Page 8 of Singing the Dragon’s Heart

Chapter

Eight

R eno was a little worried about Kami.

His hailee didn’t seem thrilled to be here. He didn’t want to make friends with the other omegas. He was avoiding Cain.

And he was kind of…well, not withholding relations, really, but kind of not running hot like he had at the very beginning.

Reno knew they were mates. He knew Kami wanted him. So he seemed to be running scared, maybe. But of what?

He found himself sitting on Triton and Cerran’s balcony, staring at Triton and his brother, Talon, and frowning.

He didn’t like feeling things.

He didn’t like worrying.

“What’s wrong with him?” Talon stared at him, scarred face stony and scaly. The man was the most dragony-in-human-form dragon Reno had ever met.

“I was hoping you could tell me.”

“Maybe he’s ready to get back to work.” Talon didn’t seem nearly as concerned about that thought as he was. “I’ll be ready soon. I’m still getting to know my nieces. They’re amazing.”

Reno wasn’t sure that Cain was going to be all over that, to be honest. The seer seemed incredibly worried about the fact that there was a stone singer here in the keep, but he seemed to be much more worried about the idea of Kami leaving the keep and being found out.

Reno didn’t know.

Stone singers had always been way above his pay grade to be honest.

He hadn’t ever even met one until he’d mated with one.

“But he’s not…” He sighed and shook his head. He couldn’t discuss this with Kami’s friend. He’d just figure it out.

“Is this about him not being fertile?” Talon asked, and Reno blinked.

“What?”

“Has he not told you?”

“No.” It didn’t matter to Reno, not really. He’d not been expecting a mate, much less a family. What did he care? He had his hailee. “Why would that make him not want to have sex? He doesn’t have to worry about birth control.”

Triton tilted his head. “Is he unhappy about not being able to have babies? Has he seen Rowan?”

“He doesn’t have to have babies, brother,” Talon snapped.

“I never said he did!”

“Then why would he see the midwife?”

“Because if he’s got a medical problem, he should make sure it isn’t dangerous? I mean no offense.”

Reno sighed. “I’ll ask him about it.” He would. At some point. Maybe not today.

“Don’t avoid hard topics, Reno,” Boone murmured. “They’ll fester.”

“Everyone has advice.” He rolled his eyes.

“It’s true, though,” Triton said with a snort. “I have two mates. Imagine how hard that is when you want to not talk about something.”

“Ha.” Reno shook his head. “I need to go spend some time with him. Can you let the guys know I won’t be in the second half of training?”

“Of course.” Talon stood. “I will walk you out.”

He blinked. “Okay, sure.”

“Come.” Talon walked with him, and once they were far enough away, he stopped Reno with a hand on his shoulder.

“Why does he think he’s infertile?”

“He says he’s never had a heat.”

“Hmmm.” Okay, that was different from “I know I’m infertile,” now wasn’t it?

“Yes. Be gentle with him.”

“He’s my hailee, Talon. I’m not gonna yell or beat him or some shit.”

Humor sparked in Talon’s eyes. “As if he would let you.”

“Yeah.” Reno got that impression as well. “Thanks for telling me.” He headed off to his quarters, wondering why he was having such a hard time with this. Kami was made for him. Seriously.

Irreverent. Not formal at all. Not versed in dragon society. Hot as a two-dollar pistol. So what was the deal?

Surely Kami wasn’t freaking out because of the baby thing.

He made his way into the apartment. “Babe? You here?”

“In the kitchen!”

Reno walked to the kitchen, finding Kami sitting on the counter eating cereal out of a box.

“Uh. You know we have a cafe you can call down to.”

“I like cereal.”

“Right.” He stared at Kami, trying to read him even a little. “Are you—Babe, are you miserable here?”

“Huh?” Kami stared back. “No. I mean, I’m bored. A little lonely. But I’m not miserable.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just so used to doing my thing…”

“I know.” Kami shrugged. “Thing is, I’m used to doing mine too. And see, I think you’re accustomed to omegas who need a long time to recover. I just got a clean bill of health from the healers, though.”

