Chapter 14 #2
I looked over my shoulder and raised an eyebrow at my mate. “You want the baby’s room all the way across the cottage from us?”
“No?”
“No. It would have been easier if you had put the door off to a side instead of centered in the front. But how about we put them on the side with us?”
Aleric looked at me in disbelief. “You want the children next to us?”
It was so difficult to not laugh. It really was. It would never work, and I knew it. The cottage was not deep enough to allow for two bedrooms on one side.
“Not that, then?” I asked.
“I was rather hoping we could have our own side of the house. I will love our sons, but I would like a bit of privacy with you.”
Aleric looked so downtrodden about the entire thing I could not help but laugh.
I hugged my mate, then pulled away from him.
I walked over to where the other bedroom would go and stood.
“Baby’s room.” I walked to the front of the house on the same side.
“Washroom.” I moved back to the center and gestured to the space in the middle.
“Great room.” I walked to the far right side of the cottage, and facing my mate, I held my arms out to my sides. “Our space.”
Aleric smiled.
“That sounds like a good plan.”
It was similar to how Ferdinand and Egon had their place, only their washroom was in the back of their cottage.
When Egon had shown it to me, I cried. Egon had a large copper tub that I had fallen in love with.
I had used it regularly since then, and I couldn’t believe that I would be getting my own.
And a cook stove. I was fine with cooking over an open fire, but the cook stove that Ferdinand and Egon had come back with last month made things so much more convenient.
“What do you think?”
“I think that my mate is amazing. I cannot believe you kept this from me.”
“It was not easy. Da helped by keeping you busy during the day.”
“I could be here helping. I wish to help.”
Aleric looked as if he wanted to argue, but the winds picked up, surprising us both. I looked up at the sky, noticing the dark clouds that were now looming over us.
“We should go back to the other cottage. I have not had a chance to put a roof on this one yet, and there are no proper window coverings or mud between the logs. I cannot properly protect you here during a storm.”
“I wish to be here helping when you do. I agree though. I have bread rising, and Da was making stew.”
We left the cottage, Aleric closing the door behind us, and I wondered how much snow was going to end up inside after the snow came.
The storm hit with full force when we were halfway to the other cottage, and Aleric picked me up and carried me the rest of the way.
I buried my face in his neck, welcoming not only his scent but warmth as well.
When he set me down on my own feet, we were right in front of the cottage, and the door opened before I could reach it. Da pulled me inside, wrapping his arms around me tightly.
“We were worried. I know you can shift, Aleric, but Konrad can’t.”
“I would never let anything happen to my mate. I did not realize a storm was coming.”
“Egon, leave the boy alone. We have been here how long? You know these storms come up all of a sudden.”
I pulled out of Egon’s arms and wrapped mine around my mate’s waist. “Aleric has always protected me. But the cottage is amazing,” I said excitedly. The hope of distracting Da worked.
“You saw it?”
“Yes. It is marvelous. We will be just a short walk from you and Ferdinand.”
“I tried to get Ferdinand and Aleric to agree to adding more rooms to this cottage, but they kept arguing that you needed your own place.” Egon looked sad.
“It will be nice to have more room, but do not think you will be getting rid of either of us. We will be here often.”
That seemed to make Egon happy. Aleric though, his concern was coming through clearly through our bond.
“Would you rather I told him he could come to our place whenever he wished? Can you imagine being knotted together while the baby was napping and your da just walking into the cottage?”
Aleric started coughing and sent me a glare.
“What caused that?” Egon asked.
Aleric finally got his throat cleared and focused on his da. “I swallowed wrong. The stew smells good. Did you use the bear meat?”
I turned around quickly, hiding my face as I took off my coat. I hung it on the peg by the door. Distraction seemed to be the trick with Egon lately.
I went to the chair by the fire while Aleric kept Da distracted.
I picked up my basket that had new cloth in it they had brought back last month.
After I had a few pieces on my lap, I threaded a needle and went back to sewing dressing gowns for our little one.
