The Dragon Family

by Jessie Donovan

  Freya burped, and Arabella held her out to Finn to exchange babies. As soon as she had Declan nursing, she met his gaze again. "You want sex, you know what you need to do. I'm not having any more children."

  His dragon huffed. Why do we have to be snipped? That's what birth control is for.

  Aye, but it's not a guarantee.

  Finn replied, "Let me work on handling my family first."

  "You do know it takes three months for it to be fully effective?"

  "Aye, but I've been a bit busy."

  Her face softened. "I know. If you have it done, I'll give you some leeway provided we do everything possible to prevent another pregnancy. I appreciate all the help, but three is a handful. I can only imagine what they'll be like when they're older."

  "Especially if they take after your brother."

  "It's more taking after you and your cousins that I'm worried about. The Stewart siblings will cause havoc unlike anything the world has ever seen."

  He smiled. "I thought you didn't like hyperboles?"

  "Usually. But in this case, it may not be."

  As Freya drifted off, Finn gently laid her down in the bouncy seat and fastened the strap around her. "I'll schedule an appointment with Layla as soon as possible." He stood and ran a hand through his hair. "Now, what to do about my family."

  "Talk with them, Finn. Honesty can go a long way. And if that doesn't work, give them orders. That's what clan leaders do."

  He tapped his hand against his thigh. "It might help if we invite them here and you back me up. Hearing it from two people may be more convincing."

  "Provided you convince Meg Boyd to babysit, then I'll help."

  Meg Boyd was Aunt Lorna's frenemy and arguably the biggest gossip on Lochguard. "If she can ever tear herself away from her two beaus…"

  Arabella grinned. "Oh, you know the entire clan is enjoying that one. If anyone was to lead along two males and put off a long-term relationship, it would be Meg."

  "The only good thing from it all is that Archie and Cal have formed a temporary truce."

  Archie and Cal were neighbors who usually tried to sabotage one another through stealing sheep or dropping boulders on one another's barns. They took up enormous amounts of Finn's time since he had to listen to both sides and make decisions once or twice a week.

  Or, had done. He secretly hoped Meg Boyd would keep them occupied for the foreseeable future and save Finn many a headache.

  Arabella snorted. "Well, seeing as they're sleeping with the same female, they have to have a truce or risk hurting Meg. The bigger question is whether they're all sleeping together or if Meg is enjoying one and then the other."

  "That, my dear Ara, is something I'd rather not know."

  "I didn't pin you for a prude."

  "When it comes to Meg Boyd, I like to think she's an asexual being who lives only to hand out unwarranted advice. Now let's get the last lad fed and start arranging the family dinner."

  As they finished taking care of their children, Finn began to plan the next evening with his cousins and their mates. Arabella was right, as she usually was. He needed to be honest and lay out the facts.

  His dragon spoke up. Good luck with that. Make sure to hide all the valuables.

  I'm sure they're not going to start throwing breakables.

  Do you know them at all?

  With Holly and Faye both being pregnant, everyone will be a bit more careful.

  If they don't shout and startle Holly into labor first.

  Not wanting to think of all the ways the dinner could go wrong, as soon as the bairns were down again, Finn pulled Arabella up against his side and cupped her cheek. "I love you, Ara."

  She searched his eyes. "What do you want?"

  "Nothing." He nuzzled her cheek with his. "I just don't say it enough."

  Before she could question him further, he kissed her. As he tasted and stroked the inside of his mate's mouth, Finn temporarily forgot about the rest of his problems. No matter what happened, he would always have Arabella and his children. And at the end of the day, that was the greatest prize of all.

  Chapter Two

  The next evening, Arabella MacLeod walked into her dining room and quietly took her seat. As the MacKenzies often did when in the home of a family member, they ignored everyone around them to argue and bicker with one another.

  Faye, the youngest one with wild, curly brown hair, pointed a finger at her brother Fraser. "Just leave Holly alone, brother. Why you think breathing will break every bone in her body, I'll never understand."

  Fraser stopped fussing with his mate Holly to look at his younger sister and narrow his blue eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. She needs to breathe to stay alive. These chairs are bloody uncomfortable, and Holly's having a hard enough time as it is."

