Page 16 of Alpha Dragon’s Mating Contract (Babies For Broken Dads #3)

THE “EMERGENCY”

Walren was about to leap to his feet, when Raptor grabbed him by the waist and shoved him back down.

“We’re still knotted,” the alpha growled. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

For a second, Walren’s heart fluttered. Then his concern came rushing back. “But Zebbie!”

“We’re going to investigate it right now.” Raptor narrowed his eyes. “Don’t go running off on your own.”

He rolled easily to his feet, taking Walren with him. And now Walren was dangling from Raptor’s arms, his feet floating above solid ground. Raptor’s knot was still locked firmly inside him.

“Please don’t fly,” Walren said.

Raptor huffed. “Yeah, I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t.”

He took off running. At first, it felt weird because Walren had never been carried like this. Then he grew aware of Raptor’s knot rocking inside him with every step. Walren gritted his teeth, knowing now to anticipate each jolt of pleasure. His cock grew stiff, leaking precum everywhere.

Why was it responding during an emergency? Walren didn’t want to come!

His body had different ideas, growing tight and sensitive. “R-Raptor.”

“Yeah?” the alpha growled. His knot pushed against Walren’s prostate.

Walren gasped. “I-if you keep up this p-pace, I’m gonna—”

“Come, sweetheart.”

Raptor’s knot pressed deeper into him. Walren clutched at Raptor’s arms, coming helplessly.

“Hot,” Raptor said, his voice gravelly.

At the back porch, Raptor paused to grab his shirt, wrapping it around both their hips. Then he charged into the mansion.

“Hass?” Raptor bellowed.

“I’m fine! I’m just mortally wounded, ” the butler cried dramatically. “Quick, I need a pickup line to put my soul back into my body!”

Raptor snorted. “And that’s how I know you didn’t need rescuing, after all.”

“But my soul! It’s floating into the void! I’m dying! I’m—”

Hassel made a very fake retching sound.

“I’ve puked out my soul,” came a very small but pointed voice.

Raptor rolled his eyes and stomped into the kitchen.

A kangaroo lay sprawled on the floor, his tongue sticking out. Zebbie was halfway out of Hassel’s pouch, a smear of blood on his mouth.

“Zebbie!” Walren squeaked.

“It’s my blood,” Hassel croaked—still in that fake-hurt voice. “I’ve lost too much of it. I need help.”

Walren frowned. “Zebbie hurt you?”

“I didn’t know I had nipples in my pouch! I think Zebs ate mine. It’s gone. It’s lost forever,” Hassel wailed.

Raptor held Walren suspended over the kangaroo, pulling open his pouch to peek inside. “Looks like you’re completely intact. It’s just a nick with small teeth. Zebs isn’t a cannibal.”

“... Oh.” Hassel pretended to dry his fake tears. “Well, then.”

“Just because you can’t see into your own pouch doesn’t mean you can falsely blame someone else,” Raptor said dryly.

But Walren still felt bad. “I’m sorry! I didn’t realize Zebbie would hurt you. He’s never bitten me before.”

Raptor wasn’t fazed, though. To Hassel, he said, “Why did Zebbie even bite you?”

Hassel pouted. “I was trying to sing him a lullaby.”

Raptor sucked in a slow breath. “Please don’t tell me it was the one about toilets and people swinging through the jungle on toilet paper.”

The kangaroo looked so guilty, Walren felt bad for him.

“But Zebbie doesn’t understand words yet,” Walren pointed out.

“You don’t understand,” Raptor said severely. “It’s a song with so many clashing chords and warbling that no one can stand it. Babies too, apparently.”

“I just thought... If we started him off with cool music...” Hassel’s pout intensified.

“That song will never be cool music,” Raptor said. “It’s bottom-of-the-trash-can music.”

“I don’t know,” Walren said, eyeing the butler. “If you make big statements like that, it might come back to haunt you.”

Hassel’s eyes gleamed.

Uh oh, Walren thought.

“Anyway,” Raptor said, completely brushing it off. “We should get Zebbie cleaned up.”

Since they were still hovering over Hassel, Walren scooped Zebbie back into his arms. Raptor carried them upstairs to Walren’s room.

Walren had not noticed it earlier, but there was a fully stocked changing station in his room, too. There were diaper-changing supplies, baby creams and lotions, and even a colorful mobile above the changing station in case Zebbie needed a distraction.

But that wasn’t all. When Walren stepped closer, he realized that the diapers and lotions were all his preferred brands.

He stared. “How did you know what supplies I use?”

“Ah.” Raptor rubbed the back of his head. “I had Hassel interview your friend at the safe house—Killian? He was happy to tell us your favorite brands.”

Walren froze. He hadn’t exactly told his friends the details of this gig. All he had mentioned was him breaking into Raptor’s restaurant, and... him needing to avoid pregnancy. They were going to have so many words for him, weren’t they?

The upside to this situation was that only one friend could reach him right now; Ivo would have to cross the hedge maze that separated Ace’s mansion from Raptor’s.

That would be future-Walren’s problem.

“What do you think?” Raptor seemed to vibrate as he waited for Walren’s verdict. “Is the changing station satisfactory?”

“It’s good,” Walren said, his mouth twitching into a smile. “Thank you.”

Raptor straightened to his full height, puffing out his chest.

