Chapter 41
“Will our babies be okay?” asked Reif.
“I don’t know for sure, but I’m very hopeful,” Ian replied, as he backed away to give Reif room. “Go ahead and shift now.”
Stripping down, Reif gave Nessie’s hand a squeeze, then shifted. His sea dragon, now on the grass, looked as if he’d just eaten a huge meal. Turning his head, Reif’s beast stared at his mate, waiting for him to shift.
“Brian,” Ian called, “once your sea serpent has wrapped around Reif, hold him tightly because I need to feel the eggs to make sure everything is all right.”
“Ay.” Shifting, Brian slithered over to his mate, coiling himself around Reif’s upper body, securing him in his grip.
Approaching slowly, Ian kept himself in the sea dragon’s sight, reaching out with a hand to softly stroke his neck.
Reif’s beast remained still as Ian slid his hand along the skin until he reached the bulge where the eggs were.
“Okay, Reif,” Ian said, solicitously, “I’m going to check you out…
to make sure everything is proceeding normally. ”
Watching Ian working near the two huge beasts had Colton on edge, knowing a sudden movement of one of their tails could injure his mate.
Biting his tongue, he turned his attention to getting everything ready for the arrival of the eggs.
Just as he finished, the back yard was flooded with light and a door opened near him.
Looking up, he saw Logan followed by Kieran, Dakota, David, and Zane walking over to him.
“Hey, thanks for the lights,” he said, spreading out a blanket.
“What should we do?” Dakota asked Colton.
“Once an egg has cleared the sea dragon’s body, Ian will carry it over here, examine it, then hand it to me to clean up and wrap in a blanket. It’s critical we keep it warm, so when I’m finished, one of you has to take it inside.” Then he turned to Logan. “Has Angus secured the house?”
“Yes,” his brother replied. “The house is empty except for us. He and his men are patrolling to make sure none of the human donors sneak back in.” Then, pointing to the door they’d come through, Logan continued, “There’s a fireplace in there so I started one and it should warm the room up.”
“Good. Please be very careful when handling the eggs. They are extremely fragile,” Colton warned.
Zane then piped up, “David will be on door duty so nobody has to worry about holding an egg and opening the door at the same time.”
Glancing over his shoulder, Colton saw the first egg emerge.
“Showtime folks!” Kneeling, he waited until Ian arrived with it and then, reaching up, he grasped it, and slowly lowered it onto the waiting blanket.
Keeping one hand on the egg until Ian knelt next to it.
He then passed Ian his stethoscope and began writing down numbers as his mate called them out.
Then Colton took over, washing and drying the egg before wrapping it securely in two blankets and handing it to Logan.
“Inside quickly. The best place for it is on the floor near the fire. Try to make a barrier between the eggs and the rest of the room so no one bumps into them.”
After Colton handed off the last egg to Dakota, he sat back on the grass, pleased at how well it had gone. Catching Ian’s eye, Colton grinned. “Well done, doc.”
Smiling at his mate’s comment, Ian called to Brian, “You can let go of Reif now, he needs to shift.”
Uncoiling himself, the sea serpent’s long tongue licked his mate before slithering away and shifting. Then, gazing at the exhausted sea dragon, he said, “Mate, yer turn.”
The recumbent beast closed his eyes, then, summoning all of his remaining strength, shifted.
Curled up on the grass, Reif lay shivering as the frigid night air enveloped him.
The hours of fire and ice coursing through his body and then laying his eggs had drained him to the point where he found it impossible to get dressed.
Eager to warm up his mate, Brian scooped him up and, hugging him tight, grabbed a blanket Colton passed to him as he carried Reif toward the house.
“Brian, stop!” Ian said, following him. “I need to look at him to make sure he’s okay.”
“Ay, ye can do that, but nae out here,” Brian responded as he continued on his way. Once inside, he set his mate gently on the day bed, wrapping him in the blanket. Then he pulled the bed close to the fire, making sure to avoid the eggs.
Bending over Reif, Ian checked his vitals, noting his temperature was lower than normal, but everything else looked fine. Then he looked around until he saw Logan. “Any word from Slate?”
“It’s all arranged…the incubators should be arriving in ten minutes,” Logan answered. “What about Reif?”
“He needs something hot to drink and some food,” replied Ian.
“I can do that,” volunteered Dakota.
“I’ll go with you,” Colton said, setting the rest of the supplies he’d brought in from outside on a chair.
“Nessie,” whispered Reif. “What about our babies?”
“They’re all here, mate,” Brian replied. “Ye did so guid.”
“He’s right,” smiled Ian, “all of your eggs are healthy and in three months, five little sea dragons will emerge, ready to meet their daddies.”
“Nessie, did you hear that? Our babies are fine,” Reif murmured, reaching out for his mate’s hand. Finding it, he interlaced his fingers with Brian’s, his heart and soul filling with joy.
~/~/~/~/~
Awaking the next morning, Reif grinned, feeling Nessie’s arms around him.
When the helicopters had finally arrived last night, he could barely keep his eyes open as he and their eggs were transferred aboard.
Once aloft, he slept deeply all the way back to his rented cottage in Inverness, where Brian tenderly tucked him into bed.
Nessie! Our babies! I can’t believe we made it…
all safe and sound. Listening to the hum of the incubators keeping the eggs at a perfect 95 degrees, he could hardly wait for the baby sea dragons to become part of their world.
“Mate, how are ye feeling?” Brian’s sleep-laden voice growled.
“Did I wake you Nessie?”
“Naw, the sun did.”
“Me, too. I guess we should have drawn the curtains last night,” Reif murmured, pushing back against his mate.
“Frisky, are ye?”
“I’m just happy to be with you,” Reif said, then laughed as his stomach grumbled.
“Ay, the doc said ye needed to eat more to make up for the energy ye used yesterday,” said Brian. “How aboot I make ye breakfast afore the doc comes to check on ye and yer eggs?”
“Ian’s coming this morning?”
“Ay, he’s bringin’ bigger incubators that work with house current and dinna need batteries.”
“Uhm, I must have missed that discussion last night,” Reif murmured, lifting Nessie’s hand to his lips and kissing it. “Do we have time for a shower?”
“Ay.”
Rolling over, Reif lined his cock up with his mate’s. Then wrapping his fist around both and feeling Nessie’s cock jerk against his, murmured, “Three months to fuck our brains out, until our babies keep us too busy to do anything but eat and sleep, Nessie.”
Aroused at the feeling of Reif’s fist sliding up and down his cock, Brian growled, “Aboot that…I dinna think so.” Placing his hand on top of his mate’s, Brian pumped his hips, rubbing his cock against the underside of Reif’s, their pre-cum dripping copiously on every stroke.
“You mean you’re not up for fucking our brains out?” gasped Reif, his need rising, his hips moving in sync with Brian’s, his balls tingling. “Trust me, Nessie, that’s what I plan on doing.” The sea dragon’s voice stuttered in time with his hips as his orgasm raced down his spine. “Ahhhhhhh…NESSIE!”
~/~/~/~/~
Walking into the small living room after their shower, Brian found Reif standing next to an incubator where he was delicately touching one of the eggs. Moving next to him, Nessie placed his finger next to his mate’s and followed it as it traced along the smooth surface. “Amazin’,” Brian whispered.
“They are,” agreed Reif.
Turning to his mate, Brian said, “Ay they are, but I was referrin’ to ye.”
Glancing at Nessie, Reif asked, surprised, “Me?”
“Ay, ye. On the ride back, Colton told me what they did to you and the pain ye’d gone through.
Ye are amazin’ because ye survived long enough for us to rescue ye…
and then ye gave me five healthy babies.
” Brian ran his finger down his lover’s jaw before leaning in to kiss the lips he loved, whispering against them, “If those filthy bloodsuckers had nae been dead already, I’d have gone back and killed them. ”
“I’m glad you didn’t have to,” Reif whispered back, gathering Nessie into his arms and giving his mate a kiss overflowing with all of his love.
Slipping his tongue inside Brian’s mouth, he could still taste himself from the blow job his mate gave him in the shower, after which, he’d turned Nessie around, planting his hands on the wall, and then sinking his cock into the place meant only for him.
Pulling back slightly, Reif gazed at his mate, his breath floating over Nessie’s lips.
“I’ll never get enough of you…not today…
not tomorrow…not ever. While I lay dying there, I was worried about you, Nessie, and what would happen to you after I was no longer alive.
I hoped, no, I prayed for you to live and find some happiness, but I also made up my mind that, no matter how long it took after I was gone, I would try to wait for you before meeting the gods.
I wanted my fated mate by my side so we could show them how much we loved each other.
“I made the choice to die, Nessie, not because I didn’t love you, but because I knew how much pain you’d suffer if our sons were forced into a life that would bring them only sorrow.
