“Get some rest,” Qylar said over his shoulder as he headed toward Golden Gate Park.
The kids excitedly babbled to one another as he pulled them along. Once there, he sat back on a nearby bench as the pair raced around the oddly empty playground, sliding down the baby slides too many times to count. They had it to themselves, so why not?
His mind drifted to Kenji and their night together, replaying it and trying to figure out if he’d done something to cause the guy to run away. Like the house was on fire, according to Alex.
How the fuck am I going to find him again?He wasn’t a regular at the Eagle… but hadn’t he said his friend was? Maybe that was a way he could track Kenji down. Qylar shook his head. He wasn’t accustomed to men running from him or having to seek out male attention. Maybe that in and of itself should tell him to move on.
But there had been something about Kenji. Something that wouldn’t allow his mind to let go.
He lifted his gaze and checked the kids and noticed a trio of middle schoolers climbing up the kiddie slide. Qylar leapt to his feet seconds before one of the older boys pushed Zaadi out of the way and held her and Ael back so his friends could go down instead.
“Hey!”Qylar roared as he launched himself forward.
The first two boys made it down the slide and raced off before Qylar could reach them, but the third wasn’t so lucky. Ael had a tentacle wrapped around the boy’s neck, dragging the kid away from Zaadi.
“No hurt Zaadi,” Ael said, his little brows furrowed.
Qylar unwrapped the tentacle as quickly as he could while the older boy stared in shocked horror. Thankfully, there appeared to be no other children or parents close enough to see it, not even the two who’d bolted.
“Whatishe?” the kid asked, rubbing his neck.
“What’re you talking about?” Qylar asked, lifting a brow.
“He’s a monster with a tentacle for an arm,” the kid spat before sliding down to get away from Ael.
“I’d sayyouwere the monster, bullying and pushing around little kids,” Qylar said. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“I know what I saw… that kid has a tentacle!”
“Get real,”Qylar said. “It’s a toy.”
“A toy can’t do that,” the kid barked.
“Yes they can. If your parents really loved you, they’d buy you better toys,” Qylar snapped.
“Fuck you, asshole. He’s a monster!”
Qylar leaned closer, allowing his eyes to go fully black. “Call him that again and I’ll show you arealmonster. One who can find you anywhere. Even in your nightmares.”
The boy screamed and crashed bottom first onto the ground.
“Tell anyone and I’m coming for you,” Qylar growled.
He jumped up, a little pee stain appearing on the front of his shorts. He stared at Qylar over his shoulder as he ran away. He caught up to the two other boys before they all took off together. When they were out of sight, he turned to Ael.
“You can’t do that, sweetheart. Youcan’tlet people see your tentacles.”
“He a bad boy,” Ael said, still frowning. “Zaadi’s turn.”
Qylar sighed, lifting the boy into his arms while Zaadi finally slid down. “Even if you’re trying to help someone, you can’t show your tentacles. They might scare people.Okay?”
“Okay,” Ael chirped, the frown disappearing.
He wriggled in Qylar’s arms, wanting down. Qylar lowered him, and he raced back to the stairs, ready to go back up.
“Uncle Q?”
Qylar gazed down at Zaadi. “Yes, princess?”
