26. Rowan
Rowan
It was starting to feel like all I ever did was eat, sleep, work, repeat.
Bastian had been avoiding me ever since the clearing. Not that I blamed him. I probably would’ve been embarrassed as well in his position, especially considering he hadn’t been himself prior to the shift, either.
Still, his dragon had been oddly endearing. The giant lump was basically a puppy in all the best ways. I had now seen two of my mates in dragon form, and both had been equally impressive. But there was something about how different Bastian was from his dragon that really stood out.
Sighing to myself, I glanced at the clock and then leaned past my desk to shout into the reception area. “Nina, you need to go get some lunch,” I said as I shuffled around paperwork before standing up and walking from one end of my office to the other.
“Working on it,” she replied. “There are just a few things I need to settle up. But then I’m heading to the kitchen to get some food.”
“Good, good. I’ll hold down the fort.” I smiled at her as she clicked through the last few tasks on the computer. “It’s been a little less hectic today, at least. That’s something. It seems all your hard work is paying off, and the horde is getting a little healthier.”
“Just don’t go breaking your own rule and saying the Q word.” She grinned at me, rising and grabbing her messenger bag.
“I would never. Have fun at lunch. Snag me a sandwich or something. I have a feeling it’s going to be a desk-lunch kind of day for me.”
Nina rolled her eyes but smiled, walking to the door. “Will do, boss.”
The clinic stilled for a moment, and I took in a deep breath, savoring it. Maybe it would be a qui—
“Rowan!” a high-pitched woman’s voice called out, deafeningly loud, before I was almost knocked off my feet by a small dragon throwing herself into my arms.
“Celia?” I asked, taking a step back. “Are you okay?”
A few steps behind her, lurking in the doorway, was her mate, Tanner. The one who was often with Bastian’s grumpy asshole father. His eyes darted between me and his mate, a slightly uneasy expression on his face.
Celia squeezed me tightly, bouncing up and down like an overexcited toddler. Usually, she was so calm and restrained, so I wasn’t sure what to make of all this sudden energy. She wasn’t crying, so it couldn’t be that bad, right?
“Am I okay? Rowan! I’m better than okay, I’m pregnant!” she squealed, pulling back to look at me as her eyes filled with tears.
It took a moment for her words to sink in as I stood there, my mouth falling open, but when they did, I couldn’t help but cry out with excitement. “Oh my God! That’s amazing! Are you sure?” I asked, squeezing her tightly as I cast a glance at Tanner.
All this lovely dragon wanted was a baby. She’d told me so herself. If the test were true, then words couldn’t describe how pleased I would be.
Celia nodded, wiping a few of her happy tears away. “I took tests. Loads of them. I wanted to be totally sure before I came to you. I know it’s only been a little over a month, but I had to tell you!”
I pulled her into a hug, her excitement infectious. “I’m so happy for you! Oh, that’s wonderful. How about I give you a checkup now? It’s far too early for a sonogram, but we can do blood tests to confirm?”
She nodded excitedly, her perfect curls dancing as she did. “Yes, please! Thank you! This never would have happened without you. Right, baby?” She turned to Tanner, who nodded, still holding himself tightly.
“Yeah, we owe you everything,” Tanner said, lips still pursed.
“Maybe not everything,” I joked. “Some cupcakes, perhaps? Then again, Ma is fattening me up enough.” I chuckled, guiding Celia to the examination room.
“Want me to delay your next patient?” Nina asked, poking her head around the door, no doubt having heard all the commotion and delaying her lunch to figure out what was going on.
“I think we have enough time for a quick blood test, but thanks. Go get lunch before you can’t.” I shooed her out, turning to Celia. “All right, have a seat right here, and I’ll have you out in a snap.”
Nina left for lunch while I drew Celia’s blood. We talked casually, her telling me all the things she was excited for, and over and over how thankful she was for my help.
“I just got Jenkins out. That’s all.” I set up the blood to run a test and then turned to Tanner. “What about you? Are you… happy about this?”
He still looked so stiff, but after a moment, he cracked, letting out a huge sigh. “I was worried it was my problem, and now I’m worried about being a dad.” He chuckled to himself, taking Celia’s hand. “I think I’m just a bundle of anxiety at this point.”
Walking over to him, I smiled at them both, putting my hand on my chest. “You know what? It’s actually a very good sign that you’re worried about being a good dad.
It means you care about this. That’s the first sign of being an excellent parent.
There’s a lot of worrying, I hear, so my only advice is to pace yourself and trust your gut. ”
Tanner softened in a way I’d never seen before. “Thank you, Rowan. Truly.”
“Well, that was something. You really are a gift.” Nina grinned as I slumped into my desk chair. We had been busy since the moment she got back from lunch. Despite it being hours later, we’d yet to discuss the news and what it meant.
“It may not be because of me,” I pointed out. “Maybe it was finally just the right moment.”
Nina’s brow furrowed. “What makes you say that?”
“It’s only one pregnancy—it could be a fluke.”
She raised her brows at me, scoffing. “One pregnancy after almost a decade of none, after you took over the horde’s medical care. I think the cause and effect are pretty obvious here. Don’t try to shirk credit. I’m sure Celia will be telling everyone as soon as she can.”
“Well, until she does, we can’t say anything. That’s her news to tell.”
Nina sighed. “Of course, I respect healer-patient confidentiality. Though, given the way she was shouting, I doubt her condition is going to be kept under wraps for longer than a few minutes. Especially if it gets back to Ma.”
The sweet older dragon had what I could only describe as baby fever. She scooped up Baby Rowan any chance she could; having a newborn in the den was making her blissfully happy. And the woman could not keep a secret.
“She is… enthusiastic.”
Nina chuckled, her brows shooting up as she continued, “Just imagine what she’d be like if you had a baby with her son…”
That made me pause, my stomach twisting. “Oh, Lord. She’d have me in bed, fattening me up and refusing to let me leave!” I laughed. “No way. It’s not like you suddenly become an invalid. Exercise and activity are good for pregnant people.”
“I would visit you and bring snacks.”
All I could do was laugh. “So considerate. Now, speaking of food…”
“Do you want to go to the dining hall, or should I get someone to deliver food here?” Nina suggested.
I bit my lip, thinking it through for a moment. On the one hand, it was nice to get out of the office for a while. But on the other hand, sometimes eating in the office was easier.
“There is a third option,” a familiar voice said from the doorway.
Nix.
“Hello there. And what is this surprise ‘third choice’?” I asked, leaning forward, resting my hand on my chin, a smile plastered all over my face.
He held up two foil-wrapped packages. “We could go have dinner together and watch the sun go down.”
“Nix, you big softie,” Nina cooed before turning to me. “If I were you, I would definitely go with option three.” She nodded adamantly.
“I even have some of that fancy lemonade you like,” Nix added, sweetening the deal.
Chuckling, I glanced at my schedule on the computer. I didn’t have any more appointments; there was only paperwork remaining.
“Can you handle the rest of the admin for the day?” I asked Nina, unable to rid myself of the smile even if I wanted to, which I really didn’t.
She waved off my concern. “I can more than handle that, Rowan. Give me some credit. Go have your date!”
“It’s not a—”
“It’s a date,” Nix said with a smirk. “So, leave the paperwork to the incredibly talented Nina.”
My heartbeat was pounding in my ears, and I could feel the heat in my cheeks. “How can I say no?”
Nix offered me his arm, and I circled the desk to take it. “You can’t. Thanks, Nina!”
He turned over his shoulder to call out a goodbye, and I left the clinic with a huge smile and a massive appetite. I just wasn’t sure which one I was hungrier for: the picnic or Nix.