Madd
THIRTY-TWO
“You should wear something colorful. This is a happy occasion.” I was rifling through my mate’s clothes in the closet of our new home. “That’s what it said on the invitation.”
We’d moved in a week ago, and there were boxes strewn around the place. Conrad had nothing when we arrived, and we’d gone on a shopping expedition. But I’d accumulated stuff, even though most of my time had been spent away and undercover.
Conrad appeared out of the bathroom wearing a gray shirt. “Will this do?”
I groaned and marched him into the walk-in closet. My mate’s side was all gray, white, and black, and while I didn’t have Rudy’s flair for color, I had blues, greens, and yellows on my side.
“Come on, babe. This is Storm’s birthday party.” I didn’t say it out loud, but in my head I added, “Not the nightly dinner at the dragon compound.” I didn’t need my mate to give me the details, but I’d bet his father had insisted on silence during a meal and his sons dressed formally.
The party was at Flint’s rather than Ranger’s so the kids could run around outside. We debated whether to drive the mile to Flint’s or walk because it was less than that if we cut across the surrounding fields.
I was excited to see the entire family because we hadn’t been together in forever. But I worried my mate might be a little overwhelmed. Family had been his late father and now-treacherous brother.
“There’ll be a lot of people at the party.”
“Mmmm. I imagine brothers, mates, kids, a grandfather, and an Arnie who is a great-great-uncle to the little ones.”
I nudged him. “Someone else will be present, or I should say something else.”
He gave me a look. “What? Like someone’s wolf? Is that a thing?”
“S.U.G.A.R.”
“Ohhhh. We need to prepare ourselves. Damn, we should have brought shields and perhaps swords.”
I giggled. It was good to laugh at my mate being silly.
Flint's property appeared through the trees.
My Alpha who liked rules and manicured lawns was the head of a family who constantly ignored, bent, or destroyed said rules.
So I was prepared for a typical family get-together of turmoil and loud voices along with bumps and scrapes as the kids tore around.
Conrad turned toward me, and the sun created an elongated shadow of his baby bump. I cradled it and kissed his brow. When his father imprisoned me, I would have laughed in disbelief if anyone had described our lives now.
The driveway was lined with cars, and children’s squeals and high-pitched shrieks reached us long before we got to the front door.
“Put that down, please.” That was Ranger, and I guessed the amount of sugar the kids had consumed had already ramped up.
The door was open, and Tony was nearby with Kendric, wiping marshmallow out of his son’s hair.
“Great timing.” He put my hand in Kendric’s and asked me to finish cleaning him up. “Allegra put the birthday candles somewhere, and I need to find them.”
I kneeled beside the little boy whose sticky face didn’t stop him grinning, and I beckoned Conrad to get as low as he could with his burgeoning belly.
“Do you remember me?” I asked Kendric.
“Mmmm. You are Treyton’s brother.” He looked at my mate with wide eyes. “And you are a dragon. Can I see you fly?”
Conrad shot me a glance. “One day, but not today, because it’s Storm’s special day today.”
My mate was too heavily pregnant to shift, and his beast was frustrated not to fly. But he was content to stay inside until the baby arrived.
Kendric released himself from my grip and ran off shouting, “Daddy, the dragon is going to fly for us.”
“Oh, no. No, I didn’t.” Conrad eased himself up. “This is Storm’s birthday.” My mate wiped a hand over his face. “How did that happen? I didn’t say that.”
I pulled him close and shrugged. “Kids! Better get used to it.” I patted the envelope in my pocket which was Storm’s present. “Seems like we made a great choice.”
Bedlam raged around us as kids tore between adults, and Ranger tried to corral the little ones so they could start playing games.
But he wasn’t having much success, and Matt and Tony were having no luck getting Allegra to remember where she put the candles.
Brielle and Lottie were chasing Storm, while Lua was on Brock's lap.
She seemed a little overwhelmed by the noise and the wrapping paper covering the floor.
Grandpa was in the kitchen, and I sniffed the enticing smells wafting from there. Treyton stuck his head out armed with a wooden spoon.
“You’re finally here. I’m surprised we could lure you away from the paddling pool.”
“Very funny.”
I found Conrad a comfortable chair as Matt yelled, “Found them,” and held up a packet of candles.
Odell appeared and pulled up a chair beside my mate. He was pregnant too and due around the same time as Conrad.
“I’m so glad I have an excuse not to shepherd any children.” He patted his belly and jerked a head at Hunter who was telling Brielle she couldn’t open Storm’s remaining presents.
