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“I think we’re going to make the sitting room the nursery. You know the little room upstairs in our bedroom? When the baby’s older, they’ll take the next floor down. That’s where the children’s rooms could be.”

“Could be?” Hawk felt his one eyebrow raised as if it had a mind of its own. “The children’s.”

“Well, yes.” His dear Cosmo looked very sure of himself. “I can’t imagine growing up alone. It’s unfathomable.”

Now that made total sense. Of course Cosmo couldn’t imagine it. He’d never been alone for one moment, pre-birth or after.

Hawk had been alone so long that sometimes he forgot to talk for hours. Cosmo would poke him, and in his head, he would think he’d said everything that was in his head, only to find out he hadn’t even moved in an hour or more.

“I like that idea,” Hawk said. “Children.”

“Well, sure. Alphas love kids.” Cosmo said that as if it made all the sense in the world as well. Maybe he was speaking from his recent experience with the clutches who had gone through the veil. “You don’t have to have them. You just have to put up with pregnant omegas.”

“I want to have all the children with you, my love.” He grinned. They would figure things out. That was his job as the alpha. And for now, Hawk was certain Bakli was correct.

It seemed ridiculous to borrow trouble and to not be able to enjoy his time with Cosmo, watching his mate’s body change and enjoying the process. It was something he’d never done in all his long life, after all.

He was ready to have a new life, new experiences, a new family in every sense of the word.

Cosmo leaned on him, holding his hand.Are you okay?

I am amazing. So is the cheese.

Cosmo laughed, and Bakli gave him a broad wink, and Hawk felt… better. More centered. Less worried. Fate would give him what it would, and if he never got more than this family and this house?

He could be the happiest dragon who ever lived.

Chapter

Twenty

Uncle Cosmo. Come and play.

Cosmo had gone out to see the dragons and get some fresh tomatoes, kiss the babies, maybe see the boss, if he wasn’t busy. Jules was pregnant again, and Gavin was busy becoming mayor of the town or something.

Regardless, Cosmo was craving fresh tomatoes, and the ones that came from the grocery delivery just weren’t as good. It was winter in the human world, and everything was hothouse and just unpleasant, but he knew that Myk would have ripe tomatoes.

Uncle Cosmo, come and play.Kynan and Katrina—everyone called them the kibbles and bits—stood together, looking for all the world like exact replicas of one another, even though one was a boy and one was a girl.

They had given up their human forms altogether, it seemed, once the human world had been closed to them, and they sparkled, bright orange and floating without even moving their wings. They were a sight to behold in the sunshine.

“Kynan, Katrina, how are you? What are we playing?”

They twined their tails together, heads tilting, smiles almost vicious as they turned their gaze to little Stella, who was flying around Penny and Cali near the snapdragons. “Bite the changeling.”

He waggled his finger at them. “You two be nice to Stella. I won’t have that. That’s not kind. What would your fathers think?”

They rolled their eyes and cackled a little bit. “You’re supposed to be fun.”

“No, not me. That’s my brother. Cullen’s the fun one.”

In his head, he heard.Yes, but you see things like we do. You see the things that will be.

He could tell that they were used to overwhelming other dragons with their joint will.

But much like little Stella, who the twins were viciously jealous of, he did have access to the well of peace that somehow came with being partially fae.

“Mmm. I do. But that’s not a reason to be mean.” He held out his arms. “Come and don’t bite me. I want to go get tomatoes.”