Page 48 of The Monster at the End of This Courtship

"How does the stuff not fall out?"

"The inside of the van is an inter-dimensional space."

Right. Like that explained it.

"You'll learn how to create your own when you bond with your animal. It uses magic from both of us to make it work."

I'd forgotten Odessa had her own magic. She'd read my mind for directions when she'd taken us to my old apartment. "How did you know Odessa was the right creature to bond?"

"I didn't." Lark grinned. "She bonded with me. All I did was approach the dire weasel paddock and look pretty."

"Is that how the dragonets do it, too?"

"Dragonets can be bribed. Some dire weasels, too, but I don't recommend it. If a weasel's bond forms on bribes, they'll eat your hand off when you don't have treats. Dragonets are a little more forgiving."

"Tuft has his sights set on a dragonet named Sunset." I laughed as I remembered all the treats he'd shoved her way. "What do they like?"

That's how we ended up buying a bag of dog food along with two tarps, a spade for digging a latrine trench until the children were old enough to understand toilets, and our greatest find of the day, a portable hammock for the back yard.

"We love ours," Lark said. "We lie in it while the kids play. We trust Clementine to wake us if anything goes wrong. Otherwise, she bosses the boys around like a playground supervisor."

"Cute." My mind wandered to our eggs. Once they hatched, we could start them in preschool almost immediately. Baby kobolds were smart and curious, and they needed classroom stimulation and playground companionship. They were much like human toddlers, in that respect. The major difference was walking on all fours and balancing with their long, thick tails.

"We should get going, if you want to surprise Tuft with a decorated cabin after dinner."

"Sorry. I got lost in a daydream of what our children will be like."

He patted my shoulder. "At least you know you'll get to watch them grow up. At this stage in Punky's pregnancy, we worried we would have to send our babies to Earth through the changeling circle."

I couldn't imagine sending my kids off to Earth for twenty-five years without us. The time apart didn't do us any favors. I'd met my birth parents, but they were complete strangers, and besides, they had a new family of their own now, twin beta teenagers. When I asked them if I had any brothers, or a sister, they shook their heads to the negative with unshed tears in their eyes. I was the only egg who made it.

I needed to get home to Tuft with all our supplies. Survival wasn't guaranteed, even with the sunlight and the dragon's approval. There was still a chance we could lose our eggs. I wