Dragon Whelps: Earth Dragons Series: Book 3

by Hartnady, Charlene

  “Language, asshole,” Shale boomed. “This is my brother, Sand. Sand, this is Georgia.” Shale narrowed his eyes at his brother.

  “So, you’re the human who tamed this male.” Sand pointed at Shale. “I’m looking at your whelps and I still can’t believe it. When Granite told me about this I almost died. I think my heart stopped for a few seconds.”

  “You should stop being so damned dramatic.” Shale looked angry. “In fact, you should just stop talking, period.”

  “Are you kidding me? Mister I’m-never-settling-down. Mister I-don’t-want-kids. Really? Look at you.” Sand was grinning broadly.

  “Things change,” Shale growled, jostling one of the babies into a better position. “Now shut the fuck up.”

  Sand held both hands up. “I had to come and see for myself, that’s all! You can’t blame me.” He held a hand out to her. “It’s lovely to meet you, by the way. I can see why my brother decided to—”

  “Stop, Sand! Please.” Shale implored him with his eyes.

  Georgia felt her cheeks heat. Sand had this completely wrong. She took his hand anyway. “Good to meet you.”

  “We need to get the babies inside and settled,” Shale grumbled, walking towards large double doors.

  “He’s touchy, isn’t he?” Sand grinned at her. “For the record, if he doesn’t take care of you, you know where to find me.” He winked at her. “I’ll teach him.” They were all walking, following Shale.

  Georgia had to giggle. She couldn’t help herself.

  A scowling Shale turned back. “You can’t kick my ass,” he growled. “We’ve established that fact already.” He kept walking, placing a hand on the doorknob.

  “Kick your ass? Who said anything about kicking your ass? I happen to know you like this look, Georgie.” Sand gestured to himself and winked at her. “I’ll take your female from you if you can’t take excellent care of her. We do have similar taste in females.” He gave her an appreciative glance.

  Shale growled low and deep. It was ten times worse than the growl he had given the paramedic. It sounded like a lion or a tiger or something. He threw the door open, turning to face them. “It’s Georgia, not Georgie. We’re parents to the twins but we’re not together as a couple.”

  “Great!” Sand rubbed his hands together. “Then you won’t mind if I ask Georgie here on a date.”

  “That would be a little weird, baby brother, don’t you think? It’s Georgia with an ‘a’.”

  Georgia wanted the ground to open up. She wanted someone to hose her down, her cheeks felt that hot. She also felt something else…not sorrow. Disappointment, maybe? She had somehow hoped that she and Shale might at least try at a relationship. Then again, he had given no indication it would ever happen.

  “Baby brother?” Sand made a face of annoyance. “Baby! You’re five minutes older. Five damned measly minutes.”

  They all walked inside. Shit! There were so many people in the large hall. Everyone was standing silent, listening in to the conversation that had just taken place. There were mostly men present. Lots and lots of men. All dressed in the same attire as Sand. Most had silver chests. There were also a few women. They were definitely dragon shifters. All of them were very tall and toned. They all wore short dresses and were quite attractive. The most beautiful of the bunch had dark hair and the bluest eyes Georgia had ever seen. She narrowed those eyes at Georgia and then smiled. There was nothing nice about the smile. It was more of a smirk. A self-satisfied smirk.

  Who was she? Unfortunately, Georgia could guess. Shale had brought her there because he was trying to do the right thing. She needed to put aside any thoughts of the two of them getting together. Georgia was going to get hurt otherwise.

  * * *

  Shale was going to have to have a serious conversation with his asshole brother. What the fuck! Making moves on Georgia not even two minutes after they arrived on dragon soil. That was a new record low for the male. To make matters worse, he’d forced Shale to announce to half of his people that he and Georgia weren’t together. Which was true. For now. It didn’t mean that he didn’t want to explore the possibility. She was the mother of his whelps. She was also kind and sweet. His mind turned to Georgia’s mother. It took a special person to be willing to sacrifice so much for someone else. Georgia worked hard and not for herself. Never for herself. That much was apparent. He wasn’t an idiot. He’d seen her ill-fitting clothing. Her purse was scuffed, as were her shoes. This was a female who thought about others first. Someone who was worried about taking a handout from him. On top of all of that, she was fucking gorgeous. Those eyes, that hair. Her body ripe and lush after bearing new life. If Sand came anywhere near this female, he was going to hurt his twin. If any male came near her, he was going to have to hurt them. He needed to play it cool, for now, since he didn’t want to scare her. Things needed to progress slowly. One step at a time. Georgia was timid. This was a lot for a person to absorb.

