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Claudia smiled to herself as she cleaned the dishes while listening to the happy playing sounds coming from her son’s bedroom upstairs. The two boys had just finished eating a nutritious lunch with Claudia and they were back to playing upstairs in Mieczyslaw’s room again.
She was so happy that her little boy had finally found a real friend that he loved to play with now. He had played with other children before, of course, but Mieczyslaw had never really felt attached to them or had asked to play with them again.
She and Mieczyslaw were the only two dragons in their town. They were very happy in Beacon Hills where Claudia’s husband, John, was a deputy, but sometimes Claudia missed her family back east. She missed having people she could talk to about creating her hoard or the best ways to style hair around their horns. Dear, sweet John did his best to talk to her, but sometimes she just needed a dragon’s advice.
There were no dragons in Beacon Hills, sure, but she’d wound up forming a friendship with Talia Hale, a local alpha werewolf. Werewolves had different abilities than dragons, like being able to smell emotions and detect lies, but it was nice to talk about being a dragon to someone and have them somewhat understand. Eventually, she introduced Mieczyslaw to the Hales, and the rest was history.
Mieczyslaw didn’t make friends easily, but when he did, he was as loyal as loyal could be, at least when it came to Derek. He was already so attached to the young werewolf, who was just as attached to Stiles, from the very moment that they had met.
In fact, their bond was so strong that both Claudia and Talia suspected that they had the possibility to be mates. Of course, Mieczyslaw was only four, and Derek six, so they were definitely too young to understand, but the signs were definitely there. Talia could tell that Derek was attracted to his scent and Claudia knew that her son was never that close to anyone other than she and John. And both of them could sense that their children’s bond was stronger than just one of friendship or family.
That was quite possibly the best news she could have ever gotten for hers on. Many people never met their mates, and those that did usually met them as adults. Even she had first met John as an adult. But Mieczyslaw and Derek would be able to grow up together and possibly have a bond stronger than most other soulmates. Claudia was so thankful that she’d taken the time to reach out to the Hale family.
Of course, both partners had to accept and want the mate bond. Forming a preliminary bond wasn’t a guarantee for lifelong happiness, but the two mothers had great hopes for their boys. There was just something about the two of them that just worked, and Claudia grew more and more certain with each playdate as Mieczyslaw told her about all the fun that he and Derek had at the Hale house.
The Hales were a huge family with even aunts, uncles, and cousins living on their huge property in the preserve, and so it was easier for them to watch over Mieczyslaw when he wanted to visit. But Claudia wanted to watch over the boys as well and watch their relationship, whatever it wound up being in the end, blossom.
The dishes finally finished, Claudia sat down and sighed happily, basking in the quiet. When John came home, she definitely planned on going down to the basement and visiting her hoard…
She paused in her thoughts. It was quiet.
Her son had never been quiet. He was an adorable, loud bundle of energy.
She didn’t sense any sort of danger around, so she was sure that the boys weren’t in trouble. But she still wanted to check up on them. She got out of the chair and quickly walked up the stairs.
There was not a peep coming from her son’s room, even with the door partially open. Then she heard something that sounded almost like a… snore? She crept forward and eased her son’s door fully open, then put a hand to her mouth to try to keep from laughing.
Stiles and Derek were both on her son’s bed fast asleep. Stiles was on his back, head on his pillow and mouth wide open as he let out another snore. Derek was on his side curled up beside Stiles, almost like he was protecting the younger boy. The blue blanket that Claudia had crocheted for Mieczyslaw was pulled over them, and the rest of Mieczyslaw‘s hoard was scattered around them.
Claudia’s smile couldn’t get any bigger. Derek had been apparently welcomed into Mieczyslaw’s hoard. She wondered if Mieczyslaw even realized that he‘d made Derek one of his very special things. Someday he would.
She quietly slipped away from the room to grab her camera. Wait until Talia saw this!