by Anya Nowlan
“Yeah, well, with my luck, I couldn’t be so sure.”
They both chuckled and before the ceremony could begin, Aeon pulled her into a warm embrace.
Everything was going to be perfect from here on out. He’d decided so and that was just that. But before, when Aeon’s understanding of perfection had been defined by tight control, order and rules, now he saw it all completely differently. There was going to be chaos, lots of it, and it was going to be even better than Aeon could have ever imagined.
And he was going to enjoy every second of it. Maybe he’d even try to slow them all down, just so he could enjoy them for longer.
Aeon Prevoir was a nervous wreck. To anyone who knew him, that would have been a surprise at any other time.
But waiting behind the door to be told of the birth of his child, he figured he could get a pass for it. Not that he cared. The only thing that mattered was Isobel’s and the baby’s health and safety.
“It’ll be alright,” Hex said, putting both hands on Aeon’s shoulder for a moment, stopping his nervous back and forth pacing.
It seemed to be a mantra as of late – it’ll be alright. So far, it had held true, but would it continue doing so? Aeon let out a frustrated breath, running a hand through his mussed up hair.
The midwife – a Goldplains dragon – had allowed him to stay in the room for most of the delivery, but kicked him out about an hour ago when his nervous energy started messing with the time around him. It wouldn’t do any good to prolong the already infinite-seeming process for Isobel, but Aeon still hated not being there.
She wasn’t alone, at least, with Allie being there with Isobel. She’d become something of a staple in the household as the pregnancy was reaching its end.
He was about to hit another circuit around the room when suddenly, all three dragons stilled. The sound of a baby crying pierced through the wall, strong, healthy lungs belting out his first cries.
Aeon grinned like a fool as Phase and Hex descended upon him, hugging him and cheering. All he could hear was that cry though, that magnificent sound of his firstborn son.
Right then and there, he knew that he would do anything in his power to be a father as good as his had been and to raise his kid right.
He was practically jumping up and down behind the door by the time Allie came to it.
“You can come in,” she said with a smile, ushering Aeon in and filing out with the midwife in tow.
Hex and Phase greeted Allie with more cheers, bus Aeon couldn’t hear it anymore. He only had eyes and ears for Isobel and the baby in her arms.
She looked at him, her face red and sweaty, her beautiful hair sticking to her neck and face. She’d never looked quite as breathtaking to him as she did now, exhausted and triumphant at the same time.
“I can’t believe he’s here,” Aeon said softly, walking to the bed and sitting on the edge of it carefully.
He kissed Isobel on the temple, bringing her in for a slight embrace.
“You better. I’m not going through that again for a little while,” she laughed, as Aeon took the baby from her.
The child – his child – looked up at him with eyes that were just like his, and just like Aeon’s father’s had been. Tears welled in his throat and he let out a long breath, running a finger down the boy’s cheek.
“So this is him,” he whispered.
“Shai Prevoir.”
They’d agreed on the name after weeks of grueling, and entirely fun arguments.
Aeon felt a tear rolling down his cheek, one of pure happiness. He didn’t bother to wipe it away, but Isobel soon did. For a man who had built his life on order and seeing everything coming, he’d never been so willing to embrace all the chaos he could possibly get. He got the feeling that this was not something that was going to change.
And he couldn’t be happier for it.
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Can't get enough of hot Alpha dragons? Check out the Treasure Lane Dragons series, by picking up the first book or the 3-book bundle!:
Billionaire Dragon’s Bride
Treasure Lane Dragons: 3 Book Series
Want more? Pick up the first book in Anya’s Shifter Squad Six series here!:
Bear My Baby
Don’t miss the excerpt of the first book in Anya’s Chicago Catastrophe series, Lessons in Purrsuasion, on the next page!
Lessons in Purrsuasion Excerpt
Selina turned to stare at the man beside her. ‘Kevin’s’ – she doubted it was his real name at this point - eyes were focused on the road, knuckles white on the steering wheel. He was still wearing the blue and white shirt, but it was now splattered with red. There were some scratches on his tan arms, but he looked otherwise unharmed.
He had thick, inky hair, shorter on the sides and shooting upwards at the top. High cheekbones gave way to a square, clean-shaven jaw. When he glanced at her she could see his eyes were a mesmerizing pale green. She hadn’t been able to tell the color before from across the room.
