Page 26 of Alpha Dragon’s Mating Contract (Babies For Broken Dads #3)

“Are you going to make it your phone background?” Walren blurted. Anything had to be better than his hole right there on Raptor’s phone.

Hassel’s smile was full of terrible intent. “Let me caption it with a pickup line.”

“Oh no,” Walren groaned.

“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Raptor said, rubbing Walren’s back. “I trust Hassel’s taste.”

Which meant the caption would be utterly horrifying.

Hassel tapped excitedly on his phone. Then Raptor’s phone buzzed, and Walren cringed.

“I don’t know if I want to know,” Walren said.

Raptor checked his phone, a smile exploding across his face. “Oh! It’s perfect!”

“What... kind of pickup line did he choose?” Walren asked warily. “I’ve seen some in 699 Pickup Lines. They’re... not what I would use.”

Raptor smirked and tapped on his phone, keeping it angled away so Walren couldn’t see. “I’ll show it to you when you’re ready to look, Walry-babe.”

Walren was sure he would never be ready, not even in his next life.

That night, Walren had a nightmare.

In it, he was in his old apartment, trying out a new recipe with instructions that were too blurry to read. Larei had thrown it at him and demanded he make it.

No matter what Walren did, the dish kept tasting terrible.

He was in the middle of chopping some onions when Larei stepped into the kitchen, his face scrunched in disgust.

“What is that smell?” Larei sneered.

“It’s this recipe,” Walren said. “I followed the instructions!”

“Did you really? Or did you read them wrong? You worthless lump of an omega!”

Larei didn’t even look at the recipe. He grabbed the pot of bubbling stew and poured it on Walren. Then he picked up a knife, aiming for Walren’s leg.

Walren woke with a choked-off scream, tears streaming down his cheeks. For a moment, he thrashed around, his limbs tangled in the sheets.

I need to get away! Larei’s going to—

Larei was not here. This wasn’t the old apartment.

Walren closed his fists around the silky, luxurious sheets. Larei would never spend his precious money on things like this for Walren.

In the darkness, he saw a sturdy crib, and Zebbie sleeping peacefully in it.

They were in Raptor’s mansion. Everything was quiet around them.

Walren drew slow, deep breaths, trying to calm himself. It took a while. He wrapped himself tight in the sheets, only noticing then that his bad leg was hurting. When he tried to rub it with his other foot, the ache didn’t go away.

Maybe it would fade if he waited long enough.

Walren pulled the huge, fluffy pillow over his head, burying his damp face against the mattress.

Ten minutes later, he was still awake. His leg hurt more than ever, phantom pains firing up and down from the dream. I don’t dare to fall asleep, he realized. I don’t want to see Larei in my dreams again.

You can always come to me if you’re feeling scared, Raptor had said. It doesn’t matter what time it is. I’ll make sure you’re safe.

Did he really mean that?

For a long time, he debated whether he should take Raptor up on it. Then his leg gave another painful twinge.

Walren struggled out of the tangled sheets. He limped quietly out of his room and headed to the double doors at the end of the hallway, hesitantly knocking on Raptor’s door.

He was about to knock again when the sheets inside rustled. “Walry?” Raptor mumbled.

Walren wet his lips nervously. “I can’t sleep.”

“Well, what’re you waiting for? Come on in.”

Walren slipped into the room, feeling naked in his pajamas. Raptor was sitting up in his giant bed, rubbing his face.

The alpha raked his gaze up and down Walren’s body. “What’s wrong?”

Walren winced. “I had a nightmare.”

Raptor was already turning down his covers, making space for Walren in his bed. Walren’s heart fluttered as he crawled in, hesitating next to the alpha.

Raptor’s gaze was soft and patient. “Would you like a hug?”

Walren nodded. He found himself engulfed in a huge hug the next moment, strong arms holding him close.

His breath shuddered out of him. “This feels good.”

“Yeah?” Raptor rubbed his back. “Is there anything else I can do to make it better?”

Walren wet his lips. “My leg hurts.”

“The bad one?”

Walren nodded.

Raptor laid his hand on Walren’s thigh, slowly stroking down to his calf. “Tell me if it’s too much.” Then he rubbed Walren’s leg more firmly, pressing his fingertips into the knotted muscle.

With every pass of his hand, the ache in Walren’s leg faded. He slumped against Raptor’s chest, breathing out. “That feels so good.”

“Good,” Raptor growled.

He nuzzled Walren and held him close, rubbing Walren’s leg until Walren was dozing off on his shoulder.

“Here, I’ll tuck you into bed,” the alpha murmured.

“Mmm.” Walren was barely aware of Raptor laying him down, spooning him from behind, enveloping him in a cocoon of strength.

He didn’t have any more bad dreams that night.

Over the next five days, things fell into a routine.