“Oh?” He grinned. “Cool. Now I can play rough.”

“Hey, that sounds like fun.” Kami beamed at him. “Want some cereal?”

“Nope. I want spaghetti and meatballs.”

“Is this a thing we can have?”

“We can. Come on.”

Kami put the cereal aside and jumped off the counter. “Am I dressed okay?”

He studied the loose jeans and sweater. “Fine. Shoes might be good.”

“Bitch bitch bitch.” But Kami put on some slip-ons, and they headed out. He would take Kami down to where the Italian wood-fired oven reigned supreme, and where meatballs came with smoky cheese in the middle.

They walked side by side, and he took Kami’s hand in his, swinging it a little. He wasn’t sure exactly how to be part of a couple. He’d never done it.

Kami grinned at him, eyes dancing. “Me too.”

“What?”

“I’m at a loss as well.”

“Oh.” He chuckled. “So, are you really infertile?”

Damn. Way to go.

Kami stopped dead in his tracks. “What?”

“Talon—Sorry, babe. I should have been gentler about asking.”

“Wait, so Talon told you?” Kami crossed his arms over his chest, his chin sticking out.

“He says you’ve never had heat sex.”

“Well, he’s right. Not even when I was a teenager.”

He got them walking again, because it was easier that way. Not having to stare at each other. “Well, how many people were around when you were a teenager? That you weren’t related to, I mean.”

“I should still have gone into heat. And I’ve had plenty of opportunity since.”

Reno growled, his body tensing. “Only with me now.”

“I know!” Kami threw up his hands. “And I’m fine with that. But I don’t think we’ll have babies.”

“I have a ton of nieces and nephews.”

“But you love kids.”

“So? And there are orphans. Trust me. Do you hate kids?”

“What? No. I mean, I’ve never really been around them… Maybe stone song people don’t have babies.”

“Or maybe we just don’t need to worry about it right now. I just had a bunch of alphas tell me not to avoid the hard topics, and you seem like you’re avoiding having sex with me. Is something wrong with me?”

That was what worried him. That Kami was regretting this whole situation.

“No! No, I just don’t want you to get your hopes up. About the babies.”

“And I would just rather have wild monkey sex with you!” he shouted, just as they walked out into a big intersection of halls with lots of people passing…

Kami’s eyebrows went up. “Huh. Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind.” Kami looked around, gave everybody a smile. “Did you hear that? He wants to have wild hot monkey sex with me. Nobody else, just me. I just want us all to be clear on that he is not up for public consumption. I’m the consumer.”

If Kami’s position wasn’t clear before, it was now because tons of little omega dragons went running. It was kind of adorable, actually. Reno approved.

“All right. Come on, hot monkey sex boy. Let’s go have meatballs.”

Kami nodded, obviously satisfied. “Sounds like a plan. I’m totally into meatballs. And you, just to be clear, and I don’t want to hang around in the room anymore. I’m an experienced omega rescuer, and I got work to do.”

“All right. I have to warn you, though, I don’t go out in the field anymore at all hardly. I’m a trainer.” And he loved it.

“That’s fine. You can wait here for me. I mean, I have to figure out how to find more omegas. Talon and I are sort of screwed. Our cover has been basically blown, for all intents and purposes.”

Reno wasn’t one hundred percent sure that this whole stone singer thing wasn’t gonna blow Kami’s universe out of the water.

Like boom.

He hoped not. But that was all he could do, hope.

Kami frowned, shot him a worried glance. “What is it?”

He didn’t bother to prevaricate. “I think the stone singer thing is a big deal. We should talk about that, but not here.”

Kami nodded, and he did love that, a man who understood tactics. “Fair enough, I’m all over talking about it. Not here. Right now, it’s about spaghetti and being outside and showing me things because I’m bored.”

“Have you seen the pool?” Did Kami swim?

“I haven’t seen anything but your place and the med center. Nothing. I’ve seen nothing.”

