Page 63 of House of Kallan
“But you do,” I said. “And we’re going to take care of you.”
He gave me a demure smile, but didn’t respond.
“Will we go together into families?” one of the firebreathers asked.
“Only if you were born with another. Otherwise, you’re all different and we think it’s best if you have a family that can devote their whole attention to helping you grow and learn your species,” I said.
“Miss Tatum?” I turned to the door where a nurse stood. “The beds are ready.”
I smiled and nodded, turning back to the room. “Okay. Howabout some fun? How would you like to get out of your dens and into a bed?”
The kids exchanged looks.
“What does that mean?” one of the girls asked.
Shifting to my guys, I asked, “Would you mind bringing one in with all the fixings, please?”
Rahael nodded as he got to his feet. Lazarus brushed the kid’s head next to him and stood, but the look the boy gave him made him pause. “Want to help?” Lazarus asked.
He jumped up, nodding.
“Come on, then.” He headed for the door, but the kid paused at the threshold and looked at me with wide eyes.
“Go ahead. Stay with Laz, okay?” with a beaming smile, he raced out to catch up.
They returned a moment later with a toddler bed. Rahael and Lazarus spent a few minutes making it and then stepped back for the room to see. No one moved or said anything at all as they studied it.
“The idea is to get rid of your dens and into beds,” I said.
“Why?” Solana asked.
“Because you’re people. Not rabid animals. You don’t belong in cages,” I said.
“Want to try it?” Lazarus asked the little boy he’d been sitting with.
I wasn’t sure he actually wanted to, but he climbed on. For a minute, he remained kneeling on the bed and looking at it. Then he let himself fall and sighed as he curled into the blankets. “This is the softest thing I’ve ever felt,” he said in awe.
“I’ll tell you what,” I said, getting to my feet. “We’ll let you all check out the bed on your own and come back after lunch. Then we’ll revisit it. How does that sound?”
Unanimous agreement rang out.
I was glad we were leaving them on a positive note as I left the room with Lazarus and Rahael. After relaying the plan to the nurse’s station, we headed to my office.
I stopped at the window and considered everything that happened this morning. What we’d learned from the impromptu activity of sorting the kids. Aside from their enhanced intelligence, we also saw that Silence definitely seemed to be making a concentrated effort on the darker classes.
“Is every day like this?” Rahael asked.
I shifted as he stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. Leaning back into him, I closed my eyes. “Every day is different. I don’t always hang with the littles like I did this morning. I knew the beds were coming and my plan had been to help them get their dens cleaned out. We were sidetracked by your presence.” I smirked.
Lazarus pressed against my front, and I opened my eyes. His thumb brushed my cheek. “You’re amazing with them,” he said. “Watching you is magic.”
I rolled my eyes. “I wasn’t really doing anything but teaching them about themselves.”
“You were amazing,” he said and kissed me. It started soft, but quickly turned sensual. Especially as Rahael’s mouth latched onto my neck and his hand slipped down my stomach.
Bringing my men to work might not be the best idea. But then again, itwasmy lunch break.
Tatum
