Their Mating Rituals [Paranormal Protection Unit 4] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Honor James

  “Yes, my love.” He smiled at her as he grabbed a towel and gently began rubbing her dry, including her hair. When he was done, he dropped the towel to the floor and held out his hands. “Step onto the towel, love, to dry the bottoms of your feet,” he said quietly.

  Stepping onto the towel more asleep than not, she wiped her feet on the towel and then looked up at him. “All right, you need to turn or leave the room for a moment so that I can get myself all fixed up.”

  “I’ll turn and dry off and then dress,” he said, looking down at her. “You were absolutely amazing, Lina. I’m sorry I was so mean and nasty with you, but you were starting to give up and I knew that wouldn’t do.”

  “I know.” Lina hated to admit it but he was right. She had been giving up and she hated it. “I was just so exhausted, Aiden. Everything and every part of me hurt. But thank you, honey. Thank you for being mean to me so that we could bring our little girl into the world.” She grinned again. “A girl.” She was just beside herself on that fact.

  Chuckling, he leaned in to kiss her softly. “Do your thing. I’m drying and dressing.” Grabbing a towel, he turned his back and dried off. Pulling on his clothing again, he left the boots off.

  After several minutes, Lina had done all she needed to do and touched her hand to his back. “All right, honey, take us to bed. I’m ready to get tucked in and have you hug me tight. Take me to bed,” she whispered quietly.

  Turning, he put a hand on her arm and grabbed the robe. “Slip this on, darling,” he murmured. Helping her slip into the warm robe, he put his arm around her waist.

  She slipped her hands into the robe and sighed as its warmth covered her. “Oh, this is very nice.” It was almost like it had been over a heating vent.

  Hugging her gently, Aiden got her moving. “Come on, little darling, time for bed, and then I need to find our wee ones and make sure they haven’t been appropriated by family members.”

  She snickered. “Oh, I’m sure that you will likely find Daddy arguing with the doctor and nurses about being able to hold Amy and Tony,” she murmured happily. “Same with Allister. I’m sure that he will be right there since Jackie probably didn’t give him much of a chance to hold the babies, did she?”

  “No, between her and your father, Allister kind of got shafted. Though I did give him Anthony to feed, so at least he got to cuddle his nephew for a few minutes,” he told her as they approached the bed slowly. Reaching it, Aiden drew the covers back and then scooped her up to settle her on the mattress with care. Drawing the covers up, he smiled at her. “You okay?” he asked, quietly stroking her cheek with light fingers.

  “Yep, I’m good.” She yawned again. “I think that I’m going to snooze for a bit while you go find our babies,” she whispered with her eyes already closed. “Hurry back and climb in bed with me please?”

  “I won’t be long, sweetheart,” he promised, leaning in to kiss her gently. Tucking the blankets up around her, he drew back. Moving from her, he looked to Patryk. “No one in,” he said softly to the Dragon before heading into the hall to track down his babies. Not that hard, given the large Dragons hovering as they kept their eyes glued to the kids.

  Touching Allister’s hand Jackie gestured with her chin. “Looks like someone is about to take the babies from us, darling. Which is all right I guess. I need to go and feed my boys anyway and rescue their babysitters.”

  Nodding to the guards, Aiden grinned at his brother, who’d finally gotten his hands on Amy. “So, any different than a boy, bro?” Aiden asked, moving into the room. Stopping by Jackie, who had Anthony, he settled a hand on the back of her rocker.

  “She’s so tiny,” Allister murmured, staring down at his niece. “But her eyes are so big.”

  “Well, who knows, maybe Jacks can manage to give you one the next go around,” he teased them both, knowing his brother would harass his mate into more kids sooner rather than later. “But these two need sleep and so does my mate. Which means I need to steal my babies or she’ll never let either of us rest,” Aiden told them.

  Jackie grinned, and stroking her finger over Tony’s cheek, she whispered, “All right, my little man, I’m going to carry you to your little crib, darling, so that you can go and have some rest with your momma, daddy, and sister.” She then turned her eyes to Aiden and added, “If he’s like our boys he will want to sleep close to his sister.”

