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“No, I mean I did this because we’re newly mated and whether or not you were pregnant, we need time to work on our mate bond.” He set the steak down in front of Harden. “I care too much for you to not work at this, Harden. If you’re feeling irritable and lonely and unhappy, then that means we need to spend the time to repair the bond.”
Harden glanced down at the meal he’d set in front of him and then up at Brayden. Brayden could see the wheels turning in his head. He could practically smell the smoke, although Harden was no fire dragon.
“I agree. We need time together to make things work, and I was feeling very alone in everything. Training with ciucui is hard right now. I feel as though I’m frustrated with them at every turn.”
He sat with his own food, then reached out to grab Harden’s hand. “Yeah, I don’t want that. I want you to feel like we’re in this together.”
“We are. We’re totally in this together.”
He grinned over their joined hands. “And now there’s steak and salad, which you love, with that dressing that I make that you like.”
The soft smile that replaced Harden’s frown was one he thought only he saw. It wasn’t one that he gave his friends or even his family, Brayden knew. “Thank you, Brayden, you’re a good mate. It’s safe though, yes? Someone is taking your patrols?”
“Someone is taking them. Someone who has been training now with Riley for as long as we’ve been doing this. Charlie thinks he’s ready to take over and do some chores on his own.”
Harden squeezed his hand and then let go so they could eat. “Then I am glad.”
They ate then, Harden making happy noises over the food, both of them feeding each other bites of steak and little tidbits from the salad. It felt… right. Like home, as if he hadn’t let himself miss it, but now he knew how distant he’d been.
Dammit.
He couldn’t do that again. Safety and security were important, but so was Harden. If his mate—all of their mates—were unhappy, then what good was a stronghold with amazing guardians?
There would be nothing to protect without the families and lives they were creating together.
Harden ate hearty, and Brayden gave him more salad, and a little of his steak, as well. He’d been eating his midday meal with the guardians at the pub to try to make things easier on Harden, but now he knew better.
His mate needed him. Harden wouldn’t ask, but he would show it in a dozen different ways. So Brayden vowed to be more present for him. To watch his baby growing as well.
This needed to be a good thing for Harden, not a burden.
Harden reached out and cupped his jaw. “You are my joy, mate.”
“Thank you.” He kissed Harden’s palm. “You’re quickly becoming my everything. So I want you to tell me if you ever feel this alone again, okay? No trying to dragon up and just take it.”
“No trying to just dragon up and take it,” Harden agreed then he winked. “Is that like Poe’s saying where he says ‘cowboy up’?”
“You do understand what that implies, right?” To make sure. Sometimes even though they sort of telepathically spoke the same language, things got lost in translation.
“I do. The phrase itself means to get up and do what you need to do without complaining, but if you are telling me not to do that, you mean ask for help dummy.”
“Goddess, I love you.” He got up to clear the dishes, giving them a quick wash before turning back to Harden. “What do I need to do this evening? Who needs feeding or exercising?”
“If you could just check in on the ciucui and make sure they’re all doing their jobs, and that the little ones don’t need to be cleaned up from being in their pen and having full bellies… Everyone else has been fed and exercised for the day.”
“I can do that. Why don’t you go lie down in the main room and lounge a little bit? Maybe read. Back in about half an hour.”
Harden studied him for a moment then nodded easily, a smile on his face. “I would love that. If I’m asleep when you come back, we will go to bed yes?”
“I promise. Maybe I can read to you.”
His words had Harden beaming at him. “I love it when you read to me, especially books about dragons or cowboys.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” He put that look on Harden’s face, and he loved that he thought maybe he’d saved the day. He had plans to spend more days like this and he and the guardian dragons would have to set a more reasonable schedule. So many of them had mates, and Riley needed to find one of those, so they needed to find some balance in their lives.
But for now, he really felt as though he’d done something good.
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