by Honor James
Violet got dry with the far too helpful hands of Ladon and Viper. Damn those two for telling her once more that they had to go, or she would have thanked them properly for having dried her so well.
Almost right on the twenty minute mark the trio was standing inside of the kitchen, the barely contained chaos called to Violet and had her grinning. She watched as Volos and Drake tried to take the baby from Azure, who was walking with the baby, feeding her and talking to her. It was, well, it was nice. To see them acting as they did. She liked it.
Clearing her throat she said, “I think that we were called to breakfast?”
“Violet!” Cook bellowed. The woman came bulldozing through, knocking both Drake and Volos back, giving Azure an opening to keep moving freely. Cook scooped up Violet and gave her a squeeze. “You are too thin, already your mates are not looking after you as they should. Shameful how they are these days. In my days—” She stopped. Clearing her throat, she waved that off. “Come, eat. You need some meat on your bones so they have something to hold onto.”
She saw the look that Ladon and Viper shared. Nothing was on their faces, but their eyes were definitely expressive. Very.
Violet felt offended by Cook because of how she had put down her mates. She didn’t move. Instead she backed away from Cook and stood between her mates once more, taking both of their hands in hers. “Cook, I’ve known you for a very long time, and you have been a good friend to me. However please do not say things like that about my mates again. I love them, a great deal, and it makes me very angry to hear you bashing them as you just did. They take marvelous care of me. I have only known them a day and half, at most, so if anyone hasn’t cared for me that would be on my shoulders. Not theirs. So I would appreciate it if you would apologize to them.”
Drake was looking at her, a worried expression on his face. Volos was grinning, likely since he’d managed to scoop Rain from a distracted Azure.
“Violet,” Viper said softly. “Don’t,” he added. He slid an arm around her waist and squeezed, putting his lips to her ear. “It’s fine, and there’s no reason to be so upset. We knew she would do this, it’s her way. Let it go.”
“But I am upset.” Violet turned and looked up at Viper. “I’m offended as well. I’ve known Cook for a very long time, I know her true name as well, and for her to say that.” She took a breath. “It bothers me to the depths of my soul. You have both been nothing but good to me from the moment you met me. So yes, yes I am bothered by it.”
“Why?” he asked softly. He had his forehead resting to hers as he stared down into her eyes. “Why does it bother you so much, little one?” He waited on her answer as Ladon moved closer, protecting her back.
“Because you are mine,” she whispered. “And for her to cast doubts on how well you care for me means that she isn’t happy with this bonding. That offends me. I’m very happy with being bonded to the two of you, so she should be happy for me. Damn it.”
He continued to stare into her eyes for long moments. “What do you want to do?” he asked quietly, like they were the only ones in the space. There were lots of people in the kitchens at that time of day, but for them, it was just their triad. Viper at her front, Ladon at her back, and her perfectly ensconced in the middle.
“I just want to be happy,” Violet finally said quietly. “I want to share a meal with everyone, and then begin to meet the Draygons one at a time to help ease the infertility that has been cursed upon the Draygons. I then want to go home. Please tell me that you have a home here?” Their home was hers.
“We do,” Ladon said softly. “We’ll take you there whenever you are ready.”
Cook nodded and smacked Drake’s shoulder. “Told you that your daddy knew what he was doing when he sent those two off. And you doubted the old bugger,” she snorted. “Fill your plates and eat already. You are very well mated, Violet. The Gods chose well for all three of you.”
Violet smiled and bowed her head to Cook. “They did at that.” She looked up at Viper and then to Ladon. “I will be ready once we have eaten and given our hugs to everyone here. And after I’ve had a bit of time with little Rain. Then we can go home, please?” She wanted their next night to be spent in the comforts of their own home.
While the palace was beautiful and comfortable, she was feeling a little on edge and simply wanted to be alone with her mates, no one else.
With a nod from each of her men, Drake let out a breath. “Okay then, grab some food and if you can manage to pry Rain out of Volos’s arms, you can cuddle her all you want. But eat first if you would, you really didn’t get a lot to eat last night, Violet.”
