Lord of Chaos (The Dragon Demigods Book 7)
Page 22
“I might enjoy a little spanking.” He winks at me.
I laugh harder. “I’m sure you would.”
His demeanor softens. “I love you.”
My heart is bursting. I don’t think I could be happier.
29
Rage
Three months later…
The fire is burning. We’re all squeezed around a huge table that is still somehow too small. “Newlyn,” Nia’s father says. “Pass me the tatws. Hey! Newlyn!” He cups his hands over his mouth, still holding his knife and fork.
Everyone is talking among themselves. Newlyn is talking to…Iwan…is that Iwan next to him? I’m pretty sure it is. He’s in the middle of a story. His accent is so thick and littered with so much Celtic I have no idea what he’s saying. I’d better learn, since Nia and I are going to be married in two days. The rest of my boys are here too. Everyone who matters most in the world to Nia and me. They’re staying in town. We’re getting married on the cliff next to the ocean. The reception will be held at the Hound’s Tooth.
“Here, Tad.” One of the others leans over and grabs the bowl of potatoes, passing them to his father. I can’t remember his name. Nia and I have been here for a day already, and I’m still getting it wrong. I’m grateful that only six of her nine brothers are here, or I’d be in even more trouble. Although three of them are here with their girlfriends, and one of them has a wife. The room is packed.
“Thank you, son,” Nia’s dad says. His name is Danial, which is easy enough…thank god.
I glance at my fiancée. I see the ring glinting on her finger. Having her say yes was the best day of my life. I know, I’m a sap. It can’t be helped. The good news is that we’ve never been happier. Nia looks up. I smile at her and give her a wink. She smiles back, but I can see she’s tense. She hasn’t been herself for the last day or two. I’m not sure why.
Nia’s mother is sitting next to her. She’s beaming. She insisted I call her Mam even though Nia and I aren’t married yet. She reminds me a lot of Nia, only there are a few strands of gray running through her hair, her hips are a little more flared, and her breasts are ginormous. I told Nia that if she looks anything like her mother when she gets older, I have a lot to look forward to. I was rewarded with a dirty look, a slap, and then a giggle. We proceeded to have silent sex on account of the house being full of people. My mind was blown. I’m so deeply in love with this woman that it’s scary.
Nia and her mam exchange a few words while I try hard to understand what the others around the table are saying. I’m catching bits and pieces of conversation. Nia stands and excuses herself. I see she hasn’t finished eating. Instead of heading for the bathroom as I expected, she disappears into the kitchen.
“Nia was saying that you’re back at school, Rage.” It’s the youngest of the brothers by a whole hour. I can’t imagine a woman having to give birth to six babies, all within an hour. It boggles my mind.
“Yes.” I nod. “Law school, actually…I started a couple of weeks ago.”
“Clyfar dyn,” Nia’s dad says.
“Danial says you’re intelligent,” Mam says. “Our Padrig is at the University. He’s studying to become an engineer.”
I smile, panicking a little inside because, despite my photographic memory, I’m never going to remember all of these names. I might be a little on the nervous side. To think that I grew up with only my mom. Ever since she passed, it’s just been me. Now I’m surrounded. I love it! I grin. “I look forward to meeting Padrig.”
“I’m here.” One of the guys puts his hand up, and the whole table breaks out in peals of laughter. I’m laughing too, and it feels so fucking good.
“I’m sorry,” I say between bouts of laughter.
“That’s alright,” Padrig says, still smiling broadly. “It will take you a while to get all of our names. It took Elin here a good couple of visits, and she’s Welsh.” He puts an arm around his girlfriend, and they smile at each other.
“Rage,” Nia is touching my shoulder, “I need to talk to you quickly.” She smiles, but I still sense the tension.
“Right now, during supper?” Danial booms.
“Leave them be.” Mam touches her husband on the arm.
“Excuse us,” I say, pushing my chair back. I’m worried. Nia looks pale. I don’t like how troubled she seems.
I put my hand to the small of her back as we walk. She grabs my hand and drags me into the bedroom we’re sleeping in. It used to be her old room. There’s a poster of One Direction on the wall. Nia was apparently a big fan. Apart from that, there’s a sewing machine and a whole lot of half-finished garments hanging all over the place. Nia’s mam turned her room into a sewing room when she left to come and live with me.
She keeps a hold of my hand and drags me into the bathroom. Nia shuts the door and turns to face me.
“What’s going on?” I ask her.
“I’m late,” she says.
“Late?” I frown.
She points at the counter next to the basin. “Is that…” I start to ask.
“It’s a pregnancy test.” She has her hands clutched in front of her. “I’m late, and I…I feel different, but it might be…nothing. It’s probably nothing.”
“It might be something.” I try to keep my excitement in check.
“I’m being silly.” She makes a face.
“We haven’t used any protection, so you’re not being silly.” We’ve had plenty of sex. My heart is beating wildly. My mouth is feeling dry. I want this so badly. More importantly, I know how much Nia wants this. It’s only been a couple of months since we started trying.
