Chapter 12: Excuse Us

Mikkel:

The table was full of laughing and talking as I sat quietly, watching Onyx dig into mom’s famous Waffles-ala-mode. Birgir and Davyn sat on either side as Onyx squirmed in excitement on my lap as she hummed in delight with each bite of strawberry and cream covered waffle.

“Baby, quit squirming.” I whispered into her ear as my hands held her hips firmly.

Her swirling pools of onyx smirked at me as her hands signed “Sorry”, shifting quickly to one side of my lap.

“She’s getting brave.” Birgir laughed darkly in link as Davyn jowl rumbled in excitement.

“You three behave at the table.” Dad linked us as his eyes scanned between us with a dark smirk.

“Let them be. Onyx is slowly remembering, and she just connected with them.” Mom laughed softly as her hand disappeared below the table as she leaned forward, kissing dad on the cheek.

Dad’s eyes flashed his radiant green as mom pulled back from his ear with a quick lick of her lips.

The thing about Dragon’s is when we have a surge of emotion, our eyes glow with a slight shift into the serpent slits, indicating our heightened senses.

“Why can everyone else play around, but we can’t?” Davyn huffed lowly in our link as Onyx trailed her eyes over to him with a dark smirk.

“Dirk, Junko. Come sit.” Mom laughed softly as she motioned to the two open chairs to her right.

Onyx turned to look at them, walking up from behind us as her eyes grew wide in excitement, following her sight to see both Junko and Dirk actually looking normal.

All those layers of muck, and whatever else, washed away exposing soft ivory skin and soft white locks, casing bright cobalt eyes that seemed to pierce straight through us.

“WOW!” Everyone exhaled as they sat down, grabbing large plates of waffles covered in fresh fruit and cream.

“Thank you.” Junko smiled softly as Dirk nodded to her with a straight smile laced across his lips.

“Is it me, or are they attracted to one another?” I spoke softly in link as Birgir and Davyn perked a curious brow at me with a firm nod.

“Junko, Dirk. Let me introduce Bryon and Lea Stormcloud and their twins, Zara and Zarek.” Mom cooed at the babies drawing in the cream on their high-chairs.

“Nice to meet you.” Dirk stood up, shaking Byron’s hand and nodding to Lea in respect.

“They’re the keepers of the Under Realm. King and Queen of the Shadow Walkers.” Mam smiled softly as Zara touched her nose with cream giggling happily at the funny face.

“SHADOW WALKERS!” Dirk and Junko jumped from their chairs in fear as Onyx flinched, causing us to react defensively.

“Easy. Easy. We’re all family, and this is just the start of it.” Mam held her hand up softly, motioning for them to sit back down.

“Like we said earlier, No one will hurt you here. This is family.” Mom pointed between everyone sitting at the table.

“That’s Mam Lana and Pap Draven, my parents.” Mom smiled at Junko as she took a big, hungry bite of her waffles.

“This is my husband, Drogo and our three sons, Birgir, Mikkel, and Davyn, and of course, Onyx their mate.” Mom walked over, hugging Onyx with a motherly glint in her eye.

“Where’s Toni? I wanted to thank him for helping us cross over the water.” Junko spoke softly as Dirk looked at her with a brightness in his gaze.

“They’re siblings, right?” Davyn looked between us with a questioning brow.

“Toni had to get back to his clan. He’s the elder.” Dad spoke firmly as he sipped his coffee with a smirk.

“So, Junko, Dirk. Can you explain how you found us?” I asked the question lingering in the air as their eyes looked up from their plates.

“Just Jun, but as we said earlier we were in charge of healing Onyx’s wounds inflicted by those “BASTARDS!”.” Jun slammed her hand on the table, jumping from her seat snarling and talking incoherently.

Onyx jumped from my lap, removing her warmth to be taken over by the cold shiver climbing up my spine. She hugged Jun tightly, pulling back with a smile.

“We’re safe.” Onyx signed with a soft smile as she motioned for her to sit back down.

Jun exhaled slowly, sliding back into her seat with a soft embrace from Dirk.

“For the past month, we have been slipping through the barrier to locate Onyx after Kano and Zek tortured her to the point they discarded her.” Dirk froze, when deep growls vibrated across the table.

“Say again?” Dad gritted his teeth, while Pap held firmly to the table edge.

“What “torture” or “Kano and Zek”?” Dirk asked with a cautious tone as Dad and Pap stood abruptly from their chairs, huffing small balls of blue and purple flames.

“Ladies please excuse us. Gentlemen follow me.” Dad spoke firmly, causing Birgir and Davyn to look at me with a questioning gaze.

“Jun, sweetheart. You stay here with Onyx and the girls.” Pap spoke softly to her as she looked at Dirk, giving her a reassuring nod.