  “He will want to,” Aiden said quietly with a smile at his son. “I had them on the bed earlier so Talina could see them and touch them. He was curled up around his sister just like he’d been in the womb,” he murmured.

  Jackie smiled. “Makes sense. I have a feeling that little girl will have more protectors than she knows what to do with.”

  “Not the first in our line,” Allister said, getting up to his feet with care. “A girl,” he explained. “There have been two others in our line, but it’s super rare given how many boys were birthed in our line alone.”

  “And are you telling me that because she’s not the first in your line she won’t have as many protectors?” Jackie shot back. “Because I have a feeling that she will be very protected. Between her cousins and her twin and let’s not even mention her daddy, uncle, and grandfather.” She snickered. “Yep, that poor girl will be surrounded by men waiting to protect her all her life.”

  “Never said she wouldn’t be protected,” Allister said, handing the little girl to his brother. “I just was clearing up any misconceptions you may have had in your head about her being the only girl in our line. Besides, Talina is Talon’s and she’s a girl, so Amelia isn’t the first in his line either.”

  “Good points.” Jackie grinned then. “Well good,” she murmured. “Because I wouldn’t want the poor girl to have issues of having to always live up to her brothers or male relatives. Because believe me, that’s why I am as much of a boy as I am.”

  Aiden snorted and shot her a look. “Yeah, cause that’s why,” he said shaking his head at her. “You just prefer being able to shoot people and beat them up more than you ever did dolls and frilly dresses. You and I both know that,” he teased his sister-in-law.

  Grinning, Jackie winked at Aiden. “You got that right, brother dear.” She moved to him and gave him a hug. “Love you, brother. You are just grumbly because I’m still able to beat you on our games. They are perfect, Aiden. You both did very good.”

  “We did at that,” he agreed, looking at his children curled together in the cube. Hugging Jackie back, he let out a breath. Life was perfect. His children were healthy and safe. His mate was healthy and safe. Yup, life was absolutely great.

  A serious mood hit Jackie suddenly when she asked, “Have you been able to locate Lina’s twin yet? And don’t you find it odd that he suddenly up and disappeared? You don’t think anything bad happened to him, do you?”

  “Unless he uses credit cards, it’s doubtful we’ll find him easily,” Aiden said honestly. “But no, we haven’t seen anything of him for over two weeks. Doesn’t mean anything. He took out a healthy chunk of change from a bank when he arrived. If he’s smart, he could make that last for at least a month, skating well under the radar. Though I doubt he’s doing it on purpose, he could be. At least Skittles seems to think the guy is.”

  Jackie nodded. “True. Well, let’s hope that he’s not doing it on purpose and that he’s actually not a horrifically terrible person. Let’s hope that he’s maybe just on sabbatical or something like that.”

  “Well, keep any suspicious thoughts you have to yourself when you’re around my mate. She wants to think the best,” Aiden told her quietly. “I’m not ready to wreck her whole world with anything else at the moment. She needs to think the best, so until we know for sure, let’s not bring her down,” he murmured. Unlocking the wheels on the cube, he smiled at Jackie. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” he told them and wheeled the cube out.

  Grinning at Aiden, Jackie moved to wrap her arms around her bond-mate. “Well, I will try to keep my suspicions to myself,
promise.” Laying her head on Allister’s shoulder, she smiled up at him. “Come on, honey. Take me home so that we can play with our little fire-breathers for a bit.”

  “Good call,” Allister murmured to his mate as he watched his brother. But he didn’t move right away. He stood and watched for a few minutes more. “He seems to have gotten it all together finally,” he said quietly, aware of too many sharp ears too close. “Aiden, I mean. He’s stable. He doesn’t feel like he’s one thought from going and doing something insane. Lina definitely helped, but the babies cemented it I think.”

  “I think that he’s needed them for a long time. I’m glad that he was finally able to get them into his life. How about you take me home, honey? I’m ready to see our little ones, give them some love, and then crawl into bed,” Jackie said.

  “As my mate desires.” He looked down with a smile. Dropping a kiss to her lips, Allister hustled her out of medical and toward their vehicle.

