Page 12 of Singing the Dragon’s Heart

Chapter

Twelve

“ R eno, dude, where have you been?”

“Busy. Why?” Reno really didn’t feel like talking, at least not to anybody but Kami right now. It had been three of the best days of his entire life, and he wasn’t ready for it to be over. So he called in another favor and pulled another three days.

Boone sighed, so dramatic. “Lake wants to know if you two want to come over for?—”

“Nope. We’re busy right now.” Kami was antisocial at best, and neither one of them were at their best right now. Or maybe they were at their super best, but they weren’t being social. Boone and Durango were just going to have to deal with it.

He didn’t think this was permanent. It hadn’t been for the guys.

Okay, maybe it was a little bit with Triton. This wasn’t a vacation to hang out with family. This was him and his hailee and quiet. With a healthy side of licking and biting.

“All right, fine. But when Lake pouts, you have to deal with him.”

“He’s not my hailee.”

“No, but the kids are your nieces and nephews, and I haven’t even started in with Tempest yet. She’s going to start banging on the door. You do realize she can just walk across the way without anybody caring.”

That wasn’t fair. He might have to call her and take her to lunch, one on one. “It’s not personal. I promise. I just need some time to bond with him, all right?”

If you want to go over, go see them. I don’t care. I think it’s shitty, though, that they won’t respect what you have to say. Oh, Kami was aggravated.

They’re just not used to not seeing me.

So what? You’re at their beck and call? What about your convenience?

“Look, Boone, I gotta go.” He hung up his phone. He wanted to be focused for this conversation. “You don’t miss Talon?”

Kami shrugged. “He’s safe. He’s just a few floors up. We talk every few days.”

“Well, my brothers are used to seeing me every day, and their children are used to seeing me most every day. And their mates are used to seeing me almost every day. They come from big families; they’re used to large gatherings. They just don’t understand.”

“So you should totally go. Visit. Hang out.”

“I want to hang out with you.” And if Kami didn’t wanna hang out with them, then what?

Then he didn’t know what he was going to do.

“I’ll have to go up and see Talon soon, see if we have a bead on another mission. I’ve been really lazy about wanting to get one, I admit it. But that would be a perfect time for you to go and see the guys.”

“Yeah, I totally can, but Lake and Eyv will want to know if you’re angry.” He shook his head. “By the way, I’m not looking forward to you leaving either.”

He sort of hated the idea, which was stupid. They were warriors.

“So why did you stop going out? What made you stop doing missions?”

He shrugged. That was easy. “The kids. Boone stopped first because they had Daniel and four others all at once. And then? Eyv came with Durango. And suddenly there were all these kids, and the guys didn’t want to leave them. And about the same time Eyv came, all of these warriors—twenty plus, you know—and the warriors kept coming in, so it didn’t seem logical to do missions when I could train them to be safe. And there were all of these babies that worried when I would go out.”

“Aren’t you bored?”

“No. No, I have friends. I get to see people heal and thrive. I’m making a difference. I know that sounds stupid.” Because it was one of those things that, had Reno heard it as a younger dragon, he would have thought it was ridiculous.

But he was getting older. And he wanted a family; he wanted a home, and he wanted to be who he was here.

“I have to tell you, I’m not sure who I am, but I can’t see myself settling down and just being in one place.”

“Then I’ll come with you.” He would hate it, but he would hate being without Kami more, so he’d do what he had to do.

“And what? Be miserable?”

“Do we have to decide today?” They still had a day and a half together to laugh and relax and make love.

Why was this hard?

It hadn’t been hard for Boone or Durango.

In fact, it had been easy as pie.

“No. No, of course not. I’m not ready to share you yet, that’s all.”

“Okay, then. We don’t share right now.” He grinned, hugging Kami to him. “I think we can work it all out, love.”

“I hope so.” Kami chewed his lower lip. “I just feel like—I mean, what do you get out of this with me? I’m grumpy. Antisocial. Not used to family or interference in my plans.”

“I get that.” He winked, but his grin died when Kami didn’t smile back. “Babe. I just want to be with you. We can compromise, right? I can go out on jobs with you, maybe you can hang out with the fam on occasion.”

“I’m willing to try.” Kami stroked his cheek, fingers trailing over his lips. “I mean, you make me happy deep in my chest. I’m just so set in my ways.”

“I think you’re scared, too.”

Kami drew back to stare at him, brows snapping down in a frown. “What?”

