She must mean the Lake. I frown a little. She never had a lab there.
‘Yes, Tor will bring?—’
‘No, both of you, Brax.’
Brax snarls at her, but she’s already gone.
‘Fuckingfemale!’ he snarls, but he starts looking around for the plant, grumbling as he tears up tufts of flora and fauna.
We find a couple handfuls of the stuff and we don’t wait. We grab our packs and take to the air. The Lake isn’t far from the Borderlands, so it only takes a couple of hours for us to sight the glassy mountain lake and the tall roof of the old cabin that looks in pretty good condition for being over two hundred years old.
We land in the lake, gliding gracefully along the surface toward the house. Brax roars as we get closer and I watch as he slides straight to the shore, making deep divots in the breach as he lands.
He changes and begins to run, and I stare, wondering what’s got him so worked up.
‘She’s here! I can feel her,’ he shouts over his shoulder. ‘Mari? Mari!’
I jump from the water as soon as I’m close enough and, heart pounding in anticipation of seeing her, I don’t even change, I just lope up the long grass to the house, my dragon trying to break out to get to her.
And then she’s there in front of us. Fuck, she’s gorgeous. Brax is holding her in his arms, and she’s wrapped around him like a pretzel. I change and join them, holding her close, pressing my front against her back.
‘What the hell is going on? Let her go! Both of you! Don’t squeeze her!’
Drey comes out of the house like a mother hen, pulling me and Brax off her while our dragons snarl at him.
‘Be gentle with her!’ he growls.
‘Is she hurt?’ I ask in concern.
‘If she is, it’s your damned fault, Dreythos!’ Brax suddenly snarls.
He whirls and hits Drey square in the jaw hard enough for him to stagger back several steps. But then Mari turns, and I see her properly for the first time. My sharp intake of breath seems to echo around us, and Brax’s eyes follow mine.
She winces as we take in the rounded belly and we both gape at her.
‘You—You’re…’
‘She’s pregnant,’ a female voice says sternly from the door. ‘Astute observation, Brax. Congratulations, you’re both going to be a daddy.’
‘But…’
‘How?’
My dragon chuffs loudly.Our mate will bear our young.
I hold her, wanting to before Brax comes out of his stupor, and I have to share. My hands cup her face, and I kiss her.
‘I missed you,’ I breathe.
‘I missed you. Both of you,’ she whispers on a sigh and then her eyes narrow at me. ‘But fuck you both for this.’
She looks down at her belly and frowns, but she also caresses it.
‘I thought it was impossible,’ I say softly as I sink to my knees and kiss her stomach reverently.
‘It’s healthy? Everything’s all right?’
Del gestures with her head. ‘Come in and let’s get a fire started. There’s a lot to talk about.’