Nia looks at her watch. “It’s been longer than two minutes.” She bites her lip. “There’s a good chance I’m not. A very good chance. I don’t want to—”
I walk over to the counter. “Stop!” she bursts out.
I do. I turn back around. She’s white as a ghost. Her hands are shaking. I walk back to Nia and take her hands in mine. “If you’re not pregnant, then we’ll have a whole lot of fun in the coming months trying for a couple of babies. And if you are…” Holy fuck! I grin. I pull in a deep breath. “If you are, then we’ll take it as it comes.”
“We’re still having lots of sex regardless,” she whispers.
“Tons.”
“I read that pregnant women are horny.” Her face falls. “I might not be pregnant, though. I might never be. I don’t mean to be negative, I swear, I just have to be realistic.”
“We’ll tackle whatever obstacles there are to tackle together, Nia. Rwy’n dy garu di.”
She sniffs. The smile that graces her beautiful face actually reaches her eyes this time. “I love you too.”
“Can I please go and look at that test now? Unless you want to do it.”
She shakes her head hard. “I can’t. I feel ill. You do it.” Nia stands with her hands clasped in front of her. She’s trembling.
I pick up the test. I look at the result.
“And?” she whispers.
I don’t say anything as I slowly turn to face her.
“Tell me, already!” she yells. “Just tell me. I can take it. We’ll try again. We’ll—”
I hold it up. She’s a hellhound; her vision is great.
“Two lines!” she screams.
“Two lines.” I nod.
“I’m going to be a mam.” She covers her mouth.
“I’m going to be a father.” I bark out a laugh.
Nia throws herself into my arms. We kiss and laugh and kiss some more. We tell each other a couple of times how much we love and cherish each other. “You’re going to be the best dad on the planet.”
“We’re going to make one hell of a family.” I hug her closer before letting her go. “Will our babies have scales or fur?” I muse.
“We’ll have to wait and see.” Nia is beaming. “We’d better go back to supper.”
I nod.
“Should we tell my family?” she asks. “Maybe we should wait until after
the wedding.”
As we walk out of the bathroom, they’re all there, squeezed into the bedroom and spilling out into the hallway. They all clap and cheer.
Danial smacks me on the back. “Well done, son,” he tells me. “This is a proud day, indeed.”
It seems it’s a really big deal whenever a hellhound becomes pregnant since it doesn’t happen very often. “Ta answer your question. They’ll have fur, of course. Hellhound blood is very strong. I’m going to be a Taid…a grandfather.”
I catch Nia’s smile from across the room. It warms my heart. I wink at her, and she breaks out in soft giggles.
Lord of Tears on pre-order now.
About the Author
Charlene Hartnady is a USA Today Bestselling author. She loves to write about all things paranormal, including vampires, elves and shifters of all kinds. She lives on a couple of acres in the country with her husband and three sons. They have an array of pets including horses and a gecko named Pickle.
She is lucky enough to be able to write full time, so most days you can find her at her computer writing like mad. Charlene believes that it is the small things that truly matter, like that feeling you get when you start a new book, or when you look at a particularly beautiful sunset.
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Also by Charlene Hartnady
The Chosen Series:
1# Chosen by the Vampire Kings
2# Stolen by the Alpha Wolf
3# Unlikely Mates
4# Awakened by the Vampire Prince
5#Mated to the Vampire Kings (Short Novel)
6#Wolf Whisperer (Novella)
7# Wanted by the Elven King
The Chosen Box Set Books 1-3
The Program Series (Vampire Novels):
Book 1: A Mate for York
Book 2: A Mate for Gideon
Book 3: A Mate for Lazarus
Book 4: A Mate for Griffin
Book 5: A Mate for Lance
Book 6: A Mate for Kai
Book 7: A Mate for Titan
The Bride Hunt Series (Dragon Shifter Novels):
Book 1: Royal Dragon
Book 2: Water Dragon
Book 3: Dragon King
Book 4: Lightning Dragon
Book 5: Forbidden Dragon
Book 6: Dragon Prince
The Bride Hunt Box Set Books 1-3
Water Dragons (Spin-off to The Bride Hunt):
Book 1: Dragon Hunt
Book 2: Captured Dragon
Book 3: Blood Dragon
Book 4: Dragon Betrayal
Earth Dragons :
Book 1: Dragon Guard
Book 2: Savage Dragon
Book 3: Dragon Whelps
Book 4: Slave Dragon
Book 5: Feral Dragon
Book 6: Doctor Dragon
The Shifter Night Series:
1# Untethered
2 Unbound
3# Unchained
Complete Box Set Books 1 - 3
The Feral Series:
Book 1: Hunger Awakened
Book 2: Power Awakened
Book 3: Hate Awakened
The Dragon Demigods:
Book 1: Lord of Fire
Book 2: Lord of Hell
Book 3: Little Lords
Book 4: Lord of Life
Book 5: Lord of Rain
Book 6: Lord of Destiny
Book 7: Lord of Chaos
Demon Chaser Series (No cliffhangers):
Book 1 Omega
Book 2 Alpha
Book 3 Hybrid
Book 4 Skin
Demon Chaser Boxed Set Book 1-3
Excerpt
Chapter 1
Oh no!
