“Thanks, beloved, but I have to ask—where am I going to put this all?”
"Don't worry. I'll help you finish it," Roarke said with a grin and a lick of his lips.
I laughed at his antics. A sharp pain pierced my belly. Dropping the plate in my hands, I let out a quiet scream.
"Devin!" Roarke yelled as I clutched my abdomen.
I didn't know what was happening; the pain was greater than any I had ever felt. It was sharp and deep; it took all that I had to concentrate. Shouting and movement swirled all around me as I tried to manage the pain. Roarke scooped me in his arms and ran up the stairs, following the Alpha wolf.
"It's going to be alright, love. It's going to be alright," Roarke repeated. "Where the fuck is Addison?" he bellowed.
"H-hurts, Roarke," I said through clenched teeth.
“I know, baby. It will be okay, don't worry.” Roarke tried to soothe me, even though he had a twinge of worry in his voice.
Addison rushed into the room and tried to touch my stomach; Roarke snarled at his brother. Roarke's eyes had started to glow, and red scales appeared on his arms. His dragon was close to the surface.
"Easy, brother, I need to see what is going on. I mean no harm to your Cardia," Addison said in a soft tone, trying to ease his brother's dragon.
I grabbed Roarke's arm and turned his attention to me. He nodded, and Addison lifted my shirt as another shot of pain ripped through me; I tensed and called out in another breathless scream.
"Breathe, Devin, it's time. The mark is opening. Your sons want to make an appearance. Breathe," Addison said calmly.
How the hell could he be so calm? I felt like I was dying. Ben was right. This was some fucked up magic, and it hurt like a son of a bitch. Why couldn’t the magic make it painless, damn it? I took a deep breath.
"Roarke, the mark is almost fully open. You're going to need to grab your sons," Addison said firmly.
I didn't know if I could take much more. I felt pressure as Roarke moved his hands into my belly. He pulled out a little bundle. A light red glow surrounded the baby, and he had a shock of fire-engine red hair. The sound of a smack and then a baby's cry shrilled through the air. I cried as another wave of pain hit me. His brother wanted out.
“You need to deliver the other one, Roarke,” Addison said, holding out his hands to his brother. Roarke placed our firstborn in his brother's hands, who quickly cleaned him and wrapped him in a blanket.
“It’s okay, Cardia. It will be over in a moment,” Roarke said softly.
I felt the pressure of Roarke's hands again as he pulled out our other child. I tried to look, but a blinding light shot across my abdomen. Immediately the pain was gone. I looked again, and the mark had disappeared, and my midsection went back to how it had been before I’d gotten pregnant.
Amazing, I thought.
I quickly looked for my babies. Roarke had a stunned look on his face, as did his brother.
"What's wrong?" I asked in a panic. Was something wrong with my sons?
"I-it's a girl," he said, astonished.
I blinked a few times. A girl? How was that possible?
'A girl? B-but I thought… I thought dragons were only ever male," I stuttered, reaching for her.
Roarke laid her in my arms. She had light brown hair with splashes of blond, a tiny little nose, rosy cheeks, and golden-green eyes. She was beautiful, and for the first time in my long life, I fell in love with a girl.
"They are, but she's a girl, and she's a dragon of the Gold caste," Roarke said, still staring in astonishment.
"And this big boy is a dragon of the Red caste," Addison said, placing my son in Roarke's arms.
I looked at Roarke, and I saw the love shining in his eyes.
I love you, my Cardia, he whispered through our bond.
I love you too, my beloved, I replied.I know we decided on Ronan and Reade for names. We can still use Ronan for our little girl.
