“Then we’ll begin construction in the morning. My men won’t start without you. Now, if nothing else is required of me, Cade and I will deliver the unruly pup back to his daddy. Again, congratulations to you both on your conception. I’ll send for a doctor.”
“Bad dog!” Cade wagged a stubby finger in Matthew’s direction. “Bad bad puppy!”
“Thank you!” I stood up and hugged him.
“Me too!” Cade reached out his arms for a hug.
“I’ll make the call and the doctor should arrive shortly. Do I have your permission, Brendan, to give your location to the doctor?”
“Of course,” I said unable to stop myself from grinning like a fool.
As Clarence walked away, Rhett pulled me into his arms for a kiss.
“We’re going to be daddies!” I laughed when the kiss broke.
“You’re going to be so adorable with a belly full of hatchlings or pups,” he grinned.
“Well, I might not get too big if he or she is a hatchling. Sometimes dragon eggs start out really small and then grow outside of the womb.”
“Tell me everything,” Rhett said and then kissed me before I could speak.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Rhett
After Matthew was gone, I sent Samantha and David back to Moonstruck. Someone needed to tell the others what happened and ensure them they were in no danger. I also asked Samantha to remind them all of Moonscale Academy’s zero-tolerance policy of sexual harassment. They should always feel comfortable coming forward if something does happen. It wouldn’t fix the problem for everyone. What Matthew had done was still there, but it was a start.
“So, the more eggs the longer I’ll be pregnant,” Brendan explained.
“Why’s that?” I pulled him onto my lap.
“Because it’ll take longer for the babies to absorb all the nutrients they need to grow to their full size.”
“So, I should feed you more?” I laughed.
“I’ll never say no to that train of thought. Well, unless my stomach feels like it did earlier,” Brendan said. “The eggs don’t come out very big. They grow in the nest. That’s when they’re the most vulnerable and we’ll have to stay on guard all the time.”
“No one’s ever going to hurt one of our children,” Rhett said.
“Good, you fight them then. I couldn’t fight if I had to,” Brendan’s dragon said.
“My poor mate,” my wolf nuzzled into my rib cage towards Brendan.
“No one’s going to hurt you either,” I pressed my forehead to Brendan’s.
“I’ll eat them, and no one can say anything about it, because I’m pregnant,” he stuck his tongue out at me.
The sunlight was blocked again and we both looked skyward. A huge red dragon swept through the sky and circled over the island.
“Must be the doctor,” Brendan stood up. “She’s beautiful.”
“How do you know they’re a she? I can’t smell her yet.”
“I don’t have to smell her. Can’t you tell the difference between a girl and a boy wolf?” Brendan laughed.
“Yeah, but…”
“Don’t you say all dragons look alike. I will bite you somewhere you never want to be bit, mister!” Brendan wagged his finger at me. “She’s an Alpha too. That happens more with dragons than other shifters.”
The doctor landed and sure enough Brendan was correct. She stood all barely five and a half feet tall, but as she straightened her white coat and picked up her bag her look said she wasn’t a woman to be crossed. Her eyes narrowed and her nose scrunched up. She searched for the offending scent by sweeping her eyes over the island.
“I hate the smell of gun powder,” she wiped her nose and started in our direction. “I hope she made the bullet count.”
“Hi, I’m Brendan and this is my Alpha, Rhett,” Brendan extended his hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Brendan. A pleasure to meet you both,” she shook his hand and then mine. “Clarence thought I’d be the best choice of doctors for you. Male Alphas don’t bite female doctors as often as they do males.”
“Rhett isn’t going to bite you,” Brendan said.
“I hope not, but first-time fathers are always unpredictable,” she looked around. “I’m Doctor Edna Moonscale. I’m Clarence’s second cousin four times removed.”
“I’m Clarence’s cousin from days gone by,” Brendan laughed.
