CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: KIT

KIT DREAMED of being engulfed by fire, but not just any fire—dragon fire. There had been yelling, threats, and fear… then him staring into the maw of a red dragon.

A huge red fireball grew in size at the back of the dragon's throat, busting out of its mouth toward Kit. Just before the flames hit him, he woke up.

Kit lay in the massive bed staring at the ceiling. This must have been his lucky day because he was alone. He had no idea where Hudson and Connie had gotten off to since it was Saturday morning and none of them had to work.

He took several deep breaths, trying to get his heart rate back under control. The last thing he needed was for one of them to notice and start questioning him.

He had no idea what had made him dream of something like that. Maybe it was because Gaura showed up again. Kit had been dreaming the first time the dragon deity visited him. At least he hadn't time traveled this time.

Well, he didn't think so. Outside of the last few seconds before he woke up, he didn't remember much about the dream.

Several seconds later Connie rushed into the bedroom, frantically wiping himself down. "Kit? What's going on?"

Connie had apparently been swimming laps in the pool. So much for thinking he was going to get away with them not knowing something had upset him.

Before Kit answered, Hudson rushed into the bedroom as well. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a knit shirt… and was barefoot.

Good grief, how had Kit never noticed what sexy feet Hudson had?

Hudson sat down next to Kit on the bed. "Babe? Is everything okay? The bond picked up your heightened emotions."

Connie had wrapped a beach towel around his waist. Since he was still wet, he hovered next to the bed. "Fear. It picked up fear."

Kit groaned. He hadn't thought about their bond. This was one time he wished the damn thing wasn't so sensitive. So, what now? Did he play off his bad dream or did he tell them the truth?

But was this something he should keep secret? Even though he didn't know what "this" was. It was a dream, nothing more. A weird, frightening dream, but a dream, nevertheless.

Okay, there was a big red dragon who was about to light him up. But then again, he had gone to sleep watching a movie about dragons and an iron throne, and the damn show ended with a dragon burning up that stupid thing.

So maybe he'd gotten the storyline of make-believe dragons mixed up with what was going on with his real-life dragons and their deity. Yeah, that was probably it.

Kit blew out a breath. "It was just a bad dream. Nothing more."

Knowing that wasn't going to be enough, he quickly recounted what he could remember and then explained how he had most likely mixed up a plot of a movie and real life.

"So, yeah, sorry about that." Kit refused to make eye contact with his mates and instead played with the sheet that lay over his lap. He'd worried them for nothing, and he felt kind of silly.

"There's nothing to apologize for." Connie pressed a kiss against Kit's temple. "I'm sorry neither one of us realized how affected you were by Gaura's visit."

Connie's lips were cool from the water, and he smelled like chlorine. Kit turned his head and captured Connie's lips. He didn't open his mouth because, you know, he just woke up.

Connie straightened up. "Let me go change and—"

"No, no. Go finish your swim. I'm okay. It was just a silly dream." The last thing Kit wanted was to mess up Connie's morning routine. "Seriously. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I'll be more than happy to crawl back into bed with you." Connie winked.

Kit appreciated his mate trying to inject some humor into the situation and grinned back at him. "While that sounds tempting, I would much rather have breakfast and then go see your hoard. We got sidetracked yesterday and didn't get to do that."

Pleasure flashed across Connie's face. "Yeah?"

"Absolutely." Kit glanced at the clock on the end table. "How about we do breakfast in forty minutes, give or take? Is that enough time to get done with swimming and shower?"

"Yes. Okay. Forty minutes." Connie kissed the side of Kit's head and then Hudson's cheek. "I'll see you shortly."

Kit watched Connie head back outside to the pool, then he glanced at Hudson. "What were you doing?"

"I was on the phone with the contractor. Remember me talking about the work I wanted to do in the bedroom and bath? Well, the contractor, Kayden Lancaster, is coming by after lunch to give me a quote for the expansion."

"Aw jeez, please tell me my silly dream didn't interrupt your conversation."

