Chapter 13
Raphael
“Tomorrow, we’ll be back to our regular schedules,” I said to Luca once we settled onto the couch in our living room. Luca snuggled close to my side, resting his head on my chest, his arm draped over my middle. I hugged my arm around his shoulder.
There was not a moment in the past week in which the two of us didn’t spend touching one another. The instinct to keep my mate close and protected at all times was strong, and I didn’t try to fight it. I liked him close by where I could smell the freshness of his scent.
“When does your shift start?” he asked.
“Seven, same as yours, except I have three days on.”
“The house will be lonely without you,” he said. His lips turned down in a pout, then he blinked it away as if he was going to be strong for me.
“I know it,” I agreed. “Luckily, you aren’t far away.”
“What’s the policy on mates staying at the station?” Luca hugged me tighter, like he wanted to crawl into my skin.
I laughed. “Unfortunately, you can visit but not stay the night.” Not that I had double-checked the policy or anything.
“Surely, Tyler will let us break the rules.”
I laughed heartily at that. “If only. Technically as a new hire I’m still on probation, so I probably shouldn’t break the rules.” I doubted Tyler would fire me, but I didn’t want to find out.
“We will be fine, mate. I know how important your work is.”
My dragon rumbled happily at that.
“He likes when I call you mate.”
“You can feel him?”
“I can—a lot. Is that normal?” Luca toyed with the hem of my shirt as if he was considering taking it off me.
“It is,” I said. “At least, I think it is. Obviously, you’re the only mate that I have.”
“I better be,” he said, and he poked my middle.
“I want you to meet my brothers.”
“I’d love that,” Luca said. “Have you told them about me?”
I nodded. “I sent them messages. They had a lot of questions. Both of them are on their own journeys right now. Once things settle, we will all have to get together.” We had a lot to talk about. Based on the details they’d shared, they had each been on their own exciting adventures as well.
“Do you think that we’ll stay here or move to be closer to them?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I kind of assumed we would stay here. I like it here, in this house. It feels like home.”
“Me too,” Luca said. “And even though it’s only been a few days, I like the idea of starting a family with you, putting down our roots here. The pack loves us, and our children would be surrounded by other shifter children.”
I kissed the top of his head, then rested my cheek against his hair. “I love that idea, too.”
“You and your brothers were one clutch,” Luca said. “Three eggs?”
“Yes.”
“Is that a typical number? Or should we be worried that we might have more than three dragonets?”
“Maybe,” I said.
“Three just sounds like a lot.”
“It is, although multiple births are pretty typical for dragons and even wolves.”
“I’ll be honest, that’s kind of terrifying.” Luca’s hand was fully under my shirt now, trailing up my torso. I wondered if he even realized he was doing it. Our instincts were to be as close to each other as possible.
“Fate would not give us more than what we can handle. I promise.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, multiple children with you would be amazing. I have always wanted a big family. But three at once—”
“I know. It will be challenging.” Terrifying. Exciting. I couldn’t think of a better person to take on that challenge with.
“How soon will we know?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. We can ask Quinn. He is the pack doctor.”
“Wait. I thought he was the vet.”
“He runs the vet clinic also. He went to vet school, but there are many cases where animal science helps diagnose issues in shifters better than human medicine, so that’s pretty typical. Tyler also mentioned there is a group of doulas in town that can also help.”
“I suppose that makes sense, especially if one is injured in their shifter form. Don’t you shifters heal very fast? I mean, your burns disappeared within a day.”
“We do, but there are some things that even we can’t come back from.”
Luca shuddered. “That’s not something I want to hear, not when I know how dangerous your job is.”
“I am always careful, mate. Always.” I kissed his head, letting my lips linger over his skin. His body thrummed with pleasure. “Now that we are mated, you also have my healing abilities. You cannot shift, of course, but there are benefits to being mated to a dragon.”
Luca giggled but said nothing.
“What?” I asked.
“I was just thinking that your cock was the benefit… but I’ll take rapid healing as well.”
I chuckled and tickled his side until he squealed.
“So, wolves enjoy the full moon, based on what I learned at the event today.”
“They do.”
“The bear shifters mentioned that they have a hibernation where they just kind of lie low for a few weeks.”
“They do.”
“So what about dragons?”
“What about them?” I asked.
“Well, do you have a hoard?”
I chuckled. “Perhaps. Is that something you would like to see?”
“Maybe,” he said, and he poked me in my stomach again. “Is it something I’m allowed to see?”
“Absolutely. Wait right here.”
I had been waiting for just the right time to share my small hoard with my mate. Like many dragons, I was attracted to shiny things. Not all dragons hoarded items, though. The instinct was unique to each dragon.
I went to the spare room where I had placed my footlocker that held many of my items. I opened it, moved some of the things aside, and finally found my treasure chest. It was small but heavy, thanks to the contents inside. I picked it up. It was small in size, but it held all the treasures I had acquired over time—some of which I had inherited from my parents, others I had found. The chest itself had been made especially for me a few years ago.
I carried it into the living room and set it down.
Luca’s eyes widened when he took it in. The sunlight shining through the window gleamed off the emerald jewels that lined the top of it. There were also jade and peridot gems inlaid on the slats and trim.
“Holy shit, Raphael. That’s a treasure chest. Like a pirate’s treasure chest!”
“Well, it didn’t belong to any pirates. Ever. I had it made for me.”
“No kidding? It looks old.”
“Some of the pieces have been reclaimed. The jewels on it were gifted to me—the top emerald from my parents, the two rubies from my brothers, Brock and Nolan.”
“But what’s inside?”
“That’s the amazing part.”
I called forth my dragon. He alone could unlock it. The lockplate was specially crafted so that when it was at regular temperature the chest was locked, but if it was heated to a certain degree it would unlatch. Once it was unlatched, I opened it up.
Luca gasped when he looked inside. There was an assortment of gold coins, jewels, and various gemstones.
“Raphael, this is beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I said. “It’s yours. The hoard is meant to be for a mate—to impress them. Everything I have gathered and put away in here has been for you.”
“I love it,” he said. “But more than that, I love you. I know it’s silly by human standards. We shouldn’t feel this way already. But you’re mine.”
“I love you too, mate. I am yours. Always.”