Page 53 of Dragon Keeper
“Yes. I want to show you off.” He let a possessive growl enter his voice.
Tyr’s cheeks went pink, and the smile he got was so pleased. It never ceased to amaze him how easily he could make his mate smile for him, and how hard it had been to deny himself his sweet mate’s presence.
He’d kind of been an idiot.
Your brothers needed some time. It was… It was a good thing.Tyr glanced over to where Harden and Brayden were dancing, spinning in a wild circle.I think maybe even a very good thing.
I’m not sure that Harden is the right one for Brayden. He’s very gentle, my brother.
Unless he was hunting vampires, of course, and then he was kind of a raging psychopath.
It was kind of a win-win situation when it got right down to it.
I think it will be what it will be. It is not our decision to make.
True.Sloan chuckled, turning them again.You have a way of getting to the heart of things.
Sloan knew he overthought things. Within his family unit, he was the planner. He was the one who figured out where they were going and what they were doing. So he was used to telling his brothers what for, he guessed.
I think that’s the bees. His Tyr grinned at him.They are definite, and they don’t worry about things.Even the queens don’t really.
That’s kind of amazing.
Yes, it is.Tyr pressed against him, body rippling and shifting to the music.So are you.
Sloan moaned softly, his hands immediately finding Tyr’s waist.
That was obviously his cue to stop thinking.
He stopped talking about bees and simply enjoyed the glory that was his sparkly dragon.
He would remember this night for his entire life. This was his first harvest festival with his Tyr. The first time that he knew they had a baby coming. The first time he got to dance with Tyr. The first time he saw Tyr dressed up in fancy clothing. His first communal feast.
Suddenly he found himself buzzing, so excited for the autumn, for the winter. For the fallow time where they could just be together.
Sloan grabbed Tyr’s hand and spun him around, the feathers and gems and fringe just swirling and sparkling in the firelight.
Tyr laughed out loud, so tickled, he thought, eyes sparkling for him. “Love! You’re so happy. I can feel it through our bond.”
“I can feel you too.” They didn’t do enough of this. But they would. And he wanted right now, just now, to be as perfect as it could be, so no more regrets needed to intrude.
The light, happy music began to slow, the fire allowed to bank a bit, offering privacy and shadows to steal long, lazy kisses.
Finally, Tyr leaned against him, sighing, another dance done, another cup of cider consumed. “I think we should go home, Sloan. This costume is getting heavy, and I want to soak with you in our pool.”
“That sounds perfect, love.” He took Tyr by the hand and led him back to the wagon, where all manner of new trade goods had appeared.
He helped Tyr load up into the wagon, and then they got the bocapal moving. It was a slow, easy ride back toward the cottage, the bocapal swaying back and forth, Tyr’s pair well-trained and happy.
The moon was full and heavy, a bright blue hanging low in the sky. It was chilly but not cold yet, and Sloan couldn’t help but smile as Tyr snuggled into his arm.
They were almost home, clearing the gentle hill that led down into the hives when the bocapal stopped short.
He blinked, stunned to find the reason the beast had stopped were these huge, white creatures which were kind of half stumbling, half fluttering across a field. His entire body tensed, and his mate sat up, looking around.
“Tyr?”
“They’re harmless. The orbloks are migrating. Coming up from the coldest climes. See how they’re so pale?” Tyr smiled, leaning back into him.
