The Unexpected Yuletide Baby (Starscale Mates #3)

Chapter One

Clarence

Medwin hummed in the kitchen and the sound vibrated through the house into the nesting quarters. It was some new holiday jingle that reminded me of the old Grim Howlers songs. It wasn’t them singing but then again everything comes and goes in cycles. Their old sound was back in style. Not that it ever went out of style around our house. Like a lot of dragons, when Medwin found something he liked, it stuck around forever. Good thing he liked me, huh?

I glanced at the phone. It wasn’t time for our youngest out-of-egg child to call from outer space yet. I tried not to think that last part too loudly because if Medwin picked it up over our mating link, he’d spend the rest of the evening shooting me dirty looks. He loved the captain of the Medwin 2. He and Castor were old friends but I don’t think he ever fully approved of me allowing our youngest son, Sunny, to launch himself into outer space.

“It’s something to be proud of,” my dragon chimed into my thoughts. “Damn proud of! We had to be there! Cade has more kids than fingers, toes, and claws. It’s like the hatchling is trying to make up for all the eggs we didn’t fertilize. He couldn’t go. Meddie would NEVER let us go. That left Sunny. Besides. I still think he and Teddy have something going on.”

“Probably do,” Medwin laughed walking back into the room carrying a tea tray in one hand and a half-full sack of sugar under his other arm. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s the only way to make this herbal tea palatable.”

“You know you can resume caffeine now. The egg’s here,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at the knee-high pine green egg. “Plus, new studies have shown that dragon eggs are probably not affected by caffeine.”

“I’m not bottle feeding this one, Clarence. We were so busy with Cade and then Sunny had to go and live with him because of a war. Not this time. This time it’s going to be all about the baby. I don’t care if I got to play -eeny-meeny-miny-moe and pick one of Cade’s triplets to do your job for a few months.”

“Eston will eat you. That wolf --- Well, you know our son-in-law. You get all of them or none of them,” I chuckled, reaching up to take the tea tray.

Medwin didn’t let go of the bag of sugar. I was half certain that he’d dump the whole thing into his mouth any moment now.

“Sugar cravings still?” I asked gently.

“As if you’re one to speak, mister,” Medwin frowned at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “They did my bloodwork. I’m fine and it’s for the tea.”

I poured the water over his stuffed full tea ball, and he smiled his thanks. After over a century together we knew each other better than anyone else in the world. My eyes dropped to his stomach for a moment, but we’d been careful since he laid our egg. We’d always been careful when we didn’t want a baby. Extra careful during the fertile window that followed egg laying.

“I’m not peeing into outer space or a rabbit’s hat or whatever the test is these days,” Medwin rolled his eyes picking up the thought over our mating link. He glanced over his shoulder at the egg. It probably wasn’t big enough to hatch any time soon. I was content to spend the rest of the winter waiting out our third child, but Medwin hosted a holiday party every Yule Eve and was hoping the baby would be here by then. He might otherwise devour our house guests whole, and I’d let him. We’d been mates long enough for me to know to stay out of his way when he was on a roll.

“Let’s hope that’s not how things play out. Our grandchildren will be the bulk of the guests. I’d rather not undo all the hard work Eston’s done to carry on the Moonscale name.”

“You know, we could have a wolf pup,” I teased him. “You might be pregnant again with a wolf pup. I descend right from Frost and Juda, and you have four canine ancestors. I’ve seen the tapestry.”

“At least we’d know when a wolf pup would arrive. Besides, they’d still have wings. Just look at Duke and all of Cade and Eston’s kids. Hell, most of Duke’s kids and grandkids have wings too – even if they’re wolves or whatever,” he said, pointing at me with his teaspoon. “Besides, they can still come. I didn’t spend all summer crossing names off my gift list just to cancel the party.”

“Yep. Our family tree will be a family twig when my mate is finished with it,” I sighed, drawing out the breath and letting some smoke rings escape through my nose.

“Don’t worry. Cade will fill it back out,” he laughed.

“Well, you didn’t want him to have our life. He doesn’t. He’s mated off to an engineer and has tried out just about every job under the sun. We fought so he could piddle around.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I mean, Sunny’s off in outer space with his boyfriend. I’m surprised their new little stars didn’t leap at each other.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“Well, they’re Moonscales. It might not work the same for them,” Medwin sipped his tea and scrunched up his nose.

“Coffee?” I nodded at the full pot on the counter across the room.

“If the baby hatches now….”

“I’ll have the first batch,” I smirked. “Besides, I like my Medwin milk caffeinated.”

He blushed and I marked that down. After all our years together, neither of us blushed much anymore. Our familiarity was too thick and cozy for all that nonsense. He shifted his position in the chair, and I sniffed the air. Medwin was slick with desire.

“Should I put---” my suggestion was disemboweled by the doorbell ringing through the house.

Once upon a time, Moonscale Manor was fully staffed and someone in a very nice and very expensive suit would’ve answered it for us. They’d have found us busy with ourselves and sent the guests away.

“Hold that thought,” Medwin pushed his chair away from the table before I could tell him that we should ignore it and pretend we were newlyweds.

“Don’t leave me hanging.”

“Not my fault genetics decided that was your fate,” he called over his shoulder as he left the nesting quarters.