by J. R Fox
© Copyright 2016 by J.R Fox-All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
The Dragon Omega’s Baby Plan MM Paranormal Romance
By: J.R Fox
Bonus 4-book Paranormal Romance bundle is included in this edition
The Dragon Omega’s Baby Plan
Bonus Story 1 - The Wizard’s Enchanted Omega
Bonus story 2 - Fire For Ice
Bonus Story 3 - A Brace of Sapphires
Bonus Story 4 - The Lafie Clan’s New Omega
The Dragon Omega’s Baby Plan
MM Dragon Shifter Romance
Chapter One
Jonas stared at the email address he’d found for Deacon, weighing his options. They were, as it stood, fairly bleak—he knew he was aging out of effortless fertility, his heats becoming less predictable and less intense, and though that was a blessing in many ways, Jonas wanted a family.
He supposed it was a cliché, an omega being desperate to have a child regardless of whether or not they had a mate, but it was also how he felt, and nothing was going to change that. It didn’t make him a traitor to the cause of omega autonomy to have personal desires.
He’d thought of his college best friend and roommate because there was no one else in his life he trusted, and his social circles were such that Deacon was genuinely the only alpha he knew. In some ways, living with him for three years when he’d been right at the peak of fertility had been awful, and colleges really needed to work on their failure to not force alphas and omegas to share rooms just because their human gender happened to be the same, but it had also left an impression on him.
If he was going to have a child, and he had no mate, Deacon was his best option. His choices were having a family or not having a family, and as far as Jonas was concerned, that was no choice at all.
Decision made, he opened an email and thought about what he wanted to say.
Hello Deacon, he typed. This is going to seem like a really weird email if you don’t remember me, but I’m hoping you haven’t forgotten. I’m sorry we lost contact; I’ve been following your career and I couldn’t be more thrilled for you!
As you might have guessed, I’m emailing to ask you for a favor, and I’m going to state it outright here so if it’s too much to ask of you, you can just ignore me and I’ll take the hint. Here goes: I’m not getting any younger and I’d like to have a child before I lose the window of opportunity forever, and I’d like to ask you to be my donor. You might know that there aren’t really large stores of dragon genetic material available to people like me, and I have no interest in finding a mate.
I realize this is a big favor to ask after we’ve been out of contact for so long, but I don’t have anyone else to ask. Besides, I remember your scales being a beautiful shade of turquoise, and I’d love for my child to inherit that color.
Flattery couldn’t hurt. Most alphas were vain, and if Jonas recalled correctly, Deacon had never been an exception.
He finished off the email with a plea to get in touch with him for any questions or concerns, and before he could talk himself out of it, hit send.
At worst, Deacon would ignore him as a weirdo from his past he hadn’t spared a thought for. At best, Jonas would get exactly what he wanted. There was no harm in trying.
Hours went by, and Jonas decided he was being ignored, although he knew that Deacon was likely a busy man and would have to consider his request, anyway. This wasn’t the kind of thing he could expect him to rush into. Though he wasn’t asking for anything in terms of support or parenting help, Jonas was asking Deacon to become a father—for the first time, with someone he had no intention of taking as a mate.
It wasn’t quite unheard of, but it wasn’t well thought of, either. Dragons expected other dragons to settle down with a mate and have children after. Worst-case scenario, they’d accidentally fall pregnant and mate once that had happened, out of obligation.
A single omega with a child would not be well thought of by other dragons, but Jonas didn’t care about that. He moved almost exclusively in human circles, having all but given up the other side to his nature.
Except in his desire to have a child. He knew that was entirely his dragon side, and he couldn’t ignore it any longer.
To his surprise and delight, he woke to an email from Deacon—the first he’d heard from the other man in nearly three years, after they’d lost touch when they left college.
Hey Jonas,
I was just thinking about you the other day, wondering what you were up to now. You did so much for me in college that I can hardly say no to you now, and I gather that on my side it’s not really a huge deal.
I’ve got a few hours free this afternoon, can we meet for a late lunch? I’ll buy, I still owe you pizza money. I just want to talk about the specifics and I’d like to see your face again in a setting other than a fertility clinic first.
Let me know if that works for you and I’ll make a reservation.
Jonas stared at the last part for a few moments, trying to remember if he’d ever had a reservation anywhere in his life and coming up blank.
His and Deacon’s lives had veered off in wildly different directions after graduation. Deacon now had a successful career in advocacy for dragon rights, now that they were being acknowledged as real by most governments in the world. People were already saying he’d make a good senator one day.
Jonas had dreamed of becoming a journalist, and that dream had come true—in the form of freelancing for local papers. The money was fine, and consistent, but it wasn’t the work he’d been doing. Now that he realized what he wanted was a family, though, it was incredibly convenient, and he imagined that having a child to raise would bring the fulfillment to his life that it had been lacking.
If writing local interest stories about people growing huge vegetables paid for him to have a family, he was happy to write as many of them as he had to.