  * * * *

  Easing the cube in close to the bed, Aiden moved to turn off lights and draw the drapery and blinds. Looking to Patryk, he nodded, the man returning the gesture. He’d keep an eye on the little ones and switch with another in a few hours. Round the clock guards on the babies, not a bad thing in the least, especially when they were the Dragon King’s grandbabies. Climbing into bed behind his mate, Aiden settled down and gently wrapped his arms around her.

  Chapter Twelve

  It had been a wonderful and scary couple of weeks since she’d given birth. Life was starting to settle back to some semblance of normal. Smiling down at Amy on the change table Lina toyed with her foot before pausing at a slight noise. Looking up at Patryk when he walked into the room, Lina frowned. “Hey there. What’s going on?” She finished changing Amy and buttoned up her sleeper before lifting the babe to her shoulder and rubbing her back. “I thought that this was your day off?”

  “It is. I’m actually here to escort you and the babies to your father’s office. Rayne is getting little Tony ready to go, and you know how overprotective your father and husband are.” He grinned and lifted his shoulder slightly. “Not that I blame them, but still. Aiden is about an hour out from base, but your father said this couldn’t wait. Want me to get her diaper bag ready?”

  Lina couldn’t help but grin. “I bet that you never once dreamed you would turn into a guardian and nanny all in one, did you?” she teased. “Yeah, if you wouldn’t mind getting their diaper bags ready, that would be great. Amy isn’t feeling exactly great. She has an air bubble in her belly and just can’t get it to come out.” Which made the babe cranky and mom on edge.

  “Well I’m sure that when her daddy gets home he will be able to help with that,” Patryk commented.

  “I’m sure,” Lina murmured. Bouncing Amy as she walked, she hummed lightly to her and petted her gently as she did so, watching Patryk getting her bag ready.

  Walking into the house a few minutes later, Aiden grinned at Rayne and headed for his mate. At her look, he shrugged. “I avoided the speed traps this time,” he told her honestly. Leaning in, he kissed her and then grinned at Amelia. “Hello, my baby girl,” he said and took her when she threw herself his way. “You really have to stop that,” he told her on a sigh, “you’re taking years off my life doing that.”

  “Yeah, but she knows that you will always catch her. She knows that you would never let her be hurt,” Lina said with a grin and then moved in to brush her lips to his cheek. “Just as I know you will always catch me, too, Aiden, my love.”

  “Still isn’t amusing to Daddy,” he murmured, cuddling his baby girl close. “How are my two most gorgeous females ever?” he asked and frowned when Amy wiggled. “What is up with her? Why is she squirming like this, babe?”

  “She’s got an air bubble and her tummy hurts. Can you help her out, honey? And you will have to teach me your trick one day.”

  Snorting, he adjusted Amelia just so and rubbed her belly for a moment before giving her a firm but careful pat on her back. He was rewarded with a hell of a belch and look of relief from both mom and baby. “It’s not that hard,” he told his mate honestly. “If you rub her belly she relaxes and then just give her a firm, flat-handed but careful thump to her back, and in her shock she lets it out.”

  “I’m just so worried that I will hit her too hard,” Lina admitted. “She’s really such a little thing. But I will try to start forcing it. I still hold to the thought that Amy just wants her daddy to do it,” she teased when she tilted her head to the now sleeping baby in his arms.

  “Could be,” he said with a smile at his baby girl curled up against his shoulder. “She knows she’s got me wrapped around her finger.” He was, too. Aiden gently rubbed her little back. “And I’m sure you could do it, sweetheart. I do it and I’ve got a lot more oomph in me than you could ever have. But practice on your inner arm,” he suggested and grinned at her look. “I’m serious. Have you ever smacked your inner arm below the elbow? It bloody well hurts. Put a towel over it and hit it with your hand flat. Once you have the amount of pressure to the point that it’s firm but doesn’t hurt, do the same with baby girl.”

  “Right, I will keep that in mind,” Lina murmured and laughed. “Anyway, honey, get her ready, because we need to go to Daddy’s. They have summoned us. Even Patryk is here and it’s his day off. Then again I have a feeling he was just hoping to see his little playmate.”

  Eyeing Patryk up, Aiden narrowed his eyes. “You’d better not have designs on my baby girl or I’ll neuter you,” he promised. “Come on, my little darling. Let’s get you dressed and into your car seat,” he said, carrying Amy over to where the sweaters and everything else for outdoor wear was kept.

