Chapter 16 #2
I wasn’t sure what was upsetting Aleric the most: the fact that his fathers had been in love when they were humans or that their village had tried to kill them because of it.
I had been fortunate in that I had grown up in a dragon village.
Sure, there were other shifters, but only a few.
Everyone else was a dragon, and none of the couples had to hide who they were or who they were mated to. It was accepted by all.
“Would you like to go to bed?” I asked, wondering if I could get Aleric to lie down with me.
“How about I fill the tub for you? You’ve had a long day, and you worked harder than I wish you to.”
I couldn’t help it—I squirmed a little when Aleric mentioned filling the tub for me.
I loved soaking in our tub, and Aleric spoiled me immensely and filled it at least weekly.
We cleaned up daily, but it wasn’t a nightly thing that my mate filled the tub for me.
But with the thought of soaking in a tub full of warm water and the relief it would provide for my back, I couldn’t turn down the offer.
“That would be so nice. I will get my things from the bedroom,” I said.
I quickly kissed Aleric’s neck, then left as fast as I could.
I went to our bedroom and stripped off my clothes.
I carefully folded them before I placed them on the trunk that Aleric had brought over from the other cottage.
After I grabbed a clean shirt of Aleric’s to wear after my bath, I hurried to the other side of the house and into the room where our own tub was.
I was very fortunate that I had a large copper tub like Egon for bathing but also a much smaller tub for washing clothing.
There was a small stove in the corner of the room that we used to heat the room, and Aleric already had it burning, as well as the tub full of steaming water.
“How did you get so much water in the tub so fast?”
Aleric winked at me. “I might have had a bit of help. Did you want scented oil?”
I groaned at the thought. I had been trying to use it sparingly because I didn’t know when we would be able to get more, but then one day, the shelf suddenly had four new bottles of the stuff. Claude was incredibly generous with his magical abilities and in gifting us small luxuries.
“I would. It might help me sleep, and I would love to be able to get more than a few hours of sleep tonight.” I rubbed my large stomach, our son kicking against my hand. Aleric stood and quickly moved to me and placed his hand next to mine.
“Is he giving you fits?”
“No more than usual. I am just out of room. Your son is going to be a large baby if the size of my stomach is any indication.”
Aleric smiled when our son kicked against his hand.
My heart melted a little when Aleric bent down and kissed the dark line on my lower stomach.
When he stood, he took both of my hands and held on to them tightly while helping me step into the tub.
The water was warm but not too hot, and when I sat and lay back, I sighed in relief.
There was enough water to provide relief from the pressure on my back from my large stomach, and immediately, I felt better.
“That’s so nice,” I said quietly.
“I know your back aches. Would you like to relax alone, or do you want me to remain in here and keep you company?”
“I opened my eyes and looked up at Aleric. “I always want your company, Aleric. If the tub were big enough, I’d ask that you join me in it, but there’s simply no room.
” It was a shame there wasn’t. As it was, I fit, but even I couldn’t completely lie down in it.
Aleric fit, but he could only sit, and if he attempted to lounge back in it, his legs had to be bent or sticking out the other end.
“I am more than happy to simply be in here and help you with anything you might need.” Aleric moved the chair closer and sat next to me. When his fingers threaded through my hair, I met his gaze. “You are such a treasure, Konrad. Would you like help washing your hair?”
I grinned while nodding. I loved it when Aleric washed my hair.
His strong fingers massaging my scalp often relaxed me enough to put me to sleep.
Aleric let me relax for several minutes before he retrieved the bottle of soap that we used on our hair.
I sunk down, getting my hair wet before sitting up, and Aleric started working his magical fingers through my hair.
When I moaned at the sensations, I heard a chuckle from my mate behind me. I tilted my head back as far as I could so I could meet his gaze.
“Is something funny?”
“No. I love those sounds from you. The fact that you no longer censor them is wonderful, and I must apologize if my body reacts to them. I do not expect anything of that sort at this point in your pregnancy. Please do not feel that I do.”
I felt bad about that. We had tried, but it had become uncomfortable for me, and more often than not, I lacked the energy to do much anymore. My poor mate had been so understanding, but I knew he was being neglected, and I felt terrible about it.
“Stop thinking those thoughts,” Aleric said as he went back to working the soap through my curls.
“I cannot help it. I still feel bad that we can no longer be intimate.”
Aleric gently tugged on my hair, pulling my head back until I was looking up at him again.
“I do not need to be knotted to you in order to feel intimacy with you. This right here is an intimate moment for me. Caring for you is just as important to me as making love. You are my mate. You are carrying my son. I do not need more than what we have, so please do not feel lacking. There is no need.”
I nodded, then closed my eyes as Aleric kissed my forehead.
He went back to washing my hair, then helped me rinse it with clean water that had been sitting on top of the little wood stove.
I spent a little more time in the tub before the day caught up with me, and I started to yawn while my eyes became heavy.
“Come, let’s get you out and ready for bed. You have had a full day, and tomorrow I will ask that you take it easy and allow Da to do the majority of the cooking. He and Wil are spending a lot of time together, and since neither of them are with child, I would think it easier for them.”
I snorted. “I’m sure. I promise I will stay put and relax. I need a day of not doing much.”
Aleric dried me, then helped me brush out my curls before he slid the shirt over my head for me. I let Aleric lead me to our room, where he helped me into our bed. After he covered me with the blanket, he once more kissed my forehead.
“I’ll be back in just a moment.”
I nodded. I knew he needed to turn out the lanterns and make sure the fireplace was secure.
I lay there, staring into the darkness, until my mate returned to me just moments later.
When he slid in behind me, his familiar warmth and scent surrounded me.
After Aleric slid his arm around my waist and rested his hand on our son, I smiled and closed my eyes.
“I love you, Aleric,” I whispered before a calmness came over me.
I felt Aleric kiss my shoulder before he said those words back to me. “I love you, my precious treasure.”