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I’m fine. I’m just tired and I’m hot, and I miss you. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.

Because he didn’t want to be a grump. He didn’t want to whine. He didn’t want to be a bad dragon. He just didn’t want to be alone all the time, but if they were trying to save the children, sometimes a dragon had to do shit he didn’t like, and sometimes he just had to cope with it.

So, doing things he didn’t like was part of the grind.

He closed his eyes and made the water swirl around him so that it wasn’t so still.

I miss you too.

Harden shrugged. I know, but it doesn’t matter. I still have to do my job, and you still have to do your job. I don’t think I want to be pregnant. I don’t think I want to have a baby.

No? Why not?

Because who wants to bring a baby into this world? Dragons are taking babies, dragons are mean, dragons are trying to steal ysidri. I don’t want to cope with it. It didn’t used to be awful⁠—

And you worry that it’s our fault that it is awful.

I didn’t say that, he snapped at Brayden. You know that I don’t believe that.

Well, it’s probably true. That doesn’t make it right. It just makes it true. Brayden sighed. We’ve spoken about it, the Guardians, and we believe that suddenly there are many new dragons, not just here but all over the world, coming in and changing things in Lunastra — new energy, new magic, new life. To the people in charge, that’s scary, so they’re trying to keep control, and also you harness magic. Our magic is a little more wild than yours, isn’t it?

He slowly nodded. He’d seen that himself. He believed it.

I think that’s because in our old world we had so little magic that here we’re overloading the system. Brayden chuckled. But I want to be with you more. A few more weeks, love. Then the younger dragons Cade chose to be defenders will be trained, and I can be home so much more. And I’ll help more now. Do more of the work on the ranch.

I know you have to think that I’m just— He shut his mouth and took a deep breath. It’s ridiculous. I’m just being ridiculous. Maybe I’m just tired. I know I’m overheated. I apologize. Maybe I should just go to Tyr’s and get in the water there.

Although it felt really good here, and he wasn’t going to complain.

Love. No apologies needed. You feel how you feel, and I understand. You’ve taken on a lot. Brayden splashed him, ever so gently.

He hummed, the water cooling him, making his body relax.

And you are growing our child. Creating someone out of our love, our mating, our magic.

Every word from Brayden made his breath come easier.

I’m so proud of you, baby. I know how hard you’re working in all ways. And I’ll help more. There’s no need to feel bad about this. Brayden came to rub noses with him, gently touching but not pressing against his body.

I’m so tired, love. But this? This was better. This was almost good.

I’m sorry, love. Let’s cool you off, and then you can have a wee nap. Brayden started splashing water over him. It felt so lovely. Cooler, too, as if maybe Zeke was up at the spring mouth of the stream, blowing ice on it.

He began to relax, melting into the water, trusting his mate to watch over him.

Harden could even take a nap here and he knew Brayden would be right there for him, standing guard. So that was exactly what he did. He allowed himself to doze off, head bobbing, the water pushing at him but not hard enough to make him slide downstream.

Brayden was leaning against him, keeping him upright because he was no longer a dragon. He had reverted to his human form. That way they matched better in size. Who knew how magic worked? Whatever it was, it felt good. Brayden was propping him up, keeping him from slipping along with the current.

He took a deep breath and leaned in, snuggling now that his temper and his temperature had cooled.

Better?

So much better, mate. Thank you.

You’re welcome. You tell me when you’re ready to go home, and you can nap on the lounge chairs outside while I cook supper.

The air around them was cooler now, the sun much lower.