Chapter 28
Something’s missing. But as Hunter awoke, he couldn’t figure out what it was until he realized his mate wasn’t sprawled out over him. No matter what position they fell asleep in, during the night Fionn would end up on Hunter’s chest. It was something he loved, and the young dragon’s need for closeness satisfied Hunter’s need to keep his mate safe, even while sleeping. Rolling over, Hunter cracked an eye open, searching for Fionn, but to no avail.
He then checked the alarm clock, bolting upright when he saw the time. “Fuck!” The lateness of the hour explained Fionn’s absence from their bed, but his mate not waking him up was a bad omen. Nor was it a good sign that all he heard was silence. Grabbing some shorts, he pulled them on before heading out to find Fionn. On the off chance their overnight guests were still asleep, Hunter padded quietly down the hallway to check their bedroom but, just as he’d first thought, it was empty. Turning around, he headed downstairs.
Standing by the living room window, Fionn sipped his breakfast tea, keeping his eyes on the road running past their cottage. According to Carson’s message on Fionn’s phone last night, Henri would be on his way to pick up Alex and his mates at the airport in Paris and the thought that he’d soon be meeting his brother made all his worries and self-doubts rush back in, turning his stomach into a butterfly farm, just as it had when he awoke earlier. At first, he was going to wake Hunter but after thinking about it, decided it was time for him to learn how to face and cope with his fears.
That skillset was missing from Fionn and it was time he acquired it. His mother had always sheltered him, making his childhood as stress-free as she could during his frequent bouts of illness. And while he was grateful for her trying to give him a carefree youth, it left him ill-prepared to deal with the realities of life as an adult.
Acknowledging his weakness was a good first step, but he didn’t want to stop there. The arrival of his long-lost brother was a perfect time to start doing something about it. So after slowly disengaging himself from Hunter’s arms, he’d crawled out of bed, making sure not to wake his mate. After tending to his needs in the bathroom, he dressed and headed to the boys’ room. Carson had also mentioned he’d be picking them up before Henri arrived to allow Fionn and Alex to talk without any interruptions. Seeing the beds empty, he rushed downstairs, sighing with relief when he found Mrs. Beasley serving them breakfast in the kitchen.
“Good morning, Fionn,” chirped Mrs. Beasley, giving him a quick glance before returning her focus to Rune. “I hope we didn’t wake you.”
Smiling at her, Fionn said, “Nope…didn’t hear a thing.”
“Hi Finny,” Galen said. “Carsso said me and Eamon are goin’ treasure huntin’.”
Eamon then chimed in, “You can come with us but the treasure belongs to me and Gally.”
“What kind of treasure are you looking for?” Fionn asked.
“Gold! Right, Gally?” Eamon replied.
“Right! We’re pirates so the treasure hasta be gold!”
“Knock, knock,” Carson said, entering through the back door. “Is everyone ready?”
“Carsso!” yelled Eamon. “Can Finny treasure hunt with us?”
Before Carson could answer, Fionn said, “As much as I would love to go with you guys, I can’t today.”
“Aww, dang it,” Galen said.
“Yeah, dang it,” Eamon echoed, dejectedly.
“Go wash your hands and make sure you both use soap,” Carson said, picking up the boys’ empty bowls and carrying them to the sink.
“Just leave them,” Fionn said. “I’ll do them later.”
“Are you sure?” Carson asked.
“Yeah,” Fionn said, walking over to the cupboard to get a mug. “I’m going have me some tea while I wait for Hunter to wake up. We’ll do the dishes after we eat.”
Wiping off Rune’s hands, Mrs. Beasley said, “The water in the tea kettle is hot. I was goin’ to have a cuppa but this one decided to have some fun with his food.”
“Rune!” Carson said, trying to sound serious, but an angelic smile directed at him made it impossible to do anything except grin in return. “Come here, sweet boy, you’re going to be a load of trouble when you’re older.” Lifting him out of the booster chair, Carson set him on his shoulders. “Galen…Eamon…c’mon. Time to go.”
Fionn watched as the two boys ran into the kitchen, each grabbing one of Mrs. Beasley’s hands.
“What do you say to Fionn?” Mrs. Beasley asked, sternly.
“Twank you, Finny.” The voices of the two boys said at the same time.
“You’re welcome, guys. See you later.” Fionn opened the back door, handing the boys’ small overnight bag to Carson on his way out. Once quiet settled around him, he made his tea, taking it into the living room where he’d decided to await his brother’s arrival. Sipping it, he realized how much he enjoyed babysitting the boys, no longer doubting his ability to handle them. Maybe he’d feel the same with his brother’s son, though his nephew would be a lot smaller.Fuck! Just the thought of that scares me.
Fionn’s mind began to be overwhelmed once again by his fears and worries. Taking another sip of the hot liquid, he decided to pick the one that bothered him most right now. There’d be plenty of time later to think about the others.
Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, Hunter studied his mate, noticing the tension in his body. It didn’t take a genius to figure out it was due to the upcoming arrival of Alex. Padding softly over to Fionn, Hunter tugged his mate’s back against his chest while murmuring, “Good morning, pet. You okay?”
