“No.” Grimbold shook his head. “You’re not a Disgrace anymore, Walter. You’re mine.”
Wally’s heart fluttered, and moments later heat flooded his cheeks. He clutched the claw to his chest, too flustered to move, speak, or do anything apart from hold Grimbold’s gaze. Grimbold meant what he said. No dragon would put himself in harm’s way to trick someone as lowly as a Disgrace.
Grimbold wanted to keep him.
Now that he was on his feet, Grimbold folded his arms behind his back and cleared his throat. “I have business to attend to today, but tonight, should you wish to join me, I will be dining at seven. I have told my staff that while I am gone, you’re to have full run of the house.” Full run of the house? Wally’s eyes went wide. “You are, of course, under no obligation to do anything you don’t want to do. The kitchen will prepare you meals as you request them, when you request them, and I will not demand that you report to me on any kind of regular basis. All I ask is that you not leave the estate. What you choose to do otherwise is entirely up to you.”
There were no tricks.
Grimbold was sincere.
He’d laid Wally down in a bed beyond Wally’s station, cleaned and dressed him, and given Wally a tool to end Grimbold’s life, should Wally choose to use it. Wally had not been hit or talked down to, nor had he been verbally abused or made to bleed. All of the kind things Grimbold had done for him, he’d done to make Wally happy.
Tears brimmed in Wally’s eyes. He tried to blink them away, but they streamed down the sides of his face and wet the pillow beneath his head.
“Until we see each other again, take care,” Grimbold concluded. He hesitated, expression conflicted, then reached forward slowly and ran his fingers affectionately through Wally’s hair.
Wally shivered, not trembled.
Shivered.
Nothing before had ever felt so good.
Amethyst dragons, Wally rationalized, didn’t care to hoard comfort in the same way that Topaz dragons did.
Or perhaps,the voice in his head that was typically so frightened whispered in astonishment as Grimbold pulled away and exited the room,Grimbold doesn’t mind sharing his hoard with you.
7
Grimbold
The following day, while Harrison chatted animatedly with a rather more reserved Walter, Grimbold pulled his son Everard aside to speak with him. Darwin, Everard and Harrison's lone whelp, scurried across the room, his needle-sharp talons tapping on the wood floor and tiny wings flapping fruitlessly. When he was in range, he launched himself into the air, batted his wings to gain height, and collided head-first with Grimbold’s chest. Grimbold caught him and held the rascal in his arms. A few seconds later, Grimbold had an armful of naked boy.
“Hello, Grandpa.” Darwin’s eyes sparkled. “Can I have a cookie?”
“Charles,” his sire said in warning tones.
“Please? I’ll even put on clothes and be a real boy for a little,” the child added, and looked to Everard for affirmation. The latter gave him a warm, approving smile.
“I believe we might have some in the kitchen. Let's see, shall we?” The child in Grimbold's arms nodded solemnly.
“I can take him, if you wish,” Everard offered. “In any case, I’ll need to see him dressed.”
“No, no. I get little enough time with my grandwhelps.” Grimbold turned an affectionate eye on Darwin. “Have you been giving your pater trouble, scamp? Whelps your age are more than capable of living as boys.”
Darwin grinned in a way eerily reminiscent of Everard’s mate, Harrison. “But Grandpa, dragons areamazing.”
The apple, it appeared, did not fall far from the tree.
“We are encouraging him to spend time in his human form.” Everard’s lips twitched. “The time he spends with Sebastian and Perry’s brood helps.”
“Yay, Julus!” piped Darwin. “Can we see him today?”
“Julius,” his father corrected. He shook his head. “And perhaps, Chuck. We shall see.” To Grimbold he said, “Those two are nearly inseparable. Julius seems to have transferred the bond he had for Harry to our son. It's a bit of a relief. I was not relishing the idea of fighting my nephew for my mate. The boys being best friends is much to be preferred.” Everard cleared his throat. “Enough about the children, though. What I want to discuss is your omega.”
“He's not my omega,” Grimbold said, lying through his pointy teeth. He set Darwin down.
“Really? Then you wouldn't mind if he left? Geoff asked if Harry and I could take him off your hands.”