“Well, then we better do something about that. Let’s get on our pony and ride.”

“I am so in.”

They headed to the outdoor kitchen, and Kami looked around, eyes wide. “Oh, my gods. Look at this place.”

“Yeah, and in the winter, it can be closed in with heated tents and covers. It’s amazing.”

“It smells like heaven.”

“Right? The pizza and Italian food area is over here. It has the wood-fired ovens.” His belly snarled like a wild animal. It took an enormous amount of food to keep a dragon going. It was like their magic kind of…grated against the world around them now.

“This is wild.”

“Reno!” One of the chefs waved him down. “Is this your mate?”

“It is. It so is. This is Kami.” All of a sudden, he had to smile. Right, he had a mate. He hadn’t imagined it was going to happen. And yet here it was, his mate. Right here with him, standing beside him.

You good, Reno?

Goddess, yes. I’m happy. I never expected you.

Kami waggled his eyebrows. No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.

“Shut up.” Oops, he’d said that out loud. “Sorry, buddy, not you. My mate was being a prick.”

“He probably deserved it,” Donny teased.

Kami grinned at Donny. “I see you know my mate. He absolutely one hundred percent deserves it, and I don’t even know what it is. I can’t wait to find out what smells so good, and can I have some? I was promised spaghetti and meatballs, but if that’s not what that smell is, I’ll take whatever that is.”

Guy hooted like a giant scaly owl. “So it’s meatballs wrapped in pizza. Basically, you know, calzones. Want one?”

“Yes. Can I have more than one if I need it? It smells so much better than cereal.”

Reno rolled his eyes. “I found him standing in the kitchen eating cereal out of the box.”

“I was sitting on the counter.”

Reno shrugged. “It was still cereal out of the box.”

“I found it in your cabinets,” Kami shot back.

Donny shook his head. “No cereal. Cereal bad. We make good breakfasts here.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Make with the calzones, man.” Kami shot Reno a wild glance. I don’t have any money. How do I pay him? I don’t even know where my wallet is like I got credit cards but ? —

It’s all good. Cain has a system in place. We all work, and he pays for the food and shit. Some kind of investment system.

“Oh wow.” That popped out in real talk, Kami’s surprise obvious.

“Right? You want salad?”

“I like salad, yeah. Ranch dressing?”

“Sure, garlic bread?” Donny winked at him, grinned.

“Calzones and garlic bread? Heaven.” Kami put his hand over his heart and swayed, fake swooning. “Be still my beating heart.”

Guy laughed. “Go sit. I’ll have one of the younglings send it out.”

“Thanks, man. I appreciate it.” He led Kami over to a table in the sunshine and they settled together.

“This is something else.” Kami leaned back into the light, and the sunshine glinted off his scales. Fuck, that was pretty.

You like?

I do. What was not to like? He was turned on as hell. He wanted to explore each and every scale with the tip of his tongue, hear what sounds that drew from his mate.

Kami grinned. “This is really cool, braaken. I could get used to this.”

“You never said if you swim.” He wanted to see Kami swim. To see him fly.

“Do I swim? I mean, I’m not like a water dragon, but I love the water.” Kami nodded, watching the pool with pleasure, but not hunger. “But honestly? If I have to choose between ocean and mountains, I’m going mountains every time.”

“Oh, that’s gonna please Cain. He’s doomed to have coastal dragons moving his direction and asking for help. And they’re all mourning the sea.”

“Even you?”

Reno shrugged. “Less than Boone and Durango, more than Cain. It’s pretty.”

“It is, but that’s not me. I mean, I like it, don’t get me wrong, and I love lakes and rivers, but…” Kami’s eyes actually sparkled, like literally sparkled with an inner light. “I do love a mountain, and I am totally into a cave.”

“Are you a spelunker?” He loved that word. Spelunker.

“You know it, and it’s way easier when you’re a dragon, because you can just fly out if you get caught.”

“Have you ever been caught in a landslide?”

