Blue solace complete ser.., p.53
Blue Solace: Complete Series Boxset, page 53
Sebastian pulled Alois behind him and sat in an empty chair at Leti’s table. Wyatt and Morgan sat on one side with Wyatt’s father, and Leti and Grandpa Moses—along with a herd of kids—took up the other side. Sebastian had grown very fond of Grandpa Moses in the month he had been there. The old man was a bit crazy, but he loved his family to distraction.
“How’s that baby?” Moses asked, reaching out and unstrapping Nina from Alois’s chest, startling Sebastian’s man. He cuddled the little girl close. “My sweet girl.”
“Don’t worry,” Morgan said to Alois. “He says that about all the baby girls.”
Sebastian laughed when he noticed the elderly man had Wyatt’s twins on one side of him and Pepper on the other. He was surrounded by baby girls.
“I love my grandsons too,” Moses protested, patting Sami on the head. The little boy leaned into Leti’s side but grinned up at his grandpa.
“Sebastian, if you ever aren’t happy with Alois,” Morgan said. “I have this friend who’s single. He’s a really nice guy. Likes kids.” He smiled sweetly even as he batted his eyes at Alois. The small baby Frost Veil Dragon on his head batted his own eyes too and cooed.
“You can keep your single friends to yourself,” Alois said, wrapping an arm around Sebastian’s shoulders and grinning. “Sebastian is mated now.”
Sebastian laughed when Stardust hissed, and a puff of cold air filled the air around Morgan’s head. “I’ll take Stardust though.”
“Not my baby,” Morgan said, patting his little dragon. “Princess is already convinced he’s Stardust’s daddy.”
Moses ignored Morgan and eyed Alois. “Sebastian is a good boy. You’ll be living with him and taking care of his little girl, right?”
“Nina is our little girl,” Alois answered. “I’m moving my stuff to our house tonight, and I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
“Good,” Moses said, smiling softly. “What are you up to today, Sebastian? Are you finally taking a break?”
“Yes, sir,” he said smartly. “Alois and I are going to drop Nina off at Shae’s, then go to the trade market.”
“Oh, that sounds fun,” Leti said. He rubbed his huge belly. “I’m too tired to go or I’d tag along with you. I hear they have these beautiful birds for sale at one of the stalls.”
“No more pets for you,” Moses said firmly. “The desert knows you have the heart to love any and every being in the galaxy, but your home is only so big.”
“Maybe I was thinking about Sebastian,” Leti said defensively. “He doesn’t have any pets at all.”
Sebastian struggled to hide his smile. He had never had a pet before and wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He could already see Leti piling him up with animals since his own house was already overflowing.
“Sure, you were,” Moses said, then turned back to Sebastian. “I’ll watch Ms. Nina for you. I didn’t get to sing to her yesterday since her papa and daddy were getting reacquainted.”
Sebastian blushed again. Damn them.
“What about you, Wyatt?” Sebastian was so happy to finally see his friend in person.
“We’re going to spend some time with the twins today while Estella is in school,” Wyatt said, eyes sparkling with happiness. “I have a feeling you two could stand some alone time.”
Sebastian made a face at him and their friends laughed.
After a delicious breakfast, Sebastian kissed Nina goodbye and left her with Moses. Then, he headed to the shuttle tram with his mate. They passed Shae’s Daycare, and Sebastian smiled when they peeked through the big front window. Shae sat surrounded by kids. He was reading a book and each child looked enthralled.
Hmm, maybe they are, Sebastian thought. Sirens could do some crazy shit.
“Alright,” Alois said. “Nina can stay here when she’s not with Moses.”
Sebastian arched an eyebrow. “I’m sure Shae would appreciate your approval. Come on. We don’t want to miss the tram.”
They made it to the tram and got on, heading toward the market. “This place really has grown,” Alois said. “I knew we were taking in a lot of refugees, but damn.”
