The Great Easter Bunny Hunt
The Full Novella!
Alien eggs can only mean one thing – an adventure!
A pile of unusual eggs leads to an exciting Easter egg hunt for the kids and the adults alike in this delightful holiday tale. The children must work together to recover Jabir’s coveted eggs after the Great Easter Bunny is caught taking them away. Can the Dragonlings and their besties save the day?
Chapter 1
“No. It’s not happening, Vox. You can leave me out of any of your crazy missions,” Trelon stubbornly said, shaking his head.
“Don’t be such a wuss, Trelon. It will be fun!” Vox chuckled and slapped Trelon on his shoulder.
“Wuss? What is a wuss?” Trelon asked with a confused expression on his face.
“Scaredy-cat, wimp, coward – you know, wuss. Riley taught me that one,” Vox replied, still grinning.
“I’m not a scaredy-cat – I’m a dragon. This is going to end badly, you do know that, don’t you?” Trelon groaned.
He sank down into the chair in his living room and laid his head back to stare up at the ceiling. If Trelon had known it was Vox banging on his door, he never would have opened it. He had been enjoying a few hours of peace and quiet. Amber and Jade were playing with Spring and Phoenix, Cara was shopping with his mom, and he was finishing up the nursery. Cara was due any day and he wanted everything perfect for their son.
Vox gently kicked Trelon’s boot to get his attention and sat down across from him. “Asim says it’s essential that we get rid of those damn eggs Jabir brought back from Earth. Have you seen the size of those things? He doesn’t have a clue what’s inside them, but he isn’t taking any chances,” he explained, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.
Trelon lifted his head and glared at Vox. “Then let Asim deal with it! This is not my problem. I’ve had enough adventures to last a lifetime and the girls aren’t even teenagers yet! Do you have any idea of how crazy life is at the moment? Cara is due any day with our son. Amber and Jade are on high alert. They have decided it is going to be their duty in life to make sure he is protected. They have been creating a fortress in his room! It has been a full time job just trying to keep them out of mischief and you want me to help you get rid of a pile of eggs? Just bury them!” Trelon growled.
“We can’t! Pearl has threatened that if Asim harms one egg, she’ll pickle his tail and serve it at the next family meal. Under no circumstances can he be involved with getting rid of the eggs. If that isn’t bad enough, Tina’s chicken, Ruby, thinks the eggs are hers and has been lying on top of them. Viper told me that he and Tina visited last week and now Leo wants to bring home whatever hatches out of them. If we don’t do something, I’ll end up with one of the creatures! Have you seen the size of the eggs? They are huge!” Vox said in exasperation, holding his hands out almost half a meter.
“Again – let Asim deal with it! You know if we get involved, something bad is bound to happen,” Trelon dryly remarked.
“Come on, Trelon. Did I happen to mention that Roam heard Jabir say that Amber and Jade want one of the eggs – each? That means two of whatever hatches,” Vox informed Trelon with a smirk.
“What?! Oh, dragon’s balls! That’s all I need!” Trelon groaned and ran his hands over his face before dropping them to his lap to gaze back at Vox with a look of resignation. “Alright, I’ll help you. I have enough creatures running around the house with just those damn demented symbiots. I swear the girls are still making them. They keep popping up every once in a while.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about; I’ve got the perfect plan,” Vox stated with confidence, sitting back in his seat with a smug grin.
Trelon shook his head. “Why does that sound suspiciously like we are screwed? That, by the way, means trouble – big, big trouble,” he muttered under his breath.
Chapter 2
“Decorated eggs! Has it been a year already?” Zoran exclaimed with a wide grin.
Abby nodded her head and tapped Zoran on his knuckles when he reached for one of the brightly dyed eggs. “Those are for the Easter Egg Hunt,” she admonished.
“Yeah, Daddy, those is for us to hunts,” Zohar stated.
“Then why is your tongue blue?” Zoran pointedly asked with a raised eyebrow.
Zohar glanced at his mom and grinned. Sure enough, his lips, tongue, and teeth were all blue. Abby released a sigh when she saw the remains of the egg shells on the floor under Zohar’s chair. Between father and son, she’d be lucky to have any eggs left for the Easter Egg hunt planned for the next day.
“I has to taste test them,” Zohar said with a firm nod. “I’m tastings just like Mommy does when she cooks them.”
“One… I said one, Zohar,” Abby replied, leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to the tip of Zohar’s nose.
“Yew!” Zohar grumbled.
“Do I get a kiss if I eat an egg?” Zoran asked with a mischievous smile. “I promise not to say ‘yew’ if you do.”
Abby chuckled. “You can get a kiss any time you want,” she promised, leaning up to brush a kiss across Zoran’s lips. “I think you taste perfect the color they are.”
A soft, rumbling growl escaped Zoran before he could smother it. Abby shot him an amused glance before turning away. He gently wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back against him. Abby smiled when his hand moved lower to protectively cover her abdomen.
“How is he?” he murmured.
Abby chuckled. “You know very well how he is doing. You’ve been connected with me since our dragons shared I that was pregnant again,” she teased.
“What’s preg-ant mean?” Zohar asked, staring back and forth at his parents with wide eyes.
“Uh-oh,” Abby murmured.
Zoran pressed a kiss to Abby’s neck and straightened. “You’re going to be a big brother,” he explained.
Zohar tilted his head and frowned for a moment. “Okay,” he said with a shrug. “Can I colors more eggs?”
“Yes, you can color more eggs,” Abby said with a raised eyebrow at Zoran. “He took that better than I expected.”
“He’s a born leader,” Zoran chuckled, rubbing a hand along Abby’s side before he pulled away. “Can I help him color more eggs?”
Abby laughed. “As long as you don’t taste test them all,” she teased.
“Leo, no!!! Viper, help!” Tina called in exasperation.
“What…? What in the cat’s….?!” Viper exclaimed, walking into the living quarters he and Tina were sharing with Riley, Vox, Roam, and their twin daughters, Sacha and Pearl. “He’s purple.”
“I can see that he is purple,” Tina growled, holding up their young son under his arms. “Can you see if you can wash any of it off while I clean up this mess?”
Leo hissed at his father and tried to swat a tiny paw at him. Viper shook his head and grabbed the small kitten by the back of his neck. Leo immediately went limp, hanging from his father’s hand with a glum expression.
“Aw, Aunt Tina. We were trying to makes Leo look like an Easter Egg. He was going to hide so we could all try to finds him,” Roam complained.
“I told Roam it wasn’t such a good idea,” Bálint said.
“I thought it was cool. They were going to do me next,” Jabir replied with a grin.
