Page 43 of Alpha Dragon’s Mating Contract (Babies For Broken Dads #3)

BONDING AND BIRTH

Walren hadn’t anticipated it, but the longer he lived with Raptor, the more truths collected behind his teeth. All of the truths that he was too self-conscious to give voice to.

Until now.

Raptor was dangling a strawberry over Zebbie’s face, grinning as Zebbie tried to eat the juicy red fruit.

“Aww, aren’t you adorable? One day, you’re going to pounce on me and snatch the berry out of my very hands,” Raptor crowed.

“I was trying to teach him manners,” Walren protested.

“He’s not even two! Can they learn manners at this age?”

Walren huffed. “I hope so.”

Raptor produced another strawberry from somewhere, holding it in front of Zebbie. Zebbie grabbed for it, but Raptor held it out of his reach. “Say ‘please’, Zebs,” Raptor said firmly.

“Pea,” Zebbie said.

“Good boy.” Raptor handed the berry to him. “Now, say ‘Thank you’.”

Zebbie moved his mouth, distracted by the strawberry. When Raptor repeated his words, Zebbie said, “Ta you.”

Walren’s insides melted.

“Good boy,” Raptor said. “Now you get to munch on that berry and show it who’s boss!”

Walren laughed. “I wasn’t going to teach him that, either!”

“Fine.” Raptor grinned. “You’re his dad, after all.”

Walren hesitated. Now, his instincts said. “Actually...”

Raptor cocked his head, waiting.

“Well, before I get to the point,” Walren mumbled. “There’s something else I wanted to say.”

“What is it?”

“When I accepted your mating contract,” Walren mumbled, gesturing at his belly. “I hadn’t planned on this.”

Raptor scrunched his eyebrows. “No? But you said...”

“I know,” Walren said in a small voice. “I told you I had trouble conceiving, and that is the truth. But there was another truth, which is that I wasn’t willing to give up my baby, if you impregnated me. So I was on a contraceptive spell.”

Raptor looked at Walren’s round belly. “You didn’t want my baby?”

“I didn’t want to lose my baby to you.”

“I told you, I would gladly split the rights with you,” Raptor said earnestly.

“I didn’t know it then!”

“So what changed?”

“I forgot to refresh the spell,” Walren said awkwardly. “I was too exhausted to. So it failed, then you knotted me for a while and I got pregnant.” Walren squirmed uncomfortably, peeking up at his alpha. “Are you mad at me?”

“Well, not really.” Raptor rubbed Walren’s back. “You’re protective. I can see how it would translate to you being possessive over your babies.” He nipped Walren’s ear. “But we will be discussing contraceptives openly between us, moving forward.”

Walren bowed his head, his face burning. “Okay. I’m sorry. I just... I wanted you to know.”

Raptor cupped his cheeks, tipping his face up to kiss him on the lips. “I forgive you, sweetheart.”

It felt like a boulder had rolled off Walren’s chest.

Raptor dropped several more kisses on Walren’s face, until Walren finally relaxed.

Zebbie flung his half-eaten strawberry at Raptor. It smacked him in the cheek.

Raptor laughed. “Zebs! What was that for? Don’t throw food at me unless you want it gone.”

He leaned in and mussed Zebbie’s hair; Walren’s heart swelled again.

Walren swallowed several times. “Um, there was something else.”

Raptor gave him a curious look. “Oh! Yeah, you did say that. What is it, Walry?”

“Would you—” Walren wet his lips. “Would you like to be Zebbie’s dad, too?”

Raptor froze. His eyes grew wide. Then he stuck his pinky into his ear and tried to clean it. “Did I hear right?”

“Yes, you did.” Walren’s heart thumped. “I mean, you don’t have to be if you don’t want to.”

“Of course I want!” Raptor quivered. “Does that mean I can carry him and hug him and—”

“Yes. Everything you would do with this one.” Walren gestured at his belly.

Raptor gave a delighted roar. He scooped Zebbie up and lifted him high in the air, like the lion cub in that one children’s movie. “Behold the new crown prince, Zeb—Wait. What’s his actual name? It isn’t Zebbie, is it?”

“Zebbias, after my grandfather.”

“Crown Prince Zebbias—”

“You’re not a crown prince yourself,” Walren said dryly. But he pulled out his phone to take a picture of Raptor and Zebbie.

Something fluttered onto the grass when his phone came out of his pocket. It was a folded rectangle of white paper.

When Walren picked it up, his eyes grew wide.

It was the pickup line that he had lost months ago.

“Walry?” Raptor asked, looking over.

Walren’s heart was pounding. “I—” He choked a little. “I found the present I made for you.”

Raptor gasped and fell to his knees, Zebbie cradled safely in his arms. “For me?”

He let Zebbie crawl away on the grass, eagerly accepting his gift. Then he opened it.

Walren had to peek, because he had completely forgotten what he’d written.