  Holly opened her mouth, but Faye cut her off. "The chairs are fine, and you know it. Keep it up, and she'll leave you the first chance she gets."

  Holly mumbled, "If I haven't left yet, I'm not going anywhere." However, neither MacKenzie heard her.

  Fraser growled at his sister. "When you're nearly nine months pregnant, then you can tell me how bloody comfortable these chairs are, sister. Until then, you have no say."

  "And you do? Did you grow a uterus I was unaware of and magically become nine months pregnant? Because if so, then you must be having gnomes for children with a flat belly like that."

  Holly glanced at Arabella and rolled her eyes. Arabella smiled back in understanding. Fraser and Finn were the most alike between the cousins, and much like how Arabella helped to steady Finn at times, Holly did the same with Fraser.

  Her dragon spoke up. The difference is that Fraser acts like a teenager most of the time.

  Now, now, that's unfair. He's done a bit of maturing since meeting Holly.

  He'll never compare to our Finn.

  I'll agree with that much, dragon.

  The last remaining MacKenzie sibling, Fergus, stood and paced the length of the room and back again. His mate, Gina, sighed. "Sit down, Fergus. Pacing only makes your dragon more anxious."

  She reached up to touch him, but Fergus moved away. "I'm sorry, lass. I want to sit down and put my arm around you, but my beast is walking a fine line."

  Faye jumped in. "Have the blasted frenzy, Fergus. Gina's said that she's ready more times than I can count."

  Fergus shook his head. "Wee Jamie isn't even a year old. That's not enough time."

  Gina stood. "Fergus, shouldn't I have the final say when I'm ready? Your caring for others and my needs is one of the reasons I love you, but you need to listen to me on this. If you don't do something soon, you could end up losing your job, not to mention me, too."

  He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

  "Seeing you suffer like this, day in and day out, is killing me, Fergus. I need my steadfast mate at my side. Either let the frenzy take place, or I'm going to move in with my sister."

  Fergus's brows furrowed, and Arabella sensed he was about to be overly dutiful and ruin everything. She'd wanted to wait until Finn brought in the food before she said anything, but it could be too late by then.

  Arabella put every bit of dominance into her voice she could muster. "Listen to your mate, Fergus. Because if you don't, you're a fool."

  Six pairs of eyes turned toward her. At one point in her life, Arabella would've run away from such scrutiny. But the MacKenzies were her family now. And she wasn't about to shirk from healing and helping them any way she could. She continued, "Go on, stare at me. Glower, even. But Gina is all but throwing herself at you, Fergus. If you don't take her, then you don't deserve her."

  Fergus growled. "Watch it, Ara."

  She raised an eyebrow. "Why? Because it's the truth and it hurts? I'm not afraid of you, Fergus. And if you think I'm going to sit and say nothing, then you don't know me at all." She switched her gaze to Gina. "Am I right? You want the frenzy?" Gina nodded, and Arabella looked back at Fergus. "Then go. Tonight."

  Gina shook he
r head. "As much as I want to, we can't. There's no one to watch Jamie."

  Arabella flicked a hand toward Faye and her mate, Grant. "They can watch him."

  Faye blinked. "What?"

  Shrugging a shoulder, Arabella said, "You're about to become parents yourself before too long, and it'll be good practice. Besides, Grant's mum can help, too. She loves children. All in all, it's perfect."

  Grant, the silent one with everyone but his mate, finally spoke up. "We can do it, Faye. It'll be good preparation and it'll help your brother."

  "You mean it'll be good practice for me as I'm sure I'll be the one watching him," Faye muttered.

  Grant took Faye's chin between his fingers. "No, we will do it together. We share our Protector duties and we'll share bairn duties. Mum can watch him when need be."

  Faye shifted in her seat and mumbled, "I suppose so."

  Arabella focused back on Gina and Fergus. "Right, then go home and pack everything up for Mac-squared. Faye and Grant will follow you shortly so they can take everything to their cottage."

  Mac-squared was the nickname for wee Jamie MacDonald-MacKenzie, Gina's son that had been adopted by Fergus at birth. Even Arabella couldn't help but use it since it irritated Fergus.

