“I keep… I’m gonna wake up and you won’t be here.” Gabriel shuddered and clutched tighter then sank into limp bliss as Sacha stroked over his neck slowly until his breathing became rhythmic and shallow.

  Sacha pulled his phone out, connecting to the plane’s Wi-Fi so he could check his messages. Leo and Hallr hadn’t messaged him, so he took it as a good sign that his son hadn’t laid yet.

  I got him. We’re on our way home with company. All is well. Sacha sent the mass text out and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him by force.

  Sacha woke a few hours later, Gabriel grinding his hips into Sacha’s side. Sitting up, he looked down to see Gabriel’s pitiable pleading expression.

  “I thought your heat was over, love?” Sacha searched the feelings in him, and the raw urgency that coursed through Gabriel burned in his belly. Not heat but the aftershocks.

  “Want,” Gabriel whined.

  “Okay, just roll over and—yeah, there we go.” Sacha didn’t need much prompting to spring to life for Gabriel. His insistent gyrations stirred him long before his quiet whimpers and increasing need did.

  “Okay, be quiet while we do this, ok?” Sacha kissed the back of Gabriel’s neck, rubbing his fingers along the Dette’s slick crease. Sacha teased Gabriel open then pushed inside, sinking into blissful warmth.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Gabriel

  The world had changed so much since he’d left. The miles of forest he saw once upon a time shifted into miles of pavement. Sacha probably saw worse in his heyday, being two-hundred years older than Gabriel. The days of carriages had come and gone in his lifetime. There was always a gap between them, a distance of years that made him feel defensive, and a need to prove his worth.

  Lying in bed with Sacha cradling him in his arms, his ass full and warm with Sacha’s softening cock slipping out, Gabriel believed the world could change. A boiling heat nestled happily in his belly, tamed down by the fresh seed.

  When he woke again, Sacha’s warm body protectively wrapped around him, a gentle pressure of cautious steps trekked across their blankets and two quiet Dette pups with pretty green scales snuck into their bed.

  “Suyin fall asleep?” Gabriel yawned, unphased as the pups cuddled in. At their size and age, they weren’t ready to breathe fire or capable of flight. They were cat-sized and cautious things, seeking warmth and comfort. Sacha fidgeted around beneath the blankets, pulling his pants up quickly as Gabriel did the same for his underwear. Everything else laid on the floor beside the bed.

  “Mrah!” Michael declared before the motion of hands beneath the sheets drew their attentive eyes.

  Raphael attacked the movement of the cover and Sacha groaned. “Alright, enough scales right now.” He pinched their necks and tugged, one after the other, gently slipping them back into their flesh. Gabriel plucked them up and went off in search of diapers. Keeping the pups in flesh was going to be difficult.

  “Suyin?” Gabriel called out as he walked the length of the plane. The Dette sat up from a rumpled bed and moved, hand crumpling in a ripped diaper. He grimaced and found them to be dry, thankfully, and gave Gabriel a half smile. “They crawled into our bed. Getting them diapered up before we fall back asleep. Any idea how long we have left in the flight?”

  Suyin checked his phone, squinting at the numbers. “Probably another four or five hours? That won’t cover us for customs. We get private inspection and clearance, so we can take longer, but it’s less hassle.” Flying had changed dramatically since the last time Gabriel flew in an airplane.

  “Okay. Gonna go back to bed with the pups, then. You get some sleep.” Gabriel tossed a few diapers on the boys and brought them back to bed with a snuggle. “Little monsters.”

  “Pa!” Michael shouted and Raphael echoed.

  Gabriel enjoyed the warmth of Sacha, his even breathing, the pups that looked to him for protection. Sacha’s arm reached over, sandwiching them all together.

  ***

  A warm hand cupped against Gabriel’s cheek. “Wake up, Gabe. We’ve landed.” Sacha adjusted his clothes and brushed his lips over Gabriel’s forehead.

  Gabriel sat up, gathering the pups. Little cries of “Pa!” came from them and Gabriel dressed. He still wasn’t making eye contact with Sacha as much as a human should be. He had to keep reminding himself to meet Sacha’s eyes, and the sadness in them made Gabriel want to seek comfort in his touch. Dragons craved affection, physical contact, warmth, and the ability to provide resources. A dragon that could make the shiniest nest while feeding and protecting their mate was truly skilled indeed.

