by Eve Newton
“We need to go,” I blurt out. “Delinda is in trouble.”
I grab a hold of Rex and To’Kah, their faces turning as worried as mine as Rex does the honors and Astrals us back to the Dragon Realms, hot on Remiel’s heels, to find Delinda in labor. She is sweating and snarling on our bed, as she pushes out the head of our baby from between her legs, along with a rush of blood and the gods only know what else.
“About fucking time!” she screams at us, the cries of the baby rivalling her volume as she slides out in a bloody, white mess.
“Gurr,” I murmur as I hit the floor with my head, and everything goes black.
~Delinda~
“YOU UTTER FUCKS!” I shriek at my husbands, even though one of them has fainted at the sight of my daughter coming into the World. “Where the fucking Hell were you?” I hastily Astral a sheet over myself to cover up my lower half that is horrendously exposed.
I blink as my focus regains completely and I notice that my father is also in the room with us, staring at, thank the old gods, his grandchild nestled in Synthyia’s arms and not at me spread-eagled on the bed in a sweaty, gross heap.
“Uhm,” I start, but he interrupts me.
“I’ll go and fetch your mother,” he says with such pride, still staring at my baby. “Well done, Delinda.”
I snort with laughter as he Astrals off, and then flop back to the bed in an exhausted heap.
“Here,” Synthyia whispers and hands me my baby, all wrapped up in a white blanket and a little hat. Then, she gives me a big smile and Astrals out, leaving us alone.
“Oh,” I exclaim, taking her, forgetting about my anger that I had to do this without them. And, no way was I letting Uncle. D back in here to help. I coo at her as two of my husbands approach me, the third still out for the count.
“Pick him up, you assclowns,” I say to them in a soothing voice so as not to scare the baby.
Rex chuckles gently and lifts Pres onto the bed.
“She is gorgeous,” he whispers, coming to sit next to me.
To’Kah is standing stock-still at my side, staring down at her in wonder.
I swallow back my guilt. I don’t have the heart to tell him the baby isn’t his. I know with certainty now who the father is, but I have no idea how to go about telling any of them.
“Do you want to hold her?” I ask him hesitantly.
He nods and takes her from me, his big hands cradling her gently before he tucks her into the crook of his arm and brushes a tear from his eye.
I look away as that sliver of guilt rages into an inferno.
Rex is watching me with a curious look, so I smile at him and give him a light kiss to deflect.
“A name,” I croak out. “We don’t have a name for her yet.”
Pres comes to then with a loud groan, rubbing at his forehead. He sits up suddenly and looks around, his eyes landing on To’Kah and our baby.
He clambers over Rex, elbowing him out of the way as he takes me in his arms and crushes me to him.
“I love you,” he whispers to me. “You are amazing. Look what you did!” He looks over at the baby with a huge smile.
I beam at the pride in his voice. “Merry Christmas,” I say.
“Merry Christmas,” Rex says, kissing me again and again, making me giggle. “You have given us the perfect present, Little Dragon.”
“I want to hold her,” Pres says forcefully, climbing off the bed and taking her from To’Kah, much to his disgust.
“Hey,” he snaps. “I wasn’t finished.”
“Everyone gets a turn,” I say lightly, needing to separate her from To’Kah for a minute so that I can think. I can’t keep this to myself for much longer. My conscience just won’t let me.
Pres cuddles her like a pro, gurgling to her and kissing her forehead gently. It makes me smile sadly.
I look over at Rex. “You don’t want a turn?”
He drags his gaze away from Pres. “Let him have this. He seems to be a bit of a champ with babies. Who knew?”
“I did,” Pres says, keeping up the gentle tone. “I have many younger siblings.”
Rex and I exchange a glance. Seems neither of us bothered to ask.
“A name?” I say again, this time to cover up the awkwardness of my utter self-centeredness.
“Gazena,” my mother says as she and my father pop into the room.
I blink at her and her very pronounced belly. I totally get that now.
I look at Rex, who shrugs, then to To’Kah who nods carefully.
“Yes, I like it,” Pres is the only one to speak out loud. “Gazena,” he repeats and then looks up at my mother. “What does it mean?”
Mother shrugs and sits down next to me, taking my hand and kissing it. “She is the True Heir now; she needs a strong name. She will pulverize continents; I just know it.”
My eyes widen at her words. “I don’t think...”
“No, it’s good,” Rex says. “To’Kah?”
“It’s fitting for the True Heir,” he says and firmly takes her back from Pres, who frowns fiercely at him and clenches his fists.
“My turn,” Rex says and with a quick Astral, moves next to To’Kah to grab Gazena and give her a soft cuddle and kiss.
I grin at them and sink back into the pillows.
“I did it,” I murmur.
“You did,” Mother says with a big smile. “The natural way, I hear.” She casts a glance at Father who goes slightly green and looks away.
“Yep,” I say, letting the pride wash over me. “I kicked ass.”
“I’m sure you did,” Mother laughs. “I’d expect nothing less.”
“Not that my husbands would know it,” I add, giving them each a glare that speaks volumes.
“Sorry,” Rex murmurs. “We were held up.” He hands Gazena to my mother, who turns into a gooey mess as she fawns over her.