  Lina shook her head. “Honey, he doesn’t have any designs on our baby girl. He, like every other person on the base, is just utterly fascinated with her and how incredibly open she is. Your daughter is open and loving and that’s just a part of her and it makes me smile that she is as she is.”

  Growling softly, Aiden bundled up his daughter and then nuzzled her cheek. “That is because she is just like her mother. An amazing and wonderful spark of light in our lives.” He dropped a kiss to her chubby cheek. Settling her into her car seat, he stood up. “We need to roll or T-Rex will send out the Marines to come for us.”

  “Sounds good.” She checked the bag a second time, looked to Patryk, and grinned. “Come on, you get to come with us,” she teased the man. “Rayne likely already has Sir Cranky Pants strapped into his car seat and waiting by the door.”

  “How’s he doing?” Aiden asked as he looked out the door to where Rayne was buckling the car seat into place. His son looked annoyed and his lower lip was out, never a good sign for a boy that didn’t pout for anything. Determination, terrifying intelligence were looks they were used to, but not that look of pure misery. Moving so Patryk could step out, he waited on his mate to shrug into her coat.

  “He has a bit of an ear infection. The medication should kick in soon, I hope. If not I’m going to give him some more of the Motrin. I have a feeling we will have a long night of walking and holding our little man.”

  “Damn,” Aiden muttered softly as he walked with her to the SUV and passed Amy’s car seat to Patryk to hook into the back. “That isn’t good,” he murmured, moving to stroke his son’s hair gently. “How you doing, little man?” he asked and frowned at the temperature. In a full-blood Dragon over puberty it would be normal. They tended to run hot, but in a baby—worrisome.

  “He’s been to the doctor and has a prescription. She advised that he would likely run a fever for a bit. We will give him an alternating course of Tylenol and Motrin, one every two hours to help with the pain and the fever.” Lina chewed her lip and added, “Hopefully with him being a Dragon he will kick the infection sooner?”

  “You’re asking me?” he asked and shrugged. “I’m in the dark, darling. I haven’t exactly been around a lot of babies, let alone Dragon babies.” Leaning in, he brushed a kiss to his son’s foreh
ead before backing out of the truck and shutting the door. “Let’s get going, darling. I don’t want him out in this weather with that earache any longer than necessary.”

  Lina nodded and got into the backseat between the car seats, reaching out and touching her babies. Their guards rode in front and in the vehicle behind them, leaving Lina alone in back with her babies. Brushing her finger over Tony’s cheek, she crooned, “Mommy will get you some more medicine as soon as we get home, lovey.”

  Glancing over his shoulder at her, Aiden got them moving. “We’ll make this quick and then we’ll come back home and snuggle with them.” Adjusting the heat in the vehicle a little for the babies and Lina, he shot Patryk a look. “I don’t want to be more than an hour in there.”

  “That sounds like a very good idea, honey,” Lina murmured. “The sooner we are home the better I will feel.”

  “I know, angel,” he said softly, turning his attention back to the road and where he was going. He was worried for little Tony. He hated that he was sick. It made him ache. Sighing, he focused on getting them there quickly and safely. Thankfully it wasn’t too far.

  They had just pulled up to the main building on base when Tony finally started to fall asleep. Lina grinned. “How about you go and do what you need to do. I’m going to sit out here with Tony since he’s finally found peace and ease and is able to rest, love.”

  Turning, he looked at her and nodded. “All right,” he said softly. “Patryk and Rayne will stay put. I’ll take the little princess in so Grandpa can have a cuddle,” he told her with a smile and wiggled his fingers at his daughter. Getting a goofy grin from her, he chuckled. “I won’t be long, babe, promise, and I’ll keep you in the loop, too.”

  “I know. Just tell Daddy that Tony’s had a hard time of it and is finally sleeping well. He will understand.”

  Moving around the truck, he got Amy out and leaned in to kiss his mate. “I will see you in a bit, darling,” he promised again. Stepping back, he shut the door and headed into the building. Keeping moving was tough, though, since people kept trying to stop him so they could coo at Amelia.