“Nope, only male so they mate with males…”
“They’re all gay?” asked Norm.
“Yes!” exclaimed Kieran. “That’s why the baby shower should have both a pink and blue theme!”
“Perfecto!” exclaimed Theo. “Pink and blue it’ll be. Maybe we should figure out who is going to get what so there aren’t any duplicate gifts.”
“Good idea, pooh bear,” said Norm. “I’ll make a list of all the baby stuff they need and everyone can sign up for what they want to give.”
“That’s a great idea,” agreed Kieran. “Just a reminder there’ll be five little sea dragons to buy for. Logan and I are designing the nursery…”
“You didn’t tell me that!” cried Theo.
“Well I’m telling you now so put us down for all the furniture needed…you know, cribs, changing tables, chests, rocking chairs…did I forget anything?Macushla,can you think of anything else they’ll need. Oh, and we’ll do the bedding too since I want it to match the colors in the room which I don’t know yet because we haven’t done the design yet,” Kieran bubbled.
“Hey bro, that is mighty generous of you,” sniggered Colton.
“Fuck off, bro,” Logan shot back. Then, turning to his mate, said, “Babe, hate to interrupt but it’s time for us to leave.” Rising, he held out a hand for Kieran. “Theo, Norm and Fionn, I’d prefer you don’t leave the hotel, but if you do, tell Groose where you’re going and have him detail some enforcers to go with you.”
“How long will you be gone?” asked Fionn.
“Three, maybe, four hours. Call if there’s a problem,” Logan said, and was gone.
~/~/~/~/~
Climbing out of the car, Reif glanced quickly around and, seeing nothing amiss, unlocked the cottage door and stepped inside, throwing his hat on a hook. Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator, he flopped down on the couch and waited. Smiling grimly, he knew the man would show up soon since Reif had been gone for the last couple of days. Even though he told Nessie the man wasn’t dangerous, he’d only said it to keep his mate out of harm’s way.
Glancing around the living room, he saw the empty tabletop where his documents had been piled and wondered if the man had been back in his absence and also noticed it. He hoped not, because what would he think?Nothing good, that’s for sure.Getting up, Reif threw away the empty bottle, then scrounged around for something to eat. Ever since his sea dragon became pregnant, his appetite had increased tenfold. Just this morning his smirking mate watched as he consumed enough food to feed an army of shifters.
Now he was hungry again. Sighing, Reif dug around in the cupboards finding a bag of chips, a half-eaten box of crackers and a package of chocolate chip cookies. Gathering them up, along with several bottles of water, he headed back to the couch, satisfied he could at least silence the growling in his stomach for a little while.
~/~/~/~/~
It was the second time Logan had been out on Brian’s boat and he was much more relaxed than he’d been before. Sitting in the stern with Kieran snuggled in his arms, Logan was enjoying the natural beauty of the loch and its environs. While he was happy about going home, it surprised him how much he’d become attached to Scotland, and to Brian, Angus, Reif, and even Morgan.
“We will be back, macushla,” Kieran murmured, leaning his head against his mate’s chest.
“Yeah, we will. I’m just surprised how much it’s grown on me…just as Ireland did. Maybe when we come back, we can stop there for a few days.”
“Oh,macushla, that would be super, especially if squirt has been born. I want to take him to see my mother’s grave,” Kieran said softly, a tear running down his cheek.
Using his thumb to wipe it away and hugging his mate, Logan whispered, “Let’s plan on doing that.” Looking up, Logan realized Brian had slowed down and then put the engine in neutral. “Hey, are we here?”
Handing the wheel to Slate, Brian answered. “Ay. I’m going into the water to shift. Taking the metal box that contained the diamond, he put it into a small duffle bag. Tying the bag closed with some rope, he left a big loop hanging free from the end. “Reif will need this to bring it up,” he explained.
Slipping the loop over his head, Brian nodded at Logan, then slid over the side of the boat disappearing under the water.
~/~/~/~/~
Rarely was Oracle summoned to meet with the Fates, but it appeared that they were anxious to speak with her in person after learning that none of the sea dragons, except Reif, had claimed their Fated Mates in over a thousand years. Standing silently, head bowed, Oracle waited, unsure why she was there, since her report to them included everything she knew.
“Oracle, dear, come sit next to me.” Clotho patted the space beside her.
“Thank you,” Oracle murmured, and sat down.
“We read your report,” said Lachesis, “and we thank you for it, but are very confused by this line here.” She pointed to the one she was referring to.
“Ahh, yes,” Oracle said. “According to Reif, none of the sea dragons found any of the Fated Mates you had given them during the last thousand years. It was surprising, but after learning about the visiting witches and vampires, I am almost certain a spell was cast to prevent it from happening. I have asked my friend Mystia for help in confirming this.”
