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Rhydian lost track of the days. His bedroom didn't have a window for security purposes, and one of the greatest downsides to living inside a mountain was the lack of sunshine or moonlight to judge the time of day.
As he blinked his eyes open from the latest mini nap his dragon had allowed, he expected his beast to shout and demand for more sex. However, his mind was eerily silent.
A quick check and he found his beast curled in a ball, asleep with a faint snore.
Taking advantage of the silence, he rolled over and nuzzled Delaney's neck. He'd barely placed his nose against her skin when he stilled.
It was more than merely her scent—his was entwined with hers as well.
His dragon opened one eye. Yes. She carries our child.
Happiness rushed through his body and it took every bit of restraint he had not to wake his mate and tell her the news.
But since she had to be exhausted, he wanted to let her sleep. So he remained close to her and stared down at the area under the covers that was her belly.
He'd denied it for so long, but Rhydian had secretly wanted a family of his own. And not just him, Rian, and a mate, but a big one, full of lots of children.
It wouldn't replace the large family he'd lost years ago, but he could honor their memories in so many ways by teaching his family's traditions and telling their stories to his own children.
And now, he had at least a start. Because before long, he'd have two children to call his own. And if the dragon's blood injections worked to help Delaney easily survive the pregnancy, then he'd have to see if she wanted more.
Delaney's voice, scratchy and full of sleep, filled the room. "You're awake. And quiet. Is something wrong?"
He quickly moved to turn on the light and then came back to his mate. As he stroked her cheek, he hated the circles under her eyes. But even disheveled and exhausted, she was still the most beautiful female in the world to him. "No, love, I just wanted to let you sleep."
She searched his gaze. "That's a lot of words that don't really say anything."
He smiled. "You're never going to give me an easy time, are you?"
She arched an eyebrow. "Do you know me at all?"
He laughed and turned her head more towards his. "Don't ever change, Delaney. I love you just the way you are."
She raised a hand to his jaw and lightly rubbed her finger against the stubble there. If his dragon were fully awake, he would've been humming at the touch. She said, "Tell me what's going on, Rhydian. Your dragon should've been awake and demanding more sex by now."
"Technically, he would've said he needed to fuck you." She narrowed her eyes and he smiled as he added, "But yes, you're right, love." He cupped her cheek and moved his lips closer to hers. "He's quiet because the frenzy is over. For better or worse, we'll be parents in about nine months."
Delaney remained still for a second before she grinned. "Really?"
"You seem fairly excited to change diapers and never get any sleep," he murmured in a teasing tone.
She raised her brows. "You’ll be there to help, so it’s not just me. I just hope our baby doesn’t start shifting until they're older, like most. Because if he or she ends up like that girl dragon on Lochguard who's shifting at less than a year old, then I might get a wee bit worried."
He grinned. "I think it'd be fun to have a tiny dragon around."
She rolled her eyes. "Right, until they escape the mountain and teeter close to the edge of a cliff."
"Fair point."
They stared at one another for a few beats before Rhydian looked down, turned back the covers, and placed his hand over her abdomen. "And our family grows again."
She placed her hand over his. "Aye, and maybe eventually by more than just one."
His gaze shot back to hers at the comment. "Do you read minds? Because if so, I'm going to have to be more careful."
She snorted. "No, I can't read your mind. But you told me about your family, and it was clear how close you were. Much like I was close to my parents and sister. I think both of us want to fill those voids. Not to replace them, but to help share who we are—both past and present—with our children."
