Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

Cerran was going to lose his mind.

Between Triton being an absolute growly asshole, little Leilani having what everyone said was a touch of colic, and the fact that the new dragon in their home was basically being a ghost? Everything felt wrong, and he wasn't sure whether to flap his tail or swish his wings.

It was like the omega was some sort of fae, instead of a dragon.

Cerran wandered around his home, staring. Everything was clean, everything was spotless, everything was practically perfect in every way. He had absolutely nothing to do here.

Before he'd been a soldier. He'd exercised, he'd done drills… Here, he found himself at loose ends.

Elowyn even took care of the baby.

He'd considered going to Cain and asking for someone less…perfect, but he didn't want to do something that drastic without discussing it with Triton.

That was another problem. He wasn't sure what to do on that front, because just talking about Elowyn seemed to make Triton a little bit insane.

Everything about their new housekeeper seemed to make Triton growl.

Housekeeper.

He snorted. What a ridiculous term. Elowyn was like some sort of magical creature—pun intended. They were already pure magic, but this was about more than dragons. They weren't domesticated, damn it. Somehow, though, Elowyn seemed to keep everything organized and clean, make everything decent. Then he would disappear and then reappear in the morning as if he'd never been gone. Like a brownie.

Not the chocolate kind, the little house elf kind.

Except Cerran didn't think he'd miss a brownie when he was gone…

That was a little confusing too.

From the moment that he and Triton had become lovers, everything that they had done had been in secret. Triton was older, more experienced, a much higher rank, and they were both alphas. Nothing about their relationship should work. In fact, nothing about their relationship should have even occurred to either one of them, but they both felt the pull toward each other at first glance. It had been undeniable.

Sort of like his bond with his daughter. From the second Cerran had laid eyes on her little face, he'd been in love. And after he'd seen the horror in her dying mother's eyes? He'd known that Leilani was his to take care of, to raise.

That was why Elowyn complicated things in the family dynamic. There was something about the little omega that drew Cerran in close, and he wasn't really sure how to parse that. If he could talk to Triton, just talk to the dragon, he thought that they could figure it out. Surely they could work it out somehow. Together.

But his Triton wanted absolutely nothing to do with that discussion.

Something made Cerran believe that this resistance validated his feelings for Elowyn in some way but…

Feelings.

Was it possible to have feelings for a ghost?

Shit, he never saw Elowyn.

He rolled his head on his shoulders, trying to center himself.

That was an exaggeration. Of course he saw the little omega. Cerran saw him over coffee in the morning. Cerran saw him when the baby needed changing or when they came in from the swimming pool, and Elowyn hadn't expected them back. He saw Elowyn at the end of the evening when they sat to eat. Elowyn always nodded and smiled and made sure they had needed nothing else for the night.

But he didn't really see Elowyn.

"Cain says our quarters are almost done," Triton growled. "We need to go look at them and sign off on them."

Cerran jumped. He'd been so far in his own thoughts about life and his lover and his child and his… Not the new housekeeper. He was not obsessing over the man enough that he could completely miss Triton entering the room. "Sure. Of course. I…of course."

Their new home was huge. He was a bit embarrassed by that, because it wasn't his ranking that had earned them this set of protected quarters high up in the mountains away from the others. Their quarters were on the same level as Cain's and Jack's. It was going to be odd to not live in barracks like he always had, but Triton was a fierce warrior.

Decorated.

An Admiral.

So they had earned this.

Triton had earned this.

"Are you okay, love?" Triton growled.

"I'm fine. I just was woolgathering."

Triton's eyes narrowed. "You were thinking about him. That will not do."

Now that was quite far enough. It was one thing for him not to mention the little omega. It was quite another thing to be informed that he wasn't allowed to think about Elowyn. If he could only think of a better way to say you're not the boss of me.

"I'm allowed to think about whoever and whatever I choose." There. That was grown up.

"Of course you are. That's not what I meant. I meant…" The low growl got even louder. "I don't even know what I meant. We have to go see the new quarters."

"I said very well!" They really didn't want to fight. Cerran wasn't even sure why they would be fighting, except that they were in these little apartments, and everything was new. Literally everything was new.

They didn't have jobs. They had a child. There was no ocean.

Many of his friends were here, and that was a blessing, but then there were the Royals who weren't acting like Royals. Nobles who simply wandered about, like they weren't who they were, and it unnerved him. He wasn't sure what to do, and if he wasn't sure what to do and it was upsetting him, it had to be driving Triton crazy.

"Well then, let's go. Are you going to leave the baby with him?"

"I was thinking about bringing Elowyn with us. The new place will be his living quarters too, you know."

Triton wrinkled his nose. "No. No, this is our home. He is having quarters in our place because we allow it."

He felt more than heard Elowyn as he went from one room to another. There was a vague pang of hurt, something that was like a tiny arrow right in between his shoulder blades. An itch he couldn't reach. Something he would need Triton to scratch.

Was that possible? An Elowyn-shaped itch that only Triton could scratch?

"That wasn't very kind," he told Triton. "He heard you, and you have to admit everything here has been running like clockwork." He paused. "I thought you liked it when things ran like clockwork. You are a military man."

"I was. I'm not anymore. And yes, but I'm concerned. He disturbs me."

Well, that Cerran couldn't argue with. There was something disturbing about Elowyn. He couldn't put his finger on it, and he wasn't even sure it was bad. It was just off.

"That doesn't matter. He's been perfect, and you've been mean. Plus, he'll be staying, and he deserves to look at his rooms and to approve them. It's only fair."