Tina’s lips twitched at Jabir’s innocent admission. The sight of her son, shifted into his cat-form and sitting in a large mixing bowl of purple dye with Roam, Bálint, and Jabir holding cups and pouring the dyed water over Leo’s head rose into her mind. At least Leo had been getting a bath – of sorts. Maybe she should have added dye to Leo’s bath water. Lately, he had started hissing and growling at her and Viper until one of them dumped a pile of toys in with him. Of course, having Roam there had also made it easier. The two boys could spend hours playing in the tub if there were enough bubbles and toys.
“I think we’ll have enough Easter Eggs,” Tina promised, grabbing a damp cloth and bending to wipe the floor.
“How can you be sure? My daddy keeps eating the ones Mommy and I makes,” Jabir asked.
Tina glanced at the three boys. “Well, the Great Easter Bunny will bring some more,” she said.
“The Great Easter Bunny?” Roam repeated with a slight awed sound in his voice. “Mommy and Daddy didn’t tell me about the Great Easter Bunny.”
“Mine neither,” Bálint said, sitting down next to Jabir on the floor.
“Mines didn’t either. What’s the Great Easter Bunny?” Jabir asked.
“Well, he’s big – really, really big. He has to be to carry all the Easter Eggs. He has a big, fluffy tail and long ears. His ears help him listen for the sound of children’s laughter. He has to make sure he leaves the Easter Eggs where they can be found,” Tina explained as she stood to rinse the washcloth and dump the colored water down the drain.
“How bigs is he?” Jabir asked.
“Well, at least this tall,” Tina said, lifting her hand up until it was about as tall as Viper.
“Is there just one Great Easter Bunny?” Bálint asked, gazing up at Tina.
Tina shook her head. “Oh, no. There are quite a few of them. It takes a lot of Easter Bunnies to deliver all those eggs – especially the really special ones,” she added in a dramatic whisper.
“The special ones? What special ones? What do they looks like?” Roam demanded.
Tina glanced around, as if to make sure that no one else could hear her before she bent down in front of the boys. Her eyes twinkled with mischief. She knew that Abby and Morian had been making a Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny costume to surprise the kids. Ariel and Trisha had made some large Easter Egg Piñatas, and Riley, Cara, and she were making up games.
“Well, they are about this big, a really pretty color, and they are filled with all kinds of wonderful to eat treats,” Tina said, holding her hands up to show how big the Piñatas were.
“Wow!” Jabir whispered, his eyes glowing with excitement.
“Okay, he’s clean. He’s still purple, but he’s clean,” Viper said, standing in the doorway with a very fluffy, riled, purple kitten.
Leo shifted back into his two-legged form when Viper set him down on the floor, giggled, and headed for Roam. Roam twisted onto his hands and knees and waited for Leo to crawl up onto his back.
“Horsey!” Leo called out.
Tina glanced back at Viper, and realized that he was soaked. An amused, tender smile danced on her lips. Leo didn’t like to get a bath – until he was in it; then, everyone got one. Viper gazed down at Leo with so much pride and love, it made her heart ache. Standing up, she walked over to her mate, wrapped her arms around his waist, and laid her head against his chest.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Viper’s arms wrapped around her and he hugged her close. “For what?”
Tina tilted her head back and smiled. “For being such an amazing dad and mate,” she said.
Chapter 3
“Whatever you do, don’t get caught,” Asim warned, standing outside of Trelon’s living quarters. He handed a bag to Trelon before he handed another one to Vox. “Be careful. I’ve got them packed in warm grass to keep them from breaking.”
“What is in this thing?” Trelon asked with a frown as he lifted the bag with one hand.
“Eggs – big, alien eggs that Jabir hid among the things you and the others brought back from Earth,” Asim stated with a shake of his head. “I guess Mandra didn’t know Jabir had snuck them in.”
Trelon glanced back and forth between Asim and Vox. “And why did you two get me involved in this? Why isn’t Mandra taking care of it?” Trelon asked in exasperation.
Asim shook his head. “Mandra doesn’t even know about them. Even if he did, he couldn’t be involved; Ariel would know. Jabir has been sneaking out every few hours to the barn. That isn’t so unusual, but when Tina and Viper came to visit a few days ago, they brought that damn bird with them. It has been laying eggs all over the place. I was collecting them and heard it in the barn area. It was sitting on top of an enormous green egg unlike anything I had ever seen before. When I picked it up, I saw more buried in a bed of warm grass that I use when one of the other creatures we have are nesting,” he explained.
“Okay, that explains Mandra and Ariel, but it doesn’t explain why you are in such a hurry to get rid of the eggs. What is the problem? You have all kinds of creatures up on the mountain, what are a few more?” Trelon asked in exasperation.
Asim smothered a growl and glanced around. He had flown here early this morning with the cache of eggs hidden under the seat of the transport he had traveled in with Lord Mandra and Lady Ariel. Jabir had come several days earlier with Pearl and his symbiot so he could play with his cousins and see Leo and Roam. As it was, he was running out of time. He had promised to meet Pearl in just a few minutes. Fortunately, she didn’t know about the eggs either – or at least as far as he knew.
Asim ran a hand down over his face and sighed. “Little Jabir and Lady Ariel have brought home an abundance of animals, but they are all ones I’m familiar with. I’ve never seen eggs like this. What happens if they can’t survive on our world? I don’t want Jabir to be heartbroken if they don’t make it and don’t get me started on Lady Ariel! She tries to hide it when one of the newborn creatures dies, but I know she still cries. Then I worry about how dangerous they could be to the tiny lord and his mother. I’d never forgive myself if something happened to one of them. I swore to your father, Lord Trelon, that I would protect the royal family. It is my responsibility; I should have taken care of them. I’ll take the bags,” he murmured, and held his hands back out.
“No, Asim. You’ve done enough. I don’t want Ariel and Jabir upset with you. You are there every day. Vox and I will take care of them,” Trelon promised when a wave of guilt swept through him.
“You need not worry, Asim. I have a plan,” Vox replied with a grin.
Asim looked critically at the smile on Vox’s face. Trelon bit back the groan that almost escaped. He wasn’t so sure that Vox’s plan was going to work. Vox had only given him a brief overview and it sounded simple enough – take the eggs with them out to the meadow and hide them – deep into the forests where there was no chance of them surviving the predators that lived there. They would be honest about what they were doing – they were hiding eggs.
“If you are sure,” Asim replied with a slightly skeptical expression.
Vox slapped Asim on the shoulder and nodded. “I’m sure. It will be easy,” he promised.