  He watched her now, taking in the lair as they walked to his chamber. Her eyes full of wonder. Every now and then she would gasp or touch a piece of furniture as they walked past. “It’s beautiful.” She turned back to him. “When you said ‘lair’…” She shook her head, smiling.

  “You thought hole in the ground and yet you came anyway?”

  She shrugged. “Not a hole in the ground,” she chided. “You have to admit that lair sounds…basic, but I don’t mind basic, or old, or functional. I…guess I’m used to it.” Shale had never really taken note of where he lived before. The lair was the lair. Seeing it through her eyes, however…it gave him a sense of wonder as well. The views were breathtaking. The lair itself was vast, light and airy. It was sparsely but beautifully furnished.

  “Are those…? No…” She shook her head, pointing at one of the chandeliers. “I’ve seen a lot of what looks like…” she shook her head again, “can’t be.” Her brow furrowed.

  “It’s what we do,” he said as they arrived at his chamber. “We mine,” he added. “I run one of our mines…I usually run one of our mines. I’ve taken some time off.”

  “Dragons are into mining?” Her eyes were wide.

  “Our lands are mineral-rich. We mine gold, platinum, diamonds…most of the precious and semi-precious stones.”

  “So,” she touched the emerald-encrusted doorknob, “these are real?” She looked back up at the chandelier. “And those are too? Shit! They look like actual diamonds.”

  He nodded. “That’s because they are. We sell limited stock to the humans, thus preventing the market from becoming flooded. If something is in demand it can fetch a higher price and will be more sought-after. So, you see, you do not need to work. Unless, of course, at some stage you would like to do something to contribute to our community.”

  “Well, we’ll see. It’s just so…unbelievable.”

  Shale grinned. “So you keep saying.”

  “Do you blame me?” She smiled back. “Up until a few hours ago, I didn’t even believe in the existence of dragons and now…here I am.”

  “Here you are. This is my chamber.” He nodded towards the door. “Can you open it for us?”

  “Oh, of course.” She pushed the door open and entered. “This is incredible!” She covered her mouth with her hands and turned a full circle. “It doesn’t look masculine. I would have expected a bachelor pad.”

  “Actually…this isn’t my place. It is now… It’s ours, but it wasn’t where I stayed before.” His chamber had been somewhat of a bachelor pad. His old place had been smaller. Tiny kitchen. No bathtub. His room was in a loft that overlooked a well-appointed entertainment area.

  “That explains it then.” She laughed.

  Shale noted that Georgia really didn’t have a high opinion of him. “This apartment has three bedrooms. So enough for all of us. Each bedroom has its own bathroom en suite.”

  “That kitchen is amazing. Those countertops are white. That oven is huge.”

  “Earth dragons tend to have bigger families. Dr
agons have healthy appetites, especially growing boys.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “Let me go and put the babies down,” Shale said. “Do you want to come and have a look.”

  “There’s more?” She widened her eyes.

  Shale nodded. “There most certainly is.” He led the way, ignoring the first room, which he thought he would possibly take for himself. He walked into the second bedroom.

  He smiled when he heard her gasp. “Oh, my goodness. Who did all of this?”

  “Believe it or not, it was Sand. He had some help, of course. My brothers’ mates, Louise and Breeze, helped out plenty.”

  “All of this in just a matter of hours?”

  “Um…I contacted Sand as soon as you left last night.”

  Her eyes took on a shocked look. “Then already? You had no idea—”

  “I knew the babies were due to be born any day. I knew they were mine. I hoped I could convince you to come back with me. Sand was on the phone early this morning. He had to make things happen as soon as you went into labor.” It was amazing what money could do. How quickly something could happen when you started throwing it around.

