“All are viable,” he announced, “and there are indeed two whelps developing in our pretty marble egg.” The grin fell from his face. “You know how dangerous this is, right?”
Geoffrey looked at Ian, who nodded solemnly.
“Yes,” Geoffrey said, his voice coming out as a hoarse croak.
“Explaintout de suite,” Matthieu said. He had covered his nakedness with a blanket and had all five eggs cradled in a nest made by his bent legs. He stroked each one while he spoke.
Geoffrey opened his mouth and nothing at all came out. Words failed him, and words never failed him.
Ian, as usual, came to his rescue. “Kitten, when the council finds out about the eggs, they will not be happy. You are officially mated to me, but you bore Amethyst eggs. Not only that but… the twins. They are incontrovertible proof that you were taken by two dragons during one heat in close succession.”
“Or simultaneously,” Everard added, sounding innocent and looking anything but.
“Yes. Well. This is going to make no one happy.”
“But us,” Matthieu said, but it was almost a question, and the fear in him threatened to suffocate Geoffrey. He needed to be strong but he, himself, was also so afraid.
“But us,” he said, trying to make his voice sure for Matthieu’s sake.
“But us,” echoed Ian. “We’re a family and nothing can change that. Ever. But this will threaten how most dragons see the world. You have brought forth the impossible. It’s a miracle, Matthieu, but miracles can be frightening as well as wonderful. We’ll need to be very careful.”
Geoffrey shook his head. “Careful isn’t good enough. We will need to plan.”
Everard cocked his head to the side. “What are you thinking, baby brother? You’ve got your ‘hatching a plot’ face on. It’s the sort of look you always get when you’re gearing up to talk Father into doing something he doesn’t care to do.”
His brother wasn’t wrong. As they’d grown up, each brother had found his niche. Sebastian was the strong one, Reynard their security and computer expert, Hugh always dreamed of finding his perfect mate, Bertram idolized their sire and wanted to be just like him, Everard was their healer and irritant rolled into one, and Alistair was the family pet, the one they always worried about and tried to protect. At various times, Geoffrey had been the one they’d all turned to when they’d needed to get Father on their side, because no one could persuade quite like Geoffrey. Reynard had once said that Geoffrey won arguments much like the very best thieves stole treasure: without the victim even knowing that he’d lost something.
Geoffrey thought it was one of the best and truest compliments he’d ever received.
“We can’t keep this secret. I know we talked about trying to buy time before the whelps were hatched, but it won’t work. This will get out unless we keep Matthieu our prisoner for a year, and I’m not willing to do that. Our only choice is to convince the council that our eggs are too important and precious to destroy.”
“You have a plan, don’t you, my love? I can almost feel it,” Ian said. He reached for Geoffrey’s hand. “You know this’ll be hard.”
“I don’t care,” Matthieu said. “We fight. No one will take my eggs or my freedom from me. No man, no woman, and nodragon terrible.Do you understand?” He tightened the circle of his legs to draw the eggs closer. “I will kill any who try.”
Ashley honked in solidarity.
Everard shook his head. “Ruby omegas and their pets,” he muttered, clearly forgetting his own mate’s iguana.
“I know it’ll be hard,” Geoffrey said, “but the alternative is unthinkable. We will make the council decide in our favor. No other outcome is acceptable.”
Ian drew Geoffrey closer to him. He leaned his head against Geoffrey’s arm. Geoffrey always thought of Ian as the strong one—the “real” alpha, the one who was perfect in every way that Geoffrey was flawed. He saw now, though, through the bonds he shared with his mates that neither considered him weak or inferior or less. He was theirs and they had faith in him.
“So we fight,” Ian said.
“We fight,” Matthieu agreed.
“Here we go again,” sighed Everard. When the men glared at him, he held up his hands in mock surrender. “Don’t give me that look. You know we’re in. You couldn’t keep Harry away from this, and someone has to keep my little praline alive.”
“I heard that,” came a muffled voice from the other side of the door. “And of course we’ll fight. But we need the others.” Harry opened the door and stuck his head in. “I think we should start with family.”
“Which family?” Everard asked. “Involving the bronze disasters in this will likely kill us all, and I don’t think we should start with Father. Not yet.”
“Good lord, no. We start a bit closer to home than that,” Geoffrey said, looking at Matthieu and wondering what the cousins would make of each other. “I remember a time when I persuaded the council to sanction a forbidden clutch from the goodness of my own heart. It’s time to ask for the favor to be returned.”
“Iggy!” Harrison cried out. “Exactly!” He beamed at them. “A family reunion. This is going to be so much fun!”
31