I give him a questioning look that he ignores. “Meaning?” I snap at him.
“They were with me,” Father says bluntly. “I had questions.”
“And were they answered?” I ask shortly, annoyed that my husbands weren’t here when I needed them because of him.
His eyes turn icy and he glares at Pres before taking in Rex and To’Kah. “No, they weren’t,” he says. “Do not think that it’s over. Especially now.”
“Why especially now?” I ask, hating being in the dark.
Father looks at my daughter and then back at me. “It’s time to discover once and for all, who fathered that child.”
Chapter 9
~Delinda~
“That’s enough!” Mother barks at my father, causing him to fold his arms across his chest and give her a look that just dares her to snap at him again. She doesn’t give a shit though, and adds, “Delinda has just had a baby. She doesn’t want to deal with you and your menace, Remiel. We’ll come back later to discuss this.” She throws me a knowing look and I give her a grateful smile.
I know this is an issue that needs addressing with everyone. I also think my mother knows Gazena isn’t To’Kah’s now after that look. But I’m not having this conversation with my parents standing there. My husbands deserve better than that.
I hold my arms out for my baby and Mother hands her to me, bending down to kiss her forehead and then mine.
“She’s gorgeous,” she whispers. “Of course.”
I beam up at her. “I know.”
Then, she grabs Father by the arm and Astrals him away, leaving me with my little family unit.
“I’m so happy!” I blurt out, staring at Gazena.
“She’s perfect,” Rex says as Pres scoots in next to me again to look at her and stroke her cheek.
“Can you please go and fetch all the stuff out of Rex’s old room. We need it in here now,” I say after a beat.
“Of course,” To’Kah says and grabbing Rex and Pres, he Astrals them away.
I bite my lip. He knows that I have terrible news for him.
I cuddle the baby and wait for them
to return.
The time ticks away. I expected them back by now.
“I’m going to have to come clean soon, Gazena,” I tell my daughter. “They deserve to know who your daddy is. But you know already, don’t you, sweet girl?” I sigh.
Finally, the men return with arms full of baby paraphernalia. Rex is manhandling the bassinet, while juggling half a dozen other things.
He plops the basket on the bed and straightens the bedding, giving me a proud look that he accomplished this small parenting task.
I giggle and pull it closer to me, but I don’t put my baby down just yet. There is something I need to ask first.
“Well? Did you sort your shit out?” I look at Rex and then at Pres, as To’Kah slinks onto the bed next to me.
“Yes,” Rex says. “We did and thank you for sending us away. We have been causing you unnecessary stress with our bickering and that was wrong of us. We are good now.”
I laugh at his formality but blow him a kiss and look to Pres to confirm.
He nods readily, so I know that Rex hasn’t coerced him into agreeing that they ‘are good now’.”
“Okay, great,” I say, and wait for more. Like what the actual issue was.
When neither of them says anything else, I huff and place Gazena into her bassinet. She is safe and sound and sleeping already. The exhaustion is pulling me under now. I need a nap to recuperate from being torn in two by this tiny being. I feel that I will be fine in a couple of hours. I’ve taken a battering but I’m a Dragon and Empress to boot. I’ll be back on my feet in no time.
My husbands must see how tired I am, because they bustle around settling me and Gazena and then with kisses to us, they bid me a good sleep, with a promise that I’ll call them the second that I wake.
I nestle into the pillows.
“Congratulations, Princess.”
I smile sleepily at the voice in my head.
“Thank you, Blayne. And thank you for being here with me, even if it was just in my head.”
“You are quite welcome, Delinda. I will always be here for you.”
“I’m starting to get that.”
“Rest now, my love.”
“’Night.”
I yawn and close my eyes and then I’m out for the count.
~To’Kah~
“WE NEED A PLAN,” REX states as we head towards Pres’s magick room on foot.
“A plan for what?” I ask, my mind still on my daughter. She is so perfect. Just like her mother.
He gives me a scathing look. “A plan for when Remiel comes back and asks us for a third time who the father of Delinda’s baby is.”
We enter the workshop and I reach out, grabbing Rex by his shirt front. “There is no plan. That baby is mine.”
“We have to face the possibility that she isn’t,” Pres says quietly. “And if that is the case, we can’t lie to Remiel. You know he will make good on his threat and throw us into that pit, one by one.”
“No!” I roar, rounding on Pres. “She is mine! I cannot go back in there! I can’t...” I stop talking and grit my teeth.
Rex’s hand lands on my shoulder and squeezes gently. “I knew this was eating you up more than you said. Talk to me. To us.”
“There’s nothing to say!” I spit out, slapping Rex’s hand away from me.
I turn my back on the other men, holding onto the terror that is suddenly filling me up at the thought of being thrown back into the fire pit. The feel of the flames burning me, knowing that I will never take another breath, that I will never see Delinda again or mate with her Dragon. I have faced the possibility every night for weeks that the baby might not be mine and the consequences of that. But I can’t admit it out loud. Not yet.
My lungs are being crushed by the weight of this on me, but I won’t admit it to these men. I can’t, because Delinda can never know.
