by L M Lacee
Lars sent him a smile as he said. True but this is family, family first. Remember!
Shadow and cub are family now.
Well true but these are family too!
“Is this right my son? Have you found your shadow?” Asked a slightly hurt Verity.
Lars smiled as he inclined his head. “I was coming to tell you mama but as usual the news traveled faster than I did. I apologize.” He gave Keeper a hard look of retribution which he answered with a grin.
Lars hugged Verity and said. “It is Claire Nash mama, she and Kammy or should I say Kammy…” He went on to tell them about his first meeting with Kammy. They all laughed even Reighn at the audacity of the sweet cub.
Reighn sighed as he looked at the love and amazement on his brother’s face while he told them of Kammy and then Claire. He knew people saw the same expression on his face when he spoke of the wonder. The joy of having young ones and of finding his shadow. Damn it! He said to his dragon. Our brother is to leave us!
We will see him, and he has his own shadow and cub. This is a good time. Our brother is no longer sad.
Reighn agreed, but he did not want his brother to live away from the castle. Although as he remembered the frank and honest report Claire had written about her life until she arrived at Dragon’s Gap. He saw she would need the space of a house rather than an apartment. She would have a need to have her home closer to town. The vibrant life of the streets would always call to her. It was what held her grounded, at least until Lars and her young took over from that. He would, of course give his permission for Lars to leave the castle, the knee jerk reaction was fear based.
He loved his brother and knew the torment he had endured, the fear he held that he was like his parents. It was only weeks ago he had discovered the depths of their betrayal and had to grieve their deaths. Lars had gone through many changes since then, maybe living outside the castle would be good for him. Their Dam must have thought the same as he heard her say. “I expect you and your family to attend Sunday family day. There will be no excuse, Claire and Kammy are ours now. Sunday is for us all to unite as family!”
Lars kissed her cheek. “I agree mama just like Stanvis did. I will make sure Claire knows of the Sunday tradition you are starting.”
Reighn grinned as his dragon said. See mama has laid the law down!
He at least would see his brother every day. Reighn nodded as he said to Lars. “I don’t like it but I understand the need you and Claire have. So you will remain my Prime which will never change, she understands this?”
“Yes, she does and no it does not change, forever brother!” They clasped arms then Reighn pulled him in for a hug as he whispered. “And brother of my heart that will always be so!”
Lars nodded, too choked up to speak. Then Reighn sighed loudly as he let him go. “I suppose we have to help you move all that stuff you prize?”
This was accompanied by groans and excuses from the other males. Lars laughed as he said. “Well as to that…” He told them what had happened with Claire’s house.
Verity flew from the room with a kiss on his cheek and a quick. “Good bye dear. I am happy for you. I must talk to Grace, I wonder why June has not contacted me.”
Keeper asked. “Did you check your phone?”
“Oh my phone, I forgot!” She grumbled crossly as she pulled it from her pocket and sure enough there were several messages from June, Sage, Edith and Grace. “I am gone.”
Reighn looked at the empty doorway and said. “This deserves a drink. My place let’s go!”
Lars sighed as he messaged Claire who had just come from the shower, she grinned and sent him a message back. Family first my mate!
He sent back. You are my family.
Just then there was banging on the apartment door and Sage burst in followed by Edith and June. “How could you bond, and without me?”
Claire quickly messaged Lars. Oops, I’m in trouble Sage here, later. She asked a slightly stunned Sage. “Did you want to be here?” She waved her hand around the bedroom.
“Eww! Dear Goddess, no, you whack job. Just you know?” She flapped her hands around.
“It’s like code.” Edith to June as she watched the two females. She nodded. “Some kind of weird shorthand.”
Edith laughed. “I thought us shifters were all okay with the mating and sex stuff. You know all free and wild like?”
Sage and Claire turned and stared at her. June grinned as Sage said with attitude, totally not called for, thought Edith.