“Sounds good.” She hadn’t eaten a great deal in the last few nights but that wasn’t their fault. It was all her fault, and she accepted it. “I am sure that I will be able to have some Rain time, all I have to do is remind him that if we are cuddling and caring for Rain they can have alone time.”
“Very good point,” Ladon said with a laugh. He tugged on her hand to pull her over to the table laden down with food. Passing her a plate, he set a fork on top and let her go ahead of him. He and Viper both grabbed plates and began to load on the bloody looking steaks.
“I think I will take mine more well done that that, please.” Violet didn’t want anything bloody that morning, at all. “And thankfully Cook has seen to it that Azure and I can at least have meat that isn’t still furry and breathing.” She shuddered. She recognized that Draygons liked their meat very bloody, but by the Saints, it was almost as if the meat was still alive.
Ladon chuckled at that. “It’s not furry,” he said. He lifted his plate and took a close look, though. “Nope, not furry. Cook ensures that all of that comes off, it’s so hard to get out of your teeth.”
Viper shot him a look that clearly said to shut the fuck up.
“So not funny,” Violet grumbled and shot both men a nasty look. She had to fight back the grin she had, however. It was actually funny, all of it. She liked it. She liked being able to tease these men and enjoy their company. She liked the little remarks that they sent back at her. It was, well, it was damn nice.
“Ignore him, Vi,” Viper muttered. “I’m very sure he’s suffered from some sort of brain injury that shuts off the part of his brain that should keep him from being an idiot.”
“Nope, never had that part to start with,” Ladon said with a smirk.
“Well, that explains a hell of a lot.” Viper glowered at him and shook his head.
“It’s okay. He will apologize later when I want to cuddle with you, but I just won’t be able to find it in me to cuddle with Ladon because he eats raw animals.” She was teasing him, winking at Ladon as she spoke. “He will have to do much to make that up to me.”
“He’s eating practically raw animal, too,” Ladon said, pointing to Viper’s plate.
“I’m not crass enough to fucking mention it. Which is her point,” Viper growled at him. He muttered something under his breath, but it was in the Draygon tongue and not one of the words she actually knew from her time spent with them.
“Exactly.” Violet replied and nodded. “Because love you like I do, just the thought of how you guys like to eat it makes me queasy. I’ve never been good with bloody meats, ever.” She had always had trouble with meats that were medium rare and below. She liked her meats without pink in them. Period.
Viper put a hand on her back and rubbed gently. “Come on, let’s get you sitting down so you can eat. If we’re heading home today you may want to grab a bit more. The Gods only know what’s actually in our fridge.”
Cook clucked her tongue. “I will pack you a basket so you all eat well. No meats that are undercooked though.”
“Thank you,” Violet said with a grin. She then looked back up to Viper and shrugged. “You could always send a runner ahead. Have someone clean out the fridge and pantries and get fresh and edible foods as well. It’s doable you know. Especially since we have the big Grand Poohbah here with us.” She shot a look to Drake a
nd grinned. His father had hated when she found that term and used it on him.
Drake didn’t look particularly happy with her either at the use. “She’s right, we can send a few of the staff to get things ready,” he said.
Viper nodded slowly at that. “Might be an idea to at least air it out. It’s been closed up tight since we left ten years ago. I know some of the villagers tend to the grounds and any fixes on the house that are needed, but nothing beyond that. We’ll need to get it cleaned up a bit likely. Course, it’s not huge, so a couple of people could have it done in a few hours.”
“I’ll send a few off,” Drake said. “I’m sure there are a few standing around looking bored.”
“Thank you, Drake. That would be very helpful and nice. I would rather go home to a cleaned out and fresh home than go home to one that we would have to clean. And don’t get me started on spiders.” It was odd, that was one insect that lived on both Earth and all Realms. And she hated them. Immensely.
“You have an issue with spiders?” Volos asked curiously. “Can I ask why? I know that Azy isn’t overly fond of them, but I’ve never had anyone actually give me any good reason for why they dislike them so much.”
