Page 40 of Dragon Keeper

“I think I’m good right now, but Tyr was complaining the other day that his jars of honey were getting a little dusty. You know how particular he is about that.”

Salano smiled. “I do. Every so often, I let them get dusty just to give him something to complain about. But I will go and clean them now.”

“Do you think he’s happy?” His own words surprised him, and his eyes went wide.

“Your mate?”

He nodded. “I want him to be happy, and I think he is, but I need to be sure.”

“Oh, sir. He is so very happy. Your pool was a gift that keeps him smiling all the time. And he loves you so. I can see it when he looks at you. You have made his life better by being in it.”

He hoped so, but there was a part of him that worried. Tyr and he had been together for a few months now, and so many of the other dragons spoke often about how quickly they became pregnant.

But Tyr hadn’t shown any sign yet, and Sloan worried that he’d done something wrong. Him. There was absolutely nothing wrong with Tyr.

“I just want him to be good with all the changes.”

“He is.” Salano came to touch his arm, and magic tingled in the room. “Just wait with patience, my householder. I promise, it will be worth it.”

“Thanks.” And he felt better all of the sudden. He should go find Tyr and tell him about Riley.

And see if eventually he wanted to go to an awak game.

Chapter

Thirteen

“Ihaven’t seen you down at the tavern.”

Tyr blinked up, trying to focus, trying to figure out who was speaking to him. “Harden?”

The grumpy dragon’s indigo braids clicked and clacked as he bobbed his head. “Yes. Very good. You remembered who I was. Don’t you have a mate? Isn’t he supposed to be keeping you from working yourself to death?”

“It’s late summer.” He stared at Harden. “You know how hard late summer is.”

It wasn’t quite as busy as the height of summer, but he was so tired by the time they reached this part of the year, and so were the bees. Everyone was in the middle of that final push of honey making. And then they would be preparing for the hard winter ahead.

“Uh-huh. Very good. Late summer. I got it. Where is your mate?”

“Flying with Cade. They’re all very concerned about security.” It was nice, because with them all being so concerned about security, he didn’t have to think about it. He really wasn’t concerned about security. He was concerned about honey.

“Huh. Why aren’t you pregnant yet?”

He glared at Harden. “You are a nosy, not very kind man.”

He wasn’t pregnant yet because it wasn’t time to be pregnant. He didn’t have time for the nonsense of being ill. That would come in the fall. In the winter, he could be pregnant, spend the early months when he was too tired and not feeling great at home, and then spend the summer with the bees when he was fat and sassy before returning back home for the rest of the fall and then having of the baby. It wasn’t time to be pregnant.

He knew that.

“So I’m nosy. Why aren’t you pregnant?”

“Because I’m busy.” Idiot. “Soon I will not be busy, and I can then become busy being pregnant.”

Harden looked at him, head tilted, and then he nodded. “That makes sense. I prefer it when things birth in the spring, you see. It makes for healthier babies.”

“I wish to give birth in the fall so that we can winter at home while the baby is young.”

“You’re a strange, odd little man, but I miss you. Can you come to the tavern? I’ll feed you.”