Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
D es pushed Starry behind him as gently as he could and turned to confront the three Galandel clan toughs who had forced their way into his home, his fire drawing up inside him.
Of course he couldn’t use it. Not inside the house with Starry right there and a houseful of guests on his fucking hands.
“Security! What the hell is going on?”
Hamish appeared beside him, a deep growl coming from him. “I don’t know, Boss, but I damn sure intend to find out.”
Two more of his security men appeared behind the three, and Des felt better about those odds.
“Get out. Of my house.” He forced the words out like rocks over a cheese grater.
“We just need something from you, Lord DeBeque, and we’ll go.”
“No.” Whatever it was, he was done negotiating with these assholes.
“We just want the one you stole from us. The Haverness boy.”
Reed? Oh, no. He was part of the family now. And Des had made a deal with the Haverness clan.
“You can’t have him.” He wasn’t budging on that, and he could feel Starry’s approval.
“We’re taking him, whether you like it or not.”
“I will flame you personally first.”
“Not with your mate in the house, you won’t.”
Des felt a wave of icy cold at his back, and he knew Starry was gathering his power, which would be quite a shock to these fuckers. Dragon alphas tended to use flame.
Omegas had far more creative ways to defend themselves.
Get out of the way when I tell you, Des.
Just tell me, love. Des tapped Hamish on the hand, then caught the eyes of the men behind the Galandels, warning them.
“I won’t go back.” Reed stepped up at a right angle to them, his hands starting to glow with blue light. “My father said I could stay, and so did Alistair. Go away!”
“You’re coming with us.”
“Move!” The command came with a mental shove from Starry, and he and Hamish parted like the Red Sea, both of them leaping and rolling.
The men behind the toughs moved as well, and a beam of light from Reed blinded them all as Starry sent a wintry wave of ice at the dragons that was so fierce and cold that they dropped where they stood.
“Hamish.”
“On it, Boss.” Hamish and his men closed in, binding the three assholes with magic defusing cuffs, then hauling them off.
Des turned to Starry, smiling. “Well done, love.”
“Thank you. I’m here all week doing my act. Good job, Reed.”
Reed snorted. “I am not going back there.”
“No, you are not.” Starry’s obstinate expression spoke volumes.
“Come on, love. Let’s get you upstairs to?—”
Starry gasped, hand on his belly, and he doubled over as fluid rushed from between his legs.
“Des… I think it’s time.”
“Shit! Starry. Someone get Alaina! Now!” He roared it, and Reed scrambled off.
Kumar came running with a maid. “We’ll clean up. You take him upstairs, sir.”
“Yes.” He gently lifted Starry in his arms. “Let’s take you upstairs, sweet. That way you can be clean and comfy, at least for a while.” Aliana was there at the party, so the midwife would be right with them.
Starry held onto his neck. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” He took it easy, though his panic told him to rush.
“Ruining the party.”
“Oh, bullshit. Now the whole lot of them will stay until the baby comes. I knew I should have brought Francois in from the city. I’ll have Reed call him so he can come down and cook for this bunch of heathens.”
Starry chuckled. “They can eat leftovers. There’s enough crab puffs for an army.”
“The caterers did do a nice job.” He got Starry to their bedroom. “Those people down there will dine out on this for weeks. An attack from a rival clan, a baby shower, and a birth. What more could they ask for?”
“Mmm. Right now I just want to rinse off in the shower and have a change of clothes.”
“Anything you want, lovely.” He took Starry right to the bathroom, where the shower had a bench seat that he could sit on.
“Thank you.” To his horror, Starry teared up. “This is crazy.”
“I’m so sorry, love. I don’t know how they got in. I’m so proud of you and Reed. You saved the day.” And he was going to rain hellfire down on the Galandels. They would be a greasy spot when he was done.
“I can see your fire building again.” Starry put a hand on his chest. “Shhhh.”
“Sorry, love.” He sighed, letting it go. “Let’s get you clean.” He stripped Starry down, the ripples in that distended belly fascinating. He wasn’t going to freak out. He was going to help his mate in any way he could.
That was his job, and it was also his pride and his pleasure.
Hours into the labor, Starry knew one thing for certain.
Des was never going to touch him again. Never. Not one. Not a finger.
He strained, sweat pouring off him, his scales trying to pop out to protect him from something they would do no good with. He was just going to expire from this.
And it was Des’s fault.
Well, and his.
“Okay, Alistair, it’s time to push now.”
Alaina had been extremely patient. So had Des, to be fair. And Des had been so sweet and worried, and had held him close, rubbing his back.
Now Des held his hands. “Squeeze all you need to, love.”
“Now, Alistair,” Alaina ordered, and he squeezed. Hard. And pushed.
“Ughnnn!” Oh, Goddess, he was never going to get this baby out. Never.
“That’s good. So good,” Des crooned.
“It is. Good strong push, Alistair. I’m pleased. Okay, breathe.”
And so it went for an hour or more, him pushing and nothing bloody happening!
“Help me, Des.”
“If I could I would. You can do this, love.” Des kissed the back of his neck. “I love you.”
“Aaaaaaaagggghhhh!” He pushed again, feeling weak as a kitten, and Alaina exclaimed happily.
“There we are. I see a head. Good job, Alistair. Okay, ride the breath, then push again when it’s time.”
He pushed and grunted and yelled, and Des cursed and asked the goddess for help, and then the baby slid from his body in what seemed like a serious rush, and he panted, his whole lower half on fire.
“Oh, baby. You did so good.”
“I feel like I should still be pushing.”
Alaina peered at him like a catcher in a baseball game. “Hmm. I don’t think we’re just waiting on afterbirth.” She turned to hand the baby off to a very surprised Des. “Let me deal with the cord, and then I’ll see what’s what, Alistair.”
Aliana’s assistant came forward to help Des, who looked panicky as hell, he thought, and that made him smile. His big alpha mate was scared to death of a baby.
“Whoa. Okay, Alistair. We’re going to go again. Push.”
“I knew it! I knew it was damned twins.” He grunted, bearing down, and fifteen minutes later he had another tiny dragon, one girl, one boy.
Des chuckled. “We need to get another set of everything.”
“But we have plenty of socks…”
Des laughed with him, and kissed his mouth while Alaina set about cleaning him up.
A while later he was exhausted but holding a baby in each arm.
“So we had a boy name,” Alistair said.
“We did. Crispin James.” Des gave him the softest smile Alistair had ever seen on his face. “What shall we call our girl?”
“Allison Desdemona,” he said immediately. The perfect mix of both of them, just like Crispin’s name came from both of their families.
“Alli it is.” Des beamed down at him. “I love you. So much.”
He laughed, his eyelids drooping. “I love you too. But you’re not doing this to me again for at least two years. One for each twin.”
“Fair enough.” Des stroked his hair off his face, then kissed each of the three of them in turn. “Rest now, love. You worked hard.”
“Yes.” He closed his eyes, feeling Des take the babies to put them in their bassinets until it was time for a feeding.
What a day it had been.
But it had been the best kind of crazy.