  A purring noise wavered from Gabriel’s throat as he bumped into Sacha and rubbed his head affectionately against his chest. “Mate. Mate protect. Mate love. Mine.”

  “Hey, hey, Gabe. I hear a bit of the monster, hmm? I want your flesh right now. Leo needs to see his papa, not his lizard, ok?” Sacha cradled Gabe to his chest and sighed softly, soothing him.

  “I’m sorry. You’ve just made my dragon so happy. I’m happy, too.” Gabriel rubbed his face into Sacha’s chest again and Gabriel’s face pushed right into the mark over his heart. Sacha cupped his hand against the back of Gabriel’s head and held him there for a lingering moment until the squeal of an excited pup echoed between the twins.

  Almost instinctively, Sacha reached to sling one onto his hip and Gabriel cautiously took the other, Raphael. Michael waved his arms up and tugged on the collar of Sacha’s shirt, trying to climb. His sweet brown eyes gleaming up at Sacha curiously.

  “Where are we going now?” Gabriel cradled Raphael nervously, worried what would happen to the pups he’d cared for, worried about the world he’d left for so long, his sire and dam, and how they’d react to his return. As a marked Dette, Sacha would have to pay dearly or face consequences.

  “Well, if you’re up to it, we can go see Leo first. We need to see him soon because Hallr said he’s close to nesting.” Sacha checked his phone and sighed with relief. “What’s on your mind, Firefly?” Sacha leaned over to kiss the top of Gabriel’s head. The affectionate nickname an old throwback to their den days. The days where Gabriel was used like an object, doing his duty to his clan, willingly, albeit grudgingly. It was never a chore with Sacha though. Sacha was easy to fall in love with, his moments of reprieve.

  “Scared. Too much change. Too long a dragon,” Gabriel said, wincing.

  “Come on. Leo wants to meet you.”

  “He’s going to be mad at me.” Gabriel fidgeted nervously.

  “Gabe, he’s not mad at you. He had a lot of time to think about his life and how he ended up. He was angry at one point, yes, but he’s so unbelievably excited. Hallr promised Leo anything, anything he was capable of, and Leo said he wanted a family.” Sacha drew his fingers through Gabriel’s hair. “He started with the pups and found me and you through a blood test. I’ve been searching for you since to tell you, and when we found out, Hallr made sure I had all those nestblossom flowers. I paid for them dearly, but Hallr refused to let me pay unless the money went into the pups’ horde. Leo wants you, and Hallr helped so much.”

  Gabriel shivered, leaning into the touch. “Really? Do you think he’ll be mad that I got Raf and Mike?”

  “No. I bet you he’d be ecstatic and play with them. He’s the sweetest and orneriest creature ever. Reminds me of you. Only, he can get away with all the crap you never could. Hallr puts no leash on him.” Sacha smiled. “And I don’t think I’d ever put one on you again, ever. I find the freedom and energy refreshing.”

  A soft smile stretched across Gabriel’s face, and he paused. “Alright. We can see him. Then we can go to your home. Are you still living with Duke?”

  Sacha shook his head. “Gods, no. Not a month after you left, I left. I only moved to Leo’s neighborhood when they found him a few years back. I bought my own place nearby to help with the pups. Haven’t done much to decorate it. Most of my rooms are empty and my staff is in want of things to do constantly.”

  Gabriel stared down at his feet for a moment, clutching tighter to the pup in his arms as he flailed and managed to get a handful of hair and pulled. Gabriel huffed with annoyance and disentangled the pup.

  “Come on. Let’s go.” Sacha led Gabriel from the plane, Suyin in tow. Today would be a long day, but a good one. Gabriel just had to believe.

  Chapter Twenty

  Sacha

  It’d been a long time since Gabriel had seen the human luxuries of his homeland. The car they rode in, sleek and new, moved soundlessly with rich cool air flowing through. The smell of new leather tickled Gabriel’s senses. The dashboard, barely visible through the barrier window separating the back of the limousine from the front, flashed with technology and numbers.

  Computers were more mainstream and so much smaller. Cell phones had enamored him completely; the speed and brilliance of it delighted him. “So, how do I click things?” Gabriel kept trying to drag his finger to pull the “cursor.” Raphael, as quick as any child, seemed to get it almost immediately and poked things until Sacha’s meditation app shrieked at him in harsh German.

  It startled Gabriel so much that he dropped the phone and shouted with surprise, shivering. “Why does it do that?”

