“I want that picture,” Ottis blurted.
Doc beamed. “You do?” When Ottis nodded, Doc sat straighter. “I’m going to start on your nest once I’ve had some sleep.”
A secret thrill shot through Ottis. “Do you already know what you’re building? I mean, you said it’s a nest. But is it going to be round or square, or shaped like an ass?”
“YES,” Hijinks roared, flinging out his arms as he twirled around the living room. “It will be shaped like an ass, because it’ll be a Butt-Cart Probe Master master-baiting masterpiece.”
Doc gave a sigh of prolonged suffering.
“That was... actually pretty good,” Ottis said.
“Not you too,” Doc groaned.
“Fill the nest with pickup lines,” Hijinks whispered.
Doc pointed at his butler. “I’m ejecting you from this conversation.”
Hijinks lit up gleefully. “You’reejaculatingme from this conversation. I will shoot out, all pale and watery, to be splattered across the surface of your choice.”
Ottis couldn’t help it. He snickered. Doc shot him a betrayed look that was obvious even with his mask on.
“Eat your peppers,” Doc grumbled. He unwrapped a package and pressed a new pepper into Ottis’ hand. This pepper was small, smooth, and red. It looked so innocent.
Except the first bite sent hot tingles straight to his brain. He belched a mouthful of orange flames.
Marcie giggled and kicked her legs; Doc rumbled with pride.
“This might be the best part of a dragon pregnancy,” Ottis said, his breath catching.
Up until now, he hadn’t quite believed it was happening. The nausea and fatigue could have been due to an illness. But breathing fire was definitely not, and it was obvious that his body was changing.
“I can’t wait to see your belly swell,” Doc murmured. “Five months ‘til we meet this child.”
“More like four, since wolf pregnancies are three months. Four would be the average.”
“Even better,” Doc said.
Ottis shivered at the heat in his gaze.
“Here, try one of these.” Doc handed him a round, wrinkled pepper. This one was dark red, and it looked dangerous.
Ottis popped it into his mouth and chewed. Pleasure burst through him; sparks fizzed in his belly. The longer the pepper sat in his stomach, the more heat it gathered, until it pushed out of him in a blaze of the hottest blue flames.
Ottis made a strangled sound. What if he burned down the entire mansion? Especially now that the inferno was licking the high ceiling?
He tried to suck the flames back in, but they kept pouring out of him.
“That’s beautiful,” Doc growled, his wide eyes lit up by Ottis’ flames. The alpha lifted Marcie into the air; Marcie reached into Ottis’ fire breath.
For a terrifying moment, Ottis panicked. Except Marcie’s tiny fingers stayed whole and intact, wriggling as she tried to grasp a ribbon of flame.
“Doc!” Ottis squeaked, the flames sputtering.
“Sorry, sorry.” Doc looked sheepish. “I should have warned you first. I really am sorry.”
“Just give me a warning next time,” Ottis grumbled.
“I’ll make it up to you. Anything you want.”
