Page 19 of These Little Heirs (Moonscale Heirs Duet #2)

Ambry

I’d lived my whole life in Moonscale London and most of my adult life going between the apartment, the grocery store, and my dad’s house.

It was my triangle of existence. I thought we’d bed down in Heartville and lay low while Moonglow Cabin was restored to its previous glory.

Only I was wrong. While no one came knocking on our door thanks to Cade warning them off us we visited lots of people who wanted to see Baby Robin.

With my own father, I always brushed off his overprotectiveness as something the war had done to us because I felt the same way about him.

Sometimes I worried about him driving home late at night alone or immediately called him if I heard about an accident to ensure he wasn’t involved.

Cade Moonscale showed me you didn’t need to live through having most of your family blown up feet above your head to be protective and that sometimes it was a good thing.

No one touched our hatchling without asking my permission first. Somehow despite Cade having a mate and plenty of young children of his own, he managed to show up everywhere we went like a bodyguard who belonged in the picture.

After the third or fourth outing he even started bringing treats for Guardie.

As a result the shadow dog wagged his tail every time he smelled Cade.

So we knew he was coming before our noses even picked him up.

Each day we went to Eston’s outdoor market and collected a basket or two of snacks for Teal and Ciro.

We made sure to include plenty of nut butters and dried meats along with the fruits, veggies, and tons of baked goods.

Dragons themselves were omnivores like wolves, but cats were obligate carnivores and no one wanted to see Ciro’s liger with unsated hunger while he gobbled up Teal’s rut.

Some days Eston or one of his brothers made up big batches of sandwiches or casseroles to be dropped off.

Odie or I hadn’t gone to visit the matingmooning pair, but Cobalt and Indigo took turns.

Most of the time they merely dropped the baskets of food off on the back porch but sometimes Teal was around, and they’d be gone an hour or so chatting with their brother.

I found myself missing Teal as much as they did sometimes even if he had always been on the move back in London.

Though, I was too busy with Baby Robin to give it much thought.

It wasn’t like Teal and Ciro were on the other side of the planet or off somewhere in the Other World. They were down the street.

Baby Robin was my favorite distraction from the fact we were in a strange town where everyone knew the triplets and wanted to hold my baby.

Babies are needy little creatures. He was hungry all the time and needed so many diaper changes.

He always needed cuddles and coos and plenty of belly time to encourage him to bring out his tiny little blue wings that had dark fur at their bases.

He hadn’t lifted off yet but that didn’t stop him from flapping his wings along with his arms and legs any time he could.

Our son was such a happy baby and his joy was contagious.

It was impossible to watch him laughing at his own feet or at Indigo and Cobalt making silly faces at him and not smile.

How anyone could want to hurt any baby was beyond me.

How had someone gotten mad enough at the adults in the family to want to harm him?

The question constantly lingered in my mind and I made it always be around Cobalt or Indigo.

Cade would do in a pinch but he had so many kids of his own I wasn’t sure if he’d remember me and Robin if an attack took place.

“He would,” Indigo said one sunny afternoon.

We’d fallen asleep on a blanket under a tall tree at the park inside the woods. Dragonfly fay people came and went all around us but somehow I still managed to doze off with my baby sleeping on my chest.

“Family is family. No one would leave you two behind. Not that me and Cobalt are going anywhere but any of my family would protect you and the baby and Odie. Hell, just about anyone in town would and there are places to go if we are attacked.” Indigo fell quiet for a moment and then he said, “If something bad happens and we’re not around – and we’ll always be around – but if we’re not, head for the clinic, the gym, or the library.

Out in crop fields head for the water station. ”

I scooted over so that my side was pressed up against his front. If not for the baby, I’d have shifted and had him wrap himself around me. It seemed the war had followed me all the way to Heartville.

“I think you just need to know how to be safe and that’s normal. Honestly, if all else fails, go under a bed and wait for us. Someone will come,” Indigo chuckled.

“I think I’d tear apart someone if they attacked and I had the baby. I think I wouldn’t have the choice,” I whispered. “My wolf might die trying but he’d go at it.”

“You’re safe. Baby Robin is safe too. We’ve been talking, the three of us. We might not go back to Moonglow. Might let everyone think we did and go somewhere else. That way even if they want to find us, they can’t. I know we put a lot of work into it but…”

“I get it. Odie would too. If Teal is going to keep being Teal, we need to be somewhere they don’t know or can’t get to. And as much as I hate it, I think we need Teal to keep it up. Have you heard anything about the seed bombing stuff? Are your grandparents even talking to you?”

“It’s been a week. So they’re starting to cool down now.

They want to protect us too. Clarence made his big statement over the weekend about how food distribution will change.

Most businesses are receptive to it because they still make money.

It just comes from a different place. Some folks are worried about taxes but not many.

I think most people want everyone to have enough.

They just don’t know how to make it work. ”

“How do you do that?” I smiled at him. “How do you stay so sweet and keep believing people are good after--- After what you had to do?”

“Because most people don’t want to kill babies.

Most people would kick ass to save a baby they’ve never met.

We’re wired like that. It’s ingrained into us.

Even friends of mine who don’t want babies would rip someone apart for hurting one.

Why hurt something innocent that has zero chance of protecting itself?

It’s never going to be a fair fight and it’s not like Robin’s out there making enemies.

The only person he’s even bitten so far is Guardie who just seems to think it’s a game. ”

“I’m glad for that. I’ve seen the aftermath of what he can do,” I sighed.

“Do you like Heartville?” Indigo asked.

“Are you three considering staying here?” I turned the question around on him.

“It’s too far from your dad, probably. Maybe not. I don’t know. Mostly I’m asking because if you don’t we could go somewhere else while Teal and Ciro shag it out.”

“I like it. Everyone at once is a lot but they’re all so nice and it smells genuine.”

“They worked hard to have a safe place to raise their kids,” Indigo nodded.

“Dad might consider moving,” I whispered as if I was afraid of jinxing it.

“To get away from all the memories and war remembrance festivals and holidays. Even if he doesn’t, it’s not that far.

I like the house. We’d need to turn one of the extra bedrooms into a nesting room.

Probably build a new nest because moving it all the way here…

.” I trailed off trying to imagine how we’d even attempt that.

“We’ll have a family meeting once Ciro and Teal get it out of their systems,” Indigo said and stole a kiss.

Baby Robin stirred, wanting his lunch and he wasn’t the only one with a growling belly.

“My parents’ place for lunch?” Indigo suggested.

“Yeah. Someone’s always cooking there. Maybe Nicky and Nim will fight over who cleans up again,” I chuckled.

“I hope so. If not one of them is sick. Though, Uncle Nicky is going to pop any day now. So, Uncle Nim should win. Hell, I might step in if he doesn’t and get the poor guy off his feet.”

“Speaking of,” I said as Indigo helped me to my feet. “Odie’s getting close too. I know, it’s like another two and half weeks maybe less, but he looks close. He walks like he’s close.”

“I know. We’re all watching him. I think he and Cobalt are still laid up on Dad’s couch watching old movies with Uncle Adrian.”

“I have trouble keeping track of who is your uncle and who is your dad’s friends that you call uncle.”

“Eh, they’re all our uncles,” Indigo shrugged. “Your uncles too now. It’s just easier to call everyone uncle and then you don’t have to remember.”