The Dragon's Cure - Shaun

Chapter 64

Luke stopped in front of the house in a silver van that Shaun had never seen before. Elizabeth said they borrowed it from her mother after explaining what it would be used for and why they would be staying a little longer. The door squeaked when she pulled it back so the women could climb out. To his surprise, they had eight women with them and not only seven.

One of the younger women walked up to him, looking down at her feet. "My parents wouldn't let me come home. They thought I had run off with a man and... and now..." she started sobbing and one of the other females pulled her into a hug.

"Parents can be so cruel sometimes. We tried to tell them what happened, but they wouldn't have any of it. They said something about her track record and then slammed the door shut. I don't judge easily, but what parent could disown their own flesh and blood like that?" She shook her head and patted the girl on the back. "We told her that she will always be our family. Whether it's on this planet or the next. That's if you agree to take all of us with you. We have nowhere else to go. I kind of tried to call home , but the number has been disconnected."

Amanda came out and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks. I found the tea next to the bed. I could get used to that, but I don't think that's such a good idea. I'll miss it too much when we leave," She said.

Shaun wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. "I can still make you tea up there. We have the herbs and once our green house is built, we can plant more. Coffee will be a luxury, since we don't have electricity for the coffee machine, but Chezlin went shopping for the best ground beans he could find. He said that the queen should only have the best."

"I do not need special treatment. I want to rough it like the rest of the dragons. I've never been camping and this will be like an extended camping trip for me. Tell them not to spoil it for me," Amanda said pouting.

He tasted herbs and a hint of honey as his tongue ran over her extended lip. "They only want to make life easier for you ladies. Jenna made him buy two large boxes of her favourite tea. That lemon stuff that she has been drinking," Shaun said and grinned as Amanda burst out laughing.

"You need an apiary for the honey to go with that tea," Amanda said in between breaths.

"That sounds like a really good idea, but I don't know if they will be able to survive up there. Best we can do is take as much honey with us as we can and try to make a substitute in the lab, once we get home," Shaun said.

"Ever the scientist," Amanda said and then got up to lead the women into the house.

Mandy ran out to let her know the babies needed to be fed and then crawled onto Shaun's lap.

"Daddy, are the ladies coming with us?" Mandy asked him.

"Have you been listening to grown-up conversations again?" Shaun saw her cheeks flush before she hid her face against his chest. "Yes, they are coming with us, but now we have some more work to do before we can leave. It also complicates things for us, once we get home, but that is not something you need to worry your little head about, Princess. All you have to worry about is growing up into a beautiful butterfly and keeping those boys away from you. I'll have to remove their fingers if they try to touch you."

She giggled and then kissed his cheek. "No boys can have me. I'm all yours."

"For now, that is right. I can't keep your mate from you when you get older, but he better not try anything before you get married to him. And... He better treat you right. You are my princess and Mama Manda and I won't stand by and let him hurt you. Or anyone else," Shaun said.

She laid her head on his shoulder and he felt her smile against his neck.

"I have to go help Mama clean those monsters. Are you going to come help us?" Shaun asked after a short while.

She shook her head and wiggled free from his arms.

"Yeah, that smell is not really pleasant. Go on then. Get ready for your bath and dinner," Shaun said, lowering her to her feet.

Shaun followed her into the house and dodged all the gaping women as they stared at all the paintings and statues in the hallway. He took the stairs two at a time and jogged down the passage to his room. He spun around facing the passage as he stepped through the door.

"Sorry, I didn't know someone else would be in here with you," he apologised.

Amanda and Luther's mate sat on the bed together, both feeding babies.

"I was teaching her how to feed the little one. Give me a second to close her up and then you can come clean these two."

He glanced behind him, hesitantly when she said they were ready and then went over when he saw that Amanda had thrown a shawl over the girls shoulder, closing her and the drinking baby.

He held his breath as he pulled the diapers from the babies and smirked when he saw both women scrunch their noses at the smell. When he had his girls cleaned up, the girl looked at him hopefully.

"Pass her over. She can't be comfortable, drinking while wearing a dirty diaper," Shaun said holding his hands out for the infant.

She almost fit in both his hands, but when he took the diaper off her, he no longer thought of her as adorable. He gagged and held his breath before wiping her clean. He had to turn her over to remove the tiny crawler as well. When he had her cleaned and redressed, he handed her back and averted his eyes as she adjusted her shirt to expose her other breast for the baby to feed on.

Amanda giggled and rubbed her cool fingers against his heated cheeks. Shaun grabbed them and kissed her knuckles before laying his head on her lap, watching her as the sucking noises continued from both babies.

"I was thinking about Luther. Not him exactly." Amanda looked at the girl and asked Shaun, "Will she be alone now? With no mate to take care of her and the baby?"

"It has been known that some dragons have found a second mate, but that was centuries ago. The last recorded mates had been my parents. As you know, our kind stopped looking for their mates after that. I always thought it was all a myth. A fairy tale told by parents like bed time stories to ease the minds of their kids.

"I do know that a great aunt... no, an uncle once found a second mate years after his wife died. Mom said that he got taken by surprise when this female dragon flew up to him and started shouting at him, because he had been avoiding her. She said something about him being so scared that he would betray the memory of his first love, that he tried to run from her at any chance he could get, until Dad went to talk to him.

"Anyway, Mom would probably tell you that the goddesses would never allow one of their own to go without love. So... My answer to your question is that I believe she will find a new mate and he will love her as she should be loved or so help me, I will rip his wings off," Shaun said.

"I do believe your father gave you the wrong name. You should be the protector and not the warrior, but I happen to love Bellator as much as you, so you can't change his name," Amanda said and then pursed her lips, waiting for a kiss. Shaun obliged and smiled as the young girl giggled next to them.

"Now, there is one last question I have for you," Amanda said before looking down at the babies.