“We shifters. If that was true, why are you and Sharm always sneaking off to unknown places all the time?”
“Yes well, I call that free and wild!” Edith quipped. “So are we doing girls night or what?”
“Of course!” Sage turned to Claire and asked. “Well?”
“Oh….oh well… you know it was all Kammy…” She then went on to explain how she and Lars found out they were mates finishing with. “I am sorry it was so fast.”
Edith nudged June with raised eyebrows saying. “I don’t think she means that!”
“Well, you never know!” June answered as they all looked at Claire, who blushed and snarled. “Shut it all of you. Seriously my lips are sealed!”
Sage sighed. “Well as she is not talking. I will take care of food and drinks. June your job is to call everyone. Let’s get this going.” With phones glued to their ears, they left the apartment.
“Who is all of them?” Claire asked Edith who had dropped into an arm chair saying. “You better dress in comfortable clothes. There will be games. Loads of friggin games and if it is anything like my night, it is the whole damn castle and town plus the Faerie Grove and they can really party!” She laughed at the look on Claire’s face. “Welcome to the friggin family sister!”
“Well shit!”
Edith laughed again. “Exactly!”
Claire phoned Lars. “Hi!”
“Hello shadow, what are you doing?”
“Apparently there is a girl’s night.”
“I see and what happens on these nights?”
“Well, Edith says there will be games. Did you not go to Edith and Sage’s night?”
“Well I did but sadly I do not remember too much!”
Claire smiled he sounded so unsure that he had been there or not. “Well I called to tell you there will be drinking lots and lots of drinking.”
“Huh! That I remember, which is why I am unsure what I am to say to that. Oh Reighn says it is normal and apparently we males are to attend.”
“Well, it can get unruly as Sage and Edee’s night did. Apparently it was wild.”
Edith was grinning remembering Lars and Stan playing chicken while so drunk that Verity had ended up taking the knife away and replacing it with a banana, which, if she remembered rightly they had not noticed.
Lars said. “Again I am not sure what to respond to that, other than to say Reighn says Kammy will stay with Molly and Ava and their nannies.”
“Okay, that is good. So now you can have a drink too!” She heard a smile in his voice as he said. “I am way ahead of you. My brothers have opened the dragon’s ale.”
Claire closed her eyes. Dragon’s ale was not for the faint hearted it was potent. Whiskey was lemonade compared to Dragons’ ale. She, Sage and June had all tried it not long after they had arrived at Dragon’s Gap, it took two days for her to come around again. She looked at Edith and asked. “Edee have you tried Dragon’s ale?”
Edith scowled. “No Sharm says it is too potent.” She eyed Claire and asked eagerly. “I could try it tonight?”
“Oh most definitely.” Claire replied, she said to Lars. “Tell Sharm to be prepared. Edee is trying Dragon’s ale.”
“Dear Goddess!”
She whispered into the phone as she watched the impatient Edith pace, waiting for her to finish her call. “It cannot be that bad.”
His reply did not reassure her. “We will find out. I will see you tonight or tomorrow.”
“
Dear goddess!” she said as he hung up.
“I should dress.” said Claire worried about Lars until Edith distracted her with. “Well hurry up, where can I get ale from, you know I missed all the action on my night. This will be fun with a capital F!”
Claire wide eyed looked at her and said. “Oh well okay then. Do not worry June will have some. It is almost a tradition.”
CHAPTER TEN:
I n the following six days Lars and his shoppers brought everything right down to the knives and forks for their new home. All his weapons had been taken to an empty storage room on the utility level of the castle.
The day before the move into their new home, his apartment had been stripped and packed. Only leaving the bare essentials for the couple and Kammy to use until they left. Lars had decided on some renovations to their home before they moved in. So everything he and the ladies had ordered other than drapes and carpeting had been delivered to the castle, much to Lars’s satisfaction and the consternation of his brothers, who managed to moan and groan every time they saw a delivery arrive.