“I need the wipes, please,” Walren said.

Raptor gathered the baby wipes, holding Walren carefully as he set Zebbie down and cleaned his bloody face.

Zebbie looked up... and kept on looking up. Then he giggled.

What the hell was he looking at?

When Walren turned, he found Raptor making faces at his baby, with squinted eyes and a broad smile.

“I think Zebs likes this,” Raptor said, looking amazed.

Zebbie kicked his legs when Raptor crossed his eyes and waggled his tongue left and right.

Walren stared at his own son, feeling betrayed. “Zebs, you don’t even smile that much when I make faces at you!”

Zebbie blew spit bubbles and didn’t look away from Raptor’s face.

“He likes me!” Raptor crowed.

“That’s so unfair,” Walren grumbled, wiping down Zebbie and dressing him in a new set of clothes. “Zebs, he’s a total stranger!”

“Hey!” Raptor said. Then he crossed his eyes and made another face, only to have Zebbie giggle and grin toothily. “I’m sure he still loves you as his dad, pumpkin. I’m just the fun da—”

Raptor cut himself off, looking sheepish.

Walren turned slowly to stare at him.

“I’m just the fun daaa... Uh, dangly dragon?” Raptor said innocently. “Definitely not the fun dad or anything.”

Walren’s suspicion grew. “You’re not going to steal my baby, are you?”

Raptor remained quiet for a second too long. Before Walren could squawk, the alpha said, “If you stick around after you have my baby, we can be dads together.”

Walren gaped. “I’m your employee! That violates like ten HR laws!”

“Well, then it’s a good thing I’m on great terms with HR.” Raptor grinned wolfishly. “Besides, you’re not actually a regular employee.”

“Who is your HR manager, anyway?”

“Me!”

Before Walren could sink into despair, Raptor dropped a kiss on his nose.

“Don’t worry, Walry-babe, I’ll make sure you get the best deal on everything.”

“Even if you steal my baby?” Walren asked.

“I don’t have plans to steal Zebbie from you! Rather, I would steal both of you at the same time. Remember what we discussed about consensual kidnapping?”

Walren didn’t know what he had done in a past life, so that “consensual kidnapping” was a thing he discussed now.

“I’m still on the fence about it,” he growled.

“Good enough!” Raptor did a happy dance. “This is the perfect day.”

“This is not the perfect day.”

Raptor’s smile was all sharp teeth. “You didn’t feel that way fifteen minutes ago.”

Fifteen minutes ago, Walren had been drooling helplessly, writhing on Raptor’s knot.

“Oh, gods,” Walren whimpered, mortified.

“It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone,” Raptor whispered.

Walren tried to hide the grin that crept onto his face. He was about to discard the bloodied wet wipes when his nose twitched; Zebbie had just pooped.

He sighed. “I have to change Zeb’s diapers. You might not want to watch.”

“Pssh! If you’re making me a baby, then I need to learn,” Raptor said earnestly. “Maybe you’ll let me practice?”

Walren spluttered. Raptor wanted to get involved in childcare? He wanted to practice?

Outside of his new circle of friends, Walren hadn’t heard of many alphas who would do that much for a baby.

“Not right away,” Walren said slowly. “But maybe after you’ve seen it a few times.”

Raptor cheered, bouncing on his feet. In doing so, he bounced Walren along with him. Walren had to elbow him to make him stop moving.

For the next several minutes, Raptor watched keenly over Walren’s shoulder as he changed Zebbie’s diapers. “I think I’ve got it. Oh! I know! I’ll follow you around as your student, and get some hands-on practice. By the time you’re ready to birth our baby, I’ll be ready to be a dad!”

Walren was not telling Raptor about the spells in his backpack.

Besides, it was oddly touching that Raptor wanted to learn.

Raptor watched as Walren dressed Zebbie. Then he wriggled his fingers at the baby and smiled; Zebbie smiled back and kicked his feet.

“Awww, he’s adorable,” Raptor cooed. “I want one just like him.”

Walren hesitated, his resolve melting a little. Raptor really did seem to want a baby.

“How did you get all these together so quickly?” he asked to stop his thoughts from straying. “The crib, dresser, and supplies. There wasn’t anything about a baby in the original contract; you had to write it in yourself. And yet by the next morning, you have everything that Zebbie and I need.”

Raptor shifted on his feet, looking vaguely self-conscious. “Well... Remember when I said Ace had a car seat and I had to have one too?”

“Yeah...?”

“He also got a crib, and baby clothes, and stuff.” Raptor’s face turned pink. “So I got them too.”

Walren stared at the alpha, at the way Raptor couldn’t meet his eyes. There was something really adorable about him that Walren couldn’t help noticing. And now he couldn’t unsee it.

“How long have you wanted a baby?” Walren murmured.

Raptor shrugged, scuffing his feet against the floor. “A while.”

Walren swallowed. He knew he shouldn’t encourage Raptor, especially when he wasn’t willing to give the alpha his next child.

The words fell out of his mouth anyway.

“You should prove that you’re committed to being a dad.”

Raptor looked up, his eyes growing wide. “How? I have the crib and car seat, I have the diapers...” He paused, then gasped. “I haven’t made you a nest!”

Walren stared. “What?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Raptor said thoughtfully to himself. “I need to make you a nest so you can sit in it and grow a baby.”