Fight (The Aurora Marelup Saga Book 3)

December

My trip home was super short. Much shorter than I would have liked it to be. So much happened in the short time we were away. Sebastian was killed, which was a freaky bonus. I mean, seriously, I got to watch it through Aurora’s eyes. I know I’m not fully bonded to her yet, but still, this gift is creepy as all hell. Creepy, yet super useful. I ponder the last forty-eight hours’ events and conclude that my life as I knew it is over. It’s not a bad thing really, I’m looking at it as an improvement. Let’s face it, all I did before was continuously train and read.

I’m just about done with my decorating and really feel like I accomplished a lot today. I grab ahold of my new book, “Once Upon a Raven” by Serenity Rayne, and head back to the suite I share with my bond mates. It’s pretty late at night, so I carefully and quietly open the door to find a giant wolf and bear pile with Aurora sleeping in the middle. Apparently, I’m not the only one watching their little fuzzy snuggle fest. I look up to find Alaric sitting in his favorite recliner, waving at me.

“What on Earth did I miss?” I whisper to Alaric, creeping closer to him.

He shakes his head and sits his glass of brandy down next to the decanter. “Apparently, while we were decorating, her animal wouldn’t settle down; it is on edge about something. One of the twins shifted first and figured out her animal felt better that way. So everyone that could shift and fit in here did.” Alaric looks at the pile-up sadly. I can tell he really wants to be there with our mate.

I grab a glass from the ensuite bar and sit in a chair on the opposite side of the table near Alaric. “If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn’t fit into the pile-up either.” Slowly I raise the glass to my lips and sip at the brandy. It’s an excellent year, super smooth and full-bodied. Alaric and I take turns sleeping in shifts throughout the night. Without Aurora telling us what set her animal off, it is better to be safe than sorry.

The next morning comes way too early. Seriously, way too early. The first rays of the sun, of course, decide to land right in my eyes. I really want to yell “I’m blind!”, but I value my life and don’t want to wake the hellion, otherwise known as my mate. I motion to Alaric that I’m going for coffee and breakfast food. He writes down quickly no eggs. I make the motion for why and he imitates puking and pointing to Aurora. My eyes widen at the news, and I receive the message loud and clear.

It takes me several minutes, and a few wrong turns to finally make it down to the kitchen. I give the cooks the family’s order with the request of no eggs. The chef questions that odd request, and I tell them about Aurora puking. Two of the three chefs turn pale-white and start making waffles and bacon for the group.

The older chef takes the time to tell me about when his mate was with child. He gives me fresh, whole ginger root and several bottles of water. He teaches me how to prepare it with the instructions of drinking half the bottle before eating. I prepare one bottle in front of him to make sure I do it correctly. He smiles and pats me on the back, then points to the supply closet. He tells me where everything is if I ever needed more. He is most helpful and I tell him how much I appreciate what he has done. I leave the kitchen and head back to the suite with my cart of assorted foods and drinks.

Before I enter the suite, I go over everything, making sure nothing harmful was snuck into the buffet. Everything checks out fine, so I slowly open the door, silently closing it behind me. I figure the smell of the food should wake everyone’s animals up. Aurora is the first to pop her eyes open; I see her nose twitch as she sniffs the air.

“You brought me bacon?” Aurora begins to try to untangle herself from the guys. Alaric and I move over to her quickly, and each take her under one arm, lifting her out of the pile-up. She heads straight to the bacon and the selection of cheesecake pastries I picked out for her.

I move quickly and offer her the fresh ginger water. “Please, love, drink about half of this before you eat, I don’t want you getting sick again.” I must have pulled off the sad puppy eyes perfectly because she doesn’t fight my suggestion.

I help her over to the chair I had been in and bring over a folding table, placing it in front of her, then set up all of her goodies. Aurora drinks the ginger water to the halfway point, looks up to me, then over to Alaric. We both nod at her that she was safe to start eating. Slowly she eats everything that is in front of her. We all wait until she has eaten her fill before we eat what is left.

“Aurora? Do you feel up to seeing what we’ve set up for you?” I move the tray out of the way and offer her my hand.