He sent back a quick email to let Deacon know he was free and to just tell him the time and place and he’d be there, excitement building in his stomach. Not only was he going to see his best friend from college, but he was also, hopefully, going to get the one thing he really wanted out of it.
Now all he needed to do was make himself halfway presentable. He could hardly go to lunch in a place that required a reservation in his pajamas.
***
Deacon waited anxiously for Jonas, sure he was going to chicken out at the last minute. They’d been inseparable in college, two of only a handful of dragons at their school, and they’d stuck by each other through everything that had thrown at them. Then they’d just… fallen out of contact. He supposed it was his fault, getting caught up in his career and not having time to talk to anyone other than people he worked with or for, but that was no excuse.
He could fix that now, though. As long as Jonas showed up.
Deacon looked up to the door and finally spotted the man he’d been waiting for. Jonas had grown up a lot since college; he seemed to fit into his frame better now, and walk with more confidence than he had done. He still had the same bright, sparkling, impossibly blue eyes, and they lit up when he looked over at Deacon, waiting patiently for the waitress to lead him to the table.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said as he sat down. “My bus broke down and I had to walk the last few blocks.”
“That’s fine, not
a problem at all.” Deacon smiled over at him. “It’s great to see you.”
“You too,” Jonas responded, blushing lightly. “You look well.”
Deacon laughed at that. He was aware of the dark circles under his eyes and the fact that up close, his face was covered in shaving cuts, but it was nice of Jonas to say so. Jonas, on the other hand, had the enticing glow of an omega approaching heat. It had always been a good look on him, and it was better now.
“I appreciate you saying that. So, what’re you up to these days? Also, what do you want to eat?”
Jonas shrugged. “Order for me, I trust your tastes. And I’m working as a journalist. Freelance, for a few local publications, but it’s a start.”
“We’ve only been out of college for what? Three years? And you’ve got a job in an industry that’s ridiculously difficult to get into. You’re doing great if you ask me.”
“Says you, Mr. Future Senator.” Jonas smiled wryly, but it wasn’t cruel, and it wasn’t really bitter, either.
“Yeah, maybe. I dunno if that’s the path I wanna go down, but we’re making serious headway and if I’m the guy to do it, I want to. Someone has to. You know what it was like for us up until recently, when laws actually started getting changed.”
“I do know, and I know who to thank. I hear you’re destined for great things, and I believe it.”
“Yeah, well. Lobby groups today, the world tomorrow.” Deacon turned to the returning waitress, ordered the only two dishes he’d tried here before, and turned back to Jonas, not wanting to be distracted from his friend for longer than necessary.
“I have no doubt of that. I’m happy for you, truly. And I wouldn’t come to you with this, but you’re literally the only alpha I know.”
“Hey, I’m flattered that you’d ask. I definitely owe you one for being there for me in college, so I’m happy to do it. I do have one request, though.”
“Anything,” Jonas said, and Deacon suspected he meant it. Not that he was about to ask for anything outlandish.
“I’d like to see you more regularly. I don’t have a lot of friends, and I could definitely use an extra one. I’m not talking about, like, hovering over your shoulder all the time, just… we could get together like this from time to time, talk about stuff. I’m not asking to get super involved, but I’d like to be, like, Cool Uncle Deacon to your kid.”
To Deacon’s relief, Jonas smiled. “I think I’d like that. You would make a very cool uncle.”
“Great,” Deacon grinned. “I’d also like to pay for the procedure, as a thank you. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you forcing me to study and show up to class and saving me from going insane.”
“I can’t ask that of you.” Jonas blinked at him. “I have the money, I’ve been saving for a while and the cost has come down a lot lately.”
“All the more reason for you to let me cover it. Save the money for a college fund for the kid or something. I’m serious about this.” Deacon had often thought of what he could do for Jonas to thank him for being a good friend in college—the only one he’d had, more or less—and this was the perfect gift.
“Well… okay, I suppose. I can’t knock back an offer like that. Thank you.”
“No problem.” Deacon poured them each a glass of water. “Can I ask a stupid question?”
“I have no doubt you could ask a hundred stupid questions,” Jonas teased. “But yes.”
Deacon snorted. “Why not just find a mate? You’re a smart, funny, attractive omega, there are a lot of alphas out there who’d be thrilled to have you.”
“Present company excepted, alphas are awful. Everyone I know is human, and I like it that way. I’m not interested in a traditional lifestyle. But I do want a baby. I want to give something to the world, and I think that thing should be a new person.”
Jonas’ answer surprised Deacon, but didn’t shock him. He’d always thought Jonas would make an amazing parent—he was kind and patient, and he had the warmth, too. Deacon, on the other hand, was beginning to doubt he’d ever mate. He was still young, but omegas were only reliably fertile for a few years of their life, so if he left it much longer he’d have to find a younger mate. Not that it wasn’t common for alphas to do that, but Deacon had never really been fond of the idea. He wanted someone he could really bond with, not just someone who could produce children.
