Page 36 of The Dragon's Stormwoven Bond

“I’m getting you something to drink.” I climbed out of the nest. Vexus said that hydration and protein were imperative for his healing.

I grabbed a bottle of his favorite juice and a charcuterie box someone had made us and brought it back to the nest, where we ate quietly, watching our eggs. It had been one thing to know from the ultrasound that there were four eggs and five babies total, but seeing them was an entirely different thing.

We really were going to be the parents of an entire flight team. I counted them over and over again as if the number would somehow change. I told myself it was practice for when they were toddlers and we had to make sure we knew where they all were.

I laid a hand on our light-colored egg, closed my eyes, and let my dragon feel it through me. Then I did the same for each. He loved it, letting me know that they were his. It was both adorable and pretty possessive all rolled into one.

We had suspected from the beginning that the largest ones protected our twins. It was the only one big enough to do so. And sure enough, when I placed my hand on the outer shell, my dragon sensed two distinct bonds, two distinct heartbeats.

“This is definitely twins,” I said.

Pep smiled. “It is. I sensed that too. Five babies. There’s going to be five dragonets running around here.”

“There will be.” Our hands were going to be as full as our hearts.

“We should probably interview nannies. Several of them.” Pep had already made a list of potential nannies. Whether or not he would want to go through with that plan once the babies arrived or not, I didn’t know. We’d cross that bridge when we came to it.

I might’ve been old, but I wasn’t old-fashioned when it came to child rearing. If he decided he wanted our little ones to be withone of us instead of strangers, I’d step down from my position. Family came first. Always.

I laughed and cuddled in close to my mate so that he was in my arms.

“Going through your spreadsheets sounds like tomorrow’s task or maybe even the next day. We have a while before these little guys hatch.”

“My parents and Rhythe are going to take time off so we can go to your competition. All the eggs can come with us.” He’d mentioned it before, after learning our neighbors had done something similar. And yay, but also, it sounded like a logistical nightmare. I’d need to ask them how they managed it.

I grinned. “I’d like that very much, love.”

We lay there for a while longer, until finally Pep’s breath evened out. His eyes closed, his hands still laid possessively over our eggs. I grabbed a blanket from the side of the nest and put it over the two of us, then nestled in close, hugging my family, my incredible, beautiful, large family.

Chapter 21

Valen

It felt like in the week since we had laid the eggs, that we had not left the nest. And for the most part we hadn’t. My mate wouldn’t be able to for a while, his paternal instincts paired with hormones wouldn’t allow it. And for me, there wasn’t any place I’d rather be than with my family.

My team came to the house, along with my flight trainer, and we talked about strategy as I sat in the nest with my mate. There were many alphas who’d have been embarrassed to be so clingy to their eggs. I wasn’t one of them. This clutch and my mate weremy pride and joy. If I needed to have every meeting from this exact spot until they hatched right here, I’d have done so.

And my team were happy to comply with my request to meet at our house. They watched our eggs with wonder. For a couple of them, it was the first time they’d seen an actual clutch.

From there, they practiced their formations and sent me the footage. It was working well for us. Ideal? Absolutely not, but we were going to be prepared for competition and that had been my biggest worry jobwise.

Pep would bring his laptop into the nest and use the desk I made him to do his work. He’d organized his schedule to not have too much on his plate, and that terrified me. Because if this was a light load, what had he been carrying during a typical workday?

The day finally came that I did need to leave the house. I hated it, but we’d both agreed it was for the best. I’d just come out of the bathroom, ready to start my day, when a look of terror filled Pep’s face.

“What is it?” I said. “Is something wrong with the eggs?”

“We have to get a bigger house.” It wasn’t the first time one of us mentioned it, but he was so forceful in a way I hadn’t heard before.

This wasn’t a whimsical notion of a future happening. He meant we needed it now. At least that was what it sounded like.

My brow furrowed. “What do you mean, exactly?”

“We have one bathroom, one bedroom, the kitchen barely fits the two of us. This is—” he gestured around, “—this is not big enough.”

I wanted to laugh. But also, I liked being mated, so I refrained. “Pep, is this the first time you really realized that we definitely need a bigger house?”

“Yes... no… yes… sort of. I knew and assumed this cabin was temporary. I didn’t—I love it here and was hoping once the eggs came, I’d feel differently. But look around. We can’t make this work.”

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