"Henry was a man who never backed down from a fight."
Pyr closed his eyes and remembered the time when he was not responsible for handling so many people.
"I met him when I was backpacking in Europe. I have met a lot of people in my lifetime, yet he was the one that made a mark on our first meeting." A soft smile graced his lips. "Henry was defending a group of young children from a group of bears that was bigger than him," he still could not believe that a full-grown man could tackle five bear shifters on his own.
A sharp pull on his hair made him hiss, "Daymit Angel, don't pull my hair!" he said. Oh, it hurts alright, but not in a painful way. Jin, the stupid beast was happy. Their mate can inflict pain, and it was the kind that both beast and man liked.
The pleasurable kind of pain.
"Dude, he was up against five bears. European bears, those are big. How the heck did he survive without being shredded to little pieces?"
He tugged her hand and then held it on his cheek. It would be better if she slapped him on the face than tug his hair. Another playful tug and he will not be able to stop Jin from taking over.
"Do you believe that there are humans far more powerful and magical than the normal ones?" he asked.
Pyr could feel Angel take a deep breath. This was one of those things that he hated. Shifters were beings that not many are aware of. Given that this female has lost her memory, whatever he might say, would be chalked up to having some loose screws.
"I'm not sure..." she started to withdraw her hand but he held it firmly against his face. "Having amnesia sucks, Pyr. Something inside is telling me to believe in you. I want to say no, but I can't."
He gave her a small squeeze of reassurance. "I know. Since a part of you is aware of them. Henry is a dragon shifter from the west. Like any other shifter, he was the last of their kind. The birth rates of mythical shifters are rare. During those times, revealing yourself as a shifter is a death warrant."
The Middle Ages was a very dark period. Not just for shifters, but for people who believe in them as well. Even the people who have nothing to do with magic were killed. All because they were jealous, they got greedy, and they were ignorant of the unknown. "I helped him, but the kids he was trying to protect were part of the clan of bears that we had just defeated."
"Did you kill the bears?" she asked. She gave a small yawn. If his story was putting her to sleep, he would gladly tell her more about it. The woman has gone through the wringer. If it wasn't for the nightmare, she would still be sleeping.
"No, but we did injure them enough that they had to run away from us," he grinned, remembering how terrified the bears were when they sensed that they were dealing with no ordinary shifter. The kids, however, rejoiced. "They were the first set of shifter kids that we took care of. It was not easy, but as time goes by, more kids and teens seek us out for sanctuary. But Henry wanted more than just shelter. He wanted the kids to survive." He remembered the conviction on Henry's face. He was determined to make sure each kid that would step out of his castle would be prepared.
It was around that time when the wolves began to seek Pyr out. Not because he was wanted, but because he was powerful and wise. Some of the teens that Henry had helped became part of his crew, Mocha and Biscuits were the last of those groups of boys that joined him. They were also the ones that told him of what happened to his friend.
"Pyr?" Angel whispered, her voice sounded soft and sleepy.
"Hmm?"
"Kayla's mom?" she asked.
The tone of Pyr's voice changed when he began talking about the departed couple.
"Mila was just a child when we rescued her. Like you, she was a victim of human trafficking. Even as a child, Henry knew that she was his mate. He took care of her as he did to anyone under his wing. He knew that humans would not understand how deep a shifter's feeling was. So, he was the happiest man on the planet when Mila felt the same way." Apart from him wanted what his friend had. A woman to call his own, someone to share his joys, his sorrows.
But now? He was not sure if having her was a blessing or a curse.
Pyr knew the moment that she had fallen asleep. Her deep even breathing was like music in his ears.
Kayla let out a satisfied sigh. He felt the bed move, indicating that the pair made themselves comfortable. Slowly, stopped caressing her hand and placed them on the covers. He stood up, and walked toward the crib to check on the sleeping baby, only to find him awake, alert, and possibly, listening to his story of how their parents met.
Unlike his sister, the little one's eyes had the same shade as his father's. They were green.
He picked up the child and walked out of the room. Nurse Rei must have lit on the nurses at the hospital. They were accommodating and even prepared a bottle of formula for the baby.
He settled on the sofa when they got back to the room. The child quickly latched on the rubber nipple.
"A hungry little bugger, aren't you?" he told the child. The baby responded by holding one of his fingers that were on the bottle. Pyr kissed the baby's forehead and closed his eyes, letting Jin talk to the kid.
Jin was like a kid at a candy store. He was doing somersaults in the air and breathing fire. Pyr rolled his eyes. Jin was showing off, but it was okay. After all, he was now the guardian of two kids. The baby looked at him, and when green eyes met his bi-colored ones, Pyr felt something profound happen. They held and a silent form of communication passed between them.
Jin then curled his snake-like body around the baby. When he was sure that the baby was secure he looked at Pyr and told him what passed between them.
"He is to be named Cole O'Malley."
Shock ran through him. There was only one Cole O'Malley that he knew. And the babe bearing the name made him laugh at how fate works.
The person who helped him, who taught him how to survive when his village was burned down, was the same name as the babe in his arms will carry.
Cole O'Malley.
The Fates just served him the last whammy.