My dad squatted in front of her. “Sure. Dragons are cool.”
“Good.” Skye walked away.
Theron and I had discussed letting my folks in on the shifter secret, but we’d put it off. When our baby was old enough to create fire, then we’d tell them.
I’d warned them about the heat in the house, and we ate outside in the shade so they didn’t overheat.Theron had cooked roast chicken, potatoes, and green beans and the kids ate the vegetables without complaining.
After we ate, the children insisted on showing my parents their garden. Both my folks were avid gardeners, and they spent ages inspecting plants, pulling up weeds, and watering.
“We almost forgot the presents in the car.” Dad headed to his vehicle, but the kids beat him there and peered in the windows, asking, “What did you get us?”
Rory got a book on astronomy. As a dragon shifter, he’d be doing most of his flying at night, so he was interested in the stars, planets, and the history of the universe. Fraser got a rare variety of chili, and Skye got pumpkin seedlings. And Mom had baked cookies for all of us.
As the kids played, Theron put a hand over mine. My mom gasped. She probably thought Theron was going to get down on one knee and propose.
“Mom, Dad, I’m going to have a baby.”
“I’m so excited.” Mom glanced at the kids. “Our fourth grandbaby.”
Theron sniffed, but I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. I’d kinda expected them to say they were going to be grandparents. But they already were, and they recognized that and accepted that the older three were mine too.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in the cinema room where each of the kids chose a movie. My parents did the kids’ baths and read their bedtime stories. But after we’d waved them goodbye, and Theron held my hand and turned toward the house, I told him we couldn’t go in yet.
“You know there’s someone I have yet to meet.”
“Huh?”
“Your dragon. I think you flew over the house once when I was on the porch, but I’ve never met him or seen him fly.”
He pulled a lounge chair into the middle of the garden. It was a moonlit night, and though my human eyesight wasn’t as good as a shifter’s, I knew what to look for. Besides, Theron was stripping off his clothes, and I’d get to meet his beast before he took off.
I gripped the armrest as scales rippled over his body and wings erupted from his back. I shivered, not in fear but in awe. The moonlight picked up the iridescent green and blue on the scales, but there was also a touch of purple. Perhaps that was where Skye got her purple flame from.
The dragon launched himself into the air, blocking out the light. He soared over the treetops and glided back onto the grass. I thought of the earth when it was much younger and if dragons roamed the skies without fear of man trying to contain or kill them.
There was a tendril of fear that when our children grew up, someone might try to hurt them and their beasts. But Theron had pointed out all parents, human and shifter, worried about their kids’ safety.
Not bothering with his clothes, he picked me up and strolled into the house and up to our suite. I’d officially moved my clothes and toiletries in, and my manny suite had become my office. The dissertationwasprogressing but slowly.
“Tonight’s the night,” I whispered.
“For what?”
“I want you to mark me. I’m ready.”
Theron had not pestered me, saying we were mated in every way possible, except for the mark on my skin. But it was important to him, and when the children were older, they might question my commitment to their father and them if I didn’t take that final step.
“I love you.”
“I love every part of you and your dragon, from the tip of your dragon’s scales to his claws and those spiky horns.”
Theron chuckled. “Interesting you only described my beast and not me.”He tilted my chin up and kissed me, and when he pulled back, his eyes were wet.
“You’re my mate. My one and only.”
He suggested putting the mark where it would be covered by a shirt or sweater, and I chose my chest. Theron parted his lips a tiny bit, and I gripped the bedding as a tiny stream of fire grazed my skin and went out, leaving a puff of smoke. It hurt some, similar to a bad sunburn, and my mate put special cream on it.
“Now we’re mated.” He kissed me.
