Page 39 of Destined Paranormals: Volume One

“Yes. I had to hunt to provide for my mate. Much the same as we do now. Konrad might be a dragon and quite capable of hunting for his own food, but he went into heat right after we claimed one another. Hours later. It was long and rough on him after everything he’d been through. I wanted him to recover more before we came back to the cottage. Sadly, that meant his dragon was already settled in for a long nap while the baby grew.”

The cottage in question came into view, and I could scent the bread they were baking in the air. I was certain the cottage hadn’t been nearly as clean as it now was in quite some time, if ever. But with Da and Konrad both needing to keep busy, they were either cleaning, cooking and baking, or sewing.

“Do you have your own cottage on the mountain I’ve not discovered?” Father asked. We’d reached our destination, and I helped Father remove the rope from the log.

“No. It’s a hidden cave.”

“A hidden cave?”

I nodded. I walked over to the back of the cottage and picked up the pair of axes we’d purchased on our very first trip to get supplies. As dragons, we could use our talons to dig into logs, and with the sheer size of us, it was easy to push trees over to use. We were selective, making sure to not harvest trees from just one area. But it was a tedious job, and we’d spent several months sleeping in our dragon forms and in makeshift shelters when we first arrived. I was thankful that I’d had somewhere to bring Konrad.

I handed Father his own axe and went to the far end of the log and started swinging. We would need to cut it into usable pieces before we could split it further.

“How long have you known about this cave?” Father asked. I stopped chopping and stared at my alpha father. He was irritated for whatever reason.

“I found it a few years after we arrived here.” I thought back about that evening briefly. It was windy, and I had just about been ready to head back to the cottage and hoped my fathers were finished with their mating for the night when I’d seen it.

“So you did not know of its existence when we first arrived?”

I shook my head. “How could I? We’d just arrived. I found it when I was flying one evening. When Konrad and I first arrived, I took him there so we could have a bit of privacy.”

Father seemed surprised. “Do you need privacy?”

My eyes widened. “You do realize we can hear the two of you, right? I have always heard you and Da in the evenings. Why do you think I spend so many evenings out?”

It seemed as if Father hadn’t considered that.

“Father, I understand that mating with your fated mate is a natural thing, and there is no shame in it. But when one doesn’t have their mate and has to listen to his fathers, it makes the longing all the more painful.”

Father looked off into the distance. “I apologize, Aleric. I should have let you search for him sooner. Your da and I will be more considerate of you and Konrad. I should have realized.”

I shrugged. “It is what it is. We’re not worried about it much. Konrad and I will want a bit of privacy eventually though. I’ve been searching the surrounding area, and I have found what I hope is the perfect spot for our own cottage. It’s only a bit of a walk from here, but it would provide Konrad his own house and room for our children.”

“Children?” Father asked.

“Yes. We hope to have more someday.”

I went back to swinging the axe, and when Father continued to stand there staring at me, I was about to give up working beyond dragging the log to the cottage when the back door opened. Da came out, and when I expected him to go to Father, he instead came to me and reached for my axe.

“Aleric, go inside and spend some time with your mate. He’s tired, but it’s nothing to worry about. It happens when carrying a baby. But he would enjoy being with you.”

Immediately, I was worried, despite what Da said.

“He’s all right? You’re sure?”

“Yes. It happens. He’s creating an entire new person. That takes a lot of energy. He’s sitting in front of the fire in your room. Perhaps you could talk to him while I talk your Father into going flying with me.”

I leaned down and kissed Da on the forehead. “I’ll do that. Thank you for watching out for him. I hate being away from him, but there are things that need to be done.”

“He’s a pleasure to be with, Aleric. Your mate is a treasure and a perfect addition to our family. Now, go. I am sure spending time with you will give him the boost he needs.”

I hurried into the cottage, the temperature difference quite a change from the outside. I pulled off my boots and left them by the back door so I wouldn’t track snow through the house.

It took moments for me to walk to our room, and I found Konrad exactly where Da had said he was. He was sitting on the floor, the trunk that had been at the foot of the bed moved over closer to the fire, and Konrad was leaning against it while reading a book. He had a blanket thrown over his legs, and that struck me as odd. I hurried over to my mate, kneeling down next to him.

“Are you all right? Da said you were tired.” I looked over Konrad, trying to see if I could notice anything that indicated he was unwell.

“I am. My own omega father slept often when he was carrying the twins. Egon sent me in here to relax, and I don’t wish to upset him, so here I am.”