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He trundled down, his belly huge, weighing on him. He needed to check everyone, though. They’d had had a flurry of barn building once the soldiers had… gone, the building now long, housing so many animals.
As he reached the big door, the big drifts of snow pushed against it, keeping it closed. The path had been cleared, of course, between Brayden and Samuel and Sebby, but the snow kept coming.
“Hey, what are you doing out here? I came to water, feed, and everything. I flew down,” Seb grinned at him. “Every day, I like to see what everybody’s doing. Every day, things change.”
“I do too. I just wanted to check on everyone. It’s been a while.”
“Well, here, let me get the door. I don’t want you shoveling. You might strain something. I can’t imagine how much weight you’re carrying on the front. Has to be uncomfortable.”
“It’s not bad. Thank you.”
It was impossible to be aggravated at the young man. He was so eager and smart, and utterly happy to be home. His cousin, he understood, had gone and hadn’t returned since she left. Sebby was not a city boy. He was happy to be here working with the animals.
And he seemed to love wintertime. Apparently, he had grown up on a mountain above the tree line where it was always cold.
He could hear Sebby whistling as he moved snow and finally it was time to go into the warm barn, which smelled like hay and animals.
Sebby worked peacefully, letting him spend his time with the animals. He loved on everyone — checking on Seren, checking on the new kids, just making things right. Fresh hay needed to go down here, and this ysidri needed brushing, and that ysidri needed a bite of a sweet.
Every now and again he had to stop, breathe, and then he would start again.
He hadn’t been working very long, or maybe it had been a long time, when Brayden came up behind him, wrapping both arms around him. “Hello, love. How are you?”
“I was playing in the barns with the animals. I needed to see them all.”
He got a warm smile. “I imagine you did.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s fine. I just thought I’d come to see if you and Sebby needed help. More snows are coming. I know his father worries about him flying up in a storm.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize there was a storm coming.” He stopped for a second, breathing hard as his back spasmed. It was difficult carrying all this weight. Seb was right.
Brayden rubbed his lower back, hand incredibly warm, slipping up under his tunics to ease his pain. “Do you want to come back to the house and sit for a bit? It looks as though everybody’s been fed. We can share a meal with Sebby.”
“Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you mate.”
He turned around to walk away, Brayden stopped him and picked him up. He was not a small dragon so that was no easy feat, but his mate was so strong.
Seb followed behind, closing everything up, smiling at them like they were so charming.
“I think he’s going to make an amazing alpha.”
“Oh, I have no doubt. I know in my heart someone is going to snap him up, and he’s going to be this incredibly happy young man with a huge family and a huge piece of land.”
Harden could see that. “Maybe somewhere between us and my parents.”
He leaned a little harder. Let himself be heavy in Brayden’s arms.
“Maybe. That would be a very long way for his father.”
“I’m afraid I’m not feeling very well. I had all of the energy, and now I’m so very tired.”
Brayden smiled. “Well, it must be time to rest.”
Harden was beginning to have the sneaking suspicion that he was being humored. “Is everything all right, do you think?”
“I think so. What’s your feeling?”
