Page 24 of Emerald Waves (Primordial Protectors #2)

Chapter Sixteen

Emerson

Caro wasn’t kidding when he said he’d carve another desk in the cave so we could work together.

Every day for the last two weeks he’d spent getting the horde just right while I documented everything I could remember from the Merdragon encounter.

I couldn’t wait for our next visit with them.

I still had a million questions left to ask.

“There, just right.” Caro smiled at me across the desktop, which as he promised, ours now sat face to face in the middle of our horde. I loved being surrounded by the rehabilitated sea life. My mate truly had a huge heart even if he’d hidden it from others for centuries.

“Are the landscapers done?” Talk about embarrassing.

Not only did the entire family witness Caro claiming me in our dragon forms, but we wrecked the side of the pitch closest to Ionus’ home, an area his dragonets frequently played on, mind you.

Of course, to prove a point, Alex and Ionus decided they wanted the area completely rebuilt into a playground for their children.

So, the simple task of replacing the terrain we’d ruined turned into a full-blown redesign and new build.

Caro was far too proud of himself for the cause of the construction whereas I was beyond embarrassed and stayed locked away for days.

Make that for two weeks. Today. The very two weeks I’d been holed up in our horde under the guise of documenting all my finds with the Merdragons. Not a total lie, I did have a lot to add to the archives, but I also finished unpacking and organizing and really just…hiding.

Was it possible to die of embarrassment?

“Ionus called a meeting with all of us today.”

“When is it?”

“We need to be there in a few minutes.”

“We? No, no, no. I’m an archivist not a protector.”

“Kai reached out to him and he’s insistent you be there.”

“Why-why do I need to be there?”

“Emerson,” Caro sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Ionus doesn’t throw requests around lightly. If he’s asked for something, or in this case someone, then that someone needs to be there. What is the issue here? Why are you so damn grouchy?”

I’m terrified of your brother. Everyone saw us doing it. Not wanting to be around others and totally feeling like shit.

All of the above.

Not sure any of those excuses were good enough though one of the issues came through loud and…I bolted up the stairs and into the bathroom, barely making it before everything I’d eaten throughout my entire life came rushing out.

“Emerson, you’ve spent plenty of time with Ionus now. I understand the fear you once harbored for him but now you see how misguided it was. Ionus loves you like a brother.” When I didn’t respond he knocked on the bathroom door. “Emerson?”

And more of my stomach found its way into the toilet.

“Are you okay?”

“Do I sound…” Talking was futile and blocked by whatever this was. “Okay.” I flushed the toilet just in time for the bagel I ate two years ago to re-emerge.

“Emerson, you’re scaring me. Open the door. Now.”

“Can’t.” Wow don’t remember eating that.

“Stop.” My dragon was even hiding. He was likely afraid a violent purge would expel him from my body.

Exhausted, I laid down on the cool tile floor, hoping the worst was over.

Drenched in sweat and exhausted, it felt so wonderful against my clammy skin as the coolness lulled me to sleep.

“Caro?” I blinked awake, allowing my eyes to adjust to the dark room. “How did I get in bed?” Last thing I remembered was the cool floor against my skin.

“I carried you. You scared the life out of me.” He pressed his lips to my forehead. “How do you feel?”

“Like I got hit by a semi-truck and dragged for several miles. What happened?”

“Great question. Raven?”

When did Raven get here? “How long have I been out?”

“A couple of hours,” Raven sat beside me on the bed and took my hand in hers. “How do you feel now?”

“Hungry, but afraid to eat.”

She smiled. “I’d imagine so, but it’s important we get you fed.”

“Please, no.” Was she insane? I’d never thrown up as much in my life as I just had.

“I’m sorry honey but you must. You can’t deprive the new Denarius baby of sustenance.”

Record scratch.

Brain broken.

Rewind.

Replay those words.

New. Denarius…

“Oh fuck.”

Caro jumped up and cheered so loudly there was no way the rest of the clan hadn’t heard him.

Sure enough, moments later the door downstairs flew open and hit the wall, likely damaging it.

Good thing the contractor was headed to our house next.

Several sets of feet stomped up the stairs and then our bedroom door burst open and in came the rest of the Denarius brothers.

“Brother, what happened?” Odem asked, having somehow been the first one here.

“Emerson is pregnant!” Caro happily shared as I slunk under the covers and buried myself beneath them.