I assist Aurora in standing up and I swear to the gods, her belly has grown again. I watch the other three guys look puzzled at my question. Alaric must be filling them in through the bond about my surprise because their expressions change to understanding. The twins and Dimitri raise a fist over their hearts at me. It seems to be our way of showing respect towards each other. Alaric takes Aurora’s other hand, and we lead her down the hall. When we get to the throne room, I move behind Aurora and place my hands over her eyes. Alaric and Dimitri open the doors, and I carefully move Aurora into the center of the room. I wait until the guys have a chance to look around before I uncover Aurora’s eyes.

Aurora moves in a slow circle, keeping one hand on me as she moves. Her eyes widen with wonder as she takes in all that Alaric and I have accomplished. The chefs start arriving, placing tray after tray of assorted cookies and pastries from my home, as well as something from each country the others came from. Dimitri whispers “it was a very Klaus Christmas” and well, that nickname stuck for our first Christmas. It is the guys’ way of giving me full credit for what I have pulled together for everyone. I know back home I’m the Alpha of my pack, but here we are equals and I’m ok with that.

We spend the rest of the day tasting all of the desserts brought in by the chefs. Granted, it isn’t a traditional Christmas this year because of everything that’s going on. The greatest gift of all is growing within Aurora’s womb. We each take turns sitting next to her and bringing her different food trays from our own homelands.

Dimitri seems like the biggest child of all. I found out, from Nicodeamus, the name of the town that Dimitri was born in. Luckily for me, one of the chefs in the kitchen initially came from a town not far away from there. He helped me pick out desserts from when he was young. The look on Dimitri’s face is completely worth the extra effort. I now know the true meaning of what a bear hug is; that big guy practically squishes me. About mid-afternoon, Grandma Elsa decides to show up and piss in my Cheerios.

‘Klaus! Your mate should not be eating all these sweets! She needs a balanced diet, especially with meat; she’s a carnivore.’ Grandma’s arms are flailing around as if she was doing a flag routine on top of a destroyer trying to get a plane to land.

Now grandma makes the grievous error of looking at me with her eyes shifted to that of her wolf. It just so happens that Aurora is sitting next to me at the moment. Carefully, she stands up and steps towards my grandmother. We all watch in horror as the scales ripple up and down her forearms. She apparently has had enough of my grandmother’s domineering ways.

‘Ma’am, I don’t know how things are done where you’re from, but when you’re a guest in someone’s house, you do not yell at their mate. I’m trying to control my temper here, but this is the last straw. Klaus is the alpha of your pack, yet you decide to stand here and chastise him like he’s a five-year-old pup that stole a cookie out of the cookie jar.” Aurora narrows her eyes while looking at my grandmother. Fear starts to build in the pit of my stomach.

“Have some bloody respect for the man. This was a present they have done for me since none of us have been able to get out to do any kind of shopping. Klaus brought me a well-balanced breakfast with meats and cheeses and those horrid vegetables that you want me to eat, for your information.” Aurora makes a yuck face after talking about the veggies.

“Everything that should have been eaten has been eaten for this morning. I’m going to kindly ask you to back the fuck off, leave the goddamn room and not bother us till this evening’s check-up.’ Aurora’s eyes are glowing. We can feel the room’s temperature dropping quickly. We can see the frost starting to form and gather on her long, white hair. She is doing everything she can not to shift and not lose her temper on my grandmother.

My grandmother stands there slack-jawed, looking between Aurora and myself; she is in complete shock at the way she was just spoken to. Finally, my grandmother looks around the room to see if anyone will support her and what she is trying to accomplish.

One by one, the guys look away from her and will not maintain any kind of eye contact with her, not showing any semblance of support. A gentle knock is heard at the door. All eyes are on it as it slowly opens. Unfortunately, my grandmother’s assistant poking her head where it really doesn’t belong, while Aurora is already mad.

Aurora attempts to start going towards the door, Alaric and I end up holding onto her tightly. We yell for the assistant to run quickly. She closes the door and we hear her steps running down the hallway. Dimitri brings over one of the pastries from his country that seems to be one of Aurora’s favorites in a move of absolute brilliance. He waves the pastry in front of her face until her appetite overrules her anger.

Exertion equals hunger, so the big bear figures based on what we are feeling would cause her to be hungry again. Eventually, Aurora stops struggling between Alaric and me, grabs the pastry out of Dimitri’s hand, gives him a kiss, and then pushes Alaric to sit. Once Alaric situates himself on the bean bag that we brought in for Aurora this morning, she plops down on his lap.

‘Grandmother, all the pastries that are here have been made with healthy fruits and berries known to be excellent antioxidants. As well as being high in Vitamin C and other various trace minerals that you suggested she should be eating.” I smile at her, being the epitome of calm and serenity.

“The flour, eggs, and other ingredients are all organically sourced. Aurora is not eating anything with any kind of preservatives or chemicals in it. If the meat wasn’t killed by one of us or hunted by one of us, it’s not being served to her.” I motion to my bond mates one by one to emphasize my point.

“We are taking the utmost caution to make sure that she’s getting the best of everything. Unlike the females in our pack that only have one or two mates, she has five, plus a legion of dragons and a horde of various species of wolves.’ Ever so slowly, my grandmother bows her head to me and apologizes for the first time in my life. I officially think hell has frozen over, or this is some sort of alien, and my grandmother’s been abducted.

We watch the old crone leave, and I close the door silently behind her. I’m congratulated, swept up in hugs and back-pats, high fives, you know, typical guy shit. Aurora is sitting on Alaric’s lap, laughing her ass off. Apparently, she thinks the display between myself and the guys is the most hysterical thing she has ever seen in her entire life.

I honestly don’t believe that Alaric notices that while Aurora has been sitting there, she braided one side of his head. This causes the other three mates and myself to laugh hysterically right along with her. The big, tough king is sitting there with tons of braids on the left side of his head. Then again, I think Aurora could sit there and draw dicks on his cheek, and he wouldn’t care. The celebration continues well into the night, each of us trading out every hour or so, allowing Aurora to use us as her personal chair.

Aurora finally starts yawning around eleven or so, and it is time for all of us to go to bed. I can see the scales rippling along her arms, on her cheeks, and under her eyes. Her beast obviously is worried about sleeping. ‘I have an idea. Alaric, how big is the grand ballroom?’

Alaric stands there tapping his finger on his chin, looking around the inside of the throne room, then back over to me. ‘About twice the size of this room, why?’

‘If we have the servants clear what furniture is there and push it against the wall, do you think your Dragon would fit in there?’ Alaric’s eyes light up as Nicodeamus’s head whips around to look at me, intrigued by my query.

Nicodeamus approaches and places a hand on my shoulder, smiling broadly at me. ‘Absolutely brilliant, my boy. Two dragons and all of your animals can easily fit in that room. I can turn the doors and windows to ice to make it more secure, so that way my baby girl can rest without worry.’ Out of the corner of my eye, I see Aurora going from mate to mate, hugging everyone. She announces she needs to go get changed into her pajamas, and she’ll join us in a few moments. Jayce and Dominik escort Aurora out of the room and back to our chambers.

The rest of us practically race down the hall heading to the grand ballroom to rearrange it. By the time Aurora comes in, the room is all settled. Alaric and Nico are in their dragon forms. Dimitri and I are waiting in our human forms to assist Aurora with whatever she needs. In typical Aurora fashion, she arrives making a statement. She is riding on the back of Dominik’s Dire Wolf. Jayce is walking alongside her in his human form, making sure she doesn’t slide off. If dragons could laugh, the noise that Nicodeamus and Alaric are making would qualify as laughter.

“What?! I’m tired!” Aurora states as she looks between all of us standing there, watching us try not to laugh our asses off.

Jayce helps Aurora slide off of his brother’s back and onto the ground. Her eyes move between Alaric and her father, and they light up instantly. She walks over to both dragons as they turn and lower their heads to her. She reaches up and strokes both of their maws, as well as placing a kiss on each of their cheeks. Ever so carefully, she moves between the two great beasts, trying to figure out exactly where she wants to sleep tonight. Alaric and Nicodeamus’s heads turn and follow Aurora’s movements.