Trelon watched Asim nod before the other man turned away. He waited until Asim had disappeared around the corner before he shifted the bag of eggs in his hand. Opening the bag, he blinked in surprise when he saw how large they were.
Taste good? his dragon asked.
You can’t eat them! If we ate these, forget about what Mandra would do to us; think of what Ariel and Cara would do! Trelon growled.
I eat Ruby eggs, his dragon pouted.
Those are different. I don’t know how, but they are, Trelon retorted.
These no look as tasty, his dragon agreed with a grumble.
True. Who would ever want to eat green eggs? Trelon replied.
“Trelon, come on. We’ve got to go talk to Ha’ven,” Vox said.
“Ha’ven! What does he have to do with all of this?” Trelon asked, dread filling him.
“I’ve got a new idea,” Vox said.
“Why does that not sound good?” Trelon muttered, closing the bag of eggs.
Chapter 4
“You want me to do what?” Ha’ven asked in an incredulous tone before he shook his head.
“Do that thing that Emma did at Halloween when she made those costumes for the women. You know, like when she made Riley into that sexy ghost,” Vox replied with a grin.
“I’m blaming Pearl for this,” Ha’ven muttered under his breath. “I think she shot you one too many times.”
“That was in his ass, not his head. I think his brains were scrambled when Riley used that device she had for shocking him,” Trelon replied with a chuckle.
Vox scowled at the other two men. “Riley hasn’t used the Taser on me in years. I took the battery out of it and told her it was broken,” he stated, rubbing his chest at the memory.
“You really want me to create a costume – for the both of you – so you can do what?” Ha’ven asked again.
“I have a picture of it. I had Adalard send me a picture of one for the kids. He sent me this thing called a movie that is supposed to be good. It has a large bunny that throws this thing called a boomerang and talks with a funny accent,” Vox said, pulling a small vidcom from his pocket.
The three men watched a large creature with long ears hop across the screen. Behind the creature, tiny decorated eggs walked. It was obvious that the characters were not real, but there was something enchanting about the images that kept the men’s eyes glued to the screen. It wasn’t until almost the end that Vox muttered a curse under his breath and shook his head. He scrolled through the list before he found what he was looking for, a drawing of two Easter Bunny costumes from Earth.
“This is what we need,” Vox said, holding up the vidcom in front of Ha’ven.
Ha’ven stared back at Vox for a long time before he turned a pained expression to Trelon. “Are you serious?” Ha’ven asked, staring at the two rabbits holding hands on the screen.
Trelon returned Ha’ven’s gaze and nodded. “Amber and Jade want to keep one of the creatures in the eggs – each. With my luck, whatever is in the eggs has to have long rows of teeth and poops a lot,” he replied.
“That’s called a baby dragonling,” Ha’ven chuckled. “When do you want the costumes?” he asked with a shake of his head.
“First thing tomorrow morning,” Vox said, glancing at Trelon. “We’ll volunteer to hide the eggs. All you have to do is meet us just inside the edge of the woods. You can create the costumes and be back before anyone knows you are gone.”
“That’s all?” Ha’ven asked in a dry tone. “Trelon, please tell me you can see how many things can go wrong with this plan.”
Trelon raised his hands up in the air. “I just don’t want any more demented creatures crawling around my house. I have enough with Amber and Jade, and Cara is due any day. I’m in survival mode,” he said.
“I’ll warn you now. I will deny all knowledge of this,” Ha’ven vowed.
Vox chuckled and slung his arm around Ha’ven’s shoulders. “You don’t have to worry about a thing. What could go wrong?” he asked with confidence.
“I know nothing,” Ha’ven repeated, shaking his head.
“I’m pleading insanity,” Trelon only half joked.
Chapter 5
Early the next morning, Paul chuckled and set Morah down on the ground. The little girl shifted and bounced over to where the other children were playing. Morian walked up behind him, carrying a platter of fresh fruit. He leaned over and picked a red piece of fruit that reminded him of a plum and popped it into his mouth.
“She is growing so fast,” Morian said with a smile, watching her tiny daughter stop to touch Leo’s purple hair in awe.
“Too fast,” Paul agreed.
“Mommy, can I have purple hair, too?” Alice asked in excitement.
Emma sighed even as Viper and Tina laughed. Alice had already changed her yellow dress to purple with dozens of small colorful eggs on it. Leo was eating up all the attention his new color had drawn from the girls.
“Thank goodness she hasn’t learned how to change her hair color yet. Is Melina going to make it with Hope?” Emma asked as the small group walked up to Paul and Morian.
“No, they are doing a special Easter Egg Hunt with Christoff and Edna back at the village. I wish they could have made it, but I guess the tradition is spreading,” Abby replied, placing several of the baskets for the kids on the table.
“It is amazing how much fun it is. I don’t remember Easter being this cool when we were growing up,” Riley said, picking up a cookie and eating it.
“It helps having a meadow like this to hide them in, though you have to admit all the bikers did a bang up job for you girls,” Pearl agreed, holding her granddaughter on her hip.
Riley leaned over and tickled one her tiny daughter’s toes. “Hiding money in liquor bottles decorated with paper isn’t quite the same,” she drawled.
“It worked and I didn’t hear you complaining about the cash inside,” Pearl commented.
“You mean the cash that you made us put into our savings account?” Tina quipped.
“You had more in your savings accounts than most of those high society misses, and you married princes. I’d say you did pretty well,” Pearl retorted, pressing a kiss to baby Pearl’s temple. “Isn’t that right, my little princess? I taught your mommy how to kick some ass too.”
“Butt, Pearl. I don’t want the girls’ first words to be ‘ass’,” Riley teased. “No, we don’t, do we?”
Pearl chuckled when little Pearl’s lips parted on a giggle. She glanced around with a frown. Her expression relaxed when she saw Asim talking with Paul. She quickly glanced away when he turned his head toward her. There was no sense in letting the grouchy old dragon think she missed him or anything.
“Where are Vox and Trelon?” Riley asked.
“They volunteered to hide the Easter Eggs this year,” Cara replied with a slight groan.
“Are you okay?” Trisha asked, walking up to help Cara when she dropped a ribbon on the ground.
“Yes. I just had a slight twinge. I think this baby is ready to see some daylight,” she admitted with another wince.
“Why don’t you sit down? We can take care of the rest of this. You’ve been doing too much for the last few days,” Trisha gently scolded.
“I feel like a bloated whale about ready to pop,” Cara said, sinking down into a chair.
“You look like…,” Kelan started to say before he winced when Trisha elbowed him. “You look – big.”
“Thanks, Kelan. I’ll remember that on your birthday,” Cara promised.