“Rescue sex on the pitch for the win!” Odem shouted.

Please, goddess, let the earth swallow me whole now.

“Emerson,” Raven whispered. “This is a good thing, isn’t it?”

I wanted to say yes but my nerves had me second guessing it. Did I want to be a father? Yes, though I didn’t have much interaction with kids outside of Alex and Ionus brood and even that wasn’t often. Guess I found another research project to dive into.

“That was one hell of a way to get out of a meeting, Emerson.” Shit, Ionus knew. Fucking Caro likely told him. Thirty days without sex ought to get the point across that some shit must stay between mates.

Who was I kidding. After the first time we mated it was like he’d opened the flood gates and more times than not I was the one initiating coitus.

“Please don’t ever tell our child the event surrounding his creation.

” Though I mumbled beneath the linens, dragon hearing caught the words loud and clear.

Their laughter rang out, bouncing off the walls of what I once thought of as a massive master suite.

With five large dragons, even in their human forms, the room was a broom closet.

“What?” Caro chided. “It was magical.”

“My mate wasn’t too happy when he ran outside to see what had caused the earthquake only to find his best friend being taken on the pitch by his mate.”

How could I ever face Alex or Ionus again after that?

But on a side note, not only did I finally have a friend, but a bestie.

A flurry of squealing flesh landed atop me on the bed. “Oh, my gawd! Oh, my gawd! Oh, my gawd!” Alex chanted, “My bestie is preggers!” He ripped the covers off my face and pecked away, kissing my cheeks and forehead.

“Yes, and you’re dancing all over your bestie’s tumultuous gut.” And egg, though I couldn’t quite bring myself to admit that yet. “Just. Finished. Vomiting.”

“Sorry. Sorry. I got so excited when Ionus told me that I ran right over.” Alex was much like me, as in we’d been humans for so long we tended to forget to utilize our dragons more often.

“Who is watching your zoo?”

He chuckled. “Gramps, Great-Gramps Drakemyre and his clan. Takes all five of them to keep the twins from burning the place down.”

“It’ll be lovely when they learn to contain their errant burps,” Ionus shook his head as Caro laughed. “Just you wait, brother. Your turn is next.”

“I’m hoping this one is more the bookworm like it’s daddy,” Caro winked at me. Even after all these weeks together, he still had a knack for making me blush with the simplest of gestures.

“I’m gonna make you, well,” Alex paused, “Ionus is gonna cook you this fantastic soup he made for me when I was preggers. Was about the only thing I could keep down the first few weeks.”

“I am?” Ionus questioned and Alex gave him that look. “Yes, yes, I am. I’ll gather the ingredients and have it for you tomorrow.”

“You must teach me that trick,” I whispered to him.

“You have so much to learn, my youngling, but trust in your sensei. I’ve gotcha!” With a final kiss to my cheek, noisily, I might add, Alex hopped off the bed. “I better go rescue the others from the twins.”

“I shall follow you home, my love.” Ionus wrapped his arms around Alex. “Congratulations, my brothers. I’m beyond elated for you both.”

Caro hadn’t stopped smiling.

Odem rubbed his hands together like the evil uncle he was. “Uncle Odem is soooo ready for this! Payback for all the times Caro used to beat my ass.”

Why oh why did I get mated into such a competitive family?

“Ha-ha-ha,” Caro’s booming laughter rang out. “Bring it on, little brother.”

Little brother? They were born within minutes of each other, weren’t they?

Oh goddess.

Their mother had five eggs.

Alex and Ionus had four.

Please, please, please don’t let there be more than one inside me.

“Emerson, your heartrate is elevating,” Raven gripped my wrist and checked my pulse. Caro, Odem, Mattias, and Quint quieted. “What was the cause?”

“Oh, um, counting backwards egg wise.”

“Come again?”

I sighed. “Their mother had five, Alex had four. There’s no way on earth I could handle more than one dragonet at a time.”

And key in the boisterous laughter.

Raven smiled and placed a hand upon my abdomen. “You’ll be happy to know, I only detect a single egg. I think you’re safe.”

“Thank fuck!” Well, that caused even more laughter. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize, my love,” Caro kissed my forehead. “It’s rare you use curse words which was what made the fact you just did so funny.”

Evidently, I was the only one terrified of having more than one egg in me at a time. I really, really, really hoped Raven was right.