  Gina glanced at Fergus. "Well? What do you say?"

  He took a step toward her. "Are you truly ready for this, love?"

  Gina bobbed her head. "Yes. I miss holding and kissing my mate. I knew a frenzy was in my future when I mated you, Fergus. Please believe me when I say I'm more than ready."

  Letting out a long breath, Fergus took Gina's hand and pulled her up. "Right, then let's get a move on. My dragon has agreed to relax for an hour to get everything sorted. So let's make the most of it."

  Gina mouthed, "Thank you" to Arabella as they exited the room.

  Not wanting to give Faye and Grant the opportunity to leave just yet, she pierced them with her gaze again. "And now you, Faye MacKenzie."

  Faye's brows furrowed. "What did I do?"

  "I understand hormones messing with your moods during pregnancy, especially when it comes to irritation. But throwing dishes at Grant in a restaurant is going a bit too far."

  She sighed. "You heard about that."

  "Everyone has heard about it," Arabella pointed out. "The question is, what can you do to contain your outbursts? It's not fair to the clan for them to have to lock up their breakables when you visit one of their businesses or homes. Something needs to be done."

  Faye glanced at her mate. "If Grant gave me more work to do, it'd keep me out of trouble."

  Grant grunted. "I'm not about to send you on patrols."

  Arabella shook her head. "Faye’s what, two or so months along? If Finn let me fly until I was nearly six months pregnant with triplets, Grant should be able to handle two months with whatever amount of children she's carrying."

  Faye muttered, "It's two."

  Holly grinned. "I knew it! It's the MacKenzie curse-slash-blessing."

  Fraser added, "Ours will be older, though, so your children will have to listen to ours."

  Faye rolled her eyes. "I announce I'm carrying twins and you respond by laying out the hierarchy of our unborn children?"

  Thrusting out his chest, Fraser nodded. "Too right, I do. It'll give you more time to get used to the idea."

  Faye stood. "Fraser MacKenzie, if you think I'm going to allow your children to lead mine into trouble, you must've been hit in the head one too many times."

  Holly stood. "Enough. You two have plenty of time to argue about whose children will be leading the others into trouble. Right now, we should congratulate Faye and Grant."

  Finn finally came into the room. "Congratulate what?"

  Faye growled. "You can hear well enough in the kitchen, unless you're losing your hearing, old man."

  Finn wrapped Faye in a hug and released her. "All I can say is good luck."

  Arabella sighed. "And to think you complained about everyone teasing you before the triplets were born."

  He shrugged. "Teasing is what we do and complaining about it is just a formality."

  Finn came up to Arabella and kissed her gently before whispering, "Nice work with Fergus and Gina."

  "You were taking too bloody long, so I handled it. Although I suspect you were hovering in the kitchen on purpose."

  He squeezed her side. "I think you're going to be our children's version of Aunt Lorna, the female who can handle anything."

  "If I can handle you and your family, then I can handle anything," she said with a smile. After kissing Finn, she looked back at Faye. "We'll have a proper celebration later. But right now, Fergus and Gina need you."

  Nodding, Faye took Grant's hand. "I may have to call about a few things, what with my mum being out of town."

  "Anytime, Faye," Arabella replied. "And call my mobile; otherwise, I'm sure Finn will purposely give you the worst possible advice to make your life miserable."

  Finn interjected, "Now, now, it wouldn't be anything life-threatening. But if a bairn starts crying, play loud music. That always helps, especially if it's metal."

  Arabella lightly hit his side. "Don't listen to him. Call me or risk an endless night of crying. Because, apparently, Finn is willing to upset his nephew for his own prank."

  "I wouldn't tell them that in reality, Ara."

  She glanced at him and shook her head.

  Grant spoke up. "We'll be off, then."

  As Faye and Grant exited the dining room, Arabella sat down. "Well? Where's our food, Finn? I hope you have something to show for your eavesdropping from the kitchen."

  He winked. "Aye, I'll fetch it."

  With Faye gone, Fraser went back to fussing over Holly. "Would you rather sit in my lap, love? Or I can find a pillow."