“Should we give Storm the gift now or wait?” Conrad yanked the front of my shirt so our heads touched. “Perhaps we should wait until the end of the party because of what Kendric said.”
I agreed.
This party reminded me of ones I’d had as a kid. There were no magicians, favor bags, or professional party planners. Just family, kids having fun, cake, balloons, and Ranger trying to get the kids to play pin the tail on the pretend wolf.
“Madd!” Matt appeared and hugged me and Conrad. My mate did that thing when they got an unexpected hug where they extended their arms outward before wrapping them around the other person.
“Madd should join the kidnapped club. Tony, me, Odell, Treyton, and now you are members.”
“Except you were all kidnapped by your mate-to-be, I was taken by the Father.” If I was going to be in a club, I’d want Conrad as a member too.
Matt patted my arm. “But you found your mate in the end.”
“Everyone in the garden.” Treyton shouted above the noise. “Grandpa says five minutes until food.”
“But Grandpa can’t cook.” Lottie had her hands on her hips. She looked at Rudy who nodded.
“He can't boil an egg,” Allegra joined in.
“I don’t want to eat an egg,” Storm protested.
“Okay, okay. I’m talking about my grandpa who is also Madd’s grandpa and Brock’s and Conrad’s. He’s made food,” Treyton added.
Awww, he included my mate. Conrad and I shared a glance because his birth family was either non-existent or murderous, and he rested his shoulder on mine. We didn’t speak because words couldn’t describe this moment where my mate was included in our large, loud, and boisterous family.
“Who?” Brielle piped up.
“Uncle Arnie,” the adults shouted.
Storm appeared beside us and took Conrad’s hand. “You have a grandpa. He is not my grandpa.” He pointed at Rudy. “That’s my grandpa.”
A table had been set up near the fenced pool, and the tablecloth was dotted with dinosaurs which was Storm’s current obsession.
Pizza, chicken wings, and corn dogs appeared, and when everyone had eaten, Grandpa emerged from the house carrying a cake shaped like a dinosaur, and the singing started before he'd reached the table.
“I think we made a great choice with the present considering how Storm loves dinosaurs.” Conrad gave me a look. “Not that large extinct animals are similar to dragons, but the birthday boy has never seen a real dinosaur or dragon.”
Ranger held Storm over the cake so he could blow out the candles, and we clapped.
Matt helped the little boy cut the first slice and then he took over.
The kids were supposed to sit and eat their cake, but that lasted five seconds, and soon they were running around and hiding under the table, trampling cake on the grass, and smearing frosting on the adults.
“We could really use a distraction.” Matt was looking at us and cocking his head as Lua slapped a sticky hand on his butt. “Maybe the first part of that present.”
I nudged my mate. “I think you’re up.”
Our birthday present for Storm was to let him see my mate’s dragon after the baby was born.
Conrad pushed back his chair and told all the kids to sit on the grass. I plonked the chair in front of them, and my mate cradled his belly and explained he was going to show them something exciting, but he couldn’t shift.
“Cause you have a baby,” Brielle said. “My daddy has a baby too.”
Conrad began by asking the kids what they knew about dragons.
“Do you have a dragon in your tummy?” Kendric asked.
“I don’t think so, but the baby might be a little bit like a dragon.”
Lottie whispered to her little brother that we wanted to see the dragon and not talk about babies.
“I like babies.” He pouted.
“Okay, look at this.” Conrad held up his hands and talons appeared. The kids cheered and wanted to touch them.
Storm said they weren’t as sharp as his dad’s claws, and Ranger folded his arms and grinned.
“Can you show us your scales?” Lottie asked.
Blue and green scales appeared on my mate’s outer arms and everyone, adults included, clapped. None of the family had seen my mate’s dragon.
“I want fire, please.” Allegra pretended to breathe flames.
“Please don’t burn us.” Lottie giggled and put her hands over her face. All the little cousins copied her, yelling, “Please don’t burn us.”
“I can only do a little.”
I helped my mate to his feet, and we walked away from the family group.
Holding his hand to steady him, I waited while he communicated with his beast. Wispy smoke wafted from his nostrils, and the kids cheered.
Tiny flames curled around his lips, and he bent his head back and sent a stream of fire into the air.
Everyone cheered and clapped.
“My beast can’t wait to meet you after the baby’s born.”
“Can I fly on the dragon?” Storm asked.
“No, me.”
“Me too.”
“I don’t want to.”
I took over. “No one gets to ride on my mate’s dragon, just like no one rides on any wolf.”
“Oh,” the kids said in unison.
Yeah, no one gets on my back, my wolf agreed.