Page 24 of Doran

Doran nodded vigorously. “Yes. I’ve only known her for a day but can tell you she is very, very smart.” He sounded as proud of her as if he was her father, and my heart filled, imagining how he’d be with my three.

And maybe a baby if you get the show on the road.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” Kelran asked as Doran set the clothing on the counter before turning to lift Laura out of the stroller. She gave him a smile, showing off the few tiny teeth she had, patting his face happily. She was fascinated with his facial hair. For that matter, so was I. Beards had never really done it for me before, but the short but thick scruff he kept well groomed suited him perfectly, making him look a million times hotter than he would without it.

“Sarah?” Doran prompted.

“Dor, dor, dor,” Laura babbled happily, planting a sloppy kiss on his nose that was more open mouth and drooly than a proper kiss.

Kelran laughed, and I giggled. It was too stinking cute, and I’m pretty certain my ovaries just literally exploded at how indulgently he looked down at our little charge.

“Um, yes!” I said, jerking myself out of my stupor. “I’d like some flour and any locally grown vegetables you’ve got.”

“I’ve got locally grown and milled flour, alright. Gryk’s put up a small mill to process his grain. I’ve got three types. Fine, which is great for pastries and cakes, and regular, that’s a good all purpose choice that even makes fantastic bread. Now those two are wheat, but I’ve also got coarsely ground oats.”

“Can I have a bag of each of those? And are they labelled?’

“You bet they are! I’d best deliver those, though, seeing as you walked here. These are big sacks. I can deliver a sack of what you humans call space potatoes and space carrots too, and I’ve got some onions. Would you like some fresh milk, too? I’ve got fresh kilt-ha milk. I can even deliver some to your door every morning. I hired a delivery worker who is willing to get up so we can make deliveries of milk and eggs before wake-up.”

“Yes, please. Um, a gallon of that milk, please. I’ll let you know if we want morning deliveries.”

I grabbed the clothes off the counter, tossed them into the stroller’s seat, and took off out of there like my ass was on fire as Doran had begun tickling Laura under her chin, and it had finished tipping me over the edge. Forearm porn and hot, literal daddy porn, right there. I couldn’t get home fast enough, and he’d just have to sort out payment without me.

“A shower,” I muttered, abandoning the stroller and its contents by the front steps. ”Yep. That’ll cool me right down.”

It did, too, right until he got home, singing and bouncing her on his hip.

15

DORAN

We returned home to find my mate fresh from the shower, her hair still damp. I sniffed the air delicately as a fresh scent of arousal permeated the room.

“Come on, little one. Let’s get you in your play seat.” He carefully placed her in her excersaucer.

“Bob, can you put on some kit vid music that’s suitable for her stage of development?”

The wall in front of her dissolved into a variety of colorful shapes that began moving about, slowly transforming into cats, dogs, a kilt-ha, and a hop-a-long as classical music played. Laura clapped her hands delightedly, watching it for a moment before turning her attention to the toys attached to her play seat. I held my hand out to my mate.

“Come. Bob will alert us if she needs us.”

“Where are we going?” she asked, taking half a step backwards.

“Taking care of what we both need to happen,” I replied, my wings flaring as my words ended in a low growl. I could feel my tail thrash once behind me as if punctuating my words.

She licked her lips. “Yes. Um, We should go do that.” She took my hand and I led her to our quarters.

“Bob, secure the door. Let no one in until you’ve let us know and I’m there to open it. Not even her fathers.”

“Understood, but I’m sure they’d have questions.” A giggle. “And boy, would I have answers!”

We ignored his prattle. As much as I wanted to be able to spend all day claiming her, I knew we didn’t have time for that. We couldn’t leave a kit that young alone for too long, and besides, I could smell her need that matched my own, clawing its way out.

“I swear I’m not easy, you know,” she babbled. “I don’t just hop into bed with guys. In fact, I haven’t been with one since Harold, unless you count my vibrator, Mr. D.”

A rumble sounded deep within my chest as a sense of possessiveness rolled through me. He had not deserved her and I would wipe the memory of him from her skin. I would claim her inside and out, until no male could even dare think they had a claim upon her heart, body, or soul.

“Fuck, that’s sexy,” she said, pulling her hand free as we reached our room. “Naked. We need to get naked now.”