Page 130 of The Exiled Dragon

“Let’s go dance.” My head ticked to the fire blazing before us. Creed’s playful growl erupted from his chest while slinging me over his shoulder and prancing around the magical fire that kept all of our hopes burning brightly.

Epilogue

Under the Moon

Odessagroaned,stretchingherbody as the furs tickled her naked skin. Her body was delightfully sore from the night before. Creed had taken the extra time to please his mate along with extra massages to help her pulled muscles.

Reaching with her hand to feel the surrounding furs, she could not feel her mate. They were cold on her side of the nest. Picking her head up to look around their cave, she spotted her mate's muscular back in front of the fire. He was using the new skillet that Odessa had requested so she could have her favorite craving, fried eggs.

Odessa sat up with great effort, pushing herself from the furs and pulling her legs over the edge. Creed's ears picked up the ruffle in their nest and quickly stopped what he was doing. "My fawn," he grumbled as he went to her. His knees knelt to the floor, putting his palms on the outside of her thighs. "You should rest. We did too much. I did too much." Odessa giggled, pulling him to standing, kissing his lips. "Pretty sure I wanted it," she joked, rubbing his brawny arm. "I'm not so delicate anymore."

Creed hummed, listening to his mate. He would always enjoy the gentle words she always spoke. Creed's hand landed on Odessa's enormous belly. It had grown large over the past few months after the Dark War. Believing that she must have fallen pregnant during his rut, even with the strong tea suppressing his seed, she was maybe four months along. Hecate's words about repopulating the hybrid dragon race made one think that Odessa and Creed didn't really have a say in the matter if he tried to suppress their pregnancy.

"How is our fledgling? Does it move well?" Odessa only laughed, putting her hand on top of Creed's. "It moves all right," she laughed. "At least after that fun last night, it seemed to rock it to sleep." Creed's face blushed with embarrassment. He couldn't help himself around his mate. He wanted to be buried inside her flower for the longest of time. It had become difficult in the past few days since her womb swelled twice the size.

"You aren't getting shy now, are you?" Odessa pulled his forehead to hers to kiss it. "I'm the one that will be shy when there is blood everywhere." She shivered at the thought of giving birth to their child. Not once in her life did she research such a thing. She never thought she would find someone to love this fiercely. Creed pulled off his tunic to cover Odessa as small chills had caught on her skin.

Ondi had checked on her diligently the past week, mumbling she was close to giving birth. Ondi wanted them both to come to the tribe so she could have the first fledgling born to a new hybrid dragon, but they both denied. Creed felt more comfortable away with his mate. He could protect her here. Protecting his mate and now a child put too much stress on his dragon.

Creed had become overprotective, not wanting Odessa to leave the cave. Now that her belly was showing, she could not shift to protect herself. Creed knew that much. Female dragons shouldn't shift in pregnancy. So, he made her stay in the nest. He carried her to relieve herself, to bathe her and take care of her, and then at night, he took care of her in ways she really wanted. Creed's cock sprang to life, thinking about doing it right now until his mother walked through the entryway.

"There is my favorite mated couple," she cooed as she brought in a large basket full of birthing supplies. The basket was filled with cotton, string, scissors, and cloth to help swaddle their fledgling. Behind her, Apollo stood with his arms crossed behind her, looking down the cave walls and scouting for trouble. Ondi absentmindedly rubbed her growing belly, now only two months along.

Apollo had taken his alpha duties seriously. The tribe was thriving with the help of Ondi, from previous experiences. He ruled with an iron fist, but the tribe loved him for it. He ensured the tribe was fed, clothed, and, most of all, protected. Only the fiercest of his warriors took over the portal to Earth, making sure that no human would be subject to any suffering as his daughter-in-law had to endure.

The war took a toll on the entire realm. The darkness only lasted a few days instead of the years they thought the battle would take to suppress the evil Warlock. Lives were lost, many unable to recover from the strong powers of the dark demons that lived in the demon-possessed Warlock. It had hardened Creed after seeing all the blood that had spilled. It could have been his mate, his own children suffering at the wrath of such an evil.

The dragons stayed in the mountains, away from the hustle and bustle of the growing populations below. They wanted their peace and to stay away from the bloodstained land for a while, anyway.

Odessa rubbed her belly, wincing as she stood up from the bed. Creed huffed in annoyance that she would put her precious feet on the ground. "How are you feeling today, Odessa?" Odessa smiled, putting her hand on Creed's shoulder, automatically picking her up. Apollo chuckled, going to the fire to stoke it.

"Good, exhausted. Getting antsy. I want to get up and do something. It's a weird feeling." Creed's nose trailed down her neck. This time she didn't feel the sparks shutting her core but a sharp twinge in her belly. She grunted, feeling the pain.

"I think you are close," Ondi mused to herself. "Would you like for me to check?" Ondi, the Alpha of the females, had learned over the years how to check a woman's cervix. She had become the midwife to all the tribe. Her gentleness and kind heart put those at ease with her extraordinary skill.

"Sure," Odessa winced again as Creed set her in the furs. Apollo left the cave to stand outside, not wanting to upset his son. Even if he was his father, he knew any male near a birthing female was off-limits. Ondi washed her hands thoroughly and put on sterile gloves. Dragons might like to live by the land as much as possible, but Ondi took extra precautions with each baby and mother.

Before Ondi could check, water filled the nest. "Oh, no!" Odessa blushed in embarrassment. Creed's nose flared, smelling a hint of blood with a swirl of sugary smell. "It's time, Odessa. You are going to meet your fledgling today." Creed's hand gripped around Odessa.

He was worried for the sake of Odessa and their child. He didn't like seeing his mate in pain, which was all because of him. His dragon growled in his chest as his mother prepared the bed.

"Prince Charming," Odessa cooed through a contraction. "I'm alright, and the baby will be just fine too." She took his hand and rubbed it to her face. He calmed instantly as her loving aura coated him.

Odessa walked the cave for hours, leaning on their nest, and had Creed rub her lower back. He hovered over her, never taking his hands off her body. Creed was always touching, always giving her beautiful words of encouragement as Odessa tried to keep the painful noises away. She thought of Creed, not wanting to upset him with her cries.

"Would you like to try the hot spring?" Ondi's voice held her smooth, calm tone. "At the back of the cave, the water is warm and will soothe your muscles."

"The baby?" Odessa whispered, not wanting to hurt their child. Ondi hummed, grabbing her supplies. "A water birth won't hurt the baby, I promise." Creed listened to his mother, carrying his mate into the warm waters. It pained him to know he couldn't take care of his mate and had to rely on his mother, but she knew far more than he did.

As Odessa's belly swelled, Creed found large rocks to put at the base of the entryway, creating a small pool so she could sit and relax comfortably. They both would sit on his creation like it was a massive 'hot tub,' as Odessa would say. Creed fell behind her, wrapping his arms around her and laying his hands on her stomach. He felt the hardness in her belly as it contracted. Once it soothed, he would kiss her forehead, whispering what a wonderful mate she was.

Ondi sat on a fur just above the small pool. Putting her hands beneath the water. "Are you ready, Odessa?" Odessa frantically nodded, holding in her cries. Creed's dragon purred heavily, calming his mate.

A head could be seen from above the water in a few short pushes. Ondi scooped up the child, laying it on Odessa's chest. She cried, holding on to the baby. Her cheek rubbed her newborn's head as it cried in her arms. Creed's eyes widened, looking at the small thing. He could hold it in just the palm of his hand. How could he take care of such a small creature?

Not ready for another pain to wrack through her body, Odessa cried out. Ondi moved the still water, only to see the placenta had already detached, and yet another baby's head was beneath her legs. "Another!" Ondi laughed as she prepared for the young one's arrival.

Apollo watched at the door, eyeing his son in case he needed help. He wasn’t even there for his own son’s birth. The strangeness to all of this had him holding back tears to watch his grandchildren be born before him. “Father,” Creed picked up the child on Odessa’s chest, now seeing it was a girl. He laughed happily as Apollo came forward, holding out his arms.

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