Page 9 of Emerald Waves (Primordial Protectors #2)

Chapter Six

Emerson

My soul was at ease.

Had I been battling it all these years?

Was that possible?

My mind said yes but my body still debated. Was this normal for a heat, or was this all the years of suppressing it catching up with me?

The sounds of waves crashing against rock formations replaced the internal fray, sending a calm, soothing rush through me.

Mated.

The sounds that soothed my mate were now mine as well.

Quiet.

For the first time my mind was just that—quiet.

My dragon slumbered, as did the one lying beside me, allowing me to take my time exploring the features of the handsome man I now called mine.

Caro’s chiseled jaw, normally firmly set yet relaxed while he slept.

His emerald scales shimmering just beneath the surface, invisible to the human eye, yet clear as day to mine.

Goddess above, thank you for this wonderful man and a second chance at life.

It was still dark outside, but once my mind was up, so was I.

As quietly as I could, I slid from Caro’s warm embrace and immediately regretted it.

But sliding back beside him would likely wake the sleeping angel.

Funny to call a fierce protector such a gentile name, but as I watched him sleep it was the one word that came to mind other than…

Love.

His words were true, once a dragon accepted their mate there was no turning back. Insta love is what the romance novels on the living room shelves would deem what we have. Would he think less of me as a historian for reading such musings?

He will love us no matter our faults.

Yes, dragon, I’m certain you’re correct. Though I still had my doubts. Was it possible for a mate to one day wake from the honeymoon period and wonder how they got shackled to such a loser as I?

I dressed to go downstairs and gather the most precious pieces of my horde to move to Caro’s. But first detoured up to the roof, quickly assessing the damage from my dragon’s rescue. All of which had been repaired as good as new, the scent of fresh paint barely noticeable.

How would I remain worthy of his care and compassion?

Don’t go there. We are not our past and letting it dictate our present or future would be to our detriment.

Too right you are, dragon. But how does one break this habit?

“Now where did I put that?” There was a document on mating I’d come across when Alex and Ionus were curious about their own journey, but none of it referred to the protectors themselves.

I’d planned to double check that and start a journal of my own depicting what each mate to the five of them felt throughout the bonding process.

Nothing sexual would be noted, just the exchange of magic and those sorts of pertinent learnings.

Oh, and talk to Alex about his pregnancy and egg laying. “Yes, yes, must do that.”

“Must do what?”

“Eeep!” I grabbed my chest as though that would slow my heartrate. “You scared the bezesus out of me.”

Caro smiled and I wondered if I’d ever seen him do that before. Such a beautifully entrancing expression.

“You okay? You zoned out on me.”

“Oh, erm, uh huh.”

“Right,” he grinned again. Had I not been seated I’d likely have swooned and fell to the floor. Again. “Here are a cup of coffee and a reheated breakfast that came with our order last night. I’m assuming you hadn’t yet eaten?” An assuming brow cocked, already knowing the answer.

“You assume correctly. My mind ran wild with all the information I wanted to document from last night.”

“I sincerely hope our sex life won’t be in a Dragon 101 course?”

“Oh my, oh no, no, no.” I shook my head.

The thought alone sent my anxiety wild. “Not the intimate parts of mating but the bond and magical exchanges. Nothing’s been documented about the protectors, and this is very important for future generations, nieces and nephews, anyone…

.” Caro’s lips hushed my incessant rambles. “Um, sorry.”

“No need to apologize, but it is good to know how easily I can get you back on track.” I took a sip of coffee to keep from spouting off more nonsense. “My brothers are on their way with the vans to begin the moving process.” Caro glanced around. “Is anything ready to go.”

“Shoot, that’s what I actually came down here for and got sidetracked.” Story of my life. “Let me gather them.”

“Emerson, I don’t mean to alarm you but aren’t you the slightest bit concerned we’re not still in bed riding out your heat?”

That familiar record scratch humans spoke of, well, I just experienced it for the first time.

“Shit.”

“Shit indeed,” Caro grinned and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll start packing.” Dare I say he was elated at the prospect of my being with egg and only one day into our relationship?

Dear Goddess, what the hell have we done? The poor entity would surely tire of my calling out to her as much as I was.

There should be more documentation on heats and how to control them. Actually, there was, but until you lived through your first one with your mate, well, I guess you haven’t really lived.