  “Well, if you hit the right buttons, it can…” Sacha picked it up and stared at the phone, brow furrowed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Sacha turned the phone to face Gabriel and laughed. Everything on the screen was in Hebrew, and Raphael screamed out with amusement. “Even I don’t know how he did this.”

  Sacha flicked his finger about the screen until he got into Settings and poked enough pictograms to get his phone back to normal. Gabriel sighed with relief. “Phones are so much different now.”

  “Oh yeah.” Sacha sent out a few text messages and Hallr responded.

  “Who’s the ‘Viking Asshole?’” Gabriel squinted down as Sacha fired off another text.

  “Uh…” Sacha stared at his phone screen for a lingering moment and cleared his throat. “Hallr.”

  “Well, that’s kind of rude.” Gabriel frowned.

  A text message popped up in a bubble from Hallr. Annie is climbing up the walls. He wants to meet Gabe, so no worries about that.

  “Who’s Annie?” Gabe watched the phone screen wearily.

  “You know how I called you ‘Firefly’?”

  Gabriel tilted his head and blinked up at Sacha, his bright eyes gleaming curiously.

  “That’s what Hallr calls Leo.”

  Gabriel’s soft lips formed a small o of realization then stretched into a precious smile of awe. Emotions that Sacha hadn’t had in years boiled within his chest, and nothing could convince him he deserved any of it.

  “We’re nearly there,” Suyin said, interrupting the moment. Gabriel’s little smile fled his face, transforming into a twist of concern.

  The car slowed down as they turned off of a main road and down a smaller one. Gabriel turned his head about, squinting through the tinted windows of their car. Precious golden scales hinted over Gabriel’s hands as he pressed them to the window, and Sacha imagined Gabriel’s tail swishing curiously.

  “Is that them?” Gabriel pressed his face to the window and stared out with excitement at the fence lining the road, tall and impressive. Dragon estates needed to afford a modicum of privacy. Magic could only do so much. And since the arrival of the pups, the fence had only gotten larger. Hallr took their security seriously.

  “Yep.”

  “Such a fortress.” Gabriel pressed his hands to the window and tugged at the seat belt, trying to get a better look. Raphael and Michael, probably sensing Gabriel’s growing excitement and unease, fidgeted in their car seats and screeched. Sacha soothed them with a few ruffles to their heads, and Suyin plucked at Michael’s toes.

  “Little angels,” Suyin said, laughing. Gabriel blushed and nodded.

  When they reached the gate, they rolled in smoothly to a circling drive with nestblossoms peppering the shadows of the yard surrounding it.

  “That bastard really did it. He’s got them growing everywhere. Like weeds,” Gabriel gasped as he looked through the windows.

  Suyin and Sacha went about unbuckling the pups and Sacha took a deep breath.

  “Just a warning... The pups are rambunctious.” Sacha settled Raphael on his hip and reached around Gabriel to open the car door. He hesitated, sitting on the clean leather of the seat, trembling at the bright sunlit yard and the imposing door.

  “I promise, Gabe. It’s alright.” Sacha coaxed Gabriel out of the car and led everyone inside while the driver went to park the car. Gabriel clutched Raphael and stayed in Sacha’s shadow, eyes darting around timidly. Gabriel closed the door behind them and glanced around.

  “Pups! Grandpa’s back!” Sacha shouted out.

  An army of golden and black pups scrambled from a hallway to the left, skidding on gleaming stone floors.

  Gabriel gasped and Sacha sidestepped expertly, swiping Raphael from Gabriel’s arms just in time for Storm to collide right against Gabriel’s legs. The pup blinked up at Gabe with blue-green eyes so similar to Gabe’s. Golden scales and black claws mirrored Sacha’s. “Pup…” Gabe coughed a soft sob, bending over to stroke Storm’s head. He chittered and purred in the way that Dette pups could, sending Gabriel into watery laughs.

  Sacha looked away from Gabriel’s amusement, glimpsing Leo standing in the hallway, staring at the interaction with nervous excitement.

  “That him?” Leo mouthed. Sacha nodded and walked over to Leo, reaching out for his hand. They sat for a moment, letting Gabe calm down with the pups until Leo’s brows knit together in horrified amusement.