"Nothing you do is silly, and no, we were hanging up anyway. You interrupted nothing, I promise. But I do have a concern," Hudson said.

Of course he did. "Yeah?"

"The first time Gaura visited you, did you react like this?"

Oh boy. How was he supposed to answer that?

"Well, there's my answer. You did, didn't you?" Hudson asked.

"Look, that first time was different. I remembered everything because it wasn't a dream like this was. I found out about my papa, how Lennox treated him, and so on. It was a lot."

"And?"

Kit shrugged. "And as soon as I was awake, I hit the floor running. I barely made it into the bathroom before I threw up. But seriously, that was totally different. This really was nothing more than a dream."

Hudson ran his hand over Kit's hair. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone. I wish we had known. If we had, we certainly wouldn't have left you alone in bed this morning."

"No, we're not going to do that either. You have nothing to feel bad about." Kit could already see the guilt creeping across Hudson's face. "You didn't know. Hell, I didn't know. And it wasn't as bad as the first time. I just woke up scared."

"Just woke up scared, he says." Hudson wrapped his arms around Kit and pulled him into an embrace. "That hurts my heart hearing that."

"It's okay. I'm okay. You can't protect me from everything. You know that, right?"

"That doesn't mean I won't try."

Kit snuggled into Hudson's arms. He didn't doubt Hudson in the least. His mate really would try to do everything he possibly could to protect him, as would Connie.

Gaura said something that really stuck with Kit last night, and that was when they mentioned love. Kit was sure he was falling for both Hudson and Connie.

Hell, who was he kidding? He was probably already there. Hopefully, they felt the same about him. He was also sure they were already in love with each other, and oddly enough, that didn't bother him.

He didn't feel left out or like a third wheel, because why wouldn't they already be in love with each other? They'd been together for a while before Kit showed up. Love had had time to grow between them, but also there was room for him.

That was Gaura's whole point, wasn't it? There was room for him.

"I'm going to go take a shower before Connie is done swimming. I mentioned I wanted to see Connie's hoard after breakfast, but do we have time?"

"Of course. You sure you're okay?"

"I'm perfect."

Hudson gently tugged on Kit's long hair, then stood. "Yes, you are. I'm going back to my office and finishing up a few things. I'll meet you in the living area in about forty minutes."

"Sounds good." Kit tossed the sheet back and climbed out of bed. As he walked past Hudson, his mate patted him on the ass.

Kit threw a wink over his shoulder and continued to the bathroom. He was really looking forward to the day.

AFTER brEAKFAST, they took one of Hudson's vehicles to Connie's cabin, which, in Kit's opinion, was absolutely adorable. Kit followed Connie onto the covered front porch that sported a couple of rocking chairs off to the right.

Connie opened the door for them.

"Oh, wow." Kit entered and stood in the middle of the open floor plan.

The soaring living room ceiling made the area feel roomy. A rugged, but beautiful, fireplace extended from the floor to the ceiling and was definitely the centerpiece of the room.

Kit made his way to it and admired the stones of varying sizes and shapes.

"They're all sourced from the area," Connie said.

"That's awesome."

A rustic log mantel shelf rounded out the outstanding design. There was a dark brown leather couch and love seat, a couple of end tables, and a coffee table in the living room.

Across from the living area was the kitchen, which had all the amenities anyone could want. There was even a place for a small dining table. Kit could also see two closed doors downstairs.

Above them was a loft where the bedroom was located. Kit assumed there was a bathroom up there too.

"This is gorgeous," Kit said, looking around.

He also noticed it was stripped bare of any personal belongings.

"You've moved all your stuff into the house, haven't you?" Kit asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Because I need to do the same. I thought about it before, but with everything that's been going on, I kind of forgot," Kit admitted. "Not that there is all that much, but I need to get my stuff out of there. Also need to break my lease."

Connie pulled out his phone and started typing. "We have a lawyer on retainer who can handle that."

"Excellent idea," Hudson said.

