Chapter 22
Chapter
Twenty-Two
H ayden had never been so happy.
In fact, he could not imagine being happier.
He was sitting outside, wrapped up in about a thousand coats, with the fire going in the fire pit, while Jacks played with his mate, who was in full dragon form and was acting as a giant sled.
One that could pick Jacks up, carry him back up the hill, and then they could both slide back down again.
Dusty looked at him, bared his teeth, and growled softly, disapproving of this entire thing.
“I know, I know, but you have to admit it’s cute.”
Daniel was in his element, slipping and sliding and playing in the snow, and Jacks was having the time of his life, waving his arms and absolutely overjoyed to have another dragon to play with.
He could never have imagined this in a million years, but he was amazed at how things had changed so quickly. Daniel was even starting to show a little bit in his human form, but he wasn’t worried about him in his sturdy dragon body.
He chuckled when Daniel made a particularly good, fast, swooping run. Jacks squealed all the way, his little voice so loud and thrilled.
Jacks had started putting his head against Daniel’s belly in the evenings and lying there on the couch with them together, making little humming noises and babbling, so Hayden thought maybe he was getting used to the idea of having a brother or sister.
Hayden was glad to see it because he had been afraid Jacks would be really unhappy at the concept.
That he seemed to have decided that having a little one around to play with was akin to a king having subjects. He was going to be the brother — sweet, silly little boy.
Daniel came down on his back, steering with his wings, holding Jacks up in the air so that it looked like the little boy was flying.
Hayden couldn’t help but laugh.
He just loved his family so much, and his heart had never been so full.
He loves that, mate.
Daniel glanced at him, tail moving like a rudder to keep them moving in the correct direction . So do I. This is way easier than making endless snowballs.
Hayden laughed, shivering some. He blew a little heat into his hands to warm himself up.
Are you getting too cold?
I’m a fire dragon, love. If I need to warm up, I’ll just heat myself up.
But then your clothes might burn up.
He fought not to roll his eyes. Well, it’s not as if it would hurt me.
Well, no, but ? —
Jacks squealed, yanking at the ridges on Daniel’s lovely neck. “Snow!”
“Don’t pull, Jacksy, that’s mean.” He laughed, though, because Daniel just breathed out, and a shower of snow poured out for Jacks. The sparkling snowflakes were big enough for the baby to catch and hold in his mittens for just a second.
“They’re cute,” Rita said, handing him over a Thermos. “To warm you up. Is Jacks all right?”
“I don’t think the cold bothers him at all, and Daniel’s obviously in his element—pun intended.” He winked at her.
“He seems very happy now that he’s got his dragon on.”
“He does, doesn’t he? He is beautiful. I love how his wings look like lace…”
“Well, I suppose they look more like snowflakes than lace, don’t they?” Rita grinned at him, her eyes full of laughter. “You know—pointed at the edges, you can see through them, there are patterns.”
He glanced at Rita and chuckled. “Don’t confuse the issue with logic. I was admiring my mate.”
She snorted. “Your pregnant mate, who is spending an enormous amount of energy right now. Maybe it’s time for everyone to come in and have a nap and some food. I think that someone is very hungry. He just doesn’t know it because he’s busy having fun.”
“Are you talking about Jacks or Daniel?” They were both out there, playing hard.
“Six of one, half a dozen of the other.” She winked at him. “Bring them in. It’s snack time.”
“Okay, lady.” He drank his hot beverage, tea, first. Then he stood, wrapping the blanket around him as he moved to grab Jacks. “Okay, you two. Time for food. We all need sustenance.”
Hungwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwy , Jacks wailed in their heads.
Daniel laughed, obvious even in his dragon form. Then he moved toward them, shrinking as he went, his human self coming out.
Hayden wrapped the blanket around Daniel instead, then carried Jacks as he led Daniel inside. His mate’s breath came out as ice crystals, but Jacks was like a tiny furnace.
The smells inside the kitchen indicated soup and grilled cheese. Yum.
