He and Wren remained at the edges as a familiar golden dragon landed first. It was Kai Sutherland. The male had barely touched the ground before his wings shrunk into his back, his limbs grew smaller, and his snout morphed into a human nose and face.
Kai waved hello, but then focused on the black dragon who hovered in the air. He carried a basket in his rear talons and gently laid it on the ground.
Kai went to the basket and took one and then another toddler into his arms before a woman most every dragon-shifter in the UK would recognize on sight exited it, too.
Melanie Hall-MacLeod was here.
Rhydian had been against the celebrity-like human coming, but Delaney had convinced him that she would be the best human to visit precisely because everyone knew who she was. They may still be trying to scare away Delaney, but Melanie had not only Stonefire but the entire Department of Dragon Affairs office behind her. Not to mention the media as well. The children would think twice before blurting out a hurtful comment.
Or so they hoped.
His beast chimed in again. She'll be safe. Kai wouldn't have brought Melanie here if he hadn't thought so, too.
Still, if anything happens to her or her children, it could destroy our fragile alliance.
Have faith. The worst offenders are already on the farms and being monitored by the DDA.
Melanie took her son back from Kai and headed toward Rhydian, a smile on her face. Many people had underestimated the human female early on because of her kindness and shorter stature.
She reached Rhydian and rearranged her grip on her son, who was trying his best to lean backward. Probably to be let down, from what little Rhydian knew about a toddler's behavior. Melanie nodded at him. "Hello, Rhydian. While I'd like to run through all the formalities, if we don't find somewhere for Jack to run around, it might not end well. While Annabel loves flying in the basket, Jack hates the small space."
Rhydian resisted blinking. He'd never really held a conversation with Melanie before, and it was hard to believe this female talking about her children's habits was such a force behind changing things for dragon-shifters in the UK.
As he tried to think of where he could take them so the kids could play, Melanie's mate had shifted to his human form and strode over. Tristan MacLeod, daughter on his hip, placed a possessive arm around his mate's waist. "Rhydian."
"Tristan."
The dragonman was content to stand there in silence. Rhydian knew Tristan was a teacher. No doubt the male had his students in line without more than a blink.
Thankfully Kai came over to break up the awkward silence, and Rhydian turned his attention to the dragonman and asked, "Aren't there supposed to be a few more coming?"
Kai answered, "Sebastian will be here soon. He's waiting to help escort the Lochguard dragons in."
Rhydian frowned. "Why?"
Kai shrugged. "Let's just say that the father of
the twin girls is overprotective. And most definitely not a Protector, so it was the compromise we struck with Lochguard to allow them to come."
Rhydian had heard of the mysterious female twins born not that long ago. "Whilst I understand the dramatics the half-human twin females will bring, is it safe for them to come here? They're only babies."
Melanie did her best to keep her son from falling as she replied, "Their mother wants to help. Not only is she human, but she's one of the toughest nurses you'll meet. She shouldn't have trouble with the kids."
Tristan muttered, "Her mate should've stayed home. The students will eat him alive."
For a second, Rhydian realized the divide between his clan and the two others.
His beast spoke up. Give it time. They've cultivated their alliance and friendship over a couple of years.
Kai spoke up again. "Which is why not only our Protector is waiting to escort them, Lochguard sent their second-in-command, too. Both of the male Protectors are half human, by the way. So both children and adults can interact with your students."
Neither Stonefire nor Lochguard had been sure they could send one of the few half-human adults or not. Many of the half-human members were parents, builders, nurses, small-business owners, and the like. While everyone here today could easily stand up to some skepticism and being tested, not everyone could. It didn't make them any less valuable to the clan as a whole. It took all sorts to make a clan healthy and happy.
His dragon grunted. Which maybe now we can focus more on since the worst offenders are out of the mountains.
Hush. We'll talk more about that later.
Rhydian gestured toward the door. "Kai can take you and your children out of the cold, Melanie. I'm sure his mother can find somewhere for the twins to play until the presentation at the school."