There was something familiar about him but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“Are you alright?” he asked with a surprisingly gentle voice.
“Depends how you define ‘alright’. Who are you? I’m guessing you’re not ‘Kevin the caterer’?” Selina asked, a thousand different questions running through her head.
“I’m Stone,” the man responded, weaving around traffic at dangerous speeds.
“You’re a what?”
“My name is Stone Calloway and I’m a friend of your brother’s,” he said, pulling a silk scarf from his pants pocket and dropping it in her lap.
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Also by Anya Nowlan
Puck Bear Brides: Complete Series
These hockey bears are the furthest thing from ice cold...
A werebear is never complete without a mate and it has never been more true than with professional hockey bears, unleashed upon Shifter Grove on their path to claiming both victory and the women of their dreams.
This box set follows a professional shifter hockey team as they fight through an endless series of challenges to both the title they desire as well as the curvy women destined to love them. If you want your bears hard, fast and ruthless and your heroines lush, loving and sassy, then don't miss out on this series of novellas!
The anthology includes the following books:
A Bear Victory
Bear No Loss
A Bear Goal
Bear No Defeat
Montana Wild Bears: Books 1-4 Bundle
Want to read more about Ryder and his struggle as an Alpha?
Strong, scorching-hot werebear Alphas and their sassy, curvy mates - could it get any steamier?!
The Montana Wild Bears series follows two werebear clans during the most difficult conflict of their lives, sparing nothing and no one in it's path. How can these determined, powerful Alphas keep their clans safe while also finding their fated mates? And will their mates allow them into their hearts, even when all odds stand against them?
Find out in these hot stand-alone books, each following one Alpha couple through the war between the clans. Expect some twists and turns and plenty of steam!
If you want your shifters hard, loving and dripping with testosterone and your heroines capable, smart and saucy, this might be just the boxed set for you!
The anthology includes the following books:
Find Her Bear - Book 1
Wanting Her Bear - Book 2
Saving Her Bear - Book 3
Needing Her Bear - Book 4
Sassy Shifter Brides: Complete Series
What a shifter really needs is a good mate!
Shifter Grove only attracts
the kind of shifters who are looking for something better... Something different.
When Warren, Rake, Deacon and the Warfang decide to build a new life, they knew it wouldn't be easy. But it would be worth it. Still, hard work and making a better future for the buff, burly and completely Alpha shifters isn't quite enough for the men. Ever shifter knows that a home isn't perfect without the right woman and that's exactly what all of them need!
SassyDate is here to help! Each of the Alpha shifters will find a mate that's as if made for him... Just sometimes it isn't all sunshine and roses.
If you like your shifters hot, growly and determined and your women sassy, bbw and opinionated, this is the boxed set for you! You can find all five of the Sassy Shifter Brides books in this anthology and none of them will leave you disappointed!
The box set includes:
Hearts Laid Bear
No More Lion
Bear the Cold
Roar for Her
The Wolves' Bride
Smutty Shifter Shorts: Books 1-5 Bundle
5 hot, sizzling shapeshifter shorts sure to make you need a cold shower!
The Smutty Shifter Shorts series is all about bringing the naughtiest, sexiest werewolves right to you! Each story is a standalone short, but three of them can be read as a series.If you want your werewolves growly, determined and hungry for more and your women curvy and sassy, this is just the boxed set for you! Expect some twists and turns and plenty of steam!
This anthology of bestselling shifter shorts includes the following books:
The Mate
The Chase
Outcast's Claim
Outcast's Pride
Outcast's Mate
About the Author
Anya Nowlan loves sex and writing about it. The sexier and naughtier the better. She mostly writes paranormal and fantasy erotic shorts, focusing on shifters and their lucky mates. Her stories are bite-sized, just what you need to soothe that craving for brave women and growly alphas with a big side-order of smutty sex.
Anya lives in Boston with her boyfriend and several dogs of varying sizes and levels of mischief. She can't go through a day without chocolate and has an unhealthy addiction to purses, but every girl is allowed her little vices, right?
If you have enjoyed her shorts or want to just shoot the breeze a little, don't hesitate to contact Anya via e-mail: [email protected]
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anyanowlan
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AnyaNowlan
Homepage: http://www.anyanowlan.com
You can find all of my books here:
Amazon Author Page
www.anyanowlan.com
Thank you for reading!
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AnyaNowlan