“I see you haven’t rebuilt yet. We’ll make do on the grass. If you’ll remove your shirt and lay down, I’ll set up my equipment,” the doctor said. “Don’t be nervous, Prince Brendan. Childbirth is a wonderful thing. I’ve had one child myself, but it works much better for me when my mate, Herbert, carries the children. My work keeps me in the sky.”
I spread my already sandy shirt out on the ground for Brendan to stretch out on while he took his off. He stretched out with his head on my lap and his hands in mine. Neither of us stopped smiling while the doctor set up her ultrasound machine.
“I can’t believe I’m really pregnant,” he whispered to me. “I mean, I can, because of how we spend most of our free time, but it’s still a little surreal. For years, I thought I’d never be able to scratch my own nose again, but now I’m having a baby.”
“We’re having a baby,” I grinned at him. “It’s like everything is realer now.”
“I guess we were both stuck in some ways. Me literally and you were searching for me.”
“I wouldn’t trade those years for anything, because they brought me to you,” I leaned down and stole a kiss.
“Your wolf is howling,” Brendan laughed.
“You heard that, huh?”
“I think everyone can hear that. Clarence is chuckling too,” Brendan said.
“How can he hear me?” I arched a brow and looked around.
“The flight link. We touched and now we’re on it too,” Brendan explained.
“Shut it off,” I said and kissed him again. “We don’t need any eavesdroppers.”
“Okay, but all the omegas on the mainland are swooning over you,” he teased.
“I don’t need them. I have the perfect man right in my lap,” I said and stole another kiss.
“What’s that?” Brendan pointed to the ultrasound machine and monitor.
“This device will allow us to see the egg or eggs while they’re inside your belly,” Doctor Edna said. “Modern technology has really improved the quality of carrier and child health care.”
“I’m glad I took a nap then,” Brendan laughed, but tightened his grip on my hands.
“It won’t hurt. She’s just going to put some gel on your stomach and move that wand looking device around over it,” I told him over our mating link.
“It won’t hurt our baby?” His voice trembled over our mating link.
“I wouldn’t let her do it if there was even the slightest chance it would,” I said and squeezed his hands. “No one will ever hurt you or curse you again. Not while I’m breathing.”
“Thank you, Alpha. I know you probably think I’m acting silly, because you’ve known all of this for your whole life.”
“No, I think you’re trying to protect our baby while putting on a brave face, because all of this is new to you. Pregnancy, modern medicine, and the rest of it. Don’t ever feel silly for asking what something does. Not knowing something you’ve never learned is nothing to be ashamed of.”
“I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you two are one of the most adorable couples I’ve met to date,” Doctor Edna said.
Then she explained the ultrasound machine and exactly how it worked to Brendan. He nodded along and glanced at me every few seconds to make sure she wasn’t pulling a fast one on him.
“It’s perfectly normal to be nervous during your first pregnancy. I was sure that I’d ruin my son for life before he was even born the first time I forgot and had a second cup of coffee. Corey turned out fine. He’s almost ten now. Most new parents have no reason to worry.”
“Because not every pregnancy is the same. Your pulse is a little high. Is that normal for you?” Doctor Edna asked Brendan.
“Sometimes. Rhett’s heart’s racing too,” he looked up at me.
“I’m not the patient,” I shook my head.
“Well, Daddy, you need to relax to. It’s been known for quite some time that carriers are directly affected by their mate’s emotions and sense of security. Recently two stateside doctors, Bane and Lee Hemlock, ran a two-year long study following expectant carriers through their pregnancy and the first year or so of their children’s lives. It confirmed what we already knew. It’s left over from the days when threats were everywhere. If you’re tense it transmits over the mating link to him. By nature, you’re the protector. If you’re worried there must be a reason to be worried,” Doctor Edna said.
I opened my mouth unsure of what to say.
“Don’t lecture my mate, please,” Brendan sat up on his elbows. “He’s on guard for good reason. Today alone we’ve had a trespassing thief who had to be shot. Maybe danger isn’t everywhere in your world, but today we have a reason to be on guard. Pregnant dragons went to war and we’re standing here today. So, I can deal with a little racing pulse.”