I was trying to protect them and all I could hope is that you’d understand why I did it…
that you would forgive me for choosing our babies over you. ”
“Hush, mate,” Brian crooned, wiping Reif’s tears away. “I do understand and I love ye all the better for makin’ that choice. There’s nae a thing to forgive, Reif, nae a thing. Twas the right choice.” Burrowing into his mate’s chest, Brian whispered, “Yer goin’ to be the best da ever.”
Nessie’s words settled over Reif, allowing him to forgive himself for not choosing his mate over the babies.
Dropping his chin onto his mate’s head, he sighed, releasing the tension that had been building since yesterday, smiling as he felt Nessie hug him in return. All was finally right in his world.
~/~/~/~/~
Breakfast was filled with laughter after Reif decided it’d be a good idea if he learned how to cook. Following Nessie’s instructions, he cracked a dozen eggs into a bowl. “Hey, where did all the food come from? I know it wasn’t here when I left.”
“The Shaman arranged for it before we flew home last night,” Brian said.
“Got to thank him,” Reif muttered as he finished cooking the scrambled eggs.
Then dividing it onto two plates and adding the bacon, he carried them over to the table that Nessie had set.
Handing one to his mate, he put the other one down at his place, then flopped down. “Whew! I sure hope it gets easier.”
“Ay, it does,” Brian replied, fighting a grin as he bit into pieces of eggshells. But it was a losing battle when he heard his mate exclaim…
“Fucking hell! My eggs are crunchy!” Seeing the grin on Nessie’s face, he broke into laughter. “Sorry about that. Maybe I’ll be better at cleaning up the kitchen after you cook the meal.”
“Ay, that’ll work, too,” Brian said, turning his head as he heard the sound of a noisy engine idling outside the cottage, followed by a loud knocking on the door. “That’ll be the incubators…I’ll get it.” Walking to the front door, he opened it, only to be greeted by David flying into his arms.
“I’m so happy for you!” said David, hugging his friend tightly.
“Thank ye,” Brian replied. “And thank ye for yer help in rescuing my mate and babies.”
Letting go, David looked over at the sea dragon eggs. “How are they doing?”
“Guid.” Backing up so everyone standing outside behind David could enter, Brian said, “I think we need to go house huntin’ soon.”
Standing to greet their guests, Reif was surprised to see Oracle among the throng that continued to fill the small cottage, and he knew Nessie was right about doing some serious house hunting.
Pushing through everyone, Ian approached the eggs, placing his palm on the one closest to him. “Looking good,” he said. Then, glancing at Reif, asked, “How are you doing?”
“A little tired but otherwise fine,” Reif replied. “Are our babies really okay? None of that crap they gave me hurt them, did it?”
“I don’t think so but I brought a portable ultrasound with us so I can take a look inside,” Ian said.
Looking around, Reif wondered where it could go since the cottage was packed with their friends. “Nessie,” he called, “any idea where the doc can set it up?”
Before Brian could get a word out, Kieran stepped up.
“Don’t worry guys, I got this. Macushla, bring in the ultrasound and put it in the bedroom, make sure you push the bed out of the way.
Zane and David, you’re in charge of the eggs, bring them in one at a time so Ian and Colton can do their thing.
Slate and Norm, you’re in charge of bringing in the new incubators one at a time so the eggs can be transferred to them once Ian is finished.
Fionn, you help me move the sofa so we can make more room for the eggs.
Reif and Brian, into the bedroom you go so you can see your babies.
Dakota and Theo, you guys make lots of coffee.
C’mon everyone! Chop! Chop!” Kieran ordered, clapping his hands.
“How can I help, Kieran?” asked Oracle.
Pointing to a chair near the bookcase, Kieran said, “You can sit here until the baby Nessies are taken care of.”
Taking the seat, Oracle smiled as everyone jumped into action, following the Shaman’s commands to do their assigned tasks.
Taking a cup of Earl Grey tea from Fionn, she snacked on some lemon cookies while watching the show, especially noticing her son Slate, and the changes he’d undergone.
She saw not only how he couldn’t keep away from Dakota—always detouring to touch his mate—but also the closeness he’d developed with the rest of the Blackwood Pack, teasing and joking with them while bringing in the new incubators.
She sent her thanks to the Fates—not only for bestowing on Slate a perfect mate—but for bringing him out of his self-imposed solitude by giving him a big family that loved him and who he loved in return. Smiling, she sipped her tea.