Walren would wake up in Raptor’s bed. Raptor would cook them all breakfast, including some soft food for Zebbie. Then the alpha would work on Walren’s nest in the front yard, while Walren and Zebbie played in the grass as gazelles.

When it was time to head to Nood’s Good, Walren and Zebbie would tag along with Raptor. Raptor’s staff were back on schedule, so Walren spent most of his time in Raptor’s office, entertaining Zebbie.

On the sixth day, things changed.

Walren was secretly munching on a granola bar during lunch hour, when Raptor stepped into the office.

Walren startled.

Raptor froze in the doorway. Then his gaze dropped to Walren’s hand. “What’re you eating?”

“A... granola bar?”

“Why?” Raptor asked, scandalized. “Sweetheart, I can make you any food you want! Even if it’s just some blanched leafy vegetables, or a salad.”

Walren blushed. “I didn’t want to bother you; you’re busy out there.”

Raptor frowned deeply. “You’re my priority. I will happily drop everything to cook you lunch.”

“I don’t want to cause a disruption.”

The alpha crossed the tiny room to loom over Walren, who was seated in his office chair.

If Raptor were any other alpha, Walren’s senses would be screaming at him to flee. But right now, all he felt was an expectation—that Raptor would say something disapproving, but he was ultimately no threat to Walren.

“I want to make food that will make you smile,” Raptor said quietly, curling his hands lightly around the chair’s armrests. “Will you let me?”

“You could be serving other customers,” Walren mumbled.

Raptor sighed. “This restaurant is a hobby, sweetheart. I can afford to let a few customers wait a lil longer.”

Walren waited for the alpha to change his mind, but Raptor didn’t. He kept watching Walren expectantly, hope glimmering in his eyes.

“Okay,” Walren finally said. “I’m hungry.”

Raptor lit up. “What do you feel like eating?”

“I... don’t know.”

“Why don’t you come with me to the kitchen? If you see a dish that you like, point it out, and I’ll make it for you.”

“Is there a limit on what I can ask for?”

“Nope. As many dishes as you want, as crazy as you want, until you’re full.”

It was an incredibly generous offer. Raptor looked sincere, and Walren had been hungry too many times to pass it up. “Okay.”

He gathered Zebbie into his arms and followed Raptor out of the office. The alpha had Walren sit at a tiny table out of everyone’s way, where he could see all the delicious dishes being prepared.

Raptor went back to his station. There, he became a flurry of spatulas and fire, his movements quick and practiced. A different chef, Big Bob, stepped into Walren’s line of sight. Bob grabbed a cup of savory egg custard from a steamer rack—there had to be a hundred of the same in there.

The egg custard looked really good. And it was already cooked, so Raptor wouldn’t have to spend extra time on it for Walren.

Walren fidgeted when he realized he couldn’t approach Raptor—the other chefs were moving around the kitchen, and Walren would only get in their way.

Raptor had good hearing, though.

Walren wet his lips and said quietly, “Can I have an egg custard?”

Raptor turned toward him with a smile. “Of course.”

He finished plating his dish, then came over to grab a cup from the steamer tray. With his bare hands.

“The Japanese call this chawanmushi, which translates to ‘steamed in a tea bowl’. It’s a delicate, savory egg custard, with pieces of shrimp and mushroom. Careful, it’s hot.” Raptor set down the teacup along with a spoon.

“Thank you,” Walren said gratefully.

“Anytime, sweetheart.” The alpha leaned in to nuzzle Walren’s hair. Then he grinned and returned to his cooking.

Walren was so hungry, he almost inhaled the steamed egg. He expected it to burn his tongue.

But his taste buds were still intact, even as he ate the final steaming mouthful.

Why am I not burning my tongue...?

Before Walren could contemplate that, he glimpsed a huge green chili pepper on a plate.

It looked oddly delicious. Walren frowned and studied the bowls of ramen being prepared, but nothing else called to him quite as loudly as the pepper did.

Then a server took the pepper away, delivering it to a patron.

Walren almost cried. “No!”

But why? I don’t even like spicy food!

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Raptor asked halfway across the kitchen.

“I want that big green pepper,” Walren mumbled. “I don’t know why.”

Raptor looked at him curiously. Then he went to the produce fridge and retrieved a green pepper, roasting it on the grill.

The spicy fumes tickled Walren’s nose; he sneezed. Zebbie giggled and stuck his fingers into Walren’s nostrils.

When Raptor came over with the green pepper on a plate, he was laughing. “Did Zebs find treasure in your nose?”

Walren groaned and pulled Zebbie’s questing fingers away. “No! But thank you for the pepper.”

“Anytime. It’s spicy,” Raptor warned. “And hot off the grill. Be careful.”

Walren nodded. He was stuffing the pepper into his mouth before he knew it, moaning at the tingles busting across his tongue. Had his body always reacted to spicy food like this?

He swallowed the bites of pepper, warmth growing in his stomach.

Then he burped, and orange flames shot out of his mouth.