A New Beginning

Chapter 1

I snorted faintly, still somewhat irritated with my own overprotective instincts. I let her feel how my dragonet motherly hormones were having a hayday with my emotions.

I shook myself as I commented, "I'm doing well enough, but these eggs had better hatch soon or guests won't even be able to stop by."

Taureen came out of the kitchen with two bowls of mixed fruit. He had also heard my comment and inquired, "Are you sure that having them hatch is going to help? Personally, I think that having nestlings is only going to amplify your protectiveness."

Keegan chimed in, "I think Taureen is correct. I spoke with Drake, and he said that the intense protectiveness doesn't really start to fade until after they are able to fly."

"I hope not." I sighed. "I feel like shredding something, and Taureen is already going to have to replace that scratching post."

Aeria glanced over to the piece of wood that had practically been reduced to shavings. "You really did a number on that log. Tkael and Soranto offered to bring a replacement over tonight." Aeria moved her gaze to me and smiled. "I think Soranto is hoping that you will at least let him into the house if he comes bearing gifts."

Keegan snickered, clearly remembering when Soranto had tried to enter the living room the other day, only for me to immediately dive-bomb him.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You were barely a wingbeat behind me on that assault."

He grinned unrepentantly at me; neither of us were willing to let anyone other than Taureen or Aeria into the living room at this point. Keegan had mostly bonded with Aeria, but he didn't have a problem accompanying Taureen and me as we inspected incoming spaceships for the troublesome – and detested – crawlers and sicora.

Taureen put the two bowls on the edge of the table before he sat on the closest couch cushion. Aeria sat on the chair on the other side of the end table, also picking the closest seat available.

I daintily nibbled on a piece of strawberry as Keegan investigated his own bowl. Taureen put a few gadgets on the edge of the end table, and I flattened my ear tufts in dislike.

"Mind if I weigh and scan the eggs again?"

Even though we did this every day, he knew I was touchy about the eggs.

I shook myself hard until my scales tinkled, but still told him, "Go ahead..."

I watched as Taureen picked up the fake stump and set it to the side, revealing the two eggs sitting in the sandy depression. I promptly forgot about my lunch and walked a few steps over to the edge of the now-exposed nest. Taureen reached over and gently picked up one of the eggs.

My eyes followed it as he put it on the scale and noted its weight. Next, he picked up the scanner and held it over the egg, producing an image of a tiny, curled-up dragonet. The two eggs had developed a lot over the last three weeks, and I was pretty sure they would hatch in the next day or so.

I shifted my weight anxiously; the images the scanner produced may have been very interesting, but it was extremely hard to let him bring the eggs out when all I wanted to do was hide them from any prying eyes.

I was apparently going to be one of those paranoid mothers...

Taureen was keeping detailed notes and records of all the scans and measurements. The Kymari Elders weren't aware of our intelligence and wanted him to keep track of every single detail since we were the first pair of dragonets to nest in captivity.

Even though it had been five years since Taureen had patched up my wing, there were only two other dragonet pairs in the care of the Kymari, although a dozen other individuals had chosen to leave the wild to hunt sicora and crawlers with a Kymari handler.