  “I still can’t believe all of this.” She walked around the room. There were two cribs, she touched the cotton edging as she walked by. There was also a changing station. A rocking chair in the corner. The room was decorated in predominately white, with hints of mint green and brown. Shale put each baby down in his own crib. “You’ll have to do the finishing touches yourself.” He spoke softly. Not wanting to wake the boys. “A picture or two for the walls, a rug, one of those cute lamps.” He shrugged. “There isn’t too much in the way of clothing, enough to last the next couple of days…”

  Georgia turned to him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. And she was smiling. She quickly closed the distance between them and threw her arms around him.

  It was so unexpected that for a few seconds, he just stood there like an idiot.

  “Thank you,” she murmured into his chest.

  By the time Shale had the common sense to put a hand up to her back, someone knocked on the door. Georgia pulled away. “This is amazing,” she whispered.

  “I haven’t done much.”

  “You have!”

  The knock sounded again. Harder this time. “There’s someone at the door.”

  “Oh.” She looked in the general direction of the living room. “You definitely have better hearing than me.”

  “Let’s go and see who it is, unless you want to freshen up or something? In which case, I’ll show you the bedroom choices and you can let me know which you would prefer. I put the twins in the middle, so either of us can get up during the night.” They made their way back through to the living room area.

  “I’m fine, and that sounds like a plan.” Her eyes were wide with excitement.

  Shale opened the door, surprised to see one of the healers on the other side. “Good evening, sire.” She gave a small curtsey. “So, this is your human?” She curtseyed for Georgia as well, who looked amused.

  “My name is Amethyst.”

  “Must be because of your beautiful eyes,” Georgia remarked.

  “Indeed.” The female smiled broadly, giving a single nod of the head. “I have come to check on you and the whelps. I am told that the three of you are doing well? May I come in, my prince?”

  Georgia squeezed her eyes shut for a second or two, clearly in disbelief. She was still struggling with the whole thing, but in a good way. Shale found her reactions adorable.

  He moved to the side and the healer entered. “Let’s go and take a seat over there.” Amethyst gestured to the seating area. She was a typical elder, quick to give respect but just as quick to demand it right back.

  “Can I offer you some tea?” Shale asked. “I’m sure there will be several kinds to choose from.”

  “No thank you, sire.” She smiled. “I am sure you are eager to have me out of your hair.”

  “Not at all.” Georgia shook her head. She and the healer sat next to each other on the couch. Shale chose the wingback chair opposite them.

  “How are you feeling, child?” the healer asked Georgia.

  “Surprisingly good actually, considering I pushed two babies out earlier today.” She giggled in disbelief, putting a hand over her mouth.

  Amethyst nodded. “It’s great having improved healing capabilities. Of course, they’re nowhere near as good as a shifter, but much better than a regular human. Okay, so no pains? Fever? Dizziness? I have to ask, just to be sure.”

  “None of those things.” Georgia smiled.

  “Good. How is the nursing going?”

  “Very well, actually. It’s like they read the manual or something, because I didn’t. Those babies know exactly what to do.”

  “The rule of thumb is, if it hurts, you’re doing it wrong. The babies should be fully latched onto the nipples. How many times have you fed them?”

  “Our older baby three times now and the younger one only twice. I’m sure he’ll be needing a feed soon.”

  “Don’t let them sleep for longer than five hours. Wake them up if need be. Set an alarm if you have to. Newborns are sometimes sleepy. It can take a couple of weeks for them to wake up…so to speak. What about your breasts?”

  Oh, fuck! This conversation was wandering into territories he didn’t feel comfortable with. Georgia had great breasts before. They’d gone from great to phenomenal. Sure, he was probably a dick for noticing, but what could he say, he wasn’t blind. He was also very much a male. Stay cool! Stay calm! It wasn’t a big deal.

  “What about them?” Georgia cupped her tits. Cupped them. Both hands. She squeezed. Squeezed!

  Fuck!