Both Lars and Claire were getting a home office each. The apartment above the garage was being built and a swimming pool and playground were being installed.
Kammy’s bedroom and playroom were having murals painted by faeries a gift from Queen Scarlett. The one in her bedroom was of dragons flying, swimming and jumping or in any position that could be thought of. Every dragon looked like Lars and his brothers and her grandfather at Kammy’s insistence of course. Since she had gone flying with her new daddy, she was even more obsessed with them.
The mural for the playroom was of a jungle with all types of big cats as well as bears and wolves hiding amongst the greenery. Claire had pointed out a faerie hiding in the flowers to Molly and Kammy. They had spent the rest of the day searching for animals and faeries. It seemed to Lars that when the girls did find either a faerie or animal it would disappear and reappear somewhere else. Or maybe others were being added. Magic was a wonderful thing especially faerie magic. Sage had grinned when he had asked her. She had placed her finger against her lips and said. “Magic!” So he guessed he was right…
Conor Towers turned out to be an ideal instructor for Kammy. He had taken her and Molly and surprisingly Jacks for a run several times since Claire and Kammy had come to live with him. It seemed to go well, Conor was now looking at setting up adult shifters with younger ones as mentors to help them with shifting and runs.
Kammy and Molly adored the huge Lion who treated them with firm kindness. A tiger would have to be found for lessons later on but for now Conor was happy to mentor the cubs.
Moving day was finally upon them, Kammy was up early. So excited she could barely sit still to eat her breakfast. Lars seemed distracted he kept turning his head left to right and several times she or Claire had to repeat themselves when they spoke. Finally, Claire asked. “Lars are you okay? Is everything alright, we can move another day.”
“What…No…No! I am sorry, everything is fine my dragon is just excited I guess, like Kammy. All will be fine, I am looking forward to our new home.”
“Well if you are sure?”
“My soul I am.” He kissed her. Yet Claire felt his attention was divided. Still he joined in on the conversations with her and Kammy and when his brothers came to collect boxes, he joked with them as though nothing was wrong.
Four hours later Lars stood in amongst the boxes and furniture in what was to become the play room for Kammy. His shadow and her friends were debating the placement of the furniture in the formal lounge. It sounded like June was winning, which was good it would save him moving it later. He and Verity had spent the better part of yesterday doing the layout for furniture in each room.
He was pleased as was his dragon that they were finally ready to start their new lives in their new home. Braxton and Noah were delighted to be asked to stay and both agreed to come and work for them. Claire had liked the males on sight, Lars thought maybe it was because they had been Shields and Hunters so she felt comfortable with them. After much debate it was decided Noah and Braxton’s days off would be Saturday and Sunday. The only one happy about this decision had been Claire. Lars and the brothers had tried to persuade her that it was not necessary, even Kammy gave it her best shot. But Claire was adamant that they could manage. “I am sure we can manage for one day, and we go to family day at the castle on Sunday.” Frowning at their concern she had asked Lars, Noah and Braxton. “I do not understand why you are worried?”
Lars had hurriedly explained that they were worried about her doing too much on her days off. She had eyed the three males suspiciously but had not pushed the point. When she had left the room, he made Noah promise to fill the freezer with food. Lars had been warned and not just by Kammy, Sage and June had also told him of Claire’s inability to cook. And yet he still tried to eat the surprise breakfast she had made for him just after moving her and Kammy into his place…
He had taken one fork full of scrambled eggs and given up. Still to this day he was unsure how she could kill eggs as badly as she had done. He had taken her and Kammy to breakfast. Then hurried Noah into service.
Both Braxton and Noah had elected to live in town. The brothers were moving into their own apartments in a small block of twenty apartments with other Hunters and Shields retired and still active as neighbors. They were extremely happy to be finally out of the Axton’s property and starting to have social life. Lars had heard through Johner. Braxton had even been on several dates.
