“I know but… You came for me! When—I thought when Dad got hurt…” he started bawling again.
“Look at me, little man,” I said and cupped his chin. “As long as I’m alive, I will come for you, okay? No matter where you’re at, what happened, what you did – none of that matters. If you need me, I’ll be there one way or another. I know it’ll take some time to get used to but you have two dads now.”
He hugged my neck and I held onto him until he finally dozed off. I was about to test my luck and see if I could fly while he was asleep when the large fucker from the fight landed on the roof. He was still covered in blood. He was dressed like something out of an old book. Dude even wore a long green cloak. He wasn’t the dragon I was decently sure was my dad, but the one who had come with him.
“You look so much like Pras and Delin. It’s almost like they had a baby together,” he said, his eyes raking over me. “No one could find you. I tried to speak with your mate but one of the dragon omegas there, I assume his carrier, nearly flogged me. I don’t fight emotional omegas. Delin was worried.”
I opened my mouth and shut it again.
“Yeah, I know. He hasn’t worried about what you’ve been up to all this time, so why now?” he nodded, sinking down next to me. “Mind if I smoke.”
“Smoke around this baby and I will toss you off the building,” I said.
“Ooh,” he nodded. “Definitely related to Pras. I’m not here to convince you to speak with anyone. That’s between you, your mom, and Delin. I merely wanted you accounted for. Pras was a good man. Better man than most who live on Earthside and he was my friend. Since I figured you weren’t going to talk to Delin, I thought maybe you’d like to speak with me instead. I don’t know what Diamond Moonscale has taught you, but I saw you take that bear apart that your mate bit into. She’s trained you well.”
“Mum ensured I knew how to throw my weight around if I needed to,” I nodded.
“I’m impressed,” he nodded. “Most people vomit after such an act.”
“Do you?” I asked him, fighting off the urge to roll my eyes.
“No, but I am not most people. I was born and raised in a different time. I sort of loathe Earthside for what it has become and how it has failed again and again to live up to its potential but I am here because Pras asked me to look in on you. He said you were stubborn and might punch Delin instead of talking to him.”
“This isn’t the time for me to deal with another grown man’s emotions,” I said.
“Pras asked him to come meet you,” Volex said. “He was against it.”
“Because he never wanted me in the first place,” I laughed.
“I do not speak for him but whatever his motives and your mother’s I believe he probably missed out on someone great. I’ve raised my fair share of kids both here and in other places. I don’t regret a single one of them. You won’t either. From what I gathered at Glitter Bomb, your mate and baby will recover. They’re mostly using laughing gas to manage his pain while he’s healing. Someone there was able to pop his shoulder back into place and set his wing.”
“And you’re here to tell me to get moving?” I arched a brow, but Volex shook his head.
“Not at all,” he said a second later. “I’m here because Pras was my friend and no one should be alone after a battle like that one. Your mate was hurt and you had to rip a man apart.”
“Seems like you do it a lot,” I said.
“Only on Earthside usually. Those merc bears have been a thorn in everyone’s side. They like to start trouble like this. I call it entitlement trouble. Like that little hate group London fought against. It’s the same thing. They want what is theirs and what is everyone else’s. I think we probably persuaded them to stay away. I delivered what was left of their fighters to their doorstep, guts and all, because I think losing you would be a terrible fate for the Moonscale Flight.”
“I bet you say that to everyone,” I rolled my eyes because really, what the bloody hell was I supposed to say?
“I do not,” I frowned. “They don’t make alphas like they used to.”
“You’re an alpha,” I pointed out.
“I am and that’s why I have room to speak,” he shrugged. “They don’t make alphas like they used to. There is this divide between being a protector and a present parent and I hate it. You don’t give up one for the other. So, I meant what I said about your mother. Whatever she did, whatever her reasons, she brought you up alright. As for the rock,” he smirked. “Well, just be glad it was that and not a knife pulled on you.”
“Did your mate do that to you too?” I asked and winced, hoping I didn’t hurt a sore spot.
“Not so much. We met in the Other World and I was the one to pull a sword,” he smirked.
Did this ancient draconic ancestor of mine really just tell a dick joke?”
“I did,” he nodded and then laughed. “Dick jokes predate Earthside. I need a favor.”
“I’m not talking to Delin.”
“Okay. Well, that’s not the favor. You don’t owe me anything, but I’d like you to convince your mate to hire me. He doesn’t even have to pay me. Just let me work at the playroom.”