Viper urged her to the table, pulling out a chair for her to sit down on.
“I was on Earth and in the Congo, fifteen years ago I think?” She asked with a frown. “Anyway, one massive”—she held her hand out and spanned it at least nine inches—”spider climbed into my bedroll. It bit me, and I found out the hard way just what it was to have that toxin running through my body. I nearly died and likely would have, if not for a Vhampire who knew what to do and saved my bacon. I was very thankful for her.” She got a sad look on her face. “She was killed two weeks after I was back on my feet,” she whispered softly. “Terrible loss. So yes, I hate spiders and do not want one within a mile of me. If I see one, no matter how small, the scar on my lower inner right thigh throbs, and I scream. I jump on the nearest highest thing and scream until it’s gone.” Sadly she wasn’t lying.
Volos’s eyes were huge as he stared at her. “Damn, that’s nasty,” he muttered. He then shot her mates a look and smirked. “Considering their height I’m thinking you’d be scaling them fairly quickly if one dared to make an appearance.”
Drake scooped Rain out of Volos’s arms with a smirk. “You snooze you lose,” he said to his friend. “Hello, darling,” he cooed down at the baby.
Violet looked up at her mates and grinned. “Somehow I don’t see them being too put out by me climbing all over them. I could be wrong, am I?” She teased her rather massive mates. “Then again, I’m not exactly a short fry by any standard.” She was six foot tall and far taller than many of her sex, sadly.
“You are perfect as you are,” Viper said. He reached out to brush a strand of her hair from her cheek, gently tucking it behind her ear. “Eat,” he ordered. Ladon was already stuffing his mouth full of food as Viper began to cut into his own steaks.
Violet did just that. She ate quickly and rose to take her dishes away. When she came back, however, she saw that Drake was in deep conversation with Azure and plucked the baby from his arms with a laugh. “What was it you said? Oh yes, you snooze you lose.” She looked down at the baby and smiled. “Hello, little Rain.” She moved back to her place between her mates, knowing that they would ensure she had some time with the baby and keep Drake and Volos from sneaking in and taking the child.
“Gotta admit, she’s pretty damn cute,” Ladon said. He wiggled his fingers at Rain, grinning when the little Draygon tried to catch them.
Viper just watched her, nodding slightly, a small smile on his lips. After a moment he went back to eating, still watching her, though, as he did so.
“You will both make such great dads,” Violet said as she teased and played with the small Draygon child in her arms. “Won’t they, little Rain. What do you think, a little friend to come along soon to play with you? Someone to conspire with to make us all loopy?” She asked playfully.
“Uh, is there something else you need to share with us, Violet?” Ladon asked, an amused look on his face. He knew as well as she did that they weren’t expecting yet. But obviously he wasn’t above teasing her a little.
“What part of I’m the key to curing the Draygon infertility issue did you not understand?” Violet asked with a laugh, once more looking down at Rain. “I think that your Uncle Ladon has forgotten just how babies are made. That’s okay, though, I’m more than happy to teach him. Maybe he will figure it out one day.” She was teasing her mate, and happy she was able to do just that.
“Oh, I’m definitely not forgetting how babies come to be. Though I am a little rusty,” he said. Viper snorted at that. “I’m all for lots of practice, lots and lots of practice. Once you’re well rested, though, not before.”
“Once we are home,” Violet agreed with a smile. “And then I’m all for lots and lots of practice. I think that we all might need it.” She was teasing him and shifted the baby in her arms, accepting the bottle that Cook silently brought over. “Oh, you were looking for this?” She asked the baby before starting to feed her.
“She goes through bouts where she seems constantly hungry,” Volos said. He came around and sat across from her at the table. “We let her feed whenever she wants. She was starved so badly in her early days.” He sighed and shook his head. “I’m just glad she’s starting to come into her own finally. She’s actually behaving as a child should, instead of peering fearfully around the room all the time.”