If wishes were butts, I would let you blow mine every birthday when I blow out the candles. I think you would give my butthole a raspberry but that is totally okay, you’re more than welcome to put a ring on my ‘ring’.

Raptor shrieked.

Walren buried his face in his hands and groaned. “‘A ring on my ring’? ‘If wishes were butts’? That... That is so terrible!”

“But sweetheart!” Raptor clutched the scrap of paper to his chest, his eyes wide. “Did you... Did you just propose to me?”

Walren gaped. “H-how is that proposing? I just said you could, um, propose to me. ”

“You said you would wear my ring! You’re already agreeing to be bonded to me!”

Walren blushed deeply. “W-well, when you put it that way...”

Raptor tipped his head back, blowing a plume of orange flames into the air.

Then he turned to face Walren, holding his hands.

“I have been thinking for a while that we don’t need that mating contract between us anymore, because I want you to be in my life for real.

I want you to mate with me because you want it, and not because you’re contractually obligated to. ”

Walren nodded. “I want to mate with you. Anytime you need me to.”

Raptor beamed. “Really?”

“Yes. I—” Here, Walren drew a deep breath and gathered up his courage. “I love you, Rap. I have for a while now.”

Raptor made a low, pleased sound in his throat. “I love you too. With all my heart, with both my shifts, and with every inch of my cock.”

Walren’s heart swelled. Then he giggled, burying his face in Raptor’s neck. “Of course you had to mention your cock.”

“You especially love that part of me.”

Walren’s neck burned. “It just feels really good when you touch me with it.”

Raptor grinned with all his teeth. “So, Walry-babe. Will you be my mate?”

“Yes,” Walren said.

Raptor rumbled loudly, pressing a soft, reverent kiss to Walren’s lips. “Mine.”

“Yours,” Walren whispered, a part of his soul settling into place.

“Now, all we have to do is bind our fates.” Raptor rubbed Walren’s swollen belly with his large hands, frowning. “As long as you don’t go into labor while we’re walking the Circle.”

“We can always plan around it,” Walren said. “There are so many days to pick from that it won’t coincide.”

Raptor’s eyes grew wide. “Don’t go making assumptions, sweetheart! The universe doesn’t like that.”

Walren didn’t believe it, though. “That’s superstition. It’s not going to happen in—”

“No!” Raptor yelped, waving his hands nervously. “Walry, no!”

“—the middle of our bonding. What?”

Raptor buried his face in his hands, and groaned.

Walren knew something was wrong when Raptor frowned.

“What do you mean, a pigfly infestation?” the alpha said into his phone.

“Literally what it sounds like,” Raptor’s dad replied. “Pig-shaped flies invaded the Circle chamber and filled it with mud. We’ll need a month to clean it up.”

Raptor grimaced. “That’s cutting it close to Walren’s due date.”

“Nonsense,” his dad said. “That’s a month before his due date.”

Raptor sighed and exchanged a look with Walren. Walren nodded. “We’ll reschedule it for right after the cleanup crew is done. I really don’t want to risk things by holding it later.”

“Gotcha. Good talk, kiddo.”

“Rap, I’m really sorry to be calling you two days before your bonding ceremony, but you really can’t come down right now,” Raptor’s dad croaked over the phone.

Raptor eyed Walren. “What’s wrong?”

“Your papa and I caught the flu. I know you really want to get your bonding ceremony over with, but we don’t want to chance this spreading to Walren and the flight.”

Raptor groaned. “Alright. People take seven to ten days to recover from the flu, right? That’s way too close. Maybe after the birth?”

“Okay, we’ll get back to you about that.” Raptor’s dad sneezed.

A week before Walren’s due date, Raptor’s phone rang again.

Raptor groaned, picking it up. “What is it, Dad?”

“We’re being summoned to visit with the High Chancellor,” his dad said apologetically.

Raptor pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let me guess. It’s going to overlap with my planned bonding date.”

“Yes... It’s a three-month visit.”

“Fuck.” Raptor glanced at Walren; Walren knew what he was thinking.

That Walren had totally jinxed their bonding with his words.

“I haven’t jinxed it, there’s still time,” Walren said.

Raptor facepalmed. “Let’s schedule it for... four months after the birth, then. Fingers crossed.”

Raptor’s phone rang.

Both of them stared at it.

“Wanna make a bet?” Raptor asked dryly.

“Surely it can’t be another reschedule,” Walren whispered.

“Alright. Let’s see then.” Raptor answered the call. “Papa?”

“Hey, Rap. Sorry to bother you this late. I know we’ve talked about you holding your bonding ceremony after the High Chancellor visit...”

“But?” Raptor said suspiciously.

“We’re thinking of doing some upkeep in the Circle chamber after our visit with the Chancellor.

There are mineral deposits all over the cavern ceiling that we’re trying to sand away, before they fall and knock someone’s eye out.

They’ll definitely have grown to a dangerous size after the visit.

It would be nice if you could do your bonding before that. ”

Raptor sighed. “Before the Chancellor visit, you mean?”

“Yes.”