Aurora places her hand on Alaric’s wing and looks up at him. “Love, can I sleep under your wing tonight?” Aurora tilts her head left then right, looking into Alaric’s dragon’s eyes. Alaric’s body shifts slightly so that he is leaning back a bit more than before. Ever so carefully, he lifts his wing out of the way to allow Aurora to step under it. Dimitri moves and helps Aurora up onto the top of Alaric’s hind leg. The way he is lying creates the perfect area for her to lay safely. Once Dimitri is sure she is safe where she is, he gets out of the way, and Alaric lowers his wing. Aurora is wholly encased in Alaric’s thick leather wing. I honestly don’t think she could get much safer.

“What’s causing Aurora’s need to sleep with our animals?” I cautiously ask the others. Nicodeamus shifts back to his human form and pulls on his robe that he had sitting nearby.

“I have several theories about that, Klaus. The first, it’s a safety thing. Her beast knows that she can’t shift fully anymore. It’s concerned for its baby’s safety. The second, I think that Ulrick being here, as well as the damage that Sebastian has already caused here, behind the scenes, has her on edge.’ Nicodemus begins to pace the room in front of us, pondering what may be setting his daughter off.

‘Another issue is that she has no idea, exactly, where Elena is. I think if we could figure out where she’s hiding, Aurora may settle down just a little bit.” Nicodeamus taps his chin several times.

“I highly doubt it though, because she is who she is. My poor daughter has been hiding since the moment of her birth. Now that she has revealed herself, she’s constantly hunted or having to battle to protect herself. It’s not the life I wanted for my child, but we couldn’t have known the level of dissension in the ranks. We couldn’t have predicted that we had enemies living amongst us that would turn on us when they did.” He stops pacing and turns to face us.

“Right now, if half my thought process is correct, without knowing exactly who here is, friend or foe, she is not going to settle down. Growing up without her mother, everything from the ascension to now, she’s had to figure out on her own. It’s probably a terrifying journey for her, and it’s more than likely the reason why she’s always quick to shift and jump into a defensive stance.” He shakes his head from side to side, looking sad over what his daughter has been through.

“Being a hybrid doesn’t make it any easier either. As much as she looks more wolven than dragon, her tendencies are all dragon. I never would have guessed she would have taken after me more than her mother. In one way, she and I are both in the same boat: dragons unable to fly. However, she does have the advantage of a mate with wings, and for that, Alaric, I thank you for being by her side.’ Alaric bows his head to Nicodeamus in thanks, then he curls up tightly, making sure that Aurora is well protected.

I pay attention to everything that’s being said by Nicodeamus, and his words bear great wisdom. Being the only Lycan here, I genuinely don’t fit in with the others, except for Aurora. I do feel like the odd man out, being the last to join this ragtag bunch. There’s been so much betrayal and heartbreak for this poor woman that my chest aches thinking about it. I know it’s only a matter of time before she fully claims Dimitri and me. Once that’s been accomplished, she will be at full power, and whatever other gifts that she shall gain from Dimitri and I will only help her cause in the future.

We make sure that all the doors to the Great Hall are locked, all the windows are sealed and blocked before we get ready to settle in for the night. I have a feeling, sleeping in here as our animals will soon become routine. Aurora will need us to keep her calm and allow her to feel safe as she rests. There are only two months left until she gives birth, hopefully, less. Even though the actual holiday is still only a few days away, I spend it here with Aurora and my bond mates every day; it feels like Christmas.

~Christmas morning two days later~

Three nights in a row we’ve shuffled the sleeping arrangements so that our beasts could sleep near Aurora for her security. Local dignitaries are due to arrive again today for the actual Christmas celebration. I manage to get up before my bond mates, and sneak my way into the kitchen to gather breakfast for everyone.