“Delinda is Empress now,” Rex says quietly. “She will keep you safe.”
I spin around. “She can’t be with me every second, and like you said, Remiel won’t hesitate to get rid of me when he thinks I’m no longer necessary to keep around.”
I grind my teeth together so hard, I hurt my jaw.
Rex is struggling to find something to say to me that will sound reassuring, but he knows I’m right.
The tension is broken by a loud thump as a book lands on the worktable in front of Pres, all by itself, and flips open, the pages rifling by magick.
I take this opportunity to divert the attention away from me.
“What’s it doing?” I ask.
Rex sighs at me and turns to the book to peer at it as well.
Pres drags it closer as it settles on a page and he starts reading.
“Well?” Rex snaps a moment later.
“It’s a spell,” Pres says slowly.
“Obviously,” Rex drawls. “What for?”
“Uhm,” Pres mutters.
I give him a narrow-eyed look. Why is he hesitating? “What does it say?” I ask quietly.
He slams it closed and gives us a tight smile. “Actually, not a spell. Just something my mother wrote down. It’s nothing.”
“Oh, sure,” Rex snaps. “You expect us to believe that?”
Pres just shrugs and tucks the book under his arm.
He has a smug look on his face, like he has just learned something that will give him a one up with Delinda.
I don’t like that one bit. We are all supposed to be on the same page with her, and yet it seems that we are all still vying to be top dog. Rex with the Fae thing, Pres with whatever the Hell he just learned and even me. It’s not only my life that I will lose if I’m not Gazena’s biological father. I will lose my place as the father of the first born to the Empress of the Dragon Realms, the True Heir. That is something that I had been banking on to raise my own status around here. I may be married to Delinda now, but everyone still sees me as her Guardian. The help. Even if I end up dying, I’d wanted that to remain forever in the Dragon’s history. Something that won’t likely happen just by being Delinda’s husband. Her third husband at that.
“We should’ve been here for her,” Pres says, to now divert the attention away from himself.
Man, we are a right collection of dicks on a stick.
“Do you think Remiel knew and kept us from her?” he adds so quietly, I barely heard him.
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Rex scoffs. “But why? What does he have to gain?”
“Oh, just the fact that we seemingly abandoned our wife while she was in labor,” I snap at Rex, fraught with stress and worry now.
“But for what purpose?” Rex presses.
“To belittle us in front of her,” Pres says, lowering his eyes and breathing in deeply. “He wants us out of the way.”
“Again, why?” Rex says, bewildered.
“Who knows?” Pres says with a shrug. “Maybe because he doesn’t want his daughter married to three men? Perhaps he has someone else in mind that he wants her to be with and we are all standing in the way of that?”
“Wow, paranoid much?” Rex mutters. “I’m confident that it was just a coincidence.”
I’m not so sure though. I’m with Pres on this. Remiel doesn’t do anything without strategy. He had a reason for waylaying us at the very moment that Delinda needed us.
The three of us exchange glances. Even Rex is starting to lose his confidence now as he thinks about it.
We are about to face something that her father has planned for us. But what?
Chapter 10
~Delinda~
I awake to find my men hovering over me and the baby, looking so uncertain of themselves I’d laugh if I didn’t have this weight hanging over my head.
“What’s up?” I ask cautiously, sitting up and stretching, feeling like my old self again. Gotta love that Dragon healing Power.
“We are so sorry,” To’Kah starts. “We should have been here, and we weren’t. You needed us and we let you down.”
“Oh,” I say, t
aken aback. I hadn’t expected an apology. “It’s okay, my father...”
“It’s not okay!” Rex snaps. “We should’ve been here!”
“You were all alone, left to do this all by yourself. We will never forgive ourselves,” Pres expostulates.
I chew the inside of my lip. I wasn’t alone, but I can’t tell them that. I had all the help and support I needed right here in my head.
“It’s okay, honestly. It all happened so quickly, and I was just focused on getting her out.”
“Please don’t do that,” Rex says. “Be pissed with us.”
“There’s nothing to be angry at,” I say carefully. “You made it here right in time to see her born. That’s all that matters.”
“About that...” Pres says. “I heard you calling for me right before we came back. You broke through your father’s ward.”
He warded them. That makes total sense now. I’d wondered what the problem was. I’ll be having words with my father just as soon as I tell my husbands the truth.
“I called for all of you,” I say, searching each of their eyes in turn, landing on Pres last. “You were the only one who heard me?”
He looks at the other two men, who shrug. “Seems so,” he says. “Why is that?”
His eyes are boring into mine.
He knows.
There is nothing else for it now but to tell them.
In a minute.
Firstly, I need to take a shower and secondly, I need a minute to gather my courage. I have no idea why I’m so nervous, but my palms are sweating.
“I’ll answer that soon, just give me a sec.”
I dart into the shower and clean myself from head to toe. Then, I duck out and Astral myself dry and dressed.
The men are exactly where I left them when I return to the bedroom.
“Pres is the only one who heard you because...” To’Kah prompts me.
They all turn to face me.
I wring my hands together and then stop and put them behind my back. I take in a deep breath.
“Because Pres is connected to me on a different level now. He is Gazena’s biological father.”