Kami shook his head. “No, I hear them coming, and I get out. Because, you know, apparently me and rocks are buds.”

Speaking of rocks. “So I’ve been looking up this stone singer thing.”

“You read?”

“Shut up. I read. I have a computer. You sleep a lot.”

Kami stuck his tongue out. “That’s boredom.”

“Well, I looked it up. I have to find some birthmark. Apparently, all stone singers have a birthmark.”

“Oh, that sounds fun. Birthmark hunting.”

“Yeah. I bet.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I bet it’s going to be a blast.”

“Where do you suppose it is?”

“It’s meant to be on your back, I think.”

“Cain asked to see my back.”

Reno growled. He loved the boss, but he didn’t want the guy manhandling his mate. Or seeing stuff that Reno had never seen.

“He can stay away from your skin and your scales,” Reno said.

Kami’s grin said he was pleased that Reno was possessive. “Yep. He can.”

“Good.”

“Salads.” One of the runners dropped their salads for them, then whizzed away.

“Wow. That’s efficient.”

“Guy runs a tight ship.”

“There’s that ocean imagery again,” Kami pointed out.

“Or pirate. Arrrrr,” Reno tossed at him, winking.

“They have eyepatches if you have a weak eyelid, Captain Reno.”

God, his hailee was quick. Clever. He loved it.

“I’m sure I just need garlic bread.”

“Mmm.”

“Here you go.” The same kid plopped a basket of said bread down. “Calzones in a bit!”

“Thanks, kiddo.” He had never met this server before, so he didn’t know his name yet.

“You’re welcome!”

Kami grabbed a piece of bread, tore it in half, and handed him one side. Then he bit into it.

“OMG this is so good. God. It’s stunning. And it comes with red sauce?” Kami dipped the unbitten side of his bread in.

“You can double dip, honey. We share spit.”

“Good point.” Kami brightened even more. “I can see new bright sides to this mate thing.”

“Oh, I’m glad you love me for my lips.”

Kami stared at him, mouth hanging open. Then he blinked. “Holy shit. I do love you. Like…that’s nuts. I mean, we barely know each other. How can I love you so much already?”

“We’re mates.” Okay, that left him feeling a little bit smug. He wanted Kami to be amazed by him.

Like he was with Kami.

They dipped their bread and munched salads, saying hey to the guys who stopped by to meet Kami and give him shit about taking the afternoon off.

But he ran them all away. This was a him and Kami thing.

“So. Birthmark.”

“Huh?”

Kami poked his leg. “Stone singer. Birthmark. Why do you think this is all going to be weird?”

“Because Cain is wigged out.” Reno chuckled. “Cain is hardly ever wigged out.”

“Hmmm.” Kami sighed, licking his fingers. “I just want to do what I do.”

“Yeah, I said that a while back too. But I also love what I do now.”

“But it’s kind of the same thing.”

“Oh, gods, no. I used to be on the road twenty-eight days out of thirty. Hungry. Usually dirty. The rescues were hella rewarding, but the life was a little grinding.”

“Sure. I mean, it wears you down.” Kami crossed his arms over his chest. “But it’s good.”

“It is. But who says finding stones for dragons who have had theirs taken won’t be just as cool?”

“Sure, but I’m no seer.” Kami hunched his shoulders. Soon he would disappear under the table.

“No, but you are a stone singer.” Reno sighed. “Which I still have no idea what that means.”

“Neither do I.” Kami’s pout disappeared when the calzones showed up. “That is as big as my head.”

“It’s golden brown and delicious,” their server sang, then winked and sashayed off.

“I like him,” Kami said with a grin.

“He’s cute.”

Kami threatened to stab him with a fork.

“But not as cute as you. Look, babe, I’m just saying keep your options open. Don’t get all defensive and reject stuff immediately. Okay?”

“I’ll try.” Kami touched his hand. “But you’re worth all sorts of effort, so it’s no big.”

He turned his hand to grasp Kami’s. “Thanks, babe. That means a lot. Now, let’s do this and then get spaghetti to go for later…”