Firebird

Chapter 10

Kyla

    It took longer to get up the stairs because of the heels. I ended taking them off halfway up. By the time I got there, Beckett was crouched over the egg. Tanwen was leaned over his shoulder watching intently. As I approached, I could see it wiggling a little. Beckett was so tense, he was shaking.
    "Beck, breathe. It's gonna be okay." I told him, laying a hand on his shoulder. He relaxed a little but didn't tear his eyes away. I reached over him and pushed Tanwens head back a little. "Give him room, Tan."
    She huffed and leaned back a little. I studied her then, noting her body language. She usually didn't hover so much over an egg. She was protective, yes. But not once the egg starts to hatch.
    I heard the first crack of the egg and stepped back. The dragon needed to see Beckett first. Within seconds, a piece of the egg fell away. Slowly, a tail poked through. Beckett gasped and moved a little closer. The tail twitched and more of the egg started falling away. Then a tiny black head peaked out and looked at Beckett. He laughed softly and reached forward.
    "Why hello little one." He said, scooping the small dragon up. He cradled him in his arms, causing it to coo. I sat down near Tanwen and just watched them. Then I noticed Tanwen craning her neck to see better.
    "Tan, what's wrong with you?" I said, trying to pull her attention back. But at that, Becketts dragon poked his head around and looked at her. She sighed and laid her giant head on the ground, eyes never leaving him. Strong affection poured into me. "Oh Tan. Really?"
    "What?" Beckett asked, looking at me. He glanced at Tanwen.
    "I think they're soul bound." I whispered. He started looking back and forth between them before he smiled at me. A true, unfiltered smile with both dimples. Those damn dimples.
    "Well naturally they are." He said, scratching the top of the dragons head. "You need a big strong girl in your life, Drake."
    "Drake?" I asked with a smile. "That's a nice name. I like it."
    "It just came to me when his head popped out." He said. "I can't believe I have a dragon."
    I couldn't help but just watch him. Drake became curious and started to explore. He went straight to Tanwen and started sniffing around. Tanwens massive tail started wagging. Something I hadn't seen her do since she was a baby. Drake continued his exploring around the room, occasionally jumping on things. Including Tanwen. Beckett watched him the whole time, following him around.
    "He can stay up here with Tan." I told him. "They'll eventually end up staying together anyways. This way she can keep an eye on him while he's so small. You can talk with one of the handlers. They can help you with the training and stuff."
    He nodded along with everything I said. I tried not to laugh at how he hovered. I remembered being the same exact way.    
    "Do you want to stay up here tonight?" I asked him, which drew his attention to me. "It's a pretty warm night and the hay is actually comfortable."
    "You say that like you have experience." He said, laughing. "I wouldn't mind sleeping here tonight. Just send one of the guys to stay in my room."
    "I still sleep up here with her from time to time." I told him. "And I can handle one night without someone in the next. I did it my whole life before you came along."
    "It would make me feel better. So please ask one of the guys to stay in there tonight." He said. His eyes bore into me, intensity burning.
    "Okay Beck. I'll ask the first one I see." I said, getting up. I grabbed my shoes and walked up to him. Before I could over think it, I went on my tip toes and kissed his cheek. His eyes widened but he said nothing. "Congrats on Drake. He's beautiful. Try to get some sleep tonight."
    I made my way back to the castle and ran into Lucas, another one of Beck's men. I asked him to stay in Beck's room, which he said he'd be happy to. Once I settled in, I thought about everything that happened tonight. It went from annoying to really good. I went to sleep with a smile on my face.