“I’m supposed to find a rock in a pond in the dark when it’s just like every other rock in on the farm?” I asked.
“It’s not to that baby,” Mum said.
“You’re not even on my side?” my pulse roared in my ears.
“I am on your side. I’m on my grandkid’s side too. That’s your baby too now. So, he’s my grandkid and I think you should find his rock,” Mum said.
“You—You’ll help me then?” I asked hopefully.
“Nope. This is your heroic task to prove to the farm you’re not some asshole chasing kids through a cornfield like a serial killer,” Mum said, crossing her arms.
“And to prove to your mate that you actually care about what he thinks is important in the world,” Clarence added.
“You two don’t even care that the lions tried to kill me!” I roared.
“No, they didn’t,” Mum said. “If Evie wanted you dead, you’d be dead by now.”
“Good luck,” Clarence said. “Try to let us all get some sleep, okay? Whether or not you find that rock, we have Pras’s departure ceremony in the morning.”
They walked away and I kicked at the ground. I never expected my true-mate to leave me in a cornfield because of a rock. Juda would’ve never done that to Frost.
Chapter 7
Jade
The Guardians of Glitter Bomb Territory
It took forever to convince Jondi that it was safe to go back to sleep and even longer for me to stop shaking. Waking up with his high-pitched cries of help coming from outside of the house shook me to the core. Tomorrow after we’d both got some rest, I’d have to talk to him about it. He’d never been an eloper before at home and only a couple of times at school with the intention of coming home.
I lay on the floor next to where Vatten, Eran, and their babies were. I didn’t want to be alone tonight either. I hadn’t even double-checked that the dragon chasing my baby through the cornfield was Beryl. He might be any dragon for all I knew.
“Our dumb dragon,”my lion yawned inside his inner sanctum.
Only that didn’t matter. Not right now. Not while Jondi had cried himself to sleep because ‘Ferrick’ was going to come back and eat him. He’d made so much progress and now one dumbass had ruined it all. I knew that Jondi sneaking out wasn’t his fault. Shifter kids do crazy things. I once tried to climb down the side of the building we lived in when I was three. You can’t give chase to a small child who you don’t know. Not to mention, standing there watching a kid swim is sort of creepy. Sure, from whatJondi explained Beryl probably thought my baby was a wild otter but still. I had enough problems. If Beryl wanted to be in my life he could fix this one because the last thing I needed was another man causing me problems. I had enough of that coming from the men threatening my business because I wouldn’t let their wingless brats come play.
“You gonna be alright?” Eran yawned, blinking awake.
“Yeah. I know Ferrick didn’t really get out, but it could’ve been him. I can’t believe Jondi snuck out,” I sighed.
“I can. The farm is a safe place to him and to be fair, if not for Beryl – who is new to him – being the one to find him, he’d probably have been fine,” Eran said. “Not that he should be sneaking out. You should ask Diamond to recommend a draconic kiddie pool brand. I mean, she’s like his grandma now.”
“She is,” I nodded and rubbed the bridge of my nose. I thought the closest I was ever going to be to the Pras Lavender problem was that Eran was good friends with Bernard but now my stupid self had to go and be true-mates with his descendant. “Er? Do you think I should go to the ceremony tomorrow? I mean, he’s family now, but Jondi is here and alive and---”
“I read that book. The full length one and I think Pras would want you to do whatever you felt would keep your kid the safest. I mean, that’s really why he sacrificed himself.” Eran yawned, pushing himself upright because Kytten, their little white and brown kitten started making the tiny mewling sound that meant he wanted his sire’s attention. Eran picked up the kitten and held him close to his chest. The baby gnawed on his thumb until Eran got up to make him a tiny little bottle. The kittens fed from the teats just like their canine siblings but also took tiny littlebottles from Eran. I figured anything that gave poor Vatten a break was a good idea.
“But that dumbass wouldn’t be here at all if not for what Pras did…” I said, letting my words trail off.
“Eh, maybe. I think Haen would’ve make short work of Ferrick if he found him nesting,” Eran shrugged. “It was him who figured out how to do the whole book thing.”
I dozed off wondering what the next day would bring. Was I a jackass for expecting Beryl to find Jondi’s rock? Maybe, but my life was already hectic enough without spending it with an alpha who thought child rearing tasks were beneath him. I wasn’t done fostering kids and wasn’t against adopting more if reunification wasn’t possible for whatever reason. If Beryl really thought finding the comfort item of a baby was beneath him, I made the wrong choice in the Other World. Only, unlike Ferrick, I wouldn’t live with it my whole life. I had good friends and the pride. I had my hand and Pheromone Swap too. Who cared if I fell asleep unable to think about anything except for Beryl? I also had dreams of eating an eight-layer cake all by myself from the frosting to the crumbs. I didn’t always crave the things that were best for me.
Chapter 8
Beryl
Guardians of Glitter Bomb
I walked the path between the cornfield and the pond several times after my scratches and bites healed enough to stop stinging. I followed the little otter’s scent as best as I could, but drenched otters didn’t leave that great of a scent trail, and I wasn’t sure Jade followed his trail exactly. If I had to guess, my mate followed the kid’s screams more than anything else.