"Plus, I know of a moving company who'll be more than happy to pack up your stuff. They're all paranormals too, and they have a great rating within the community." Connie looked up from his phone. "Or do you want to do the packing?"

"They can do it. There's nothing there, really, that has sentimental value. The things that really mean something to me are still at my parents' home. They're waiting for me to get settled before sending things like that."

"I'd say you're pretty settled now, wouldn't you?" Hudson asked, playing with the end of Kit's ponytail.

Warmth course through Kit. Yeah, he was pretty settled. Not only was he bonded, but he also had a huge ass wedding to plan. "Yep. I'll call my mom tonight. Maybe we could make a trip out there at some point?"

"I'd like that," Hudson said. "Once the threat is resolved, of course."

"Believe me when I say your head of security, and me, agrees with that," Connie muttered. "Okay, I'll take care of the lease and packing first thing Monday morning."

"Thank you," Kit said.

"Happy to help, babe."

"Speaking of places my mates used to live, what about yours?" Hudson asked Connie.

He glanced around the cabin. "I'm pretty much out, except for my hoard, of course. That's the only thing."

Hudson nodded. "Hopefully, we can get that moved into the main house soon. I'm sure it bothers you not having it close."

"Well, yes, but what am I going to do? Stay here? We all know that isn't an option."

Hudson wrapped his hand around Connie's neck and hauled him close. "You're right. That absolutely is not an option. But I promise we'll get your hoard moved as quickly as possible."

Connie shuddered happily.

Hudson slowly released Connie, then glanced at Kit. He cleared his throat.

There was a woodsy scent with a cedar undertone coming from Hudson. And from Connie there was toasted marshmallow and cinnamon scent. Holy shit, could Kit smell their desire? How completely awesome was that?

"All of my dragons have their own cabins," Hudson said. "Some cabins are bigger than others, of course. This one will be a guest cabin as soon as we can move Connie's hoard."

"Can't wait! Okay, so, are you guys ready?" Connie asked.

Kit bounced on his toes. "Totally ready."

Connie walked over to one of the closed doors. Opening it, he flipped on the light, then started down the stairs.

Kit followed Hudson and Connie to something that reminded him of a bank vault door. "This is the entrance to your hoard, isn't it?"

Connie nodded as he went through the same routine Hudson had to unlock it. Then he turned to Hudson and Kit. "I'm going to program it so you can both get inside, just in case."

Once Kit and Hudson had been entered and scanned, Connie opened the door and waved them through. Kit walked inside the brightly lit area and again was overcome.

It wasn't nearly as big as Hudson's, but it was still packed full of artwork of all kinds. He was sure some paintings he was looking at were originals and not replicas. Then there were the sculptures that towered over them.

"That's a Donatello," Connie said, pointing at a statue.

"Wait. Donatello? Isn't that the guy who did that well-known statue, David?" Kit asked.

"Yup. This is a little-known work he did, though," Connie said.

"Wow. It's amazing." Kit admired the statue. He turned back to Hudson and Connie. "I'd actually like to see the David."

"When everything settles down, we'll go to the Bargello Museum in Florence and see it if you want," Hudson offered.

"Just like that, huh?"

"Yes, so you better get that passport done if you don't have one already." Hudson nudged Kit.

"Like I've ever needed a passport," Kit grumbled.

"I'll help you apply for one," Connie said.

There was also glassware, pottery, metalworks, memorial boards, masks… along with the stereotypical piles of gold coins. There was a pretty vase that caught Kit's eye—it was a kaleidoscope of color with a delicate-looking outline of a butterfly.

Kit noticed there were a few tapestries hanging on the walls, along with suits of armor. Maybe those weren't art in the traditional sense, but they looked incredibly old. And real.

Connie had the same type of shelving Hudson used to display his treasures. Kit wandered around, stopping to look at a case that held massive bones.

