by Roxie Ray
“Still,” I whispered. “That’s pretty scary.” I watched the darkness glide by while Anthony drove us closer to his house. “What happened at my house? I don’t remember going home or anything.”
“We know you finished your day at work. Sammy kept calling and figured out when you went home, but she got here after you did, and by then they already had you inside and Sammy couldn’t break through. I’m not sure another dragon could have if it weren’t for my dragon being so desperate to get to you and Sammy helping me fight the magic. I got in and ended up breathing fire to defeat the witch, which is what destroyed your house.” He glanced at me, but I couldn’t see his face well in the dark. The instrument panel on my car didn’t provide enough light. “I’m sorry about that. I’ll make sure they fix it up good as new.”
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “They’re only things.” But it was starting to set in that my home was half-destroyed. “Wait, did you say you breathed fire?”
“Yes, there are documented instances when non-fire dragons can produce dragonfire. And I was one of them. I’ll have to tell the other alphas at our annual meeting,” he mused.
I laughed. “You have a meeting?”
He looked at me quizzically. “Of course. How else do we keep up with news of our cousins and stuff? We usually rent a large swath of cabins out in nature somewhere, or one clan will host all of the other clans. It’s chaotic and loud and messy and our favorite time of the year.”
“You’ll have to do that then,” I said, picturing what it would be like to have all the other dragon clans descend on us here in sleepy Bluewater.
He pulled in front of his house, then ran around to open my door. Thanks to the tea, I felt pretty normal, so I laughed at his efforts. “I’m barely pregnant, Anthony.”
“Well, get used to this. I’m going to make sure you don’t have to lift one unnecessary finger during this pregnancy.”
“Twins,” I whispered. “I can’t believe it.” And I probably wouldn’t until I saw it on an ultrasound screen. “Oh, that’s another question. Can I have regular doctor appointments? Can I do ultrasounds and bloodwork and all of that?”
“No to the bloodwork,” he said. “We have some basic lab equipment that belongs to the clan that we can use to check most things, but the advanced testing that a lot of women have done is out of the question for dragons. But you can go to most appointments, have ultrasounds done, and all of that. But if you want, I could be your doctor. I’m more than willing to buy the clan an ultrasound machine, anyway. The women have been begging for one.”
I grinned. “I do know how to use one.”
How cool would it be to be able to see my baby anytime?
“Tell me about the witch,” I said as Anthony made me settle on the couch and put my feet up. He covered me in a blanket and grabbed all the pillows in the house, it felt like, to get me up and comfy. “I’m fine.”
“She was just going to wipe your memory and move on, which would’ve been violating enough and cause enough for me to banish Tessa forever, but once she discovered your pregnancy, the witch decided she wanted the baby. I don’t know if she was going to try to kidnap you until you were full-term or somehow speed up the pregnancy and make you deliver now? I have no idea. I killed her before she had the chance.” He paused and closed his eyes. “That was not something I ever expected to do, but I did what I had to do to keep my family safe.”
I smiled and rubbed my stomach, pushing aside the trauma that was going to come from Anthony having killed someone. “I don’t suppose you have a clan psychiatrist?” I asked. “You may need to talk to someone.”
“No, but I can find one in another clan and do a virtual visit.” He shrugged. “Not a bad idea, really.”
“This is why secrets are important. I can’t allow anyone in the clan who could hurt us, which now includes you and our baby. Babies.” He wrinkled his brow and laughed. “Babies.”
I shook my head at him. “I don’t trust Tessa. I’m not sure what to do with her.” I didn’t have the first clue how to handle this. It wasn’t like we could go to the police and demand she be arrested for trying to perform a spell on me. They’d lock us up in the loony bin.
“Mom and Dad will keep her under lock and key. We’ll worry about it another day. For now, I want to focus on you.”
We spent the rest of the day discussing the future. All the what-ifs. And by the end of the day, we knew that me taking the bite right now wasn’t a possibility.
“I think my dragon will stop riding me so hard to bite you. It’s like that part of me realizes how dangerous it could potentially be for the babies. I don’t feel a strong urge like I did before. I can’t say for sure what I’ll feel when we have sex again, but I don’t think I’ll be pressed so hard to bite you.”
I beamed at him. “I want to take your bite,” I said. “I want to be your mate. But you’re right. Not until after.” It might’ve been impulsive and a little too soon, but I knew it was right. Nothing about it felt bad or wrong. My very soul wanted to be Anthony’s mate.
We discussed everything from where we wanted to live, to baby names, to how involved our parents would be. And oh, shit, I still had to tell my dad.
I stayed with Anthony all week. Then he convinced me to call out of work because like someone had flipped a switch, exhaustion set in. We both knew from our OB/GYN rotations during residency that one of the most potent first trimester hormones could cause extreme exhaustion. After what I went through with the witch, we both felt better safe than sorry. He went back to work and covered all my shifts while I stayed home.
I was never alone, though. His mother came, as did Sammy. I got to know both of them so much better and found myself more and more excited about the coming babies. Karah, in particular, was ecstatic. “You have to understand how much I’m going to spoil those children,” she said.
