronnie.”

  “I think I found him,” Lucy said quietly, and Jack put the bag down silently and joined her, standing in the doorway to the parlor. They peered inside, and Jack’s heart filled.

  Sitting by the window was Frankie J, reading a book and smiling lightly at the couch. When she saw them, she slowly raised a finger to her lips. Jack led Lucy inside, being sure not to make any noise, and found Ronnie curled up on the couch.

  Every time Jack saw him, it was like the first time. His memories didn’t do Ronnie justice. Lucy whimpered and wiped her eyes, and Jack looked over at her.

  “He’s so beautiful. He looks so peaceful,” she whispered, leaning lower to look at him. Frankie J closed her book and put it down without a sound on the side table, then stood and led them back out into the hallway.

  “He’s barely just fallen asleep,” she said lowly. “That particularly rough night he had turned into a bad morning.” Jack frowned worriedly. Ronnie, all last night, had complained of back pain and headaches. He hadn’t been able to sleep for more than a few hours, no matter how much tea and snack-food Jack brought him. He’d cried frustrated tears for hours. This morning, when Jack had woken up early to get to the airport and wait for Lucy’s flight, which, on arrival, he’d found out had been delayed, he’d finally been in a fitful sleep. It seemed while he had been gone, things hadn’t gotten any better.

  “Is he okay?” Lucy asked her hand over her heart. Frankie J nodded quickly.

  “Yes, he’s fine. I remember when I had Portia…shifter babies are in a league of their own. Of course, I’d been expecting to be pregnant at some point in my life… Ronnie, not so much.” She smiled sympathetically at Jack, knowing he felt guilty, she was right. “Come on, Lucy, I’ll show you your room for the next month or two. If you want to stay that long, that is…”

  “Of course, I will. Anything I can do to help…” she trailed off as they walked toward the stairs, talking in whispers. Jack walked back into the parlor and sat on the floor beside the couch, watching Ronnie sleep. To anyone else, he might have been unrecognizable as Ronnie Redcliff. But to Jack, he was his Ronnie, beautiful and nourished and carrying the magic they’d created together. He felt his eyes water and blinked the tears away, one rolling down his cheek.

  He didn’t remember the last time he’d cried , his father’s funeral. Back then, his world had been ending. Everything had changed, and it would never go back to how it was. Terrifying, at the time. Now, his world was only beginning, it was, once again, going to change forever. But this time, he was looking forward to it.

  Jack sat and watched Ronnie sleep for what felt like hours, the sun’s rays sliding along the room. Eventually, it settled on Ronnie’s face, illuminating his pale skin, making his freckles look like gold splattered across his face.

  He murmured and squeezed his eyes shut, and Jack watched him take a deep, tired breath and open his eyes sleepily. Ronnie blinked drowsily a few times and then smiled at him, Jack’s heart skipped a beat. He stretched his arms out from his body and reached for him, and Jack smiled lovingly at him before picking him up, bridal style, off the couch. Ronnie kissed his cheek and then rested his head on Jack’s chest as Jack carried him up the stairs and into their new bedroom.

  A huge plush mattress in the center, their new room was covered in photographs of Ronnie and Lucy, Ronnie and Jack, Jack and Portia, Jack and Clara…all of them, together, smiling, looking incandescent. Jack laid Ronnie on the bed and closed the curtains, then crawled in behind him.

  Ronnie wiggled back against Jack, curling into him, and Jack carefully wrapped his arms around his omega as he drifted back to sleep. Jack buried his face into the back of Ronnie’s neck and closed his eyes, letting the small sounds of the house and Ronnie’s steady breathing lull him to sleep. Just for a little while.

  About the Author

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