Kammy was enchanted with both males, especially when she saw their dragons. Lars noticed when he had arrived this morning both dragons had been added to the mural now.
They had moved almost all the heavy furniture in, and the appliances had been put in place the day before. All that was left were boxes from Lars apartment. And the large dining room table which his brothers, all six of them were heaving through the patio doors as he watched. He had offered to help and been not so politely turned down. Apparently there were enough hands doing enough damage, it had taken them fifteen minutes to decide on how they were to approach the problem. Now with a lot of growling and cursing the table had become jammed. He was thinking of offering his advice on the fact their mother and Grace had arrived but they appeared before he could and the cussing instantly ceased. With his head cocked to the side, Lars was listening hard to a sound he had been hearing on and off for some time. He asked his dragon. Do you hear that?
I do, where is it coming from?
Lars turned his head slightly and tried to visualize what it was he was hearing, it was so faint as to be only a murmur of sound. I do not know, are we the only ones to be hearing this?
I think we are.
He realized he had been hearing the sound since late the night before which caused him to wake repeatedly throughout the night. He turned his head again trying to get a fix on the location. He came to the conclusion he indeed was the only one able to hear the sound. He was sure it was not harmful, but it was definitely a cry for attention or at least that was what his dragon thought.
Claire’s hand touching his face brought him back to the here and now. When his eyes focused on her, he asked. “My heart what is it?” Concerned by the worried look on her face.
“You tell me, you are distracted. Your attention is somewhere else. What is going on?”
Only then did he realize everyone was looking at him. Frowning he lifted his head and scented the air. “Something or someone is calling as no one seems to hear it but my dragon and me. I would say it is calling for me. The call sounds distressed and in pain I think. It is so faint it is hard to know and get a location.” As he looked around at all the dragons there and said. “It seems I am right. None of you are hearing the sound?”
With a quick look to everyone there and receiving negative shakes of their heads. Reighn asked. “What is it?”
“I do not know it just calls for me.”
Soon all the dragons were scenting the air. Keeper step
ped out of the front door and looked around the street. He came back in and told them. “Nothing out there.”
Storm did a quick look around the backyard. “Nothing out there.”
Claire said. “It seems to me someone is trying to get your attention my shadow. Why don’t we go and fly to see if we can find the sound?”
Sharm and Keeper said together. “We will come with you!”
“Really!” Edith asked. “Both of you?”
Sharm said. “My soul, he may need me.”
Keeper grinned. “Oh brother no. Do not worry. I will go and help. You stay here and lift and push furniture.”
Sharm sent him a warning growl and his was not the only one, every male there did so. Before they could protest or stop him he raced out the door and was airborne in seconds. Storm said to his mother. “I told you he was not necessary when he hatched.” She laughed at him. He was not amused.
“Wish he moved like that when we were carrying that thing!” Stan grumbled as he pointed to the large dining table which made the females grin.
Lars took Claire’s hand, “We will not be long. June has the plan.”
Reighn’s. “You better not be…” The rest of what he was going to say was halted when Sage poked him with her elbow. “Go…Go!” She waved them away.
Lars went outside shifted and a beautiful navy blue dragon, fifty foot long with slate colored eyes stood in his place. Claire sighed as she said. “Oh my goddess you are really beautiful. It does not matter how many times I see you, I still feel the same. Awed at your magnificence.” She stroked her hand over the scales on his side. “Delightful, my very own dragon.”
He murmured back to her and then they heard Molly and Kammy both screech. “Dada!”
“Unca Lars”
Claire hurried around his snout as she said. “Quick let’s go, before they see you. How they know when one of you shifts I don’t understand. They must have you lojacked.”
With a leap and help from him lifting his leg a little, she was astride the dragon in seconds. Then they were in the air just as the first wail was heard from the doorway. When Claire felt her dragon slow, she tapped his side and mind sent. Do not even think of it. She will be fine!