  Holly smiled at her mate and touched his cheek. "I'm fine, Fraser. Females have endured pregnancy since the beginning of time. Sitting in a hard chair is hardly a trial."

  "But it's unnecessary. This isn't the Dark Ages."

  Before Holly could respond, Finn returned carrying a large bowl of what smelled like curry. He set it down. "I know it's not fish and chips, but I thought curry might help Holly along. I made it extra spicy."

  Fraser frowned, but Holly placed a hand on his bicep. "I'm due in the next few weeks, Fraser. At this point, I prefer labor to any more arguments about my comfort level."

  He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Has it really been that bad, honey? I just want to ensure everything goes smoothly, unlike the last time."

  She cupped his cheek. "Oh, Fraser. The bairns and I are fine. I wish you'd stop worrying."

  "I don't think I ever will."

  Holly caressed his jaw with her fingers. "Then congratulations, you're feeling like a parent."

  Arabella added, "Besides, Holly's been receiving dragon's blood injections. If her theory is correct, childbirth should be easier as a result."

  In the past, humans had had a fifty-fifty chance of dying when birthing a half-dragon-shifter child. Holly was determined to change that, and Arabella only hoped she succeeded.

  Holly nodded. "Aye, and since I'll be the first human test subject to give birth, it'll be important for many reasons."

  Fraser murmured, "But you giving me two children is more important than anything."

  After kissing Fraser, Holly leaned back just as Finn brought in the rice and naan. Once everyone had food, they dug in.

  Finn was the first to speak again. "Fraser, I have loads of people asking when you'll be tackling your next project. When will that be?"

  Holly answered, "Never, if he had his way. Maybe you should order him to do so."

  Fraser swallowed his food. "That is quite spicy, cousin." He took a drink and continued, "My family is my priority."

  "As it should be," Finn answered. "But you're the clan's architect. Human ones won't work with us, and reaching out to other clans will take time. The DDA and local human oversight agencies are familiar with your work, Fraser. The clan needs you
, too."

  Arabella chimed in. "Besides, don't you want to leave behind legacies to show off to your children when they're older? I believe the school is one of the places waiting for your services. That's something that will directly impact your family."

  "Laying it on thick, aren't you, Arabella?" Fraser drawled.

  She shrugged. "Asking hasn't worked and tying you up won't accomplish anything. So, guilt-tripping seems the best option. I'm sure Aunt Lorna would approve."

  Finn snorted. "We've definitely rubbed off on you."

  "I have three children with your blood and genes. If I don't adapt, I'll be held hostage within a matter of years by our three rebels."

  Finn opened his mouth to reply, but Holly sucked in her breath. All eyes moved to her, but Fraser asked, "Is everything okay?"

  "For once, your worry is warranted. My water just broke. It seems Finn's curry did the trick."

  Fraser jumped up. "Then we need to get you to the surgery. Finn, will you call Stonefire and have Gregor and Sid come, too? I want the best care for my mate."

  Arabella's dragon snorted. That's going a bit overboard.

  Ignoring her beast, she stood. "I'll call Stonefire. Finn, you help Fraser get Holly to the surgery."

  Finn didn't argue, but merely grunted his assent and went to his cousin's aid.

  Arabella had hoped to solve all the MacKenzie issues at dinner, but she hadn't counted on Holly going into labor as well.

  Her dragon spoke up. It just shows that we're good at keeping them in line.

  Yes, because I have magical powers over inducing labor, she drawled.

  Maybe. We'll have to try again with Faye.

  Are you done? I need to call Bram.

  And what about Aunt Lorna and Ross? her beast asked.

  One thing at a time, dragon. I have to sort out our own children as well. Meg can't watch them forever.

  Rushing out of the room, Arabella found her mobile phone and dialed Stonefire's leader, Bram Moore-Llewelyn. He answered, "Arabella? What's happening?"

  "Well…" She explained the situation and hoped her former clan leader wouldn't think her daft for making the call. Three doctors was a bit much, but Fraser and Holly were family. And no matter how much they may irritate her on occasion, she loved them and would do whatever she could to protect them.