Page 17 of Immortal Bonds

CREIGHTON

Ever since Creighton sent the picture of his knit blanket, he'd felt more connected with his online pen pal. The hesitancy he felt before over whether or not to call the other man "Daddy" and indulge in his Little side too much had faded. It was as if he only needed to be a little vulnerable to see if the other man reacted well. Once he had, Creighton could be more himself than ever.

He'd taken to sending messages more often, sometimes initiating before his Daddy ever had the chance to. He still got his good morning and good night texts, of course, and his Daddy would see to it that he ate and drank properly throughout the day. And more than that, he got to speak his mind about things. Life and the weather, whether he saw a future with children, what he wanted to be doing in five and ten years, what he wanted to be doing in a century.

They were supernaturals after all.

Every conversation held a bit of magic to it, and Creighton could feel himself falling in love with this man he had never met. A man who hadn't seen him, who didn't know who he was or what secrets he held.

Since leaving the vampire compound he grew up in, Creighton had been a loner. It was intentional. He didn't want anyone to find him from his past. And the more vampires he came in contact with, the higher the likelihood of it happening.

He found it easier to live amongst the dragons. They were kind to him, never once judging his lack of reaction to their emotions or making him feel like he was an outcast.

Creighton was finishing the final touches on Eden's dragon stuffy when a customer walked into the store. Out of habit, he glanced up and smiled at the man. The customer was tall and broad-shouldered like most dragons. His eyes were bright too. Not glowing as if his dragon were coming to the surface, but very obviously his creature was playing a part in whatever he'd come in for.

"How can I help you?" Creighton asked softly, setting the dragon off to the side. Eden was going to be thrilled that he had beaten the deadline. It helped that Creighton was eager to get the project done so he could focus more on his Daddy and showing off his collection of Gnomes.

He had a plan. He would make the Gnomes part of the conversation in cute ways. It would alleviate more of the distance between them. At least he hoped it did.

The man in his shop glanced around for a moment before locking eyes with Creighton. It would have sent a chill down Creighton's spine had it not been for the gentle smile the other man offered.

"Hi, I'm here because my dragon said I should be." The way he said it, as if it were a question, made Creighton giggle. The man laughed in return, and the tension broke.

"Does your dragon have anything else to say about why you're here? I, as you can see, make stuffed animals for people. Do you have a child or loved one who would be interested?"

The man scratched the back of his neck and blushed. With the pale tone of his skin, it made his reaction all the more obvious. If his body language hadn't told Creighton there was something about what he said that made the man uncomfortable, then that definitely did.

"I'm so sorry," he started, only for the man to hold a hand up and stop him. He stepped closer into the store, lessening the distance between them. "It's not you. I’m not used to telling other people what I have going on." The man paused to look around. "Do you have some type of secret-keeping method? Are you like a doctor where I can tell you things and you don't share them with others?"

Creighton tilted his head. "Yes, I don't have people I could tell, but sure — share what you're thinking. Maybe I can help."

The man took a deep breath. "I’m a Daddy, and I think my dragon wants me to buy something for my future boy."

Creighton blinked, because he didn't really know what to say to that. The man continued on, not paying him any mind.

"I haven't even met anyone. There's no special person in my life that would fit this, and I don't have a fated mate. It's like my dragon knows something it doesn't want to share with me. It's confusing." The man ran a hand along his jaw. The day's worth of scruff there, and the bags under his eyes as he moved even closer to Creighton's work desk, made Creighton feel a sense of empathy towards him.

Whatever he was going through, whatever his dragon was dragging him through, was interrupting his life, making him not sleep well, and it was showing.

"I'm sorry that it's difficult for you. I have a lot of Daddies who shop with me, though most do it online. Do you want something kind of generic? Maybe that would make your future Little happy."

The man's gaze wandered around the room again, then turned back to Creighton. In an instant, his eyes snapped over to the dragon Creighton had been working on.

"What is this?" the man questioned, stepping closer.

Creighton snatched up the dragon and moved it away. "It's for a client," he said boldly. His insides shook as fear lanced through him. He didn't need to go up against a dragon, and he couldn't tell if the man was going to be angry with him. He'd have to wait for a physical sign.

The man shook his head, and his brows knit as he stared at the dragon in Creighton's arms. "I understand what you're saying, but I think I should know who ordered that."

Creighton moved the dragon behind him so that the man would no longer stare at it. When their eyes met, Creighton could see that the man wasn't angry, but he did want answers. Answers Creighton couldn't give him.

"Sir, I don't know who you are or anything—" Creighton started.

"My name is Darius. I am part of the Beckettier family."

Creighton's entire body froze. He knew that name. Was familiar enough with it to understand they were important. What he was struggling with was the fact that this man wanted to know why Eden had ordered this dragon. It didn't make sense unless — Creighton gasped and pulled the dragon back out in front of him. He held it up, looking from it to the man.

"Is this you?" he asked, drawing the words out slowly.