Page 42 of The Dragon's Stormwoven Bond

“Katrina?” he asked.

“Your mate’s dragon wants the eggs hatching in our house. But our house is your house now. The Ainsworths’ house is ours. And that’s a long story for later. We need to get moving if we’re going to get everything there on time. Remember how we got everything to the championship?”

“Yeah…” I answered, my brain finally piecing together what she was planning, and it was good she hadn’t asked my opinion earlier because I’d have full-on panicked.

“We’re doing the same in reverse. But also, I need your team to take the nest. We don’t want to ruin any of your work, so you have to have them move as one.”

And Valen nodded and called his team as my mom laid out the plan. Valen and I would stay with the eggs in the van. My dad would drive. And all these helpers? They would make sure the room was ready for us. At least that was what I thought the plan was. Everything was coming at me all at once, so I wasn’t sure.

Once the team arrived, everything went quickly. Some dragons headed to the family home to empty out the room the nest had been in. My mom said that my dragon would be pissed if we didn’t. I took her word for it. She’d been through this multiple times.

Others, including my neighbors, were there to help us transport the eggs into the van. And the flight team had the important job of carrying our nest so slowly and delicately across the sky to my family home that not a single item woven into it would be displaced.

The team were rock stars. They had the nest there and in the room when we arrived. One by one, we brought our precious cargo upstairs. And when the last egg was set down, it jumped… not really jumped, but it moved enough that I jumped, so close enough.

And then another.

And another.

We were there just on time. It was dragonet time.

Valen slid behind me, wrapping his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder as we watched our eggs hatch, surrounded by my family, our friends, and the flight team. I couldn’t remember a time we’d ever had that many people in the house. It was crowded and chaotic, but also one of the most beautiful feelings I’d ever seen.

Our children were not only being born into a world that was ready to love and embrace them, they were being welcomed by their flight from their first breath.

A half-hour later, the first egg hatched, a teal dragonet, our adorable little girl already winning everyone’s hearts. My mateheld her first and then set her in my arms. We didn’t have time to name her before the next egg, and the one after that both hatched only seconds apart. A blue and a red dragon, another beautiful girl and a perfect baby boy.

Now it was time for our twins.

My mother, father, and brother each held onto our newborns as we collectively watched and waited for the final one to hatch. But they weren’t even moving. Not so much as a wiggle.

I placed my hand on the shell, and I could feel them. I didn’t know if they were fine or not, but their presence was strong. That was a good sign. But also, why weren’t they moving? I looked at my brother who already had his phone out and was calling Vexus.

Vexus arrived less than a minute later, having already been on his way thanks to the flight rumor mill. He walked straight to the nest and did as I did, putting his hand on the egg. Without any other explanation, he turned to Valen and told him to partially shift like he had during my C-section, just enough to get his claw in.

Tension filled the room, but no one said a word. Even the babies were silent as Vexus directed my mate to help begin cracking the shell… the shell that had grown too thick. The extra strength was designed to hold the twins in until they were ready, but theirs was too hard and they weren’t able to get out.

It was a delicate balance, one no one was ever prepared for. We all knew that you didn’t help eggs hatch. Not unless you had to. They needed that exercise to get out. But they weren’t able to. We had to help.

My mate was so gentle. Too gentle. And nothing was happening.

I wanted to be by his side, but Vexus was the one who knew what needed to be done. If he picked Valen, I had to trust that decision.

And then I heard it. A little crack. And another. And another.

My mate stepped back. He took my hand, and as we watched with the doctor right there at the ready, a chunk of the shell fell off.

From that point on, it was like every other one of our hatches… quick. Our two little dragonets popped out, looking like mini-mes of my mate. So freaking adorable.

And we each took one into our arms.

“Just like us, Brother. Twin boys.”

“I think maybe we might have trouble on our hands,” my mate teased.

My brother laughed. “Oh, you definitely have trouble. The best kind.”

The very best.

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