Triton nodded. "Fine. Absolutely. Let me get him then." His huge dragon mate tilted back his head and roared, "Elowyn! Where are you?"

The new little omega came—not quite scampering, not quite running—but definitely hurrying—in, little Leilani in his arms. "How can I help you?"

"We're going down to see our new quarters. You are to inspect yours and tell me that they are adequate."

Elowyn nodded, bouncing Leilani gently. "Of course, Sir Triton."

"And you'll watch the baby as we inspect the rest of the quarters."

Again. "Of course, Sir Triton."

He didn't like this. Cerran didn't like this at all, but one way or the other, they bundled up the baby and headed out into the keep. It was quite a haul to get to where their new quarters were——up and up and up and up and then over.

They hadn't seen them but briefly, and when they opened the enormous metal doors to their new place, he gasped in sheer awe. One side of the entire apartment was glassed in, looking down over a huge lake in the mountain. There was a balcony big enough to launch a dragon Triton's size off of in flight. There were four bedrooms plus the private quarters for Elowyn. There was the kitchen, a dining area, a place for their hoards, everything that they could need. The entire apartment was done in metallic tones, and there was a giant fireplace connecting the master bedroom and the front room.

It was everything he could have asked for. Cerran swayed a bit, knowing that he owed Cain so much, for this, for saving him, for their lives, for their home, and for their child.

It stunned him.

Little Leilani's room was lovely. Done up in ladybugs and honeybees, it was charming and warm, and he was tickled pink. There were three doors to the nursery——which could easily hold two or three cribs. One went to their master suite, one led out to the hall, and the third led to a short hallway.

At the end of that hallway, when they opened the door, they found themselves face to face with Elowyn who gasped.

Those rooms were much smaller, but quite lovely—a bedroom, a sitting room with its own fireplace, and a balcony, along with the kitchen in a small space for entertaining. This room was decorated in neutral colors, the furniture sturdy and solid.

Elowyn offered Cerran a smile. "These are perfectly adequate rooms, sirs. Thank you, very much. I will be very happy here should you choose to keep me."

"Of course we'll keep you," Cerran insisted. "You're amazing."

Triton interrupted. "Is your only way into the house through the baby's nursery?"

"No. Our balconies are connected, so I would be able to go through that way and get your breakfasts and suppers, as well."

Triton frowned. "Our balconies are connected? Is that safe?"

"Safe?" Cerran went out onto the balcony. They were glassed in so that they had the view, but the baby couldn't fall through or out or anything terrifying. There was a tiny gate separating the two balconies, but there should be no reason for them not to be safe. "What do you mean, Triton?"

Triton frowned over. "Well, if he has to climb over that little fence, he might fall. We can't have falling omegas."

"Mmm." Well, that was a fine concession. "What do you prefer then, mate?"

"I will talk to the building crew. He needs a good solid walkway. Something he can access without worry."

Cerran ducked his head to hide his smile. "That suits me, as well."

"Hmph." Triton gave him a suspicious stare, but Cerran evinced perfect innocence.

This was an excellent sign. His mate was going to have to learn to accept Elowyn. Leilani was going to need her caretaker for many, many years to come.

Elowyn appeared again once an appropriate period of silence had reigned. "Shall I come over and do the cleaning here today?"

"Yes. We'll have all our personal effects delivered today." Cerran took Leilani, snuggling her close, loving her sweet scent. "We can sleep here tonight, mate?"

"Yes. I think that will do well." Triton made a decisive motion with his hand, and Cerran knew that was that. The house would be set up as much as possible by the time they bedded down for the night.

"All right. I'll make sure everything is arranged, and then I will fetch my bag."

Cerran didn't understand. One bag? Elowyn only had a single bag? And it was packed? Surely that wasn't everything he owned.

"Is there any of the furniture you would prefer to what's here?" Cerran asked.

"The new quarters are perfectly acceptable, sir. Thank you." Elowyn offered him a quiet smile. "Are you excited?"

Cerran thought that was the most personal question Elowyn had ever asked, and he opened his mouth to answer when Triton grumbled.

"Order whatever you need. I won't have anyone saying you're ill-treated."

Elowyn blushed and backed away. "Yes, sir. Thank you. I'll ensure all is cleaned."

Cerran gouged his elbow into Triton's ribs. "Of course you will. You're amazing, Elowyn, and we appreciate you."

"Yes, sir. Have a nice day." Then Elowyn was gone.

"What is wrong with you? He was opening up, being nice!"

Triton looked constipated. "I was nice. I told him to order whatever he needed!"

"You were very abrupt."

Triton scowled. "You are displeased with me. But I am trying. Do you know how long it has been since we made love?"

Cerran blinked, because one, he didn't, and two, that was a very unusual thing for Triton to bring up outside of the bedroom in broad daylight.

"We do have the baby…" In fact, he did have Leilani, as he spoke.

"Is that not one of the reasons we have a caretaker? To take care of her so we might share pleasure? He will be able to attend to her in the night now, so that we can indulge ourselves, yes?"

"Yes?" But Cerran had to try hard not to squirm at the idea that Elowyn would be where he could hear them.

"Excellent. Then tonight, we should make love. I will have our things moved." And like that was that, Triton was walking, talking on his phone.

Cerran stood there for a moment, not sure what to do. But he supposed he should follow Elowyn and Triton back to their old quarters for now.

There was no sense in staying in this huge, echoing place alone.

Of course, it was their huge echoing place. He sat on the sectional sofa, finding it comfortable and huge, and turned on the television.

Right.

Maybe he could just sit here and snuggle with his little one.