Just when I think I have managed to pull it off, I look over my shoulder to find Jayce watching me load the service cart. “Morning, Jayce! Mind giving me a hand, so we don’t have to drag strangers into Aurora’s nesting area?” Learning all these dragon terms for everything is really starting to make my brain hurt. Unfortunately, it’s necessary to keep everything in an orderly fashion for Aurora’s comfort.

“Sure, man, tell me what you need help with.” Jayce comes over, and I point to the various drinks and juices on the counter that the chef has left out for us. We arrange the two trays and the carts as well. We walk back down the hall to the grand ballroom to surprise our bond mates with breakfast.

As we get closer, we notice frost lining the hallway. We pick up our pace, running as we push the carts. The doors are covered in ice, about two inches thick. I shift quickly and begin to claw at the ice. After I finally make it through, Jayce and I burst into the room to find my grandmother’s assistant Lorraine being held under Alaric’s dragon’s foot. Aurora is behind Dimitri’s bear and Dominik’s wolf.

Nicodeamus has shifted back to his human form. He stands there yelling at Lorraine about the poisoned stake she has attempted to kill Aurora with. My grandmother comes rushing in, crying and screaming at Alaric to release Lorraine. I shift back to my human form and grab hold of my grandmother.

“Grandma, she tried to kill Aurora with that stake.” I point to the stake on the ground not far from Lorraine’s prone form.

Elsa looks between Lorraine and the stake several times, then begins yelling at her in German, questioning her. Apparently, Vladimir had threatened to kill her sister if she didn’t kill Aurora. We all share a look, then Aurora moves forward, now riding Dimitri’s bear. Her eyes shift to that of her beast as she and Alaric lock eyes. We watch the black slits in both of their eyes pulse, expanding and contracting as she speaks to him through the bond.

“Lorraine, I now sentence you to death for the attempted assassination of your monarch.” Aurora looks up to Alaric and nods her head once. Alaric applies his full weight to Lorraine’s body, squishing her like a bug. Aurora finds it funny when Lorraine’s head shoots off like a cork from a champagne bottle.

My grandmother stands there in shock, crying and staring at the bloody, squished remnants of what used to be her assistant. I really look at my mate now, and that silly woman is in my sleep pants and Jayce’s sweatshirt, her hair is up in another messy bun, yet again adorned by her ruby crown.

“I smell bacon, Dimitri! Tally ho!” Aurora leans forward and lightly kicks Dimitri like you would a horse to get it moving. Dimitri follows his nose out of the grand ballroom and down the hall.

“When the hell did this happen?” I look between Nicodeamus and the now-human Alaric.

“Apparently, Aurora’s gut instincts were correct about Lorraine. She snuck in here shortly after you and Jayce had left. Nicodeamus and I were awake and only had one membrane over our eyes, giving the appearance we were sleeping.” Alaric smirks as he motions between himself and Nico.

“We left Aurora exposed between us just to bait Lorraine into our trap. Dimitri and Dominik were awakened, using our bond to alert them to what was going on. They pretended to still be asleep until I sprung the trap.” Alaric smiles broadly as he motions towards Dominik.

“Dominik grabbed Aurora by the sweatshirt and dragged her out of the way, while Dimitri moved to protect Aurora. It was rather brilliant planning on Nicodeamus’s part, really. Being able to speak through the bond makes life a ton easier. Thankfully, not too many people know that we can communicate that way,” Alaric says as Dimitri walks closer with his precious cargo.

Aurora has the plate of bacon in her hands and a bottle of orange juice under her arm. “Best morning ever! No puking and I got to see a head go flying like a cork!” Her eyes widen, and her eyebrows raise in elation.

“Oh, and bacon! We can’t forget the bacon.” Aurora nods happily, occasionally leaning forward to wave bacon at Dimitri. His long bear tongue sticks out and wraps around the bacon, taking it from Aurora. Her eyes go wide, and I can see the gears turning.

“I wonder if I can convince Dimitri to put his bear tongue for a better use? Like me?” Aurora wiggles her eyebrows and Dimitri starts choking on his bacon. His bear is coughing so hard that Dominik grabs Aurora off his back, allowing Dimitri to shift back.

