14. Price
FOURTEEN
PRICE
My mate was asleep, lying diagonally across the bed again.
He was face down with one hand thrown across my chest, and I had my hand on the small of his back, not wanting to let him go. The room was full of his scent, the one I’d cross an ocean for. But now there was a second faint scent, one made by him and me.
That’s the baby. My dragon wasn’t being nudged aside yet, he still had plenty of space, but I was prepared for his complaining as the baby grew. Your first.
I jolted up in bed, and Cam stirred. I paused, not moving and counting the seconds until he stilled.
No. My fourth. I have three children already.
I needed to see the kids, so I pulled on a robe and wandered along the corridor to Jack’s room.
He’d thrown the quilt off, and I pulled it over him and kissed his cheek.
This little pumpkin didn’t remember Allan, but I told him stories of when we were kids so he had a sense of my brother.
And there was a photo near his bed of Allan holding Jack as a newborn.
There were also plenty of photos of me and the girls with baby and toddler Jack.
Isla was asleep with a sketchbook in her hand and the lamp on. I had pics of Allan in his scales, and she was always trying to perfect her drawings of his beast as if by doing so, it’d refresh the memories that were just out of reach.
She murmured, “Night, Dad,” as I left the room.
But when I reached Bea’s room, her door was ajar.
She was asleep, but just like Cam, she was lying across the bed.
In some ways, she was so like my mate. They were thoughtful and kind, and there was a lot unsaid behind those dark eyes.
But they shared a tendency to blurt out what they were thinking.
I got an extra blanket and covered her, closing the door behind me.
In with the joy of the news was fear winding its way into my happiness, refusing to let me celebrate as I should have.
It sank its teeth into me as my dragon did when he feasted on a deer.
How would my three darlings accept Cam as my partner and mate as well as a baby?
Would they feel pushed aside and worry I’d treat them differently when I had a biological child?
My thoughts went to Allan who’d adored his children and who was making them breakfast one morning and was gone by the evening. I stumbled into the courtyard, experiencing nausea which was a first.
Leaving Cam with four children to raise was something I could prepare for but not prevent. Fate had given me my family, mate, and now a new baby, but it could easily snatch that away.
I sank into a bean bag, taking deep breaths.
Trying to think more positive thoughts, I contemplated how this baby would be different in that I’d experience the thrill of watching my mate’s belly grow.
But love didn’t discriminate. It wasn’t exclusive.
I was choosing this baby just as I’d chosen to be Bea, Isla, and Jack’s dad.
My brother would have been the fun uncle. If he were alive, he would have bought me a mug that said the World’s Okayest Dad.
I’m sorry I upset you. My dragon rarely apologized. I was wrong. All four of the children are yours, and I love them too.
It’s okay.
I was holding back on Cam and me marking one another. His world already looked nothing like it had when he first arrived, and I didn’t want to heap more changes on him.
The next morning, everyone gathered in the courtyard after breakfast.
“We have some news.” I was standing behind Cam, and the kids were on bean bags.
“You’re buying Cam a new car,” Isla suggested.
“It’s about time. One more rattle and it’ll fall apart.” Bea wasn’t wrong.
“No, though that’s long overdue.” Maybe I’d rent one for him during the pregnancy if I could get him to agree to it.
I put a hand on Cam’s shoulder. Three sets of eyes followed the movement, but none of the kids was sporting a shocked face.
“Cam is my mate.”
“That’s it?” Bea looked around as if searching for a better surprise.
“Don’t you have any questions?” Cam asked.
The three shared a glance, and they shrugged.
“You kissed.” Jack made kissy noises, and Isla told him he was spitting at her and it was gross.
“When?” We’d been so careful.
“One night when you thought we were watching TV.” Bea wriggled in the bean bag. “We got up and peeked into the courtyard. You said Dad’s beard was ticklish.”
Cam blushed, and Isla told us we were always looking at one another with silly grins on our faces.
“And you’re okay with that?” I reached for Cam’s hand, and the girls nodded.
“Are you our dad now?” Jack wanted to know.
“I’m whatever you want me to be.” Cam told the kids they didn’t have to call him Dad or Papa. And he moved from his bean bag to sit between the children. “Cam will do.”
“You’re my Camcam.” Jack had decided on a title.
“I love it.” Cam squeezed our son’s hand.
“Dad’s fine.” Isla shrugged. “You’ve been a dad to us since you arrived.”
Cam kissed our second oldest as Bea fidgeted with her sweater.
“Is it okay if I still call you Cam for a bit?” She was close to tears, and Cam hugged her and rested his chin on her head. “Change is hard sometimes.”
“Sweetheart, Dad is just a name. I’ll always be your Cam.”
“Can we have screen time now?” Isla was itching to finish her tween detective series.
“There’s something else.” Cam stretched his arms over the kids’ shoulders. I fisted my palms and studied their faces. They’d taken the news of me and Cam's relationship as something that was decided and done and there was no reason to change it. But our family was about to expand.
“You’re going to have a baby brother or sister.”
Instead of eye rolls and “We know,” there was silence, interrupted only by the water flowing from the fountain.
Isla gasped, and Bea slapped a hand over her mouth. Jack raced around the courtyard looking under the plants. “Where’s the baby?”
I patted Cam’s belly. “In here.”
“In your tummy?” Jack’s mouth gaped, and he didn’t close it.
Cam nodded.
“Is the baby a dragon or a Cam?” he asked.
“Probably a dragon, just like all of you.” I didn’t know for sure, but it was likely we’d have another dragon shifter in the family.
“That’s funny,” Bea noted. “Cam has a fire in his belly and that’s why he’s so warm.”
Our eldest was one smart kid.
“Oh, I didn’t connect the two.” Cam patted his tummy. “Look at that. The baby wants me to be like their siblings and their alpha dad.”
We’d given the children the news and now I had to approach a more important issue because I couldn’t leave it unsaid.
“Move over.” I squeezed in between Jack and Isla so the five of us were on four bean bags.
“When I discovered Cam was pregnant, I was a little scared because I’ve never been a dad to a newborn.
” The children were looking at me, maybe waiting for the punchline.
“But I had the best teachers, so I think I’m going to do an okay job. ”
Isla furrowed her brow. “What teachers?”
“You three, silly.” I tweaked her cheek. “I couldn’t have done it without you. You’ve shaped me, showed me how to parent, and you’re still guiding me and loving me every day.”
“And we give you, ummm, a passing grade.” Bea giggled.
“Only a pass? I was hoping for an A-plus.”
“You have to earn it.” Isla hugged a cushion and laughed.
“No.” Jack wailed and flung himself into my arms. “He’s the bestest daddy ever.”
“We’re joking, Jack.” Bea patted her brother’s arm, and Isla side-eyed him before kissing his head.
Our son soon forgot being upset as he rested his chin on Cam’s belly and asked if the baby could hear him.
“Not yet, but soon,” I told him.
The five of us talked about babies and TV series, violins, baby names, and pickleball. And when the children left to do their own thing, Cam wriggled his way from his bean bag to mine and sat in my lap.
“I love our children.” He nestled his head on my shoulder. “Maybe they can all help us make over the guest room into a nursery.”
“Great idea, but I warn you, they’ll want a hammock, swing, basketball hoop, TV, and other things I can’t even imagine.”
“I was expecting them to be wary, maybe even upset about the baby news.”
“They’re resilient, but I can’t guarantee that there won’t be hiccups, setbacks, and maybe jealousy.”
Cam put my hand on his cheek. “We’ll deal with it together as a family.”