Not Eggs, But Babies

Who could have guessed I'd go from a captive to a pregnant mate in less than a week? Yet here I was: four weeks pregnant with, supposedly, dragon eggs. I would only carry them for another three weeks before delivery. Then, they would be moved to the nesting room, a vault filled with gold and jewels that would both mask their growing power and provide the necessary heat for incubation. My vampire body simply couldn't handle the full gestation or natural birth of Dragon spawn, so this accelerated process was required.

I still didn't entirely know how to feel about carrying eggs, but I couldn't deny the genuine happiness welling up in me. Marcus was wonderful—attentive, protective, and completely overwhelming.

That was the part I needed to talk to him about. We had planned to take things slow, but my body—and Atlas—had other plans. We had known each other for a little over a week. In that time, we'd claimed each other, mated, and now I was pregnant. I hadn't even moved in yet; all my comforts were still back at my father's house. Marcus was so focused on my care and safety that he wouldn't let me lift a finger.

As I sat there, wrestling with the sheer speed of my new life, the front doors burst open. In walked my father, Marcus, and several coven members, their arms loaded with boxes.

They were bringing my life to me. My clothes, my favorite pieces of furniture, and the things that made my old room mine. They took the first load upstairs.

When my father returned, he stopped by the couch. "I knew you'd miss your things, Raven," he said, his vampire eyes warm with affection. "You don't sleep. You need your comforts for the long nights, especially while Marcus is catching up on his."

Tears instantly flooded my eyes. My father knew me so well, and my mate—the all-powerful Chosen Dragon—had intuitively understood my need for stability. He hadn't argued or asked for a discussion; he had simply arranged the entire transfer. For that silent, immediate understanding, my care for him deepened tenfold.

I sat there, watching my entire life being ferried into the place I now called home. I thought I would feel more torn, but the truth was, I felt genuinely, completely happy. Two weeks to go until delivery, and Landis couldn't wait to be a grandpa. I was just still slightly weirded out that I was having eggs instead of a baby. But in our world, nothing was ever of the norm.

The Unthinkable

Marcus came down and smiled, his face radiating warmth. "Come on. Let's look at the room so you can arrange it how you want."

He didn't lead me to his room or the one I had been using. He stopped before the massive double doors at the end of the hall. I'd always assumed they led to a private storage area.

I was wrong.

The doors opened to reveal the biggest master suite I had ever seen. My furniture was already inside, dwarfed by the sheer scale of the space. All of Marcus's belongings were merged with mine. The master bath was nearly the size of my old apartment, and the room featured a full balcony overlooking the dense forest edge. This was a palace.

I instantly went for the walk-in closet, ready to hang my clothes, but the space was already full—my clothes, perfectly hung, mixed with an array of brand-new, expensive additions.

I turned back to Marcus. A nervous flush was rising on his cheeks. I ran to him, throwing my arms around his neck. Without a single word, he knew exactly what I needed. I snuggled into his chest, letting him hold me for a moment.

And then it happened. A flutter.

I froze, jerking away from him, my hand instinctively pressing against my lower belly. The scared look on my face instantly turned Marcus's expression to one of terror.

"I felt movement," I whispered, my voice shaking. "The eggs moved."

At that, his face drained of all color, going utterly blank. His eyes changed shape and snapped red-gold, his fangs extending. Atlas was on the surface, and he looked terrified.

Atlas placed his hand over mine on my stomach, and this time, he felt the distinct, undeniable movement.

In one swift motion, he scooped me up and ran, a blur of speed heading toward the Dragon doctor's office. We arrived in record time.

The doctor got set up, and the moment the ultrasound started, we were all in collective shock.

I wasn't carrying dragon eggs.

On the screen, perfectly formed, were three little babies.

Confused silence filled the room. The doctor, recovering quickly, offered an explanation. The gold and jewels would still be necessary. Though they looked completely normal on the scan, they were part-Dragon, and they would draw the power and strength needed for growth from that stockpile.

However, the timelines were still the same. I only had two weeks left until labor started.

I knew I would love them no matter what form they took, but the confusion was sharp: Why aren't they eggs, like the lore dictates? This new mystery was just as shocking as the pregnancy itself.