  “Uhh…” Leo started. “Hallr?” Leo leaned around Sacha and barked out a sharp laugh. Hallr stood a few feet away from Gabriel, hand cocked and ready to swat his bottom. Hallr shrieked, an unmanly scream as he went wild-eyed and turned beet red.

  Gabriel looked over his shoulder curiously, blinking up at Hallr with a nervous twitch.

  “Gods, you two look… From behind.” Hallr’s face went redder as he tried to explain. “I didn’t… I wouldn’t!”

  Leo fell out laughing, eyes watering with joy. Any other Dette should have been hissing angrily, especially seeing how close he was to laying. Dettes could be territorial over their Drakes.

  “Oh, my gods, the look on your face! Cheezus, Hallr!” Leo wheezed laughing, holding onto his rounded belly.

  “Aside from hair color, they look so similar,” Suyin commented.

  “I…I didn’t. I just—” Hallr, still high-pitched and nervous, whimpered.

  Leo strode out past Sacha and grabbed Hallr’s arm, pulling him back for a lingering hug. “Go hang with Pops. I want to meet… What do I call him? Dad? Dad sounds right. Yeah.”

  Gabriel’s eyes went wide and gleamed, tears watering in them. He opened his mouth to speak a few times and whimpered. “L-L-Leo?”

  Leo stepped forward as Gabriel trembled, scales prickling up his arms. Leo canted his head, staring at Gabe for a moment before stretching a hand out.

  Sacha flinched and twitched like he wanted to intervene. “Gabe’s kinda feral still,” Sacha hissed.

  Hallr held him back and nodded. “Amazing instincts. Watch.”

  Leo didn’t reach for Gabe but put his hand out to bring his scent into Gabriel’s proximity. “Come on. Let’s go outside. Your dragon wants out, and I don’t mind.” Leo smiled, keeping his lips closed. “Everyone. We’re going out back to play. Pups, file out,” Leo spoke firmly, voice raised only a marginal amount. All of his pups went still at his word and filed out with an orderly scamper.

  Gabriel reached out and took Leo’s hand with slight awe.

  “Now calm down so we can have scale time outside.” Leo guided Gabriel out, following the pups.

  They barely made it out of the door before Gabriel tugged at his shirt anxiously. Leo did the same, naturally taking to this new way of life. Gabriel was in his dragon, panting nervously before any of them could reckon with it, and Leo, still in his flesh, smiled up at Gabriel.

  “Dammit. I think you’re bigger than me.” Leo sighed and shifted, standing proudly before Gabriel, and indeed a few feet shorter but not much, comparatively. Gabriel was a small dragon to begin with, but Leo was a runt. Leo’s dragon’s belly bore the telltale bulge of being soon to birth.

  Gabriel stared at Leo’s form, his silver scales and blue eyes. The only sign of Gabriel’s influence in his form were his horns and stature. Gabriel extended his head, snuffling and sniffing over Leo curiously, his tail twitching. Leo stayed still.

  Sacha didn’t know if Hallr had noticed it yet, but Leo had an unusually cooperative relationship with his dragon, and his instinct was always spot-on. He was more than “good instinct.” Leo twitched his tail and made a cheerful noise before pushing back against Gabriel, purring happily. As a pregnant Dette close to laying, with his young pups nearby, this strange dragon should have made his dragon angry beyond compare. But he bleated happily and nuzzled over his Dette father, butting heads and clacking horns affectionately. While Leo’s horns only had a few points, Gabriel’s boasted far more, but still less than Sacha’s great set.

  Leo, instead of shifting back, beckoned Gabriel off the patio and into the grass before calling the pups. The army of youths stormed Leo, crawling all over him with noises of happiness. The two pups in Sacha and Suyin’s arms flailed before shifting themselves and scampering to join the older pups. Leo looked down at the two new pups and Gabriel froze, snorting defensively. The new little German pups wallowed in the grass and flailed. Leo head-butted Gabriel’s neck gently, breaking the feral moment. Leo huffed happily, shaking his head a bit.

  Completely disarmed, Gabriel flustered, and the tiny pups took shelter under his limbs, yapping at the other pups. Cinder, as bold as brass and comparatively smaller than his brothers, darted between Gabriel’s legs and sniffed the smaller pups, making the little ones yap and complain, not in fear but in inconvenience. And beyond all reason, Gabriel huffed a few times. Short little snorts at first then quick chuffs that shook his belly, and Leo head-butted Gabriel before Sacha could run out and intervene.