Jacks fussed until Denise took him, and Daniel pulled on clothes while Hayden moved to take clean ones for him out of the dryer.
By the time they were all sitting and eating, Hayden had thawed out, and Jacks was nodding off after his bottle and a half gnawed sammy.
“That was so much fun,” Daniel said, scooting over to lean on Hayden.
“Tired, love?”
“I am now, yes.” Chuckling, Daniel sagged against his arm, heavy and now getting warm.
Hayden raised an eyebrow at the ladies, who nodded. If they had Jacks, he would take Daniel to the couch and snuggle with him while they napped. He loved snuggling with his mate, and sometimes he just took a whole day off work in order to do it.
Daniel seemed to love it as much as he did, and they spent a lot of time lying together with his hand on Daniel’s belly, Daniel unable to deny his pregnancy now at all.
Daniel followed him into the living room, snuggling close, pulling the blankets down around them. “You’re so warm! That was so much fun! Did you see him? It was like he was on a sled.”
“I did.” He had to chuckle. “A giant dragon sled. I love how you use your wings to navigate.”
Daniel’s eyes flashed bright blue. “Right? My tail is like a balance and an anchor. I stick the spike in the snow, and I stop. So fun.” Daniel laughed, the sound incredibly merry, happy. “I can’t believe this is my life. It’s wild. Hayden, absolutely wonderful.”
Hayden felt joy just trying to swallow him. “Even though I knocked you up?”
“Even then.” Daniel put a hand over Hayden’s, which had come to rest on his belly without any conscious thought. “I can feel changes happening now, not just the cravings or the weird emotional stuff. It’s kind of wild because I never thought this was even possible.”
“I love the little changes I can see in your body, and you smell so good.” Hayden put his nose against Daniel’s neck and breathed in deep.
“You think that’s a deliberate choice of nature, so you don’t eat me or my young?”
That surprised a bark of a laugh out of Hayden, and he patted Daniel with the hand not on his belly. “I would never do that. I’m already so in love with you and the baby. Even though I don’t have any clue what kind of baby we’re going to have; it just makes me stunned and amazed and so happy.”
Daniel blinked up at him. “Are there a lot of options?”
Hayden rubbed their noses together. “Well, there’s fire dragon, ice dragon, water dragon, wind dragon, cloud dragon.
I’ve met dragons who could make things grow.
I’ve met dragons that create crystals with their breath—steam.
I’ve seen a couple of steam dragons.” Hayden warmed to his discussion.
“I’ve heard of acid dragons, poison dragons, and magical dragons who don’t have any kind of breath but can just create things with their brains. There are so many.”
Daniel’s eyes were wide as saucers. “Oh wow. Wow. I hadn’t thought about all that. How many dragons are there, do you think, in the world?”
Hayden shrugged. “In the world? Oh, I’d say maybe a thousand. We’re just a tiny population, but we’re pretty long-lived.”
“Yeah, except that Jacks’s parents weren’t very long-lived.” Daniel frowned, shaking his head, pretty eyes so worried.
“Everyone has enemies, love, and Jacks is a very powerful little boy. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to find out that whoever killed his parents were trying to get him, and then something protected him.”
“We need to talk to the guys at the agency, though. I really do worry about little ones just being lost. It really bothers me.”
“Okay we’ll talk about it.” He stroked Daniel’s belly and kissed the top of his head. “We can set up a call. I’m not sure what we could take on right now while you’re pregnant, but we could certainly help out.”
Daniel pulled back enough to beam at him, his smile wide, his eyes dancing. “Thank you love. That makes me feel better. I don’t know why I’m so concerned but it just hurts my heart. Jacks is so amazing. It would just kill me if little guys like him were being hurt or something out there.”
“You’re totally welcome my love.” The warmth and the feeling of Daniel against him started to make him drowsy, his eyelids drooping.
“Love you, dragon.” Daniel tangled long fingers in his hair, holding on tight.
It was so comfortable that he dozed right off, holding his Daniel tight.