Dimitri stands there, bent over in all his naked glory, hacking up a lung trying to dislodge whatever is stuck in his throat. “Woman, are you trying to kill me!?”

“No?” She attempts to look utterly innocent as she peeks around from behind Dominik.

“But seriously, you can’t do shit like that and have me not think of your tongue between my legs, for God’s sakes. I’m pregnant, not dead, you know!” She stands there with her hands on her hips, attempting to look serious. Meanwhile, her eyes drift around the room to all her naked mates, each one sporting a boner, including me. All because she mentioned licking her nether regions.

I just realized my poor grandmother is standing there, slack-jawed, looking around the room. Her cheeks are a brilliant red, but she decides to throw her two cents in. “Nicodeamus, I can see why your daughter is pregnant. Bravo, my girl, bravo!” Grandma does a golf clap then promptly exits the room.

At this moment, I don’t know if I should be embarrassed or… well, yeah, embarrassed is the right feeling for this moment. Aurora begins to look at the five of us and starts shuffling us around in a fucked up lineup.

“Aurora, what in the world are you doing?” I raise my right eyebrow as she shuffles us into a line. Dimitri is first, then it’s Alaric, Jayce, me, then Dominik last.

Dominik looks up and down the line-up, then throws his hands up in the air. “Why the fuck am I last? I’m the first mate.” Apparently, Aurora’s lineup has him upset.

“Dom, baby, look down. I put you guys in order of peen size. Dimitri’s is a world ender. Look at the size of that thing; it’s freaking huge! Alaric’s isn’t as long, but it’s just as thick.” Aurora moves down the line-up, motioning to our members, describing how they appear to her.

“Jayce’s is a really nice balance of length and thickness. Klaus’s is not as thick as Jayce’s, but it’s got some good length to it. Dominik, your dick is just right and very comfortable to ride.” Aurora managed to make Dimitri blush, Jayce, and Alaric high five in a single move, and Dominik starts to compare his dick to the rest of ours.

From this line-up, I can tell you for sure that Dimitri and Alaric will never get any ass play from Aurora. Jayce has a fifty percent chance, I have a seventy-five percent chance, and Dominik has a one hundred percent chance.

~Later that day~

The day proceeds like expected. Aurora is all over the place, ripping into presents that the visiting dignitaries have brought for her. It is quite a comical sight if you ask me. Dimitri is in his Great Bear form, being used as a back support. Dominik and Jayce are in their Dire Wolf forms, investigating every present and person that wishes to get close to Aurora.

I am in charge of keeping Aurora fed and her drink full—easy enough. I snap a few pictures of Aurora sitting on her pile of pillows, with Dimitri’s bear sitting tall behind her, looming over top of her. His gigantic paws on either side of her body and her back against his bear’s chest.

Alaric is going about his kingly duty, greeting everyone as they approach then introducing them to Aurora. Every once in a while, there is a potty break needed and it becomes a procession. Aurora tells Dimitri, he lies down, and she climbs up onto his back. When his bear starts moving, the twins will flank him, escorting them to and from the bathroom. All I can do is shrug my shoulders and clean up after our pregnant mate. Aurora returns, and the gift-receiving line resumes well into the night.

Last to arrive is Alaric’s mom and sister. Two guards are assisting, bringing in two large boxes with them. I can visibly see Aurora tense up the minute they start entering her space. Aurora scoots further under Dimitri, and she pulls Jayce closer to her by his tail.

Alaric has noticed what Aurora is doing and decides to meet his mother and sister halfway. Both begin to protest about not being allowed closer. Aurora scoots herself backward and out, under Dimitri’s arm, and still pulling Jayce with her.

Now she’s got my attention. Dominik is moving to block the front of Dimitri. I creep around the back, and I catch Aurora climbing onto Jayce’s back, getting ready to make a fast getaway. Being the good mate that I am, I walk casually to the door in the back of the throne room and stand ready to open the door for them. Alaric looks at me briefly and begins to maneuver his mother and sister so that their backs are facing where Aurora once was.