Either that or the protectors only fired fully loaded eggs and shot no blanks into their mates.

Hehe, that was both insightful and slightly naughty.

Maybe this new side of me would be more adventurous, although pregnancy wasn’t high on my list of wants at this time.

Futuristically, yes, but for now, no. There was so much to learn and properly catalogue.

How in the world would I juggle that and hatchlings?

Just like that, my libido elevated and readied to…

“Oh, Caro, how much time do we…” beep-beep-beep . “Fizzle sticks. I’ll get that.”

Alone time was officially over as the archive building filled with the remaining four Denarius brothers, plus Alex, and Sherrif Larkin.

“Son,” Larkin gripped my shoulder. “I’m so proud of you. Not only did you find your dragon, but you found your mate in the process, and I couldn’t be happier for you. I always knew you had it in you.”

He knew what it did to me when he called me son. Warmed me from head to toe. “Thanks, me too. I um, had given up hope.”

“I know you did and see how it turned out? The Goddess knew what she was doing. But don’t lose yourself documenting every second of every moment or you’ll lose sight of what matters most.”

“What was that?”

He shook his head at me. “Your family. Your mate. Don’t forget to live the life you’ve been blessed with.”

“Thanks, might need to remind me from time to time.”

“I’ll be there, son, I promise.” In a surprise move, he drew me into his arms. “Now, let’s get you packed up and moved into your new life.”

“The filing cabinets can stay,” I called out. They were mostly filled with my journals, but they didn’t need to know that. Maybe at some point they’d go, but for the time being, they were safe here.

The brothers had the vans loaded in no time. While Mattias, Odem, and Quintus ran the contents up to the Denarius compound to unload, Ionus, Alex, Caro and I packed my personal belongings to include in the next run.

“Are you sad to be leaving here,” Alex asked as we boxed my beloved romance and fantasy novel collection. Scary how accurately human writers described our lives in what they considered to be fiction.

“No, not really. I’ll be back when research calls for one of the books or journals we’re leaving here.

That’s why I’m only taking the food from the kitchen and not the dishes.

That way, if Caro and I are ever here, we still have those supplies to utilize.

Same with the furniture.” Plus, I figured Caro’s house was likely meticulously decorated and my shabby sheik, more like shabby, dumpster diving décor, wouldn’t fit.

“I’m gonna love having you so close now. I can’t wait for the kids to get to know Uncle Emerson better.”

Uncle Emerson.

Once lonely, unlovable, Dragon City’s outcast, had now been welcomed with open arms to the most prestigious family in town. Hell, the ones that technically owned it. They treated me as an equal and now I have a friend. Alex was my first friend.

“I hope that smile is for good and not evil,” Alex teased.

“It is. I just can’t believe how much my life has changed in less than forty-eight hours.”

“Well, dear friend, get ready for more. Now that you’re mated…”

I cut him off. “Wait, how did you know?”

“Look at your heart.”

The pulsating emerald green that was now my heart shone through my threadbare shirt.

“Holy shit.”

“Holy shit is right, and this is only the beginning.”

I purposely skirted the scanner as we loaded the waiting vans. What if it confirmed I was with egg? What if it didn’t? Would I be disappointed or elated? Which emotion was correct?

“Emerson,” Caro whispered as he slid his arms around my waist. “Deep breath. Everything will come in due time.”

Maybe this whole mate-bond thing wasn’t so bad after all? If Caro was able to talk me off the ledge when I teetered on it just by feeling my emotions, this may be a win after all.

Until he got tired of doing it.

Emerson, are you sure you’re okay with moving? We can put everything back and just stay here.

Then there’s things such as this where he’s completely off base and it’s totally my fault for getting lost inside my head.

Yes. Sorry, just being my own worst enemy again. I’m good with the move.

Looking forward to it, actually. Last night I slept better in his arms than I ever had. It might have partially been the fact that my body was sated, or a combination of both. Either way, I was happy to test those theories and see which it was. For scientific research, of course.

With the second and final load ready to go, I glanced around the half empty space that served as my lonely home for far too long. With a mental see you later sent out to it, I shut off the lights and armed the alarms behind us, then boarded one of the massive vans they had.

Emerson, the man who feared change, welcomed this new chapter of his life with open arms.