Connie stopped next to him. "Dinosaur bones. Woolly mammoth, in fact. They're probably not considered art—"

"Isn't art in the eye of the beholder? Isn't that how that saying goes? I mean, is it a Picasso? No. But it is definitely a relic from the past, and aren't art pieces considered relics in a way?" Kit asked.

"Funny you should mention Picasso, because I have a couple of his."

"Of course you do." Kit hip checked Connie. "I expected no less."

Hudson slid his arm around Connie. "Thank you for allowing me to see this. I'm honored."

"I'm glad you're here. Both of you." Connie rested his head on Hudson's shoulder.

"Thank you for showing us. I can tell you worked hard collecting these things," Kit said, snuggling next to Connie.

Connie glanced down at Kit.

"Hey there," Kit said, staring into Connie's dragon's eyes. "Your hoard is magnificent."

Connie rumbled happily.

"I'm so honored to be your bonded mate, and I can't wait until we can have a human wedding." Kit slid his arm around Connie and squeezed. Then he looked up at Hudson, whose eyes had also changed. "You mean the world to me. The both of you do."

The bond between the three of them thrummed with pleasure. Kit might not be a dragon, but he damn sure knew how his dragons felt, and they were ecstatic.

Connie blinked, and his dragon retreated. "I think we're going to have fun planning a human wedding."

"Most definitely." Kit had big plans. Huge. It was going to be the event of the season if he had anything to say about it.

Hudson cleared his throat. "While we're here, is there anything left that needs to go back to the house, sweetheart?"

Connie pursed his lips. "Just a box or two. I've already moved most of my stuff. Before we go, though, there was something I wanted to show you, Kit."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I saw you looking at it earlier." Connie moved out of Hudson's arms and quickly made his way over to the vase Kit had admired. Carefully picking it up, he brought it back.

"It's a reve butterflies Millefiori vase. I would like you to have it," Connie said.

Kit knew absolutely nothing about art, but if it was in Connie's hoard, it was most likely insanely expensive. And Lord, he was worried about the pearl body chain? "It's gorgeous, and I would be happy to have it. I'm also scared to death to touch it."

Connie snorted. "It will be fine."

Kit cautiously took the vase. "Thank you. I'll treasure it."

Connie kissed Kit's cheek. "Just like I treasure you. Okay, let's go back upstairs," Connie said, clearing his throat.

Kit followed them up and waited in the living room while Connie secured his hoard once again.

"Be right back. What I need is in the loft," Connie said, heading up the stairs.

The loft was open, so Kit could see Connie clearly. A couple of minutes later, he came back downstairs with two boxes.

"This is it. A lot of the less personal items I'm leaving here, like plates, cups, cookware, and so on. I mean, I won't need them," Connie said. "Whoever is here can use the stuff."

Hudson took a box. Since Kit had his hands full with the priceless vase Connie just gave him, he didn't even attempt to help. He was just praying they could get home before something happened to the gorgeous piece of artwork he was holding.

Together, they walked back outside to Hudson's vehicle and placed the boxes in the back. After Connie locked up, he drove them to Hudson's house.

Kit stared out of the passenger window as they returned to the house. No… home. They were returning home. Yeah, that's what Hudson's house had become—Kit's home—and it felt like it too. His apartment had never had that feel—it had been more of a place to rest his head.

But here? Here he had the room he needed to breathe and roam. He'd missed that in his little boxy apartment. But it was more than just the surroundings—it was the two males in the vehicle with him.

They made it a home. They had welcomed him and made him feel like he belonged. They accepted him for who he was—all the parts of him.

He was wanted and even possibly loved.

Life had been a series of ups and downs lately, and there was still a threat out there waiting to strike, but Kit no longer felt like he was on the verge of drowning.

He also didn't feel quite so alone anymore, either. A new world had been opened to him, one that he couldn't wait to explore—even the beauty and darkness of it. And in that new world, there were friends to be made. He looked forward to that as well.

It was funny—Kit had felt like he was standing on the very edge of darkness, but now the light had chased away the shadows.

Hudson and Connie were Kit's light.