When he is in position I nod to Jayce and Aurora, they sneak to the door, and I let them out. I follow behind them, making sure no one is following us. We make it to her room, and Aurora busts out laughing over her well-executed escape plan. “I can’t believe we pulled that off! If I had to sit there and deal with his mother and his sister, I think I was going to make Dimitri eat them,” Aurora says with all seriousness.

I just have to ask the burning question. “What is it about those two that you don’t like, Aurora?” Jayce steps out of his room, pulling his shirt over his head, indeed, just as interested as I am.

“Gut instinct,” Aurora says, sounding quite bored.

“They just set my fur and scales on edge; I’m not comfortable around them. If the mother was such a crown supporter, she should have sent her people to guard my father. Instead, she did nothing.” Just as Aurora finishes the sentence, Nicodeamus walks in, catching the tail end of the conversation.

He walks over and wraps his arm around his daughter. “Trust your gut, daughter. It’s your animal’s instincts that will keep you alive.” Nicodeamus starts laughing to himself, then looks at the two of us.

“Congratulations on a brilliant escape plan there, boys, excellent teamwork.” Nicodeamus looks down at Aurora and gently moves so that he can touch her belly.

“Your child is quite strong; I can feel its power already. Stubborn little hatchling won’t tell me if it’s a boy or a girl, just like someone else I know wouldn’t either.” He playfully raises an eyebrow at Aurora and smiles at her.

Aurora starts to giggle and rub her belly. “Silly baby, tell Grandpa your secrets. Mommy wants to know.” She continued to rub her belly then freezes; she goes so far as to stop breathing. Her eyes become that of her beast, and frost begins to coat her skin.

“Nicodeamus! What’s happening? Is she alright?!” I nervously ask him. Jayce is in panic mode and begins to summon the others. The door flies open several seconds later. Aurora takes a deep breath, then freezes yet again.

“I feel the baby through the bond,” Alaric says before he goes and lays his hands over Aurora’s, on her belly. He, too, stands way too still for comfort; Aurora’s frost begins to coat him slowly. The rest of us are concerned as fuck, and Nicodeamus is standing there smiling.

“The baby is talking to its parents. I believe we will know its gender shortly.” Nicodeamus moves away and begins to pour glasses of brandy, ready to celebrate.

Suddenly, there’s a burst of frost; Aurora and Alaric stand there smiling at each other. Slowly, Aurora turns to look at each of us; tears are threatening to roll down her cheeks. “We have a daughter.” Aurora starts to cry, resting her forehead on Alaric’s chest.

Alaric wraps his thick arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest. “We have decided to name her Tiamat Andrea Kraus. Tiamat was the dragon Goddess of Chaos; Andrea, after Andre and his great sacrifice,” Alaric says proudly as he kisses the top of Aurora’s head.

Nicodeamus moves forward and gently rubs his daughter’s back. The look he and Alaric have on their faces says it all. We are witnessing a real miracle: the first daughter of a first daughter that happens to be the daughter of a first daughter herself. Three generations of first daughters is unheard of for any species, especially dragons. Alaric and Aurora make room and bring Nicodeamus into their little hugfest. They are all snuggling in, all nice and tight. The three of them are sobbing happy tears. Let’s face it, Nicodeamus went from no family to a daughter, to now having a granddaughter on the way.

I look around the room at the rest of us in turn. Aurora is far enough along that the baby can communicate somewhat with her parents. Each mate is taking the news of a daughter differently. Most of us are weeping tears of joy. Dimitri is trying his best to hold himself together after hearing the name.

Jayce and I move to embrace Dimitri and hold onto the big guy as he fights hard to resist crying. Dominik is standing watch over us all, allowing us to have our moment to process what’s happened. We all take turns swapping who is hugging whom.

It comes down to Aurora and Dimitri last; the big guy drops down on his knees before her and kisses her stomach. We depart the room, leaving those two alone—they’ve had the roughest time with their relationship, and it isn’t even their fault.

Sebastian and his mother screwed them over and damaged their bond. I can tell you one thing: I wouldn’t want to be Elena at this point. Aurora is going to gut her when she finds her. I retire to my suite for the evening.

Best Christmas ever.