“Goddess, I didn’t mean it as an insult, Cara,” Kelan replied with a shudder. “The last gift you gave had those bizarre creatures from Halloween in it.”
“That was a mistake,” Cara said with a wave of her hand. “I meant to send that to Dulce. He’s helping me figure out why the symbiots turn out that way when the girls put them in the replicator.”
“Your girls should not be allowed near anything mechanical, Cara. At least not until they are about a thousand years old,” Zoran interjected.
Cara leaned her head back and smiled sweetly up at Zoran. “Try and stop them,” she said.
The sound of laughter echoed through the group when Zoran muttered he never got any respect anymore. In the background, Ha’ven casually glanced around before he stepped behind a tree and disappeared.
Chapter 6
“Really, Ha’ven? You just couldn’t resist, could you?” Trelon asked with a disgusted voice.
“You look fine, Trelon,” Vox said.
“You aren’t the one wearing a dress and pink toe nails,” Trelon retorted.
Trelon awkwardly turned and rested his paw covered hands on his hips. His vision was partially blocked by the cover of the mask he was wearing. This had to be the absolute stupidest stunt he had ever been involved in before.
Ha’ven’s lips twitched. “I have to get back before Emma and Alice miss me. You asked – I created. Now I’m denying any knowledge. But before I go, I have to say, you make a striking couple,” he added.
“Ha-ha,” Trelon muttered in a muffled voice and tried to lift the middle finger of his paw.
“I think it is great! He even put springs in the feet so we can bounce,” Vox said.
Trelon turned toward Vox to add another biting comment, but instead he paused and fully took in what Vox looked like. Vox looked – ridiculous. Ha’ven had created a perfect costume from the image. Of course, Vox would have preferred the one from the movie vidcom to the one from the picture.
Vox was decked out with long, white ears that stood straight up. He had large, dark brown eyes with long eyebrows above each eye, a short pink nose, and a wide mouth with two long teeth hanging down. Trelon chuckled when he saw the large yellow bow and shiny purple jacket. His gaze moved down over Vox. His body was covered in a soft fur material that looked so real, Trelon actually wanted to touch it. His gaze moved down to Vox’s feet. If he thought Vox had big feet before, it was nothing compared to the mammoth bunny feet he now wore.
“Turn around,” Trelon ordered.
“Why? You know, you make a pretty bunny. I like the floppy ears, less likely to get caught on a tree branch,” Vox commented before he turned and glanced over his shoulder. “I’ve got one fluffy tail.”
“It wiggles,” Trelon laughed.
“Let me see if you have one,” Vox ordered, twisting back around.
Trelon turned around. “This dress makes me look bigger,” he complained.
“No, it doesn’t,” Vox assured him. “Amber and Jade would love to see you dressed like this. I can just see Cara crashing the communications system again if she were to broadcast you in that outfit.”
Trelon shot Vox a glare. Of course, it was pointless as Vox couldn’t see his expression. Still, it made him feel better.
“It better not happen, because if it does, I know who to hunt down,” Trelon warned.
“We’d better hide the big eggs first so they can be eaten first,” Vox said, glancing through the trees.
“That sounds…,” Trelon’s voice faded when he heard a soft gasp.
He turned and tilted his head to get a better view. He glanced around, trying to see, but his vision was limited. Twisting back to look at Vox, he saw the other man searching as well.
“Do you see anything?” Trelon asked.
Vox’s large bunny head shook back and forth. “No, but we’d better get these eggs hidden fast if we want to get rid of the others. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all,” he said, turning and almost tripping over his feet.
“You think?” Trelon muttered behind him.
Neither man saw the three heads peering up from the hole in the ground. Three sets of large, rounded eyes watched in awe and excitement as the two large rabbits haphazardly bounced down a wide trail in the forest. Another soft gasp escaped the little blue dragon that was staring at one of the eggs peeking out from a knapsack – a large, very familiar green egg.
“It’s the Great Easter Bunny that you told us about Jabir,” Spring whispered.
“There’s even a girl bunny!” Phoenix exclaimed, turning bright shiny eyes to her sister.
“But… the bunnies got my eggs. I don’t want our daddies to eats my new eggs. Phoenix, I can hears the babies chirping. We got to saves them,” Jabir pleaded.
Phoenix looked at her sister with concern. “We’ll need help. They are hiding the eggs,” she said.
“Let’s get the others,” Spring replied, turning in the hole she had dug.
Chapter 7
“Those sound an awful lot like Emu eggs, Asim,” Paul was saying. “I know Chad was talking about raising some. Their meat is supposed to be good. Where did you see them?”
Asim swallowed and raised a hand to rub along the back of his neck. He’d been having second thoughts about what he’d done. The more he’d thought about it, the more he wanted to just talk to Mandra and Lady Ariel about his concern. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of Paul Grove. If anyone would know whether or not the eggs were dangerous, it would be the human mate of Lady Morian.
“Jabir hid them among the items that Mandra brought back. I noticed he was going out to the barn a little more frequently than normal. Then, Lady Tina and Lord Viper came to visit and she brought Ruby. The chicken was laying eggs everywhere. When I was searching for them to gather for the Easter egg event, I found her on top of one of the large green eggs,” he admitted.
“Well, I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much about them. They can have a powerful kick and have a claw, but you’ve handled bigger and more dangerous things than that. I would make sure that you explain to Jabir that he needs to be careful. If you raise them from hatchlings, they should be fine with the other large animals. If you have any problems, I’d be happy to come out and help,” Paul recommended.
“Thank you, Paul. It would appear I should have talked to you sooner,” Asim replied, looking out at the woods.
“Any time,” Paul said, turning when he heard Morian call his name.
Asim nodded. “I hope I can find them before it is too late,” he murmured.
“Too late for what?” an amused voice asked from behind him.
Asim grimaced. With a loud sigh, he turned to face Pearl. He rubbed his hands together and tried to think of a way to tell her what had happened – without really telling her what had happened.
“I need to go find Trelon and Vox,” he said.
“And…,” Pearl asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I may have given them something I shouldn’t have,” Asim admitted.
Pearl chuckled and stepped forward. Asim’s eyelids lowered when she raised her hand and stroked his cheek. Goddess, but this woman never ceased to amaze him.
“Good luck. I think you are going to need it,” she murmured.
Asim nodded, and turned his head to press a kiss against her palm before moving with quiet sure strides toward the edge of the forest. He would cut around the meadow so he wasn’t seen.
Chapter 8
“Zohar! Zohar!” Spring and Phoenix called out.