Her shoulders slumped while her heart pounded. Vicky forced herself to maintain eye contact as Patrick walked towards her. Maybe she was reading too much into the look on his face. Maybe …
“You’re broke,” her accountant said, dropping a file on her desk before planting his hands on the wood surface and staring down at her.
Vicky knew her finances were bad. She hadn’t realized they were quite this bad. That it had happened this fast. “Broke, as in …?” She widened her eyes, sucking in a deep breath. Maybe he was being a bit too dramatic.
His stare softened. Patrick took a seat in the chair across from her. Oh boy! “Broke as in, sell your wheels. Broke, as in, watch your furniture get carted away. Broke as in, you’re in the minus.”
“Shit!” She pulled the file closer, not opening it. “Dammit! I can’t believe this. How is this possible?” She knew the answer to her own stupid, stupid question.
“You have very little revenue still coming in. The overhead on this place is through the roof.”
“What about my half of the money from the sale of the house?”
“Gone. I repeat, your overhead on this place is high.” He looked around them, making a whistling noise. Vicky knew exactly what he would see. A spacious, well-appointed office with a waiting room out front. There was also her personal assistant. And the view. Her magnificent view of the park. “Image is everything,” she mumbled.
Patrick snorted. “You’re telling me. Problem is, image costs money. All of this costs more money than what you have coming in. A lot more.”
“I don’t get it.” Anger burned inside her. Vicky tried hard to get herself back under control and failed. Her world was crashing down around her. Just when she had started to feel marginally better. Just when she thought she could get over what that bastard had done to her. She jumped to her feet and paced to the large window, for once, not even seeing the green grass, the trees, the dogs on leads, the joggers, the ducks on the lake. None of it. “How is it that Jeff cheats on me and he’s doing better than ever, while I’m on the verge of losing everything?”
“I’m so sorry, Vicky,” Patrick offered. “It isn’t fair.”
It didn’t make her feel any better. “No,” she responded. “I really need to know. He lied, he cheated, he’s the bastard in all of this.” Her business partner ‒ make that ex-partner. Ex-husband. He was her partner once though, for better or for worse. In both business and life. The Love Doctors. The two of them had been the couple to see. The relationship specialists. “I got to keep the name, yet, he still manages to get the clients.” The Love Doctor. She felt like laughing. It hadn’t helped her one bit. Her clients had disappeared quicker than candy a birthday party. They all went to him now.
“He’s a bastard. No doubt.” Patrick shook his head. “What he did to you, Vicks …” More shaking of the head.
“Why then?” Her voice broke. “How is he still in business? Moreover, how is he still thriving? I don’t get it. I don’t.” She shrugged her shoulders once. They felt heavy. Everything inside of her felt leaden and weighted.
“He may have cheated but he ended up moving in with her. Jeff and his fiancée are very happy. At least, they look it on the surface. You said it yourself, image is everything.”
Jeff and that woman were happy and it made her feel physically ill. They had the family home, the dog, the … Arghhhh! She couldn’t think about it without getting upset. Let alone talk about it. Would it be rude if she covered her ears and started to make noises so that she didn’t have to listen to any more of this?
“Kerry is starting to show.” No more, please. “She has that whole glowing thing going on. She’s young and pretty and glowing and they make a really beautiful family.
The wedding date has been moved up so that they can get hitched before the baby comes. I don’t say this to hurt you, Vicky.”
It did hurt though. Vicky bit down on her lower lip to stop it from quivering.
“I really don’t.” He reached over, looking for a second like he was going to clasp her hand and then thought better of it. “Point being,” Patrick continued despite her discomfort, “they look happy. They paint a perfect picture. The general population would rather buy advice on love from Jeff.”
“So, I’m the woman who couldn’t keep her husband? There’s something wrong with me then?” She pointed to her chest.
Patrick didn’t say anything. She pulled on her ponytail, letting her fingers slide down the length of her hair. “He cheated with a woman almost ten years our junior. I left him. I left his sorry ass. It wasn’t the other way around. No one knows that, do they? They don’t know how he begged me to forgive him. How he got on his knees. No, they see them playing happy families and assume there’s something wrong with me.”
“It’s not fair. It’s really wrong and yet …” Patrick shook his head, “that’s what the numbers are saying. I told you not to get that billboard. It cost more than what you had, Vicks.”
“I was so sure it would work.” Vicky pushed out a heavy breath. “Business has picked up.”
“You needed that phone to ring off the hook. You got … what? Three, maybe four new clients?”
“More like two.” She sat down on the edge of her desk, looking down at her shoes. “I really thought it would work.” Stupid, stupid billboard idea. “What now? What next?”
Patrick shrugged. “If you want to try to make a go of the business, you need to drastically downscale.” He looked around her office. “You can start by letting your PA go.”
She sucked in a breath. “I can’t do that. Maggie and Will just put a down payment on a new home. I—”
"You have no choice, Vicks." He looked at her pointedly for a few seconds, something flared in his eyes. It was a pity. Her stomach rolled.