Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Ionus
My naughty, naughty mate would pay for that. Ideas of just how that debt would best be repaid percolated in my mischievous brain. Imagine me, Ionus, leader of the Primordial Protectors pulling a sleigh.
As if.
Pfft.
Yes indeed, dragon, pfft.
Our noble Griffin waddled over to Emerson’s chair and carefully, quite impressively really, slid in it beside him. He lay his ear against my mate’s very pregnant besties’ belly and stilled for a moment while the rest of us watched on wide-eyed and with bated breath.
“Him’s hungry.”
Mate, did Griffin just…
He did indeed.
With each passing day our dragonets showed greater gifts than we could have ever dreamed of. One day they would surely surpass their elders, though I’ll never admit that aloud.
An audible grumble filled the silence as we all looked on.
Was that Emerson’s belly?
That was Emerson and Caro’s son.
We knew Griffin was destined to be a very protective alpha, given the way he continually pulled Luna from the path of the twin’s destruction. Now it appeared our son had another gift, one of speaking with dragonets in utero.
Griffin hopped down, picked up his new toy truck, and returned to being a child. I left the room to retrieve the gifts from Caro and Emerson that Caro had dropped off earlier. As I entered the room, the kids’ eyes widened as they spotted the gifts, and all hell broke loose. Again.
“Alright, if you want your presents from Uncle Caro and Uncle Emerson you need to sit by the tree and be quiet.” Alex warned the twins to keep their fire under control and as soon as the four of them were in place, as calmly as our offspring could be on Christmas day, Caro rose and handed them each their presents.
“What do you say” I prodded them. Muffled, interesting yet adorable versions of tank-ews were muttered as they destroyed the wrapping paper. Goddess, even when naughty they were my everything and so much more.
They played with their new toys and zoomed around the room.
Caro, being the next to have his first egg, likely kept the noisy toys out of their shopping cart, having given them stuffies, dolls, and cars, for fear of retribution come next Christmas.
I’d remember that, as well as that Odem and Mattias’ future offspring were due drumkits for their birthdays and holidays.
Fire trucks with sounds and a piano. Really? As my loving mate would say, game-on, brothers.
Then Emerson uttered the one single word that silenced the room.
“Wet.”
Alex ran to his side, Emerson uttered apology after apology for ruining the chair until Caro scooped him up and ran him home.
Alex immediately called Raven to notify her that Emerson was in labor.
Odem followed behind them to lend a hand however he could, with Alex hot on his heels, though my mate paused in the hall just outside the living room, and glanced back at me.
“Go, I’ll be over shortly.”
Thanks, mate. Love you.
Love you too. Go help bring the newest Denarius into the world.
And on Christmas day. What a blessing!
Yes, no better day for the Goddess to bless our family than this one.
I took the chair Emerson was sitting in outside to clean it, and when I came back in, the first thing I heard were all too familiar words.
“Fire extinguishers are behind the chair,” Gramps said, though I’m not sure who to.
Angus came flying around the corner. “Have you seen the twins?” Ah, now I know.
“No, aren’t they with Gramps?” Goddess, help us all.
The scent of fire and brimstone assaulted my senses. Either they were setting the house on fire or Satan himself was paying us a visit and the latter was highly possible given this family.
Luna’s shriek rang out, and I bolted into the family room.
Gramps was currently putting out the flames burning the fringe of her new tutu.
She was livid. Red faced, and not from being burned, arms tightly crossed over her chest. Never had I been more thankful they were dragons or our girl could’ve been seriously injured.
“You,” her tiny finger pointed as it moved between Kane and Hunter. “Bad boys. I tell Santa.”
Kane and Hunter’s bottom lips quivered and in came the rain. Literally. Fire may be their first element but given I’m their father, they’ve got a bit of storm in them as well. Not as intensely as mine yet, thankfully.
“Boys, you’re flooding the house.” More like a light sprinkle but at least the fire was out. “Why did you do that to your sister?”
“Ax’dent, Papa,” Hunter sniffled. “Sowry.”
“Sowry,” Kane mimicked.
I had a whole new appreciation for Odem and how well he handled them.
Exasperated, I threw my arms in the air and said the first thing that came to mind.
“Time out corner. Now.” Punishing your children on Christmas Day felt all kinds of wrong, but I was at my wits end with these two and they hadn’t even celebrated their first birthdays.
How were Alex and I expected to survive their youthful years?
Mother did it with us.
Way to drive the knife in, dragon.
Just saying…
You’ve spent far too much time with Odem.
Considering he’s the only one succeeding with Kane and Hunter, I’ll take that as a compliment.
My dragon’s loyalty was shit…
As soon as the dragonets passed out—literally, Gramps, Angus and I scooped them up and deposited them into their respective rooms since they no longer shared a nursery. Kane and Hunter were in one while Griffin and Luna had their own rooms.
“What a day,” Angus said as we finally got a chance to clean up the holiday shredded paper bomb our family room had become after the four tiny tornadoes ravaged it. “Drink?”
“I’d like an entire bottle. If only it had that same affect on us as it did humans.” Though it did tend to at least take the edge off. Angus handed me a glass three fingers full as the rest of the Drakemyre clan joined us for a celebratory beverage.
“Any word yet on the latest clan member?” Baird asked.
“Last I heard, poor Emerson was still working on it. Let me reach out.”
Mate, how’s Emerson coming along?
We’ve got a glimmer of the most beautiful emerald and teal egg poking out. But only just.
Need me to come over?
No, I think we’re fine. Odem has been here the entire time, fetching whatever we need.
That crazy brother of mine has really come into his own, hasn’t he?
He truly has and is a favorite uncle for all.
Holler if you need me. Love you.
Love you too. How are the babies?
Finally in bed.
Alex’s laughter rang through our connection.
Good, I’ll be there as soon as Cade comes, and Emerson is tucked in for the night.
See you then.
“Sounds like poor Emerson is in for a long night. Alex says he’s barely crowning.” A mutual groan rumbled through the room. “Cheers, brothers.”
They held their glasses up. “Cheers!”
Not too much later, they returned to their respective houses. I must have a conversation with Baird, to see if they were planning to stay nearby, and would they like to have their own house built.
Comfortably relaxing, drink in hand and roaring fire in the fireplace, was where my mate found me. Sleepy eyed and yawning, he slid onto my lap.
“Everyone well at Caro’s house?” I kissed his head. Poor guy was nearly asleep already.
“Yes. Tonight was a reminder for us not to do this again. Emerson and Cade are both doing well. He’s going to be a stunning dragon, a beautiful mix of Caro and Emerson’s coloring.”
“We’ll make sure to stop by in the morning with breakfast in hand.
” They’ll need it. I remember how hectic those first days were, fear of leaving the eggs for even a moment kept Alex glued to the nest and me on high alert.
For what, I hadn’t a clue, but it was a whole new side of me, given I had a family of my own to protect.
“Come, my love. Let’s shower and get you tucked in.” Another yawn escaped my sleepy mate. “You are beyond exhausted.”
“I didn’t even have the kids as long as you did.”
“Nope, but I had an army of dragons to help. FYI, Luna needs a replacement tutu.”
“What? I knew that would happen, so I ordered a few and stashed them in our closet.”
“Thank the goddess one of us had the forethought to do so. Merry Christmas, my love.”
“Merry Christmas, my dragon protector.”