“That’s quite the simplification,” Ivar quipped, joining their tiny circle. They all stared at him. “What? I heard my name.”
“You were across the room!”
Ivar laughed. “You were deep in discussion, and I was already heading here. I came to tell you that Lian and I are retiring for the evening. There’s more nest-making to be done, I’m sure.”
Lian lumbered over and bumped Ivar with her snout. Ivar petted her head and scratched at her eyeridge. “I was just saying good night, my love. Manning… we’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Of course, General. Good night.”
They watched Lian herd her mate out of the room, their spot beside Manning replaced by Svandis, Mak, and Kel. Another round of goodbyes and goodnights, then another by Jules, Nik, Mama and Pap, until the only ones remaining were their triad, their children, Dizuno, and Sekvyn.
Dizuno snuggled a sleeping Raisa on his lap while Sekvyn entertained Reykos with a finger game Brandt barely remembered playing when he was a child. Best he could recall there was adding and subtracting involved. Still he smiled to see his son so engaged.
Kayluth ambled to stand at his uncle’s shoulder, looking down at their daughter. Raisa’s pale pink gemstones swayed as Dizuno rocked her, and a spike of jealousy lanced Brandt. He hustled over and held out his arms for his daughter, needing to hold her close for a while. In his haste to rescue Kayluth, he’d forgotten about his children, and that was something that could never happen again.
Dizuno rose and gently laid Raisa in Brandt’s arms. He brushed her braids off her forehead. “You are very lucky, Vidar. My ssobroke and I have yet to find a third or a daragoy we both love to bear uss children.”
The jealousy fled from Brandt upon hearing Dizuno’s lament. Not knowing what to say to comfort Kayluth’s uncle, he nodded that he’d heard and gave the Drakken a soft smile.
“Perhapss you will find ssomeone for both of you here, Uncle,” Kayluth said. “Volé hass been kind to our people. Many have found preciouss daragoy to sshare their livess with, ssome have even found their ssobroke.”
“From your lipss to Dracco’ss earss,” Dizuno prayed, throwing an arm around Kayluth’s shoulders and giving him a side clench.
“Dizuno,” Sekvyn said, leading Reykos over, “let me show you to a room you can use for the night. Our Vidareem need to put their babes to bed, and then find their own.” Sekvyn winked at Brandt as he stared gaping at the lieutenant's sass.
Brandt, however, wasn’t going to counter Sekvyn’s proposal as it freed them to return to their quarters. Kayluth hoisted a yawning Reykos to his hip, and after more pleasant good nights, Brandt and his husbands headed for their rooms.
Manning
With one babe already sleeping, it took barely any time before Manning, Brandt and Kayluth had the other tucked into bed. They convened in their bedroom behind closed doors. Without saying a word, each turned off all their personal communication devices. The only way to reach them would be via emergency protocols, and—seriously—if anyone thought to disturb them with something insignificant, Manning would have them stripped of their rank and ordered to do scut work for the next year. Bjorn would back him up.
Thinking of his brother, Manning wondered how he fared with Tyr and the Fenrir. “What is Bjorn’s new mate’s name?”
Kayluth paused in the untying of his belt. Brandt stilled as he knelt at Kay’s feet, where he’d been assisting in the removal of their husband’s knee-high boots. Both stared at Manning in shocked amazement.
“Sorry,” Manning murmured, heat rising in his cheeks, “he popped into my head, and we haven’t had a tarran to ourselves to talk about what happened.”
Brandt leaned forward and rested his forehead against Kayluth’s thigh. Kay dusted his fingertips through Brandt’s hair then held a hand out to Manning. He rushed across their bedroom to his husband’s side. Manning took Kay’s hand in both of his, raised it to his mouth, and kissed the palm before he added his touch to Brandt’s shoulder and neck.
Manning supposed he had it easier this time, being the one left behind, but now he knew how his mates had felt when Tore had kidnapped him almost a sun-cycle ago. He’d felt bereft and alone whereas for them, they’d been together, regardless of the fact that Kay had been stuck in his drakken form. Howhadthey survived those helpless feelings for the month-cycle he’d been missing?
“My love,” Kayluth cupped Manning’s cheek, rubbing the pad of his thumb across Manning's lips. “Let uss get comfortable in bed, then we can each tell our sside of the sstory.”
Manning pursed his lips for another press of them to Kayluth’s thumb, but Kay swiftly leaned down and stole a kiss. He sighed at the slight pressure of Kayluth’s mouth on his, parting his lips to invite his mate to deepen the contact. Kayluth accepted, drawing Manning against his body as he extended their kiss to include his tongue and the tease of nibbling teeth.
Brandt’s agile fingers pushed and pulled at Manning’s clothes, ridding him of boots, socks, leggings, belt, but then it was his husband’s mouth on his cock, purging his mind of all thought.
Kayluth snorted. “Sso much for talking.” He cupped the back of Brandt’s head and pushed their mate to bob faster.
Manning groaned, scrambling to hold onto Kayluth when his knees turned to water. “Talk later,” he huffed, drawing Kay’s mouth back to his.
Kayluth straddled Brandt to meet Manning straight on. He used his pelvis to push Brandt deeper, using his legs and body to direct their husband’s movements. Kay palmed Manning’s ass while Brandt held tightly to the back of his thighs. They continued in this manner for several tarrans until Brandt pulled off Manning’s cock with an audible pop, and fell to the side.
Brandt knelt beside them silently until they both gazed down at him. “I had an idea.”
Manning smirked. “Will I like this idea?” He leaned against Kayluth when his mate slid an arm around his waist.
Brandt glanced away, nibbling on his lower lip. He didn’t look up when he said, “I think so.”