We made plans, then changed them, then thought up some new ideas. We decided to move into my place, then back to Anthony’s, then to build an entirely new place. Then back to Anthony’s, then mine. It was so much fun, as the possibilities were truly endless.
Saturday, my girls showed up out of the blue. “I’ve got a meeting,” he said with a wink. “And all of my family will be there, so I called in reinforcements.” He grinned and left as Bri and Kaylee walked in and ran over to hug me. Then Bri’s daughter slipped out from behind her and grinned at me. As Bri settled her at the coffee table with a coloring book and a fresh pack of crayons, I thought about what it was going to be like to be a mother, finally, and started bawling.
Of course, they wanted a lot of answers. They wanted to know if we were back together first, and what about it made me cry?
“I’m pregnant,” I exclaimed.
Kaylee burst into tears and hugged me. “I know how much you’ve wanted this,” she whispered. “I’m so happy for you.”
Bri smiled at us. I looked at her over Kaylee’s shoulder. “You’re going to be a great mom,” Bri said.
“How does Anthony feel?” Kaylee asked.
I chortled through my tears. I didn’t know how to answer honestly without telling too much. “He’s feeling very overprotective.”
They knew he’d taken off again. I didn’t really have an explanation for them, so said the first thing that came to mind. “He had a friend in trouble. It’s not my story to tell, but he explained it all to me and I’ve forgiven him. We also discovered that Tessa bitch had altered our phone numbers. She admitted to sneaking around and doing it the night we were all at Jace’s bar. I don’t know how she managed it, but it kept us from communicating, which made both of us think the other was angry. Apparently, she had some major boner for Anthony. He’s told her off now, so hopefully, she won’t be a problem in the future.” What an understatement.
When Anthony came back and they left, he told me where he’d been. “I wanted to surprise you with your friends,” he explained. “Or I would’ve told you about the meeting. I just spent the entire day talking to
my clan about you and our babes. I expressed in no uncertain terms what would happen if anyone spoke on you and our babies. I love you, Skye, and I love those babies inside of you. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you all safe.”
“What about Tessa?” I asked.
“She’s got a lot of guilt,” he said. “She’s going to go spend some time with the Tennessee clan, and hopefully come back with a better mindset. For the time being, Sammy was able to perform a spell that prevents her from shifting. We hope that will be punishment enough, but we’ll see how she acts when she returns. I didn’t want to deprive her of being around her family forever, so this was the best solution I could come up with. It’s not like I can remove her ability to shift completely.”
I nodded. “I think that’s fair. You said that once she found out I was pregnant, she tried to stop it. She was willing to mess with my memories, which to me is inconceivable, but among your kind, it’s just something that is done. I don’t know how I feel about that in general, but I can’t hold her to a stricter standard than the rest of you.”
“Maybe it’s time to reflect on our stance on that as well,” he said. “That is certainly something we can address in the future.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Things are due for a bit of a shakeup anyway.”
“For my part, I decided before that you’re my person,” I said. “You always will be.”
He pulled me into his arms and hugged me close. “And you’re mine,” he whispered. “Always.”
24
Anthony
My new home wasn’t big enough for Christmas dinner with the whole clan. But my parents had built their house with the knowledge that they’d be hosting dozens of people at once, so their entire downstairs was an open floor plan. Therefore, Skye and I were hosting Christmas for the clan at my parents’ house, and it was going great. Everyone was having a great time, except for poor Skye. She’d crossed over into the extremely pregnant range. And even though we’d forced her into my mom’s favorite comfy recliner as soon as she’d arrived, and the women of the clan had taken over babying her and making sure she had anything she could desire, she was so huge and miserable. I wished, not for the first time, that we were like seahorses. Seahorse males carried their young. I would’ve taken the pain and discomfort off of my mate in a heartbeat.
Sammy was floating around somewhere, mingling with the clan, and my mom was in the kitchen, constantly cooking something. We’d done potluck and buffet style, and everyone ate all night rather than trying to have tables to seat everyone at once.
Out of the blue, Skye went from laughing at something Jace said to gasping, and Sammy appeared out of the blue. “It’s time,” she said excitedly.
The atmosphere in the house turned electric, and everyone turned to look. We all felt it.
“Okay.” I held my hands up. “We’re ready. Let’s get her to our place and get this show on the road.”
Sammy squinted at Skye. “Nope,” she said. “No time. These babies are coming now.”
“Do we have time to go upstairs?” I asked as Skye cried out.
“Holy shit,” she yelled. “This hurts!” She took in a few breaths. “Someone call my dad!”
“Quickly,” Sammy said.
“I’ll call him,” Dad said as I lifted Skye into my arms and hurried up the stairs to my old bedroom.
Mom followed and squawked. “Hold on!” She scurried to a hall closet and pulled out a shower curtain in the package. “We’ll put this under her.”
I chuckled and held Skye in my arms as she whimpered and mom spread out first the curtain and then ran from the room and came back with a bunch of towels and handed me my travel medical bag, which I hadn’t gone anywhere without since Skye had entered her third trimester.
