"Dom, you’re here. Come protect me from your mother. She’s trying to kill me," Kain joked.

Dominic didn’t join in the festive atmosphere. Instead, he stood and watched the four people standing opposite him.

His hands balled into fists, gripping the hem of his shirt.

He had been watching them laugh and chatter in the training room. They hadn’t noticed him at all.

He wasn’t sure what he was feeling right now. He looked at his brother and sister. They were smiling so happily, but he felt like he was being torn open. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

He wanted to be like them. To be able to laugh and dance and sing, but he couldn’t do it. He needed to be stable. He needed to make sure his siblings were safe.

"Dom, what’s wrong?" Amelia asked.

Kain’s brows furrowed. He couldn’t understand. He wasn’t like the other two, who would speak their mind after a bit of coaxing. It took a lot to get a little.

"Brother, what’s wrong?" Ashton asked.

He wiggled out of Kain’s arms and ran to Dominic. Avery did the same. She ran from her mother’s arms to her big brother.

The children’s moods were shifting. Their once happy demeanor was becoming desolate. He never knew Dominic’s emotions could have such profound effects on the other two.

Kain sighed and walked to Dominic. He lifted the young boy into his arms and walked away, saying, "I’ll deal with this. You stay with Ashton and Avery."

He went straight to Dominic’s room. He closed the door, sat on the bed, and waited for Dominic to speak.

Coaxing wouldn’t work on him like it would on the other two. Teasin was fine, but now wasn’t the time for that. Dominic’s hands were still clenched as he sat with him. The child clearly had something on his mind but refused to say anything.

Since he wouldn’t talk, Kain would.

"Ashton and Avery told us some things today. Since it’s a day for confessing, why don’t you tell me something too? If you tell me a secret, I’ll tell you a secret."

He kept his tone light, his voice warm.

"Ashton told me that Doctor Ugly called the three of you failures. He was afraid we would throw him away. Avery was afraid we wouldn’t like her because she wasn’t gentle.

That’s far from true.

We knew a long time ago that none of you kids is normal by any standard. But normal or not, you are our kids. We won’t abandon you. We won’t throw you away.

The people most likely to be abandoned are your mother and me."

Dominic’s head shot up.

"Don’t deny it. If you tell Ashton and Avery you want to leave, they’ll immediately take their bags and go."

"Dom," he said slowly. "Amy and I don’t know how to be parents. We don’t take care of you and your siblings. You’re raising yourselves.

The only thing we do know is that we want to protect you. We might not seem reliable, but if anything were to happen to any of you, Amy and I would walk the ends of the earth to find whoever hurt you and make them pay.

I don’t know what you’re holding back, but I hope you can tell me."

Dominic held Kain’s gaze. The two pairs of violet eyes stared at each other. Kain kept his gaze soft, gentle, willing Dominic to open up to him.

"I have to protect them." His voice was no louder than a mosquito. Thanks to his Level 4 hearing, Kain heard what the child said.

"Who do you have to protect? Ashton and Avery?"

He nodded.

"Protect them from what?"

"From everyone. From people who want to use us."

"Why do you need to protect them? Who told you to protect them?"

"Doctor Red," Dominic’s gaze dropped. "Doctor Red said, I was the big brother, so I needed to protect them. She said if anything happened to them, it would be my fault."

Kain’s brow furrowed. He had heard the name Doctor Red before. He thought this person was helping the children, but it seems not.

Why would she tell Dominic to protect his siblings and that if anything happened, it was his fault? That’s not something you tell a scared child.

"What else did Doctor Red say?" Kain stroked Dominic’s back.

"She said she would come find us. She said if I couldn’t protect them, I would be a failure. I would need to be disposed of." His little body trembled. "She wants to send me to the incinerator," he whispered.

"Sounds like Doctor Red isn’t a good person. "

Dominic’s head snapped up. "No, she’s good. Little brother and little sister like her. She’s good."

"Dom, look at me." He cupped Dominic’s face. "No good person would send you to the incinerator. But it’s fine if she isn’t good.

Your dad isn’t good either. Since she wants to send you to the incinerator, I’ll make sure to send her first. I’ll protect you.

Your mother and I are here to protect you. Not just you, but Ashton and Avery. You are a child. You don’t need to protect them. Let the adults do the protecting.

All you need to do is play. Be happy, be a kid."

Dominic’s eyes were wide as he looked up at Kain. His bottom lip quivered. Kain soothed his back and said softly, "I’ll protect you. Just be happy."

A single tear fell unbidded from his eye. It fell onto his cheek. Kain scooped him up into his arms. He could feel the tremble of the small body.

He continued to soothe and repeated reassured Dominic that he was safe, loved, and protected.

The tears came sporadically, then more frequently. There was no sound. Only the constant patter of tears on Kain’s arm. It soaked his shirt, yet he continued to soothe.

When he was finally done, Kain asked him if he wanted to see his siblings. Dominic didn’t need to be alone right now. He needed to be surrounded by people who loved him.

Kain cleaned him up before opening the door.

He hadn’t taken a step outside before Ashton and Avery came sprinting in. They ran past him and embraced their brother.

The three sat there making faces at each other. They were actually talking. Kain was aware they were using their link to talk. Amelia just thought they were making each other feel better by making faces.

"Not bad, right?" Kain said cockily.

Amelia scoffed. She looked past him at the three children. "I’ll give you an eight out of ten."

He hugged her, "Good. Then tonight I’m aiming for a ten out of ten. I’m hoping a certain woman would cry in bed."

Unfortunately, Kain’s plans for that night were all for naught.

The family of five shared a bed that night. Kain, who was planning on ravaging his wife, lay on one side of the bed, and Amelia on the other.

Amelia chuckled at his annoyance before pulling Avery into her arms and falling asleep.