“Two eggs? Two? You couldn’t just knock me up could you? Oh no, not you, you had to go double or nothing!”
“Better than a grand slam,” Odem replied, hastily backpedaling as I rolled off the couch and stalked his way. “Okay, okay not the time or place.”
“It will never be the time or place for you to joke about this!” I snapped. “What am I going to do with twins? How am I supposed to take care of them? What happens after I lay the eggs? Do I have to sit on them until they hatch? Oh my god, I’m going to wind up with bruises all over my ass…etsif that’s the case.”
That I’d managed not to swear in front of their High Priestess again was a miracle. I just hoped there wasn’t a rule about no bloodshed in front of her because I was fixing to carve pieces off him.
“Dragons don’t sit on their eggs,” Raven explained, calmly stepping between us while Odem stood with the corners of his lips twitching like he was about to laugh. “They do, however, create nests for them and spend a great deal of time turning them, keeping them warm, talking to them, singing to them, andletting the dragonets become accustomed to the sounds of their voices before they hatch.”
He’d better not laugh or so help me, he would pay more than I already planned to make him suffer.
“And Odem already has practice helping with nest building,” Emerson said. “Caro and I didn’t have ours ready, so Odem helped when I went into labor. He didn’t even run screaming when I lost my temper and started yelling that he and Caro weren’t doing it right.”
“So, he has experience making a mess of a nest,” I grumbled and watched the smile crumble off Odem’s face. “Joy. Thanks be to whoever is in charge of the universe for that one. Can he actually cook or is the deep-dish pizza he promised one that will arrive in a box and miraculously wind up in a pan with him attempting to pass it off as his own creation, ‘cause been there, done that, no repeats necessary, thank you.”
“Mates don’t lie to each other,” Alex explained, the jovial mood in the room having faded to one of somber looks and shocked expressions as they all stared at me. “They don’t try to deceive one another either. He’d never do that.”
“Let me make one thing perfectly clear to all of you,” I said, stomping my foot to make my point. “I might be knocked up by this overgrown, overly fertile doofus, but I am not now, nor will I ever be, his mate!”
Calm as could be, with my head held high, I stalked towards the nearest doorway, hoping like hell that it lead to the way out of this place.
Chapter Three
Odem
As soon as Ronan opened the door, he froze. “How the hell do I get home? Where even am I?”
“You’re at our compound,” Alex replied. “Are you sure you want to leave?”
“Compound? Am I trapped? Sherrif Larkin said I could trust the brothers and Ionus said I was free to go. Now, how the fuck to I get off psycho island?”
Emerson shook his head. “I get that you’re upset but what I don’t understand is why you’re so harsh and negative. Odem is one of the best men I know. I’d trust him not only with my life, but with my son’s. He’s the farthest thing from a doofus,” Ronan actually cringed when Emerson threw that back at him. “He’s a gentle, kind soul and he deserves to be treated as such.”
Go Emerson!
“I’ve never once questioned the Goddess before, but I am questioning her choice in mates for Odem.” Emerson kissed my cheek and I blew a raspberry on Cade’s as he held him and the sweet cherub giggled. The dragonets laughter warmed my heart. “You need to get in touch with whatever God or Goddess you pray to and ask for forgiveness for your less than desirable attitude.” Ronan stood there, mouth wide open while Emerson carried Cade right past him and out the door.
“Look man, I get it. I was sideswiped by Ionus when the whole mate thing went down between us, but I’ll tell you this much, I’ve never once regretted it.” Alex glanced at me and I shrugged. “If you expect to have any friends in this family, you better pull your head out of your ass real soon.”
I had a mate. He was mean. But hot, and all for me. “When can we get your stuff?”
“Get my stuff?”
“Yeah, move you in. Here. With me.”
“Odem,” Alex shook his head. “This isn’t helping your case.” Whatever. I wanted my mate here with me.
“Hell no. I am not moving in with you.”
“It’ll hurt being away from me.”
“Not as much as it will being with you,” Ronan sung back.
“Alright then, I’ve got a question for you. How did you find me today?”
Ronan scoffed. “I just followed your stench.”
Mate