“According to Hack, as soon as the rest of the system knew Charybdis Station was leaving behind its mercenary status, the Lord Admiral started receiving a lot of requests to move here. Charybdis has the best medical research facilities in the galaxy, not to mention their engineering development,” Sebastian said. “He had to start a whole new department of the new government to deal with immigration. I heard they’re even talking about starting a university here. Crazy, huh?” They arrived at the trade market, and Sebastian gasped. “How have I never been here before?”
“You’ve been a little busy,” Alois said with a grin. “Come on, beautiful. People travel across systems to see this place.”
The market stalls stretched for miles and sold products from all over the galaxy. Sebastian saw Fallon silk, Betonize weapons, and Silet paintings and pottery. He couldn’t resist a small, ceramic vase. It was brightly colored, and he knew it would look gorgeous in the living room.
“I’ll get that,” Alois said, taking the vase.
“I have money,” Sebastian said defensively. He hated it, but Charybdis Station paid him a salary to translate Ancient Crellic for Leti. He had a few books left to go, as well as several data cubes.
“I know,” Alois said, shrugging. “I just want to buy something for the house. It’s for the living room, right? It’ll look so good there.”
Sebastian smiled. It was easy to forget that it was Alois’s house now too. “Sorry. Money is an issue for me. I’m used to not having anything, and now I have a good amount saved up since the Lord Admiral won’t let me pay rent.”
“He won’t let any of us pay rent,” Alois said. “He told us our new homes were a gift. The mercenary business pays well, and he wanted to do something for Leti.”
“Well, he’s not a mercenary general anymore,” Sebastian said, frustration bleeding through. “He shouldn’t go blowing his money on us.”
“Beautiful, you can’t tell that man anything,” Alois said. “He’s been the unofficial dad to the Blue Solace crew for so long, he wouldn’t know what to do if he had to stop.”
Sebastian groaned. “He’s an overprotective menace. Do you know that Renee and he insisted on staying with me the first two weeks after Nina was born? He said he was worried I’d get overwhelmed as a single parent.” Not that I didn’t fully appreciated it, Sebastian thought. “As soon as they left, Ma and Pops came to stay for another two weeks. Then, each of your friends took turns spending the night. I haven’t been alone since Nina was born, and I now know that Selene is obsessed with weapons. Did you notice the daggers displayed in the guest bathroom?”
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Alois said, snorting, then continued talking. Sebastian knew his mate was speaking, but he didn’t hear him anymore.
At one of the stalls were the most beautiful creatures Sebastian had ever seen. They were birds but not like any he recognized. They were each a completely different combination of colors and had long, delicate tail feathers that touched the ground from where they perched. They had elaborate plumage and thick bodies, and Sebastian knew they had to weigh more than Biscuit, Cordelia’s little dog.
“Sebastian?” Alois waved a hand in front of his eyes, then followed his gaze to the birds. “Uh oh. Leti’s influence is too strong. Resist.”
One of the birds stood out from the others. He was blue, green, and purple, and the tip of his tail feathers were black and gold. His luminous golden eyes stared straight at Sebastian. “I need him,” Sebastian said. “He’s mine.”
Alois sighed and pulled him over to the stall. “What kind of birds are these and how much does that one cost?”
Chapter 2
Alois fed Nina as he watched Sebastian get his bird settled into its new, elaborate home. The vendor had explained the bird was a Radollia from Grellweir and was a companion pet. The bird looked like a pampered princess.
Alois watched as Sebastian made sure the cage door was pinned open. They had already set up several perches throughout the house since the vendor told them all his birds were house trained. Alois doubted that was possible. He remembered Dannol’s rooster and Juniper’s hen and the bird poop everywhere.
“Isn’t he beautiful, Alois?” Sebastian’s voice was dreamy, and he clearly loved the damn thing.
Alois sighed. He’d deal with it. “Yeah. What are you going to call it?”
“It?” Sebastian gave him a dark look and propped his hand on his hip. “Mustachio isn’t an it. He is a he.”
“Mustachio?” Alois tilted his head, considering the bird. That was a weird name. He shrugged and went back to feeding his little girl. Mustachio ignored him in return and continued cleaning his feathers.
Sebastian put fresh berries and vegetables next to the raw bits of chicken in the ornate food dish. Damn bird ate better than I did on my last mission, Alois thought grumpily.