“Time to call the contractor. I’m assuming you want the room next to ours to be the nursery as I’d envisioned?” Caro asked.

“Yes please. Raven, can you tell if it’s a boy or a girl?”

She winked. “I’d go gender neutral for now. The little one will tell you when it’s time.”

I had so many questions for Alex.

“I know that look,” Caro grinned. “Let’s head over to Ionus and Alex’s house. That is, if you’re up for it.”

Raven helped me stand and handed me a bottle of water. “Drink this and see if it stays. I wish I could tell you it won’t happen again but that may be a lie. If you recall, Alex had horrible morning sickness.”

“Yes, and four eggs inside him,” I shivered. “One is perfect.”

“Agreed, my love. One to dote on and spoil rotten.” Caro was far too excited about this. But I must remember, the Denarius brothers waited literal centuries to not only find their mates but to bring offspring into the world.

Raven walked across the pitch with us to their house. The second we opened the door, the noise levels hit us upside the head like a brick.

“Come on,” Caro waved to us as though it was nothing. Raven and I had paused, still on the front stoop, though my mate walked in like this was just another normal day for us. For a moment, I picked my brain trying to figure out when I’d last been over, though I don’t remember it being this intense.

“Unca Car, Unca M,” their only daughter Luna took our hands. “Pway.”

How do you refuse that?

“Ray-Ray too.”

Yeah, if we have a girl, she will so own Caro and me.

Into the massive playroom we went. Ionus junior, Griffin, their first born, was curled up with his Papa, while Baird soundly snored at the far end of the couch.

Alex and Gramps were on the floor doing their best to teach the twins, Kane and Hunter, how to control their fire. Ionus and Griffin shook their heads.

“It’ll never work,” Ionus murmured to Griffin.

“Them’s bad.”

“Not bad, just a tad naughty,” Caro said as he tossed Luna into the air. Her giggles drowned out the twins’ cries.

“Welcome. Come to get a taste of your near future?” Alex teased.

“One,” I held up a single finger. “One egg is in this incubator. One.” I couldn’t stress that word enough, though my soon to be ex-bestie found it far too hilarious.

I sat on the ottoman, taking all the chaos in.

The wall of toys overwhelmed me. The twins’ cries overwhelmed me. Luna curled up on Caro and fell right to sleep. That act I was totally onboard with.

“Sweetheart,” Caro patted the seat beside them. “Slide up here.” I slid up beside them, basking in the calm I felt whenever Caro and I touched. “There you go. Now your head should clear.”

“Alright, what gives?” Alex pointedly asked. “You don’t just randomly come over.”

Silence.

Again.

All eyes were on me, and I hate, despise, detest —I hate being the center of attention.

And now my mind was blank.

“I um, have some questions?”

“Like the one you just asked?” Alex teased. “About?”

“Babies, being pregnant, giving birth, um laying the eggs I mean. Does it hurt?”

“It’s like no other pain you’ve ever felt.”

Gulp.

You’ll be okay, my love. I swear. Caro wrapped his free arm around me.

“It’s weird,” Alex cradled a fussy Kane, or was it Hunter?

I can’t tell them apart. “As the pregnancy goes on and the morning sickness ends, it’s like this whole nesting thing takes over.

Long gone is the worry of pain or being sick.

It gets replaced with the need to get the nest and nursery done just right. ”

“Omega instincts,” I whispered. My mind instantly scrolling through the archives for the excerpt I’d read. “Fascinating.”

“Your mind is a beautiful thing, Emerson. But I am here for you, every step of the way. Don’t let my full house scare you away. Even if this was your family, I guarantee you’d feel differently than you do now.”

“Please don’t think I hate any of this. I love you and your kids.”

“Not only did I not say that, but I don’t think it either.

You are far quieter and more reserved than I am so believe me I know this is a lot for an introvert.

That’s not a negative, that’s a different person’s comfort level.

Soon enough you’ll have your little one and you’ll bring it over for playtime.

Hopefully by then Kane and Hunter will have their fiery abilities under control.

” Alex kissed the little one’s head that had finally fallen asleep in his arms.

“Research. Research always makes me feel better.”

“Then research away, mi amigo. I’m here for all the Q&A and hugs you need.”

Okay, so not my soon to be ex BFF. He’d redeemed himself. I loved Alex too much to let him go. Besides, there wasn’t anyone else around here to answer my questions.