Page 3

Chapter 3

Malric

\ What a long, hectic week it had been. I dealt with far too many different clan issues that all seemed to arise at once, sat through board meetings, and had discussions about the clan’s future with elders. But as intense as the week had been, it ended my favorite way— Friday-night dinner at Tavian’s home. No matter how horrible, how stressful, or even on the rare occasions, boring the week had been, it all melted away at one giggle from my grandbabies. Their smiles were magical. I was sure of it.

Since finding his mate in Kier, my son had been happier than I’d ever seen him. They were fated and knew instantly that they were meant for one another, but even if one of them had no sense of scent, they’d have known. The two fit together so perfectly. I loved to be in their presence so I could soak up some of their happiness. It helped to chase away the loneliness for a short while.

There, I could spend time with my grandbabies. Since they were born, I’d made a habit of having Friday-night dinners with the family, and then on Sunday mornings, I’d take care of the kids so Kier and Tavian could take a break. They were great parents and excellent at their chosen careers, and it was important that they had time together as a couple each week.

I didn’t want to impede too much on their family time. After all, while I was family, I still wanted my son and his mate to enjoy their time with the children. This felt like a good balance for all involved, and if it ever seemed like it no longer was, we’d reevaluate at that time.

My own parents had stayed away when my kids were growing up. Chastain’s parents hadn’t been around at all. I didn’t want to be like that, but I also didn’t want to be overbearing. Thus, I found a nice balance. Still, I wouldn’t have complained about seeing the children more. Whenever they asked me for help, I made sure I cleared my calendar to do so.

My kids had felt the lack of grandparents growing up. They’d wondered why they were the only kids who didn’t have extended family for milestones. I vowed never to miss a single game, recital, school event, or whatever the children were into. I didn’t want them to feel what my kids had, not when it was so easily avoidable.

I let myself into the home, expecting to find giggling children running and toddling about. Ever since the children started moving, they hadn’t stopped. They skipped over walking and headed straight to running. I had a feeling that at least one of them was going to end up on one of the flight teams when they were older.

Flint enjoyed being in various states of undress, including a sock on his hand and another on his foot. You never knew what you were going to find him wearing when you arrived. Meanwhile Ruby liked to see just how many shirts she could put on at one time. She was the epitome of the “can’t put my arms down” kid during the winter. And Opaline lived for anything with stripes. They each had their own unique style, and I loved it.

The house was quiet, and the delicious aroma of something Italian filled the air. That yummy scent of food wasn’t unusual. The quiet? Very much so.

“Hello?” I called out.

Usually, one or more of the children would come running to find me. None did, and as I looked around, I noticed that the house was incredibly tidy. Not that the house was ever a mess. It just tended to be more lived-in than it was now. And really, I didn’t judge my child and his mate on their ability to keep their house clean. They were making memories. Kids didn’t remember if everything was dusted and the throw pillows were plumped. But they did remember when you made cookies together or created some masterpiece out of a cardboard box. Those were the important things.

But regardless of all that, the place was in shipshape compared to how it usually was, and that piqued my curiosity.

“We’re in here, Dad!” Tavian called.

I stepped into the kitchen to find Tavian and another person. The person I didn’t recognize was a mouse shifter, by the scent of him, standing at the stove wearing an apron, stirring the pot of tomato sauce in front of him. He was young, but compared to me most people were. But even so, I couldn’t help being taken aback by his stunning good looks. Not that I should be looking at my son’s friend that way.

He had one of the boys in a carrier on his back, fast asleep. Flint’s little head rested on the man’s shoulder. The two other kids were in their highchairs, playing with some sort of clay, quiet and content. He smiled when he saw me, his eyes widening as he took me in.

“You must be Lord Malric. I’m Ollie.”

Lord Malric. Yes, it was my title, and yes, it showed respect, but something felt wrong about him being so formal with me. Like we were meant to be closer than a title.

He held out his hand. I stared at him, not moving. Mesmerized by him.

The apron Ollie wore was tied tight around his trim waist. Ollie was on the shorter side, probably a good half a foot shorter than my six feet. His wavy brown hair was flopped to one side like he’d tried to tame it with his hands throughout the day. Some tomato sauce had splattered, and he had a speck on his chin he hadn’t wiped away yet.