“Sorry, your majesty,” Doctor Edna barely held back her eye roll.
I didn’t hold back the smirk dancing on my lips.
“I know you’ve been out of touch with modern times due to your unique situation, but as your doctor it is my job to advise you on anything which might make your pregnancy easier.”
“Thanks,” I said before Brendan could speak.
Clarence was nice enough to fly out a doctor and I didn’t want to chase her off before we even had the ultrasound.
“No worries,” Doctor Edna smiled. “I’ve heard a lot worse. It’s refreshing to have a carrier speak their mind so freely. Everyone considers the past a time where all omegas were oppressed. That certainly wasn’t the case here on Moonscale Island.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Brendan shook his head. “Our bloodlines were traced through our carriers. I’m heir of the island because I was the firstborn omega.”
“Ready to see your egg?” Doctor Edna asked.
“We are,” I nodded and squeezed Brendan’s hands.
“Usually, I warn patients the gel may be a little cooler than is comfortable, but under this sun I don’t think that will be a problem,” Edna said as she put the gel onto Brendan’s stomach.
“That feels strange,” Brendan wiggled.
“Try to hold still once we begin the ultrasound. Moving will make it more difficult to locate the egg.”
“Okay,” Brendan nodded.
A second later, she spread the gel over his belly and turned on the machine. She put the wand to his belly and a whooshing sound filled the island and Brendan jumped to his feet pulling me with him.
“It’s just the machine running.”
“It sounds like it swallowed a hive of angry bees!” His dragon said.
“Want to try it again?” I asked Brendan.
“Okay, let’s do this. Sorry,” he smiled sheepishly at the doctor.
“I should have thought ahead to warn you about the sound,” Doctor Edna said putting on her best doctor voice. We exchanged a look that said he was clearly the first patient to react that way.
“I’m sure you’ll remember to remind your next patient,” Brendan said.
Though I knew Brendan was a prince before my search began this was the first time, I witnessed any of his royal airs. Sure, when he was horny or hungry, he turned into a demanding, but sexy dragon, but most of the time it was easy to forget he was royalty.
“I look all gray inside?” Brendan tilted his head at the monitor.
“It’s all in black and white. Inside, you are full color.”
“Then why doesn’t it show that?” Brendan asked.
“Actually, I’m not sure. Though, I hear that Doctor Bane Hemlock of Hemlock Academy is in the process of trying to do just that. Show the baby in living color.”
“Leave me his address. I’ll send him funding for his project,” Brendan said.
“I’m sure he’ll appreciate you,” Doctor Edna said barely hiding her smile.
Everyone knew that the Hemlocks and Moonscales avoided each other for the most part. There was never a war or anything. It just seemed natural for wolves and dragons to go their own ways. Though, occasionally, the dragons had a pup and the wolves laid a dragon egg. Though, the Hemlocks were definitely not in need of funding.
“That’s our egg!” Brendan pointed at the screen to a tiny oval shape.
“Eggs,” Doctor Edna corrected. “See, the second one is right here.”
I tilted my head in astonishment that something so small would eventually grow into two dragons the size of Brendan.
“Two flying pups who we have to keep up with,” my wolf chuckled.
“They’ll behave or I’ll get them,” Brendan’s dragon added. “Most of the trouble they’ll get into will be because they don’t know better. Hatchlings are inquisitive and start moving around quite early in life. When I was a hatchling my parents kept me in a harness with the end always around their wrists so I couldn’t fly off and get lost. Some thought it was cruel, but the one time I slipped out of it I ended up seven miles from home and stuck in the water too tired to fly or swim. I couldn’t shift back to my human form, because it hadn’t caught up with me. If it wasn’t for a friendly dolphin swimming me back to shore, I might have died out there.”
“Two eggs?” Brendan squinted to see the second.
“That’s right,” Edna grinned.
“We’re really going to be daddies,” he smiled up at me.
