“That’s fine.”
“Are you sure I’m not leaving you short-staffed?”
“I got it, Son. We’re fine here.”
I got up and came around the desk as he stood. I put my arms around him. He hugged back. Tight.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“No need to thank me,” he said. “You’re the one giving me grandchildren.”
***
My first day of paternity leave, I got up feeling happy and focused. It was family time now, and when those babies came, they would have three fathers to love and care for them.
Kyle carried two eggs. Two little ones would be joining us in a few short months. I couldn’t wait to find out if they would be dragons, wolves, or bears, or some combination of that.
I rubbed Kyle’s stomach under the covers until he woke. He turned on his side to face me and rested his head on my chest.
“Mmm. That feels good. You’re here and not rushing off to work.”
“Yep. No work until whenever I’m ready to go back.”
“I love having you here.” Kyle rubbed his soft hair against my neck. “I want to share this time with you and Griffith.”
“I didn’t know you missed me so much.”
“I know you love your work. I didn’t want to say anything.”
Guilt seeped into me. I kissed the top of his head and, when he lifted his face to mine, I kissed his succulent lips.
Griffith grunted as he woke and turned in the bed to face us. “Oh, is this what we’re doing?”
We all laughed.
The midwife told us making love was good for Kyle. It wouldn’t hurt the eggs, and as the time for him to lay the eggs came closer, it would keep his muscles supple and warm.
Okay, then. No complaints from me.
Morning sex became our daily ritual.
If it was warm out, we swam. Sometimes, we visited Father and Dad.
Shifting with the eggs was allowed, and I soared the endless New Mexico skies in our shifter territory while a wolf and a bear tussled beneath me. When I was done flying, I let my dragon nuzzle his wolf and bear underwing. Then we’d shift back to human and go out for a lavish meal.
My dragon was no longer restless. He spoke to me often, excited about the “new young” as he called them.
One day, he made a request. He wanted to nuzzle Kyle underwing in his human form.
Kyle loved the idea. Griffith joined us.
I shifted, and my two mates came under my wings and sat with me for about two hours. While they talked, my beast went into a kind of trance.
Nuzzling my mates makes me high.
That was news to me.
Every day, we all learned new things about each other and our beasts.