Really, Jonas’ line of thinking wasn’t that different to his own. Except that Deacon didn’t think omegas were awful at all, and he’d worked hardest of all to get them rights in broader society, in the hopes that when dragons fully integrated into human life, they wouldn’t be treated like property by alphas anymore. Jonas had always been one of the first of a new generation who refused to be, so his decision made a lot of sense.
“I guess that makes sense for you. And I think your offspring will be a genuine gift to the world,” Deacon said sincerely. “So, I’m up for it. I’ll let you make all the arrangements.”
“I really appreciate this,” Jonas said, leaning back to let the waitress put his food in front of him.
“I know, which is why I’m doing it.” Deacon nodded, starting in on his own food. He’d skipped breakfast in favor of an early meeting, and he was starving now.
To himself, he was willing to admit that the idea of being a father—even to a child who wasn’t his mate’s—was exciting. He couldn’t wait to see Jonas’ baby.
Chapter Two
Getting the news from his doctor that he was pregnant was possibly the happiest moment of Jonas’ life to date. As he sat on the bus on the way home, he laid his hand against his still-flat stomach, already imagining the tiny life inside.
He sent an email to Deacon to update him the moment he got inside, and then gave himself the rest of the day off to celebrate. He had few people to announce his pregnancy to, and he wouldn’t do that until the greatest danger of miscarriage was passed, but he needed to tell Deacon straight away.
A return email appeared less than twenty minutes later.
That’s amazing news. If you’re free tonight, I’m bringing you takeout and prenatal vitamins to celebrate. Say around eight?
Jonas grinned at the email and sent one back to say that he was free, and he’d love to see Deacon. Both of those things were true, but the second one came as something of a surprise to him. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed the other man until he’d seen him again, but now he couldn’t imagine not having him in his life.
In college, they’d done everything together, both of them scared and alone in a world that wasn’t meant for them. People were still coming to terms with the fact that dragons really existed, and a lot of them were afraid, or resistant to the idea that they should be treated just like humans in terms of civil rights. Having someone else who understood that had been invaluable.
Getting that feeling back, that the two of them could look out for each other when they needed it, had changed Jonas’ entire outlook on life for the better. He’d come to accept that he was in the best possible place for his stage of life, and now that he knew he was pregnant, it was only going to get better.
He had a lot to thank Deacon for. More than he’d ever find the words to express.
Not feeling the need to impress Deacon with his most professional clothes anymore, Jonas showered and changed into his pajama pants and an old t-shirt, happy to lounge while he and Deacon ate. It was nice to feel just as comfortable around him as he had when they were in college, and he hoped Deacon felt the same way.
Jonas answered the door to him at five minutes past eight, grinning when he saw Deacon had already taken his jacket and tie off, and was carrying several bags filled with takeout boxes.
“Are we feeding the neighbors as well?”
“Well, I figure you’re eating for two now, and I skipped lunch, so…” Deacon shrugged as he came in, heading for the kitchen as though he knew exactly where it was. Not that Jonas’ apartment was huge or anything, but this was the first time Deacon had actually
been inside it.
“So you figured you’d compensate. I guess that makes sense.”
“Is it weird if I say you smell amazing?” Deacon started organizing takeout containers, opening them up to check the contents and then arranging them so, presumably, he’d know where everything was. Deacon had always had a habit of taking over when it came to food, and Jonas had gotten into the habit of letting him.
He had a habit of taking over when it came to everything, but Jonas had pushed back on most other things. They’d come to a comfortable understanding that Deacon was not in charge, but he was allowed to take charge of some things so he wouldn’t feel useless.
“Well yeah, because I only use store brand shampoo and regular soap and I’m not wearing cologne or anything.”
“No, I mean, you probably smell fine, but you also smell so pregnant. I mean, I assume most people wouldn’t notice. I guess just me and other alphas,” Deacon pondered aloud. “It’s nice.” He coughed to clear his throat, blushing high on his cheeks.
“If anything, that’s weirder, but not wholly unexpected. I mean, I’ve never been able to smell a pregnant omega, but I guess an alpha would need to. No point in trying to mate with someone who’s already been mated.”
“Right, exactly. And I guess you smell good to me because I’m the one who got you pregnant, and now I gotta protect you. Which I realize you don’t want me doing.”
“You’re not wrong. But I do appreciate you bringing me food, and I would be very cool with doing this regularly. I even have ice cream in the freezer for once, so we can have that after.”
“You hate ice cream,” Deacon pointed out. “Or you always did when we were in college.”
“Well, the baby likes it. Which makes sense, since it’s your baby and you love it. I don’t know why I wanted it, but I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more a few days ago. I guess I should have known then.”
Jonas realized a moment too late that he’d referred to the baby as Deacon’s, but Deacon didn’t even seem to react to it. To him, it probably didn’t make a difference. He knew he was the father, and while he hadn’t asked for any kind of parental rights, he did want to be involved. That was okay—more than okay, since the support was entirely welcome—but Jonas was protective of his new baby. Not that he thought Deacon would ever hurt it, but he couldn’t help being wary of everything right now.