“You poor sweetheart,” Violet whispered and leaned in to kiss the baby’s forehead. “She’s healing. She lived through so much pain in her short life. She’s coming through, however, with the love that you and everyone gives her. Just make sure that your voices aren’t raised around her for a time. Poor kid likely heard so much yelling in her short life.” And screams. She had certainly been told about how the baby was found, and it broke Violet’s heart.
“Trust me, she’s getting nothing but love and care,” Volos told her. “Hell, we haven’t spoken overly loud around her at all. We were there, we know just what she was put through, or at least what the end results were. Azy found out what was done to her.”
“She will not know a harsh word while under this roof,” Drake said softly behind her. “We made a pact to always keep our cool when in her presence. Not saying we won’t all blow up at some point, but we’re damn well going to ensure it’s not around her.”
“That’s good,” Violet said softly and looked down at the babe once more. “She’s such a sweetheart. It’s very good that you found her.” None of them wanted to think of what might have happened to the poor child had she not been found. “She’s a sign of hope. She’s the first of hopefully a great deal of Draygon babies.” It was actually good that the Draygons would be able to have children once more, especially if Drakos was serious about closing the Veil between Earth and the realms.
Drake shot her a look and nodded slowly. He knew what his father had planned, what the Council had planned. She could see it in his eyes.
Viper stood from the table and took his plate to the sink. When he came back, he set a glass of juice in front of her. “Cook told me to bring it. The ‘or else’ was implied, though,” he said softly. He touched a finger lightly to Rain’s cheek, and the baby grinned around her bottle.
Violet shifted slightly so that she could take a sip of the juice while still feeding Rain. “Thank you.” She set the glass back on the table, fully enamored with the baby in her arms. “She’s so lovable. I see why the two of you were distracted this morning by this little sweetheart.”
“It’s those big eyes,” Ladon said softly. He leaned closer, resting his arm along the back of her chair so his cheek was to hers.
“And her grin. When she smiles at you it makes you want to move the sky and grounds for her. It makes you want to move mountains for her and her alone.” Which was the truth. The child made people want to do things for her. It was surreal, ho
nestly.
“It’s just her,” Volos said with a chuckle. “She’s such a sweet, good baby. Rarely cries, is always happy to see you, reaches out for those she knows, and loves to cuddle. She really loves getting up next to Drake and listening to him as he does that growling rumble thing only Draygons can do well. She giggles every time, then wiggles in to sleep.”
That had Violet grinning and looking up at her Draygons. “I can understand that. I know that I happen to love it when my Draygons start to rumble as well. I rather adore that feeling and sound a great deal.”
“It’s comforting for the little ones,” Ladon told her. “At least so I’ve heard. The natural heat from an adult Draygon, as well as the rumble, soothes them. It gives them a sense of security and a knowledge they are protected. Until they come into the Draygon, and learn to control it, they are as vulnerable as any child.”
“This is very true.” She looked back down and then took the now empty bottle from the baby. Shifting her, she began to softly rub at her back while continuing to talk to her mates. “She will never know sadness again, hopefully no other child born in any of the Realms will ever know sadness again. It’s hopeful that with the closing of the Veil our Realms will once more find peace.”
“Closing the what?” Volos asked, staring at her. “Say again, woman?”
“Shit, Violet,” Drake muttered. “Way to stick your foot in it,” he said on a groan.
“Drakos and the Council, are thinking of pulling all those of the Races from Earth. Those that want to remain could, but they would be cut off. He wants to reinstate the Veil on a permanent basis,” Viper said. When everyone looked at him, he shrugged. “What? I pay attention to what’s not said more than what is.”
“I thought that at least the four of you would know,” Violet said with a frown. “This war with the humans is heating up again, and they are once more pulling away from the treaties that our peoples had in place. I’ve lived with them for hundreds of years, and they will never, ever see us as anything other than invaders. Even though we’ve saved many of their people’s lives and our technology has far advanced them from where they should be.” She sighed. “They will never want us in their world. Sad but very true.”