“Yes, we are,” I said and kissed him.
“I can print you out a few photos if you like. Photos are…”
Brendan held up a hand to stop her. “I know what a photo is, and we would love some, please.”
After the photos were printed, we shook the doctor’s hand and thanked her for flying out. She gave us her card and told us to call if we had any questions.
For a long moment we stood in silence both looking at his stomach. His body showed no signs of changing to house life, but we held the proof in our hands. Despite the distance of time and distance we found each other and came together to bring new life into the world.
“I’ll be right back! Wait here!” Brendan said and raced off.
“Brendan? Are you okay? Brendan?”
When he didn’t look back, I followed him. He sprinted over fallen trees and other debris. My heart pounded in my ears. I reached out over our mating link to feel for his emotions, but nothing came across. His scent was still tinged with anxiety from the toll the morning took on us both. Had he changed his mind now that the eggs were a reality and not something we talked about late at night when no one else was around?
He didn’t slow until he reached the spot we used to climb into his old bedroom. The quicker I followed him the faster he scurried into the room.
“Just a minute, Alpha!” He called as he disappeared behind the one wall which suffered no damage.
I climbed into the room but stopped in the doorway. He was flat on his stomach with the upper half of his body stuck under his bed. His feet kicked as he reached for something further underneath the bed.
“I’ll be out in a minute!” He called again.
“Do you need help?” I dropped to my knees next to him.
“No, I can reach it.”
Unable to resist the urge to see where half of my mate disappeared to, I crawled under the bed with him. A thick layer of dust covered the floor, but the space was expansive. The bed sat high, but not high enough for a toddler to stand up underneath. Light shined from stones pressed into the bottom of the bedframe illuminating the area.
“Magical storage,” Brendan said moving around boxes and velvet bags until he found the small bag he was looking for. “Do wolves not us
e it?”
“I’ve never even heard of it,” I chuckled. “Why are you crawling around in all this dust? Couldn’t it wait until the crew was here? Then they could move the bed for you.”
“The storage moves with the bed. In the old days, sometimes, whole families of dragons would pick up their beds and fly off. They could store everything they need under the bed.”
“But this is what I was looking for,” he held a small green velvet bag up to the light. “I made it right after my parents told me about true-mates. It happened the same day my tutor, Alfred, talked about how dragon chest scales, also called heart scales, held more magic and essence of the dragon than any other scale. That night, I ripped one right off my chest and strung it up as a gift for my true-mate, for you,” he turned on his side to face me.
I smiled as he opened the little bag and held out the necklace.
“It’s small, because I was only 7 at the time, but it’s for you. The chain is real dragon gold, because I wanted it to last forever.”
Still smiling, I touched his cheek. Leaning in, I kissed him softly. There in hundreds of years of dust we were exactly where fate conspired to have us. Together, soon to be parents, and still learning about each other.
“I love you, Alpha,” he whispered when the kiss broke.
“I love you too, Brendan,” I whispered as he slid the necklace over my head. “I have something for you too.”
“You don’t have to get me anything,” he blushed.
“It’s something I want you to have,” I reached under my shirt and pulled out the claw necklace I wore since my first dig.
He gasped and cringed as he examined its ragged edge.
“What did you do to lose it?” He asked.
“On my first dig. I was still a student and sure I knew everything I needed to know. Besides, a bear in the Other World told me to find you. So, that meant it was going to be easy, right? I broke away from the class and found a shard of a wooden picture frame sticking up. So, I shifted and dug. All my digging set off a mini explosion.”
“A draconic treasure trap?” Brendan laughed.
“Exactly!” I laughed. “I lost a bit of fur from my muzzle and this claw was torn off. My professor strung it up to remind me not to meddle unknowingly into the affairs of dragons. It didn’t really work out that way. What I unearthed was a painting of you. I knew it was you as soon as I saw it. A year later it was confirmed. Then about six months after that it disappeared from Moonscale storage to never be seen again.”
The Sleeping Omega Prince Page 14
