Page 57 of Emerald Waves
“Not only did I not say that, but I don’t think it either. You are far quieter and more reserved than I am so believe me I know this is a lot for an introvert. That’s not a negative, that’sa different person’s comfort level. Soon enough you’ll have your little one and you’ll bring it over for playtime. Hopefully by then Kane and Hunter will have their fiery abilities under control.” Alex kissed the little one’s head that had finally fallen asleep in his arms.
“Research. Research always makes me feel better.”
“Then research away, mi amigo. I’m here for all the Q&A and hugs you need.”
Okay, so not my soon to be ex BFF. He’d redeemed himself. I loved Alex too much to let him go. Besides, there wasn’t anyone else around here to answer my questions.
Chapter Seventeen
Caro
I was gonna be a Papa!
I knew instantly that was what I wanted to be called.Dadrang with an edge of harshness andFatherwas far too formal.
Paparolled like green hills in Ireland, with a hint of music to it.
I was gonna be a Papa and the excitement of it all was almost too much to be contained. As I passed by a cracked mirror I kept forgetting to remove from the wall, my features twisted, shifting as my dragon peeked out and grinned at me in the glass, snout cracking the mirror a little bit more when it actually bumped into the already marred surface.
Yes, we were going to be Papas,
I’m sorry, dragon, my apologies.
My dragon’s chuckle rolled through my mind, giving signs that he was much too giddy at the prospect to fuss at me.
I’d never been so happy to hand over money as when the knock on the door came and our contractor arrived to discuss the plans Emerson and I had discussed for our home remodel. After the excitement he’d had earlier, on the heels of being so violently ill, he’d been more than ready for a nap.
“Thanks for popping in,” I said as I ushered him inside. “I was hoping you had time for a walk through on the renovations we discussed the other day. Something amazing has come up that necessitates a few changes to the room off the Master Bedroom, we’d like to turn it into a nursery, instead of a reading nook we spoke about.”
Because he’d known us all for years, he knew I had a reputation for being illusive and rarely lurked around town, which I’m sure was why his eyes widened, eyebrows nearly disappearing behind his hair as he stared at me.
“What did you do, find a mail-order mate? I never see you talk to anyone.”
“In this case, he’s been right under my nose for years,” I explained. “I was just too busy off pursuing other things to notice until recently.”
“Congratulations, if this little one turns out to be like Ionus’ crew we’ll have plenty more walk-throughs in our future,” he said as I started with the living room I’d wrecked.
“Could you add wood paneling running about halfway up the walls, ending beneath the bookshelves I’d like you to build in against this wall. I’d like the same kind of paneling running along the bottom of this wall too, and a deep wooden shelf that would be strong enough to house a fish tank. I’d like lights built into the top of the shelf too, so they shine down into the tank,” I explained as I took him through the space.
Between my mates’ love of wood and stone, or more particular, the natural feel of them around him, we’d decided to add wainscotting to the living room, as well as spaces forbooks and aquariums, as well as comfortable furnishings we could lounge around in, reading or watching the television we’d decided to have cover the wall across from the aquarium. We’d discovered a shared passion for classic Hollywood movies, documentaries, and any sort of nature television, even if we only had it on in the background while we were pouring over his current obsession: Merdragon lore.
He wasn’t the only one invested in learning more about them and all things associated with the legends the occasional sightings of them had caused. We’d come across a few legendary creatures who might well have been Merdragons, and after locating symbols from three of the different offshoots of the original Merdragon clan, we’d also discovered that I had a few artifacts currently in my horde that needed to be returned to them.
The more Emerson spoke about wanting to locate the other young dragons who’d been outcast by the Gorynych, the more I found myself wondering if I’d been subconsciously seeking out the Merdragons all this time, drawn by my adopted element.
The more I really thought about it, the more pieces clicked together in my head, like the way Ionus’ discovery of his mate had led him to Gramps and the remnants of another group of storm dragons.
Would such meetings continue to happen each time one of us discovered our mates? We’d already felt the increase in our powers as our stones came to life. Was that boost in energy a part of what had led me to find that tunnel entrance after decades of diving off that shelf and never spotting even a crack in that wall of rock before? I hadn’t considered it at the time. I’d just been so thrilled at yet another discovery. Now I wondered if that pull had led me to discover other spaces that had once been inhabited by the Merdragons?
I’d have to talk this new theory out with Emerson, once he was awake and had some of the tea Raven had left for him. It smelled like mint, and several other things I couldn’t name, but she swore it would help his stomach settle a little.
Ushering our contractor into what would become the nursery, I couldn’t help but send up a silent thanks to the Goddess, for blessing us with an egg of our own. I hoped they would share Emerson’s curiosity and love of learning, as well as my sense of adventure and longing for the sea. Even as I thought it, I knew I’d have to take them for their first dip in the ocean within the first few hours after they hatched. Let it wash over them, so they fell in love with it right from the start, and moonlight—had to expose them to that too. There was nothing like the sea at night and my dragon and I were excited for that first moonlight dip beneath the waves.
I’d been told that I could swim like a fish right from the very beginning, chasing behind Mattias when he first plunged in. We often refused to come in when our mother called for us. She said we’d roll over and float on the surface of the water and tell her we were sleeping right there, where no one belched venomous gas in their sleep or farted fireballs. There were times when I envied Mattias’ command of the water, while I controlled the earth that cradled it. The truth was a bit complicated and something we rarely discussed.
“We decided on two gray and green stone walls and two blue and green ones,” I explained as I showed him the room. “We’d also like to have skylights put into the ceiling, so our little one can get plenty of sun. And taller windows, arched at the top, like in photos of old castles.”
“I know the kind,” he said. “It won’t be a problem. I like the vibe you’re looking to create, very whimsical, I’m going to enjoy bringing it to life.”