Kissing Onyx on the forehead as we stood to follow our Dad and Pap into the study. Mam slid into the chair next to Jun as we closed the door to the study, making sure it was secured before Dad and Pap motioned to sit.

“Forgive me. I had no intention of disrespecting you.” Dirk kneeled, bowing his head in respect to Dad and Pap.

“What am I missing?” Birgir linked suspiciously as we watched Pap grip Dirk on the shoulder with a reassuring pat.

“It’s not your fault, but this just got serious.” Dad spoke firmly as he looked at us with a stern gaze as Byron poured bourbons for us.

“Five months ago, Onyx was sent on a special mission to locate the “Lost Realm of Dragons” by Nuwa the Goddess of Dragons and creation.” Pap nodded his head to Byron as he handed him a glass of bourbon.

“Wait! Does that mean? She is? Oh, Fuck!” Dirk’s hands were trembling as he downed the bourbon in one gulp with a vicious cough.

Laughing darkly as Byron poured him another with a wink.

“Sip it.” Byron laughed as he handed the glass back to Dirk.

“You are a Whitepaw, so you understand the severity of the situation.” Dad looked at Dirk with a far-away stare.

“Now it makes sense, why Kano and Zek didn’t kill her. She’s the last Royal Guardian.” Dirk rubbed his temples with a pained expression.

“Dirk, exactly how old are you and Junko?” Davyn leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, while he gently turned his glass between his hands.

“A hundred and thirty, and Junko is two years younger.” Dirk looked up with dark smirks laced across our faces.

“Shit! We’re still the youngest of the bunch.” I laughed darkly, sipping the smooth bourbon, aged to the right year.

“Jun, isn’t your real sister, is she?” Birgir leaned back in the sofa, crossing his leg casually.

“For her safety, her family hid her identity within our clan, being she was my destined mate.” Dirk exhaled heavily as he laid his head back against the chair.

“Her real name is Junko Moonpaw.” Pap spoke with a sad smile as his eyes scanned the room.

“It’s natural for Junko to have a connection to Onyx, because the Moonpaw and Whitepaw clans have been allies since the beginning of Dragons. Foxes acted as our eyes and ears to the other Realms.” Pap exhaled deeply as he swirled his bourbon in the glass with a lost gaze.

“Kano Blackfang and Zek Silverfang led the purge on the Dragon Realm for control.” Dad growled lowly as his eyes flashed a scary hue of deep green with a quick huff of blue flames.

“Wait! Who?” The three of us shot up from our seats in shock.

“Kano Blackfang, or “Kothar” to his mindless followers. My brother, your uncle.” Pap paced slowly along the wall, casted in the warm glow of the fire.

“Zek Silverfang, my father, your grandfather.” Dad clicked his clawed finger against the glass with an eerie expression.

“Why is this information just now being disclosed?” I growled darkly as Birgir and Davyn shared the same expression as we stood in a huddle.

“Because Kano wants to make Onyx his bride.” Dirk spoke coldly as he downed the bourbon, pouring another.

“WHAT!” The room erupted into demonic growling as Byron’s eyes flashed a bright red hue.

“Quiet. The girls don’t need to know this at the moment, until we get more information.” Byron held his hand up shaking as he fought Storm to stay calm.

“Question, why is the Shadow Walker concerned with Dragons?” Dirk pointed to Byron with a cocked head.

“Onyx is like a sister to us, and we will be “Damned” if anyone tries to hurt her.” Byron exhaled a shaky breath as he held Dirk in an intense glare.

“It’s bad enough that she reverted into her child form and has amnesia on top of that.” Birgir released a low grumbling breath as Davyn and I fought to stay calm.

Banging on the door made us jump as Byron quickly opened it to Mam panting frantically.

“Onyx…shift…gone.” Each word was a stake driven deeper into our hearts as we took off out the study, finding the glass sliders in pieces as Lea stood in shock with the twins on her hips.

“Onyx baby?” I linked her, trying to feel her location.

Nothing.

“What happened?” Dad asked calmly as we readied to take-off after her.

“Nothing, we were laughing, eating breakfast then she gripped her chest in pain. She literally shifted mid-step trying to get outside.” Mam huffed deeply as Byron and Dirk started sweeping up the glass pieces scattered across the floor.

“Your mom said she went south into the mainland.” Dad exhaled with a sense of relief as Junko and Dirk looked at us with reassurance.

“She can’t go near the barrier; it will open, and “they” will come after her.” Jun looked at Dirk for comfort as he held her tightly to his chest.

Loud roaring filled the skies as we rushed out to the deck, seeing mom twirling beautifully with a gorgeous iridescent purple dragon. Swooping low to the ground, shooting back up at the last second with a heavy thrust of her majestic black leathery wings.

“She’s beautiful.” Junko exhaled in excitement as our eyes followed her closely.