  Shale was thankful he still wore the jeans and t-shirt. The jeans held shit together. He wanted to reposition himself right then but refrained. He was going to hell for his thoughts right now. Thoughts that involved his mouth on those soft mounds. Fuck! He needed to think about something else. Anything else.

  “Any extreme sensitivity? Any pain?”

  Georgia shook her head.

  “Has your milk descended?”

  “My milk what?” Georgia narrowed her eyes in contemplation. “Um…I…um…I don’t think so.”

  “Are they hard or soft? Is one bigger than the other?”

  “No, they’re bigger than they normally would be.” She cleared her throat. “I went up two cup sizes during the pregnancy.”

  Shit! He needed to move. His dick was right up against his zipper. It hurt! Instead, he leaned forward slightly, putting his elbows on his thighs, all nonchalant. Like hell that was how he felt.

  “Do you know what to do when your milk descends? They might get really hard and achy.”

  “No, I’ve never heard of that.” Georgia looked a little freaked out.

  “It’s nothing to be worried about. Unbutton your blouse, I’d like to examine you. It will be easier to explain.”

  “Um…o-okay, I guess that’s alright.” She giggled. “I’ve breastfed quite a few times so…” She looked pointedly at Shale.

  Georgia began unbuttoning her blouse. Fuck! Holy shit! He needed to get out of there. Shale was a perverted fuck. That much was glaringly clear to him. He had to get out of there really badly, because he wanted to stay. He wanted to not only stay but he wanted to watch. He wanted to lean in and soak up her nude chest.

  “I’m going to…” he cleared his throat, “get some tea. Can I make some for you ladies?”

  “Actually,” Georgia said as she pulled her blouse open, “I would love a cup. Herbal, if there is any.”

  Fuck!

  He was going to hell. Straight to hell. That was all. She wore one of those feeding bras. He’d bought her a couple of things in the hospital and this was one of them. It was plain white cotton and, essentially, ugly as fuck. Yet somehow, it only made her tits look better because of it. Her nipples were huge. They pointed right at him accusingly. Like they knew what a sick fuck he wa
s. The fabric strained to contain all of that loveliness. He wanted to groan out loud.

  “No thank you, sire,” the healer said, reminding him that she was there.

  Shale managed to tear his gaze off her breasts and headed for the kitchen. He put the kettle on and grabbed some tits— teabags.

  Fuck!

  His gaze had drifted back to where the females were talking, and he caught sight of her breasts. Naked. Her bra was undone. They were full. Oh, so very lush. Her nipples were darker than he remembered them being ‒ and he did remember them. He remembered everything about her naked form.

  The healer was talking about milking Georgia manually if her mammary glands became overly full with milk. What? Even that sounded…better than it should. “The prince can always suckle you as well,” the healer remarked. “Our males have been known to enjoy…”

  He turned his attention back to the tea-making. Shale hadn’t been able to help but notice how red her face had become. So much so that it bled down her neck and onto her chest. That glorious chest.

  Shale put teabags into cups and added the boiling water. He put some honey onto the tray, taking a peek at the females, his heart in his fucking throat. His balls felt like they were there as well. He heaved out a sigh when he saw Georgia do up her blouse.

  Shale plastered a smile on his face and headed back over. He placed the tray on the coffee table. His dick was going to have a red indent from the zipper. Thankfully it started calming down.

  “You can go ahead and rut.” She looked his way as she spoke.

  Shale dropped the spoon he had just picked up. So much for his dick calming down. The fucker took note. Blood rushed south. Rut! Hell yes! He was all in!

  “Rut?” Georgia looked confused.

  “Sex, dear.” The healer smiled. “It’s good for you. Good for relaxation. Good for the two of you as a couple. Endorphins will be passed on to the babies through your milk.” Amethyst obviously didn’t notice how awkward things had become, because she went on. “I would recommend that you take it easy for the next few days. Don’t overdo it.” She looked pointedly at Shale and then at Georgia, whose eyes were as big as saucers. “Dragon shifters have very healthy appetites, but you’ll know that already.” She laughed. “Don’t be afraid to tell him no if you’re tired.”