“Now, we just leave him to get used to his new home,” Sebastian said. “I should make sure the windows are closed. Leti, Draif, and I took down the fence separating our yards, and sometimes Wobble pokes his head in the kitchen. I’ll be right back, my sweet boy.”
He ran off, and Alois considered the bird. “Nina, I have a feeling this is your new brother.”
“Alois, come here,” Sebastian called. “You need to see this.”
“What is it?” Alois walked to the kitchen and stood next to Sebastian. He had a perfect view into Leti’s back yard. Leti’s guard, Silas, lay in the hammock, body entwined with Rune’s. They simply lay sleeping together, but it was the sweetest thing he’d ever seen. “That is adorable. Let me take pictures and send it to everyone.”
Sebastian shook his head. “You all are ridiculous. Always trying to embarrass each other.”
“That,” Alois said, pointing at the sleeping couple, “isn’t embarrassing. It’s beautiful and needs to be seen by the galaxy. Just like my little Nina’s pictures.” He sent everyone the picture, then turned back to Sebastian. He leaned forward and kissed his mate. Gods, he had missed him. Sebastian kissed him back, and things started getting heated until they heard the doorbell.
Sebastian groaned. “Damn people and their need to be our friends.”
“How dare they?” Alois tilted his head back, nose in the air, and strode to the front door, Nina cuddled to his chest. He narrowed his eyes at Cordelia. “May I help you?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “Did I interrupt your spying session?”
“Yes. Yes, you did.”
“Deal with it,” she said, bouncing foot to foot. “I have a problem.”
“Come on in, Cordy girl,” Alois said, opening the door. His friend pushed in and stopped, staring at Mustachio. Biscuit paused beside her and tilted his head, whining.
“What is that?”
“Cordelia,” Sebastian said, gasping. “Mustachio is my sweet boy and deserves respect.”
She sent Alois a sympathetic look. “He really spent a lot of time with Leti. I’m sorry.”
“It’s one bird,” Alois said, shrugging. “Mustachio makes him happy.”
A loud banging came from the kitchen, and Sebastian jumped. “Damn it. I forgot Wobble always gets an afternoon snack. He’s probably not happy about the window being closed.”
Alois stifled his laughter as his mate ran to the kitchen. “Come on, Cordy. Let’s sit and you can tell Alois all your problems.”
The petite blonde rolled her eyes and threw herself into a chair. Biscuit hopped up into her lap. “Quinn asked me out.”
“Oh, no,” Alois said, voice full of dread. “A beautiful woman asked you out. How horrible.”
“Shut up,” Cordelia said, snarling. “The problem is, apparently everyone but me knew Quinn has a thing for me.”
“I still don’t see the problem,” Alois said.
“I really like her,” Cordelia said. “She’s a good soldier and a really good friend. I don’t want to lose that friendship.”
“Oh,” Alois said, drawing the word out. “Did you tell her that?”
“Yes,” Cordelia said with a sigh. “I feel like shit. Her eyes just dimmed, man. Now the whole crew will hate me.”
“Hey now,” Alois said, sitting on the ottoman in front of her chair. “You get to make your own decisions. I know Quinn wouldn’t want you to go out with her just because the crew expected it.”
“That’s part of the problem. I really like her, and I know we’d be good together.”
“Cordy,” Alois said, smacking her arm. “Why not take a risk?”
“I’d probably mess it up,” she said, grumbling. “Right now, I can’t imagine a morning without a chat with Quinn. I won’t chance it.”
“Okay,” Alois said, shrugging. He’d give her a few months, then push and prod her again.
“It gets worse,” she said, slumping.
“Uh oh. Lay it on me.”
“We’re training together this morning.”
“That’s good,” Alois said.
“What?” Cordelia gave him a look of disbelief. “Did you not just hear me? It’s going to be so damn awkward.”
“It will,” Alois agreed, nodding. “For the first few days. Then, you two will talk and work it out.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because you are both adults with at least a little bit of intelligence and maturity,” he said. “Cordelia, you hurt her feelings, but you care about her. That will help you both to move on. I know she has a huge crush on you, we tease her about it mercilessly, but she’ll find someone who adores her. So, will you.”