Did I feel the sudden urge to lick it away? Yes. Yes, I did. Did I try to shake that thought away? Also, yes.

I lingered too long, taking in every detail of this stranger. I didn’t reach out a hand, just standing there like an awkward oaf rather than a refined gentleman. Ollie dropped his back to his side, and his eyes ping-ponged between me and Tavian.

“Dad,” my son said.

“Sorry.” I shook myself. “My apologies. I didn’t know there was someone here.”

“Dad, this is Ollie, our new manny. Ollie, this is Lord Malric, my dad—although you don’t need to use the title in this house, right?” Tavian elbowed me.

“Of course not,” I said. “Malric is fine.” Good, although in the back of my mind, the thought of him calling me his alpha started to form. This man was going to be trouble, there was no denying that.

Maybe I needed a little trouble in my life.

I found it hard to look away from Ollie, his bright eyes shining at me, my grandson snuggled against his back.

“He spent the morning with the kids?” I asked.

“No. Kier had the morning off, so Ollie’s taking the evening shift.”

“Oh,” I said. “Do you need me to take the kids for a while? I can take them to the park.”

“That’s exactly where I was planning on taking them.” Ollie smiled bright. “Once dinner was done, anyway. Would you like to join us?”

Me, alone with him—the morsel of temptation? I cleared my throat. That would not be appropriate. Yet, was I going to pass up the chance to spend time with my grandchildren? It wasn’t lost on me the mental gymnastics I was currently doing to convince myself it was a good idea to accept the offer.

“Sure, I could do that. Or if you need the evening off, I can take the kids.”

“Dad,” Tavian said. His tone held a warning to it. Though what he was warning me against, I didn’t know. Probably because I was acting weird. Or maybe Ollie had a mate. My stomach lurched at the thought of that possibility. I had no right to be jealous. I didn’t even know this omega’s last name.

“Let us know when dinner is ready, Ollie. We’ll be right back.” My son gave me his best this-is-not-negotiable glance. Great, I’d pissed him off. That hadn’t been my intention.

“Okay, sure thing,” Ollie said.

Tavian pulled me out of the room.

“What in the world is going on with you?” He didn’t bother with small talk.

“What? Nothing.” Even if I wanted to be honest with him, what would I say? I didn’t understand what was going on myself.

“Look, I know it was odd to hire a non-dragon, and perhaps you were expecting me to hire someone from within the clan, but Ollie’s amazing.”

How could he think I cared about that? Did Ollie interpret my weirdness that way? Talk about messing things up in five minutes flat. Perhaps that was better than the alternative, which was that I was acting oddly because Ollie was incredibly attractive and I’d wanted to lick away the sauce on his face and then do… no, I couldn’t go back to that train of thought.

“What?” Maybe I misunderstood.

“You’re being weird. Is it because he’s a mouse?”

I shook my head. “Of course not. That is absurd. I’m not speciesist, of course.”

Sure, I’d noticed it when I came in, but it was a passing thought, unlike the way his lips beckoned me to nibble on them.

“So you’re just acting weird… for another reason?” My son grinned at me, a knowing smile spreading across his face. He knew. Of course he knew. “If I wasn’t married, I would be willing to say that he’s attractive. It’s okay if that’s what you are thinking.”

“Tavian. Be serious.”

“I am serious.”

I shook my head. “Sorry, Son. It has been a long week. I’m glad that you’ve hired someone and that they are working out. Why don’t we have dinner, and then we’ll talk after?” A redirection perfectly executed.

“You’re more than welcome to go to the park with them. The kids would enjoy it.”

Or maybe not so perfectly, after all.

“Yes… well. We’ll see how dinner goes,” I said, not willing to make any promises.

Perhaps the food would distract me, or better yet, he did something gross that had me no longer able to see him in the same light. Would slurping his pasta be enough to have me no longer seeing his jawline for the magnificence that it was? I doubted it, but something had to give. He was my grandchildren’s manny, and by all accounts, he was the right man for the job.

I couldn’t risk my family losing the help they so desperately needed because I was drawn to their new hire. They deserved better than that, and so did Ollie.