“Dragons aren’t meant to be alone, Kami. We’re social creatures, no matter what our keeps did to us.” Reno paused, gathering his thoughts. He was no seer or philosopher. “But you didn’t grow up with a bunch of close family or friends. You’re not sure what to do with us all, so it’s safer not to open yourself up to it.”

Kami kept scowling at him. “I’m not a coward,” he snapped.

“I never said you were. Not one bit. But you are afraid that to have a family, you have to give up who you are. That’s not how it works.”

“No?” One eyebrow winged up. “Isn’t that what happened with Boone and Durango, and even Triton and Cerran? They have milquetoast omegas, so they stay home to make them happy?”

That hit him like a punch to the chest, so hard Reno actually grunted. He sat back a little, not wanting to look Kami in the eye. “That’s not really fair, baby.”

Kami was silent for a long moment, long enough that Reno glanced up to see his stricken expression.

“No. No, that was a shitty low blow, and it’s not right. Lake and Eyv and Elowyn have been super nice to me, even if I think they don’t like me. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” Reno sighed. “And I didn’t mean you were a coward at all.”

Kami chewed his lower lip. “But what if I am? I mean, this whole stone singer thing is scary as shit, and then there’s the fact that I’m not liable to give you kids, and you love them so much. I know you say it doesn’t matter, but I can see how much you want them.” Kami seemed to crumple.

“Babe.” He said it gently, because this was going to be a bombshell. “After the last few days, do you really think you’re still not having heat?”

Oh gods, Kami’s expression would have been comical if the situation hadn’t been so serious. “What?” popped right out, his hailee shocked into speechlessness.

“Oh, love.” He grinned, because he was wrung out and felt well-used. “You have been all over me for days. You’ve been wild. I mean, I know we’re mate-bonding, but I’ve had trouble keeping up with you.” His Kami did mating the way he did everything. Straightforward and flat-out full speed.

Kami sat there, mouth hanging open, eyes wide. Finally, he blinked. “Shit. You really think so?”

“I really do. I mean, I’m no healer…”

“Well, yeah, but you’ve been around a lot of mated pairs.”

Reno wondered if Kami knew he was rubbing his belly. He would bet the motion was strictly unconscious.

“I have. And I’ve never had sex like that before with anyone. Ever.” He was a little sore, truth be told. But in the best way. “But even if that’s not the case, it’s you I want, Kami. We’ve just got to meet in the middle. I don’t want either of us to be miserable.”

Kami dove into his arms. “Neither do I!”

“Then will you work with me? Meet me halfway with my friends and family? And I promise to go into the field with you if you really mean to go.”

“I need to help other dragons, Reno.”

“I get that. I really do.” Reno stroked Kami’s hair, then the scales that rattled on the side of his face. “We can do it.”

“Okay. I love you.” Kami buried his face in Reno’s neck.

“I love you too. Don’t get all worried, okay? We have a lot to learn about each other. I mean, shit, Jack left Dex alone for years, not knowing it would mean Dex would get hurt by it. We’re already doing better than that.”

That had his mate laughing like a loon. “Low standards, Reno.”

“I say take it where we can get it.”

Kami was still chortling. “That’s it. Well, I’m not leaving you to die a slow painful death, so be happy.”

“Or even a fast painful death. I broke into Cain’s to get you a stone.”

“True enough.” Kami kissed his jaw. “Thank you, love.”

“It was pure panic. I can’t lose you.” Reno would do anything but that. Go out in the field, go without kids, never eat a patty melt again…

“That patty melt part seems pretty extreme.”

“Oh, I think so too.” He chuckled. “But I mean it.”

“I know. And that’s what makes me want to try harder too. Let’s hang out with your peeps in say, two more days? Just let us have this time.”

“I can totally do that.”

Kami grabbed Reno’s phone. “Text them. Lock us in.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’m not ready to entertain or anything, but like, a game night? I can see that.”

“Oh, the guys would love that. Cards and board games. Do you actually like that, though?”

“I’ve always played blackjack and poker and checkers with Talon. So yeah. I think that will work.”

“Okay, cool. I’ll set it up. I appreciate you trying so hard, baby. I really do.”

Kami snorted. “Don’t thank me yet. I’m competitive. I might rip heads off.”

“I’ll make sure there’s good food. That solves a lot.”

Nodding, Kami moved to lean on him more comfortably. “Good food makes everything better. And besides you? That’s the best thing about this place.”

Reno laughed, patting his hailee’s back. “We do have some damn good cooks. And this way, I don’t have to give up my patty melts.”

“Gods forbid,” Kami told him, and they settled in together again.

Crisis averted. For now.