“Okay,” Cordelia said, panic easing from her eyes. “I can do this.”
“I’ll tell the crew to back off,” Alois said. “We’re a nosy bunch, but we don’t want to hurt anyone.”
“Thanks, Alois,” Cordelia said. “Alright. I have to pick up dog food for Biscuit and do a shift at Shae’s.” She stood. “I really missed you. I never realized how much time we spent together until you were gone.”
Alois pulled her into a hug. “I missed you too, Cordy.”
A deep trill sounded from their left, and they turned to look at Mustachio as the bird sang. His voice was deeper than most birds Alois had heard, but clear and beautiful. His song was sweet and happy, almost encouraging.
“Okay. I love Mustachio now too,” Cordelia said.
“Is that him? Oh, he’s so beautiful,” Sebastian said, coming into the room. Alois glared at the bird. Sebastian should be saying that Alois was beautiful.
Cordelia chuckled. “You’re jealous of a bird.” She pulled her comm out. “Wait until everyone hears this.” Alois gave her a flat look, but she just laughed and ran out the door, Biscuit woofing at her heels.
“Aww,” Sebastian said, swaying to Mustachio’s song. He gave Alois a coy look. “Are you jealous, handsome?”
“Yes,” Alois pouted. “I’m beautiful.”
“You are,” Sebastian agreed, moving closer to him.
“I can sing too,” Alois said defensively. He didn’t sing well, but he could sing.
“I would love to hear you one day,” Sebastian said, wrapping his arms around Alois’s waist. His head just reached the middle of Alois’s chest, and his ear settled against Alois’s heart.
“The stupid bird does sound good,” Alois grumbled. He carefully balanced Nina as he wrapped an arm around his mate, resting his chin on top of Sebastian’s head. “I guess it’s not too bad.”
Later that night, Alois finished tucking Nina in and watched her sleep for a moment. He had never imagined his life would be so full, so happy. He had always wanted a life-mate, the one person in all the galaxy that was meant to be his. His father and mother had not been mates. They would use it as an excuse to slip up and sleep with anyone that caught their eye. Alois hated the pain the betrayals caused, but they just did it over and over again, until any love they had once felt for each other was gone.
Alois shook himself. He hated thinking of them and their self-induced misery. At least he had been an only child. He swallowed. He had a mate, so he would never have to worry about that. He thought of Sebastian and smiled. Even if they hadn’t been mates, he would have trusted his man. After talking to him for months, Alois knew Sebastian was a loyal and honest person. Alois could trust his heart to him, mate or not.
Mustachio slept on the perch in the hallway outside Nina’s room, so Alois closed the door quietly, visions of the bird feasting on his baby girl filling his mind. He eyed the bird as he walked across the hall to their bedroom.
“Stop glaring at Mustachio,” Sebastian said from the bed. He lay spread out, robe falling open. “The vendor said all his birds were trained to react well around children and other pets.”
“I don’t want him to eat Nina,” Alois said, eyes roaming over his mate. He slowly undressed, appreciating the passion growing in Sebastian’s eyes. He slid his pants to the floor and crawled across the bed.
Sebastian put a hand to the back of Alois’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss. “Have I told you lately how much I adore you?” Sebastian asked, breaking the kiss. “You were so sweet to Cordelia. I love how your friends come straight to you for advice, even if they don’t realize they’re doing it half the time.”
“They’re a crazy bunch,” Alois said. “I love them anyway, just, uh, don’t tell them that.”
“Me too,” Sebastian said. He stroked his face. “I’m worried, Alois. Everything that’s happening is so crazy, so big. I don’t want this to change.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have this feeling, in my gut, that the galaxy is about to be turned on its head,” Sebastian said. “I don’t know why I feel it. We have a strong ally, and we’ve killed two of the Queen’s most powerful weapons. We’re holding our own, but I just feel like there’s more somehow. I just want to be right here though. You in my bed and Nina happy and safe.”