About five minutes after Skye let out her first gasp, we had her on the bed in her sports bra and nothing else. I settled beside her and used my medical training to check how dilated Skye was. “Shit,” I whispered. “You’re at ten.”
Her eyes widened. “How?”
“I might’ve helped,” Sammy said. “Sped things along so you don’t have a long, drawn-out labor. Now, let me in there and I can help with the pain, too.”
She settled beside Skye on the bed and put her hand on her belly, and Skye’s face went from twisted in pain to relaxed. “I still feel pain but it’s more annoying than overwhelming.” She breathed several times. “Thank you.”
Sammy beamed at me. “You ain’t seen nothing yet. Dr. Daddy, do your thing, then I’ll help again.”
“You know the drill,” I told Skye. “Push when you feel the need.” I stayed between her legs and when she had a contraction, Sammy and my mom helped her lean forward. In minutes, the first baby was out.
“Holy shit,” I breathed. We had opted not to find out the sex. My mom left Sammy to help Skye and rushed around to wrap baby number one in one of her big, fluffy towels. I cut the umbilical cord and almost immediately, Skye began to push again. This was unlike any birth I’d ever been at. I glanced at Sammy, who had a triumphant look on her face.
“Is this you?” I asked.
She nodded. “I’m handy at birth.”
“That’s why all the clan moms have you come,” Mom said as she looked at the first baby in wonder. “It’s a girl.” She sucked in a shaky breath as tears coursed down her cheeks.
I touched my face to find tears there as well. My daughter sucked in a deep breath and began to cry with me as I guided the second baby out. We’d finally have a female alpha.
Skye was a trooper, and a few minutes later, Mom gasped. “It’s a boy.” She sobbed and laid her head on Skye’s shoulder. “Great job, Mama.”
A little boy. Tears rolled down my cheeks in earnest now. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I asked Sammy.
She scoffed as I handed Skye our little boy, wrapped in a towel. I focused on the babies, checking them over, and making sure they were safe and sound. Both were as healthy as I’d seen any newborns, and like all dragon babies, came out human.
My tears fell when they each opened their eyes, and they were gold.
“They’re dragons,” my mother whispered. She was looking at our little girl over Skye’s shoulder as Sammy worked between Skye’s legs.
Mom ran from the room to tell the clan, and Skye gasped. “What did you do?” she asked.
“Sped things up,” Sammy said. She wiped her hands on a towel and started cleaning up the dirty towels that had accumulated during the very quick delivery. “Her healing is more like a week out. The uterus is mostly shrunk back down, and she didn’t rip or tear, thanks to me, but she should continue to heal with only mild discomfort.” She put her hand over each of the twins, proclaimed them healthy, and left, leaving us all in a state of shock and wonder. It was done. We had our twins, one of each, and the future of the clan alpha lineage was secured.
Less than an hour after it all started, we were in the spare bedroom in my parents’ home with our babies in our arms.
“Wow,” I whispered. “Did that really just happen?”
Skye burst out laughing and tears coursed down her cheeks. We stared at our children in adoration for several minutes until Mom popped back in.
“What are their names?” she asked. “And can the grandfathers come in? Your father just got here, along with your girlfriends. I sent most of the clan to finish the party at your beach house,” she said. “Sammy’s heading there now to provide a bit of cover.”
I grinned. They’d finished Skye’s beach house the month before and we’d decided to keep it as a sort of second home. She’d generously offered it up to the clan as well. If we had anyone visit or if any members of the clan needed a temporary home, they were welcome to it.
It had endeared her to them even further. I couldn’t have loved her more already.
We argued for several minutes over names as our visitors filed in and out. “How about strong names like Artemis and Athena?” I suggested, deadly serious.
<
br /> Skye burst out laughing, as did my mother. “No,” Skye said. “Absolutely not. How about Sean Mitchell, after our dads?”
Her father was in the corner of the room, holding our little girl, and looked up in awe. My father stood uncomfortably, being out of his element in a birthing room around babies.
I gazed lovingly at my son. “Are you Sean Mitchell?” I asked him. He nuzzled me. “I think he likes it.”
“I know I do,” Sean said. Smiling, I looked at Skye’s father. We’d had a moment the first time I saw him after moving back to town. He was a man of few words, and had basically told me as long as I treated Skye right, we had no problem.
I stood and put my son in my father’s arms. “What do you think, Gramps?”
He beamed, and something in his face changed. I knew he’d never be the same.
“Okay, you can name our daughter then,” Skye said. “But please, for the love of all that’s holy, no Greek goddesses.”
Sean stood and handed me my daughter. “Let me hold my namesake,” he said proudly. He and my father squished together so they could each gaze upon the little boy named for both of them.
I stared down at the wrinkled beauty in my arms. “How about we keep the same initials. Star, since you’re my Skye, my princess can be my star. And Mia after my mom’s middle name.” I would’ve liked to have named her after Skye’s mom as well, but she’d taken off on Skye when she was a little girl. She didn’t even remember her.
Skylar burst into tears. I couldn’t help laughing at her raging hormones, even as I slipped onto the bed and pulled her into my arms. She took Star and cried into her blanket, which my mother had produced from nowhere.