Chapter 17
SILVER
When offered the choice of several birthing assistants in Christmas Village, I picked the only one who laid eggs, a giant griffin named Cuthbert.
His office was close enough to walk from our new home, but we took the subway for our first visit on the day after Christmas.
Hart was still groggy from being up all night on Christmas Eve.
I loved the way he curled against my side and rested his head on my shoulder while the train sped toward our destination.
I loved Hartley Comet. Somewhere between our first date at the bakery and the moment he stepped in front of me and let his bullying cousin have it, I'd fallen hard for my reindeer alpha mate.
I hoped he loved me, too. If he regretted choosing me over his cousin and extended family, that rift would only grow the longer we stayed together.
He could still choose his freedom. He hadn't marked me yet. We hadn't even talked about it. If he ever wanted to leave, I would buy his share of the house and let him go. It was the right thing to do, but it would break my heart in two.
"Your heart rate is elevated," Cuthbert said after my physical examination. "Do you drink enough water?"
"I could do better," I admitted.
"Eating a balanced diet?"
"Um …" Gold, Laurie, and I had been testing new recipes for weeks now, trying to find Santa 30's next favorite cookie, though so far, nothing had beaten the snickerdoodle recipe he'd requested while we were in Denmark.
"My brother raves about your cookies." Cuthbert flashed an apologetic smile. "I'm prescribing vitamins, but daily vegetables make strong shells and happy babies."
"I'll do better, I promise." Preparing for the worst, I asked, "How many eggs, do you think?"
Cuthbert shook his head. "Hard to tell."
Hart placed his hand on my belly. "You don't know?"
"Their hearts don't beat until the shell is completely formed," Cuthbert said, "and then it's impossible to hear through it."
"I don't need to hear their heartbeats," Hart said. "My reindeer says there are two."
"Two?" I groused at my dragon. "All you said was 'dragon and not dragon.' That could mean anything!"
"One dragon," he confirmed. "One not dragon."
It took all my willpower not to roll my eyes at my mate and our kind birthing assistant. "My dragon agrees. Two."
"Wonderful," Cuthbert said. "The shells will continue to thicken over the next few weeks. Have you already thought about nesting?"
"Is it safe to have two nests, one at work and one at home?"
Cuthbert nodded. "I know several fathers who have done so. Where were you planning to lay the eggs?"
I sighed. "I'd hoped you would know of somewhere nearby."
"Most of my clients lay their eggs at home. Do you have a back yard large enough for you to shift?"
"Not yet," Hart said, "but we're moving into a house on Candy Cane Lane in a few days."
"It's big enough for my dragon, but the bushes aren't tall enough to escape prying eyes." I didn't want to scar our new neighbors for life.
Cuthbert nodded. "That's the reason I became a birthing assistant. My ancestors helped the Santas build the dome over the North Pole. I can hide you from the neighborhood."
"That sounds wonderful."
"That should ease some of your worries. Let's check your heart rate again. I bet it's gone down."
After he confirmed that yes, my pulse was back in normal range for an expecting dragon, I signed the paperwork giving him permission to come onto our property and to build a privacy dome over our back yard when it was time to lay our eggs.
Then, he emailed me a list of links to discount nesting materials and insulated egg carriers for traveling between work and home.
I spent the entire ride home filling online shopping carts.
By the time we arrived back at my apartment, I felt as tired as Hart looked, but in a good way.
I knew where and approximately when I would lay my eggs.
My dragon was still apprehensive about the move, but we were both excited to welcome our eggs into the world.