I was thankful for the lengths of fabric that Egon had stored in his chest as well as the new ones.
I was fascinated by the stories of how they went to the large cities to purchase supplies and trade their furs they collected before flying back with them in their dragon forms. I wanted to go when I could, but I knew it would be many years because of the baby. I could wait.
The several lengths of fabric were from one of those many trips. I looked up at my new family and thanked fate for what I had been gifted.
I came to them without a thing to my name. Even the clothing I was wearing when Aleric had found me had to be burned. My mate though, he did not hesitate to offer me anything. I asked for nothing though, much to his frustration.
I went back to sewing tiny stitches in the seam of the gown, knowing I would need several because they would easily get soiled by the baby.
I was so engrossed in my task I did not realize it was time for our meal until a bowl of stew was placed in front of me. I flinched back, then looked up at my mate.
“I said your name twice, my treasure. Would you like to eat by the fire? Are you chilled, or were you just lost in your own thoughts?”
I blinked a few times, shook my head, then set the sewing back in the basket that was beside the chair. I stood, then grabbed my back and stretched.
“I am sorry. I guess I was lost in thought. I was thinking about sewing for the twins. We spent weeks preparing for them.”
Aleric reached for me, wrapping his hand around my neck and gently pulling me to him. He kissed my forehead, then pulled my face into his neck. I placed my hands on his waist and breathed deeply. He knew his scent calmed me—brought me back to the now.
“I know you miss them terribly. I cannot bring them back for you though. I would if I could.”
“I love you, Aleric. I know you would. You and your fathers have given me a new start, and for that, I am blessed.” We joined Ferdinand and Egon at the table and enjoyed another meal of stew and sweet bread.
After we retired to our room for the night, I lay in bed with Aleric curled up behind me. “Aleric?”
“Hmm?”
I smiled when he kissed my shoulder. It had only been four months since we’d claimed one another, but my alpha showed me his love in so many ways every chance he got.
“Do you know why your fathers never had any more children?” I whispered. I had wondered so many times but did not feel comfortable enough to ask Egon yet.
“They did have one more after me. Well, one that I recall. I remember Da being pregnant when I was little. But the baby came too early and only lived a few days after he was born. Da has had heats since, but for whatever reason, they haven’t had any other children.
I am not sure if the heats just don’t take or if they do something to prevent them. I have not ever asked.”
I closed my eyes tightly against the tears that filled them.
When I reached down to my stomach, I laced my fingers with Aleric’s that were resting there.
I could not imagine carrying my child only to have him die after birth.
I was terrified of facing the same outcome.
Would fate be so cruel? I’d already lost my entire family.
Would I have a chance to have my own with my mate?
“Our baby will be okay. Do not worry about things we have no control over.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“I do not believe that fate would lead me to you only to take our firstborn child from us once I found you.”
I squeezed my eyes as tightly as I could. I hoped what he said was true. I had already known so much loss. I could not go through more.
I lay there in Aleric’s arms, safe from the world that was outside. The wind was howling, the snow pelting the logs. For now, we were safe. We would stay inside until the storm passed, and then Aleric and Ferdinand would go outside and clear a path before they went hunting.
I missed my dragon, but he was quite content to remain curled up and resting. I had never asked my own omega father what it was like being pregnant because I never imagined him being taken from me so soon.
I became lost in thought while staring at the flames in the fireplace.
They had died down some but would still burn for hours yet.
Aleric would wake in the middle of the night and place more wood in the hearth, and that would take us through to morning.
Neither of us would freeze, our inner dragon’s fire keeping us more than warm enough, but with me carrying our first child, Aleric was being overly cautious.
“Sleep, my mate. Your mind needs to relax so you can.” Aleric ran his fingers through my hair, something he’d quickly learned worked wonders to relax me.
“I love you. Thank you for coming for me.”
“I will always come for you, Konrad. Until there is no life left in my body, I will always be there when you need me.”
I reached for Aleric’s hand and pulled it around me. I kissed the back before I held it tightly over my heart and drifted off to sleep.