The two girls darted through the crowd of adults. They both skidded to a stop when their mom and dad stepped in front of them and knelt down. Phoenix shifted first, falling into her dad’s arms with a breathless gasp.
“Daddy, you have to help us,” Phoenix cried.
“What’s wrong?” Carmen asked, hugging Spring.
“The Great Easter Bunnies have Jabir’s eggs,” Spring said.
“The Great Easter…,” Creon started to say before stopped and looked at Carmen with a confused frown.
“It’s true, Daddy. We saw them. They was in the woods. They have Jabir’s eggs,” Phoenix anxiously said, reaching up to cup Creon’s cheeks between her tiny hands. “Please, you have to help us. Jabir says he heard them chirping.”
“He heard what chirping? The bunnies?” Carmen asked.
Spring shook her head. “No, the eggs. They took his big eggs, not the little ones like what we made. These are really big,” she said, holding her hands out wide.
“He is afraid that they will gets eaten,” Phoenix explained, turning dark, golden eyes to her father. “You’ll help us, won’t you, Daddy? You’ll save Jabir’s eggs.”
“Where is Jabir?” Carmen asked, glancing around.
“He’s in the woods. He says he’s going to stop the Great Easter Bunnies from giving his eggs away,” Spring replied.
“Creon…,” Carmen murmured, turning to gaze at her mate.
“I’ll get the other men together and we’ll find him,” Creon promised, setting Phoenix on the ground.
“I knew you would,” Phoenix exclaimed in relief.
“I’ll let the women know what is going on,” Carmen said. “These creatures that took the eggs….”
Creon glanced at Carmen. “We’ll find them,” he promised.
“Yay!” Spring said, pulling away from Carmen.
Both girls watched as Creon motioned to Kelan, Mandra, Zoran, Viper, and Paul. They turned and hurried over to where the other kids were playing. They still needed to tell Zohar, Alice, and Roam what was going on. While the daddies hunted for the Great Easter Bunnies, they would find Jabir. No dragonlings would ever be left behind or alone.
“What’s wrong?” Zohar asked.
“Jabir’s in trouble,” Spring announced.
Bálint turned with a low snarl. The sound was so unexpected that even Morah and Leo stopped to stare at him. Alice stepped closer to Bálint and slid her hand into his.
“What happened?” Alice asked with a worried expression.
“It’s the Great Easter Bunnies. They took his eggs. He is chasing them in the woods,” Phoenix explained.
“Yeah, our daddies is going to go catch them,” Spring added.
“But we still gots to go help Jabir get his eggs back,” Phoenix insisted.
“You’re right. Spring, can you gets us to the woods?” Zohar asked.
“I already gots a tunnel,” she said.
“We’ll needs weapons,” Roam suggested.
“I can make those,” Alice said, waving her hand. A small bow appeared.
“Bálint, can you tracks the Great Easter Bunnies?” Zohar asked.
“Yes,” Bálint nodded.
“I wants to goes,” Leo said, rubbing his nose. “I’s good at finding stuffs too.”
Roam started to protest before he looked at his cousin’s wide eyes. No dragonling – or cub – gets left behind or forgotten. He turned to gaze at Bálint. The other boy understood his silent plea and nodded.
“Come on, Leo, you can help me,” Bálint instructed. “You gots to be quiet and listens.”
“I can listens really good. I’m a panther,” Leo stated, shifting into his panther form.
“What about me? Daddy teaches me how to hunts,” Morah said, her lip trembling.
“You can help us girls. We can makes lots of traps,” Amber and Jade said with a grin.
Morah’s eyes lit up with delight. “I can make good traps!” she promised.
“The daddies are going,” Zohar said, watching the men taking off across the meadow.
“Let’s go. Bálint and Leo are already in the tunnel,” Roam said.
“I’s going on my first adventure,” Morah excitedly whispered. “Mommy and Daddy is goings to loves this!”
Chapter 9
“Hold up, I think I dropped another egg,” Trelon complained.
“You’re supposed to drop them,” Vox said before he cursed. “One of my ears is stuck again.” He dropped his basket and knapsack onto the ground by his feet so he could try to free his ear from where it was caught on a low branch.
“You should have gotten the floppy ones. I’m not having any trouble with them,” Trelon chuckled, brushing a pink paw down over one of his floppy ears.
Vox tried to turn, but he couldn’t. “Would you mind helping me? I don’t want to rip the ear off,” he said with a loud sigh.
“I swear, I can’t take you anywhere anymore,” Trelon joked, setting down his basket and shrugging off the knapsack filled with green eggs. “I only have four eggs. I did drop one.”
“We’ll go back and look for it. I think we are far enough in to leave them. We need to get back and start hiding the others,” Vox said.
“That sounds good to me. This thing is getting hot,” Trelon complained. “Your ear is free.”
“Thanks,” Vox said.
Trelon turned to hop back over to where he had left the basket and knapsack. “I have to admit, this is a good workout,” he said before he stopped to glance around him with a frown.
“What’s wrong?” Vox asked.
“My knapsack is missing,” Trelon replied, turning in a slow circle.
Trelon muttered under his breath. His paw moved toward the ground, re-enacting his movements from just a moment ago. He lifted a paw and absently scratched his cheek. It took a moment for him to realize that he couldn’t reach the real itch.
“You’ve lost all your eggs?” Vox asked in disbelief.
Trelon shook his head. “No, just the knapsack – the basket of eggs is still here,” he said.
Vox hopped stepped closer and gazed around. “You just put it down,” he said.
Trelon glared at Vox. “I know I just put it down. Now it is gone,” he stated.
“Well, that takes care of that,” Vox replied.
Trelon shook his head. “How can you… Something has your knapsack!” he exclaimed, pointing a paw at where Vox’s knapsack was moving through the ferns.
Vox awkwardly turned to see what Trelon was pointing at. He stumbled forward, his large foot catching on the other. His arms circled as he tried to keep his balance, but it was a futile gesture. He fell face-first into the high ferns lining the path. Reaching out, he grabbed the bottom of the knapsack, trying to hold onto it.
“What is it?” Trelon asked, trying to maneuver around Vox’s prone form.
“I can’t see,” Vox growled, pulling on the bag as best he could with the thick, furry paws around his hands.
Trelon awkwardly lowered himself down next to Vox, trying to see into the shadows of the bush. A low snarl escaped the animal pulling on the bag. With a tug, it slipped from Vox’s paws.
“Oh no, you don’t,” Trelon snapped.
He reached into the brush to pull the bag back out before he emitted a muffled curse and withdrew his paw. He lifted it, wincing when the sharp teeth pinched the skin of his hand. Hanging from his paw was a small, chubby, blue dragonling with flashing gold eyes.
“Jabir?!” Trelon exclaimed in surprise.
Jabir released Trelon’s hand and dropped down to the ground. With a threatening snarl, he backed into the bush and disappeared. It took a moment for the surprise to evaporate and the knowledge that they had been caught to sink in.
“Vox, get up,” Trelon ordered, struggling to stand up.
“I’m trying! It isn’t easy moving around in this thing,” Vox snapped. “How did Jabir find us? Do you think the others are here?”
Trelon smoothed his dress and turned. He wanted to rip the head off his costume, but was afraid of scaring the dragonlings if he did. He glanced back toward the bush.
“Jabir, come out. We aren’t going to hurt you,” Trelon said. “Jabir? Jabir?”
Vox knelt in the ferns and bent to peer down into the bush. The boy and the eggs were gone. He pushed up off the ground until he could stand.
“He’s gone,” Vox said, looking around. “There! The ferns are moving.”
“We’ve got to get him,” Trelon said, snatching up the basket of colorful eggs as he half-hopped, half-stumbled by it.
Jabir’s heart raced. He had stowed the two bags he had taken inside a hollow tree. He knew from watching the animals on the farm that the parents often would hide their young and lead the predators away from them.
He raced through the ferns as fast as he could, trying to make as much noise as he went. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the two huge rabbits chasing him. A soft cry escaped him when his back leg caught in a vine and he tripped and rolled. He struggled to kick it off, but it was tangled.
“I’ve got you,” Bálint said, slicing through the vine with a sharp rock.
Leo hissed at the two approaching creatures.
“This way,” Bálint instructed. “Leo, takes them to the others.”
The tiny purple and black cub sneezed and turned. Jabir glanced at Bálint once more, but the little boy had already shifted into his dragon form. He watched Bálint lift up off the ground with a single bounce. Turning, he raced after Leo.
Bálint knew he needed to slow the two bunnies down. The others weren’t far behind them. When he was racing toward Jabir, he had noticed a Whisper Fly nest. The creatures wouldn’t hurt the bunnies, but they would swarm them if their nest was disturbed.
Flying up to the branch, he waited until the two rabbits were almost directly under him before he turned and kicked the nest. Bouncing up onto the limb, he pushed off, going higher so they wouldn’t see him. He made it to the fork in the tree and pulled a section of leaves in front of him to shield him.
A dark swarm emerged from the bottom of the hive. The small winged insects paused before narrowing in on the two large rabbits under their nest. The swarm started forward again, swirling down in a spiral until it covered the heads of the fluffy bunnies.
Satisfied that they would be delayed for several minutes, Bálint pushed away from the tree and soared back down to the forest floor in the direction that Leo and Jabir had gone. It wouldn’t take him long to catch up with them. He stayed low, only glancing back once to make sure that the bunnies couldn’t see him.
“Ouch!” Trelon groaned, falling backwards.
“Sorry, Trelon, I was aiming for the swarm,” Vox said, tossing the branch he had been swinging to the side.
“Have I told you that this is a very bad plan?” Trelon growled as he rocked back and forth, trying to get up. Why did he let Asim and Vox talk him into this? When was he going to learn that Earth holidays were a dangerous time for him? He should be with his mate, not running through the woods in a costume from the bowels of a Super Nova.
“Here,” Vox said, reaching a paw down.
“What are we going to do now? We can’t leave Jabir alone in the woods,” Trelon said, brushing the leaves off of his dress before he bent to pick up the eggs he had scattered when he dropped his basket. “Where’s your basket of eggs?”
“Cat’s tail! I forgot it back on the trail,” Vox muttered.
“Go get it. I’ll see if I can find Jabir,” Trelon said.
“It’s not far,” Vox replied, turning to go back to where they had been just a few minutes before.
Trelon shook his head. He dropped the last egg into the basket, wincing when he heard a crack. Of course, that was the moment his dragon decided to perk up.
Eggs? his dragon murmured.
“Not yet, I’ll wake you when it’s time,” Trelon promised.
I likes colorful eggs, his dragon murmured in approval.
“I know you do, my friend. I just wish it didn’t come with a holiday,” Trelon chuckled with a shake of his head. “When will I ever learn?”
Chapter 10
Paul paused, blinked, and shook his head.
This is going to be another one of those adventures, he couldn’t help but think to himself.
He silently watched the two Easter Bunnies bounce in separate directions.
We watch? his dragon asked.
Oh, yes. We are just going to sit back and enjoy this show, Paul said.
In his solid gold dragon form, no one could see him. Creon was very close to being invisible as well. The biggest difference was Paul could reflect his surrounds while Creon needed to stay in the shadows.
Paul had moved out into the front, tracking the large prints that looked oddly familiar, yet strange. He had arrived just in time to see the swarm of Whisper Flies surround the two men. A moment later, Bálint had appeared. Pride washed through him at his grandson’s resourcefulness. He had also been amused to see Leo had joined with the other kids. He was just thankful Morah wasn’t old enough yet.
Focusing, he reached out for his mate. Almost immediately, he could feel her warmth surround him. He was about to pull away when he felt her amusement and exasperation.
What is it? he asked.
Have you seen the younglings? They are missing, Morian asked.
Paul’s silent chuckle was answer enough. He felt her sigh. Curious, he waited.
Morah is missing, Morian said.
Morah…. Her symbiot? Paul asked, his gaze sweeping the thick ferns.
She is with Alice. They are making traps to catch the Great Easter Bunnies, Morian replied.
Paul turned his gaze to the two large rabbits. I think I know why Ha’ven said he would stay and protect the women, he replied in a dry tone.
Morian’s laughter washed through him. I think the only ones missing are Asim, Vox, and Trelon. If I had to guess….
From the curses, Vox and Trelon, Paul responded, landing on a large limb.
The women are going to love this. Are you going to tell the other men? Morian asked.
Not in a million years, Paul chuckled.
Find Morah, but let her have fun, Morian whispered, pulling away.
I will, Paul replied.
This way, his dragon murmured, turning his head back toward a thick bed of ferns in a small opening in the forest.
Paul knew his dragon was connected to Morah’s symbiot. The small bracelets and earrings had become a constant companion after witnessing what the other dragonlings, Alice, and Roam had been up to. It was only to be expected that Morah would follow in their footsteps. She was, after all, just like her older sister and mother – strong, beautiful, and full of curiosity.
Paul lifted off the branch and glided through the large trees. He would observe, but not interfere unless he was needed. He had taught Bálint and the others just like he had taught Trisha. They were younger, but had a natural instinct bred into them from their dragons. He also knew that each had a small part of their symbiots with them.
Landing in another tree, he turned his head. In the distance, he could hear the men moving through the forest. He had played tag enough times to recognize the slight difference in the sounds. If he had to choose who to be more concerned about – the kids or the men – his bet would be on the men. They had no idea that the kids were planning on a little hunting of their own.
You got bad sense of humor, his dragon snorted.
I don’t see you making any noise to warn the men, Paul retorted dryly.
I part of you. I have bad sense of humor, too, his dragon replied, folding his wings in and settling down on the branch. This be fun to watch.
“They are what?!” the group of women all said at the same time, staring at Morian in disbelief.
Morian couldn’t control her laughter. “I don’t know why any of us are surprised anymore. Whose idea was the Easter Bunny costumes? They are obviously not the ones we made, Abby. These look much more detailed,” she said.
The women all looked at each other with a puzzled expression. It wasn’t until Emma laughed out loud that they turned to her. She was staring at a very uncomfortable looking Ha’ven.
“You didn’t,” Emma murmured, stepping up to rest her hands on his chest.
“I deny everything,” Ha’ven replied with a glitter of amusement in his eyes.
“You are so bad,” Emma giggled.
“What? Oh man, the only ones missing are Trelon and Vox. Those two are worse than the kids!” Cara chuckled before she released a moan and rubbed her belly.
“We have got to see this,” Riley said. “Cara, I’m totally taking a vidcom of it so you can blast it out to the universe. I just hope they don’t take the costumes off before I get a chance.”
“You’re on! Just let me have this baby first,” Cara chuckled.
“Oh, you’ll have plenty of time, Riley. I didn’t put any fasteners on the costumes when I created them. I just crafted the outfits around them in one piece. They’ll either have to be cut out or be very nice to me,” Ha’ven grinned.
“Oh, that is good,” Ariel and Trisha said at the same time.
“Yes, it is,” Ha’ven chuckled.
Chapter 11
Zoran held his hand up and the others with him froze. He waited, hearing the muffled sound of what sounded suspiciously like curses. He glanced over when Kelan stepped closer to him.
“I saw – something,” Kelan murmured, his voice low and uncertain.
“White?” Zoran asked.
Kelan nodded. “With pink in it,” he added.
“I saw it as well,” Creon said. “I don’t know where Paul went, but I’m going in closer.”
“Be quiet,” Zoran cautioned.
“I will,” Creon responded just before he shifted.
Mandra started toward them before he released a stifled curse and disappeared. Zoran and Kelan turned at the same time with a frown. Threading their way through the undergrowth, they stared down at where Mandra was sitting in a deep hole.
Both men knelt down. “What happened?” Zoran demanded.
“It’s a trap. It was covered over with leaves and twigs,” Mandra said, standing up and brushing the dirt and leaves off the seat of his pants.
“Where’s Viper?” Kelan asked, glancing around.
“He shifted and moved up into the trees,” Mandra said.
Zoran and Kelan reached down and grabbed Mandra’s hands. They pulled him out of the pit. Zoran stood gazing down at the hole with a frown. It wasn’t very deep.
“Tunnels,” Kelan murmured, nodding to several small holes.
“Maybe the rain caused the tunnels to cave into these holes at the natural weak spots,” Zoran said, glancing back around. “We’ve lost track of the ears. Come on.”
Viper moved along the branch of a tree, pausing when the two creatures below him stopped. His cat’s mouth had started watering the moment he saw them. All he could think about was how good they would taste and how much fun he would have playing with those fluffy tails. He might even take one home for Leo.
Stop thinking like that, Viper hissed. You know Tina would have a fit if you brought home a fluffy tail.
Soft, his cat purred.
Viper would have rolled his eyes if he was capable of it. Instead, he moved forward. He was almost directly over them when his left front paw sunk into something soft on the branch. He tried to pull it free, but he couldn’t. Placing his other paw next to it, he immediately realized his mistake – now both were stuck. He extended his back claws, burying them into the bark and jerked backwards, breaking free – but losing his balance at the same time.
A loud hiss escaped him as he twisted around. In the back of his mind, he processed that someone had wrapped part of the branch with the threads of the Sticky Worms. There was only one person he knew who loved the stuff – Spring Reykill.
“What the…! Viper?” a voice below him called up.
Viper waited for the impact with the ground, but it never came. Instead, he found himself hanging in midair – face down – staring at the long eared creature that his cat had been fantasizing about.
It took a moment for him to realize two things: First, that the creature’s voice sounded an awful lot like his older brother; and second, that he was hanging from a netting of Sticky Worm silk that looked like it had been placed to capture the two men below him when they walked under it. His jerking on the branch had triggered the trap that he was now hanging from.
“Vox?” Viper asked, staring down at the pink nose, long whiskers, and stiff, smiling face.
“What are you doing up there?” Vox demanded, staring up at his younger brother.
“Hunting,” Viper said with a sigh.
“What are you hunting?” the other rabbit that sounded suspiciously like Trelon asked in a cautious tone.
“You,” Viper admitted.
Both rabbits looked at each other before they glanced around them. They finally looked back up at him. Viper released a sigh…
No bunny tail tonight, his cat glumly exclaimed.
There’s always Tina’s tail, he murmured.
Oh, yes… much better! his cat purred, happy once again.
“Can you two help me get down, because I have to tell you – I’d love to know what you two are up to,” he asked, gazing back and forth between the two men staring up at him.
Creon moved silently through the shadows. He paused, watching and listening. His ears twitched when a sound, almost inaudible, teased his senses.
This way, his dragon murmured.
Creon followed his dragon’s urging, trusting him to know which way to go. He was almost to a small opening when he saw a tiny white head pop up out of the ferns before disappearing again. His lips twitched in amusement. A moment later, it popped up again.
He watched Spring glance around before she disappeared again. Curious, he moved closer. Shifting, he stepped behind one of the large, thick trees and watched.
“I’s can do it,” a voice insisted.
Creon’s lips parted in a low hiss. He started forward, jerking to a stop when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Paul standing behind him. Paul shook his head and lifted a finger to his lips.
“Be careful,” Alice whispered.
“I will,” Morah promised.
Paul and Creon watched as the tiny gold and white dragon crept out of the tall ferns. Their eyes widened when Morah shook her body. The white scales shimmered and turned a warm gold. Within the blink of an eye, Morah vanished.
“Incredible,” Creon murmured.
“She hasn’t shown us that trick yet,” Paul quietly chuckled. “I’ll follow her while you keep an eye on the others.”
“How will you know where she is?” Creon asked.
“My dragon will,” Paul assured his son-in-law.
Shifting again, Paul disappeared as quickly as his daughter did. Creon shook his head. These younglings were much more powerful than any of them had realized. That thought brought both comfort and stress. He turned his head, jerking back in surprise when he realized that he was no longer alone.
He blinked, staring mesmerized into the glowing worlds reflected in his youngest daughter’s eyes. She was floating in front of him. Her wings were raised, but not moving. He couldn’t help but wonder if she had known where he was the entire time. The question was answered when she nodded her head.
Creon’s throat tightened and he opened his arms. Phoenix moved into them, shifting back into her two-legged form and wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her close, savoring every second he had with her.
“We came to find Jabir,” Phoenix whispered.
“Did you find him?” Creon asked, pulling back so he could see her face.
“Yes,” Phoenix replied.
She waved her hand at where the others were in the small clearing. As if a large mirror appeared, Creon could see Jabir, Leo, and Spring around a pile of large, dark green eggs. The scene shimmered and changed. Next, he saw Roam and Zohar. They were sneaking up behind the two large bunnies. It took a minute to realize that they were after the two baskets filled with colorful eggs.
“Where did Morah and Alice go?” Creon asked in a voice thick with emotion.
“To capture the Great Easter Bunny and his mate. Amber and Jade are there, too,” Phoenix replied, waving her hand again.
Creon’s lips parted – half in warning and the other half in amusement. He watched the scene unveil in slow motion. Both girls reappeared within a few meters of the two large rabbits. They both raised a long straw to their mouth and blew. Tiny, round pellets exploded from the ends. Both bunnies jumped in surprise when the pellets exploded around them, releasing a red and yellow dust. Before they had a chance to react, both girls had disappeared again.
“Sleeping pollen,” Creon murmured.
“Bálint knew where some was,” Phoenix replied.
They watched both bunnies sink to the ground underneath where Viper was hanging from the web. A moment later, Amber and Jade crawled out from under the bushes. They had their faces covered with a mask of leaves and were pulling long cords of vines behind them. In a matter of minutes, they had the two bunnies tied up and were giving each other hand slaps.
“Remind me to have a long talk with your Grandpa Paul,” Creon said with a shake of his head.
“Okay,” Phoenix giggled. “Can we hunt for eggs now?”
Epilogue
“I think they’ll live,” Riley said.
“Not… not so loud,” Vox groaned, laying an arm over his eyes. “Ow! What was that for?”
Viper glared down at his older brother. “The Great Easter Bunny?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I thought it was a good plan,” Vox mumbled, turning to cover his eyes again. “What hit me? It feels like it was large and very hard.”
“Morah and Alice,” Riley chuckled. “Those two girls are after my own heart. I hope Sacha and Pearl are as creative as those two.”
“Goddess help the world if they are,” Vox replied with a shudder.
“We’s sorry, Uncle Vox. If we had known it was you and Daddy, we wouldn’t have knocked you out and tied you up,” Amber said.
“Yeah, we thoughts you were just going to steals Jabir’s eggs and eats them,” Jade added. “That’s why we had to stops you.”
“Viper wanted our fluffy tails,” Trelon chuckled before he groaned. “Paul, we need to have a serious talk about what you are teaching the younglings.”
Paul laughed, holding Morah in his arms. “Alice and your little sister were pretty good at tagging you. I think we’ll need to do some remedial training,” he suggested.
The women burst out laughing when the men all released a loud groan. The group suddenly turned when Trelon sat up and froze. A shudder went through his body when he turned to look at Cara, his eyes wide.
Her lips were parted and she nodded. “It’s time,” she whispered.
“Oh, Goddess, I felt that!” Trelon muttered in a strained voice.
“Felt what?” Mandra asked, stepping forward and placing a hand on Trelon’s shoulder when another shudder went through him.
“Is that what it feels like?” Trelon panted, glancing over at Cara with stunned eyes.
“What is going on?” Kelan asked.
“I think you’d better disconnect from her symbiot, Trelon. She is going to need you in one piece,” Morian gently instructed.
Trelon nodded and drew in a deep breath. “Never again,” he swore, standing up on shaky feet before he shook his head to clear it. “Call for the healer.”
“Trelon,” Cara started to say when he bent to pick her up.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmured.
Cara winced and nodded. “You can pay me back later,” she said before turning to look at Paul and Morian. “Can the girls stay with you for a bit?”
“Of course,” Morian said.
“What’s wrongs with Aunt Cara?” Zohar asked.
“She’s having our baby brother,” Amber and Jade said with a grin. “We’s building a fort to protect him.”
“Do I need to do that for my baby brother, too?” Zohar asked with a frown.
“Abby?!” Morian whispered.
Everyone turned to look at Abby and Zoran. Abby leaned back against Zoran when he wrapped his arm around her and smiled. She glanced up at him before looking back at the group and nodding.
“Does this means we won’t get to hunt Easter eggs?” Roam asked, staring at the group.
“Not at all! Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny have returned and we have eggs hidden all around the palace,” Pearl stated with a smile.
“Yay!”
“Thank you, Pearl,” Morian murmured.
“It’s easy when you have a big ole dragon feeling very guilty. Besides, I could tell Cara would be lucky to make it through the day. Why don’t you head on back to the palace? We’ll round up the kids and bring them back,” Pearl suggested.
“I’ll see you soon,” Morian said before she brushed a quick kiss across Paul’s lips.
“Where’s Asim?” Paul asked, watching his mate climb onto the golden transport her symbiot had formed and hurriedly taking off after her son and Cara.
“He was looking for one last egg that was missing. He’ll return to the mountains and make sure they are okay. He wants to make sure they are there before Jabir gets home. He loves that little boy,” Pearl explained.
Paul glanced over the group. They were all gathering up the items they had brought. Today, there would be one more added to his growing family. A family he had never dreamed he would have. He smiled and knelt down when Morah ran back up to them. Her hands were wrapped around a basket and she had a big smile on her face.
“We found some eggs, Daddy. They are pretty, but the shells broken and makings noises,” she said, holding the basket out to him.
Paul gently picked up one of the eggs. He blinked in surprise. He looked up when he felt more than heard the soft chuckles on the wind. Looking down again, he stared in amazement at the soft, yellow chick emerging from its shell. He glanced at the small note attached to the side of the basket.
For Ruby. Even chickens need a happily-ever-after. Happy Valdier Easter ~ Arosa and Arilla.
“Asim and Viper are really going to love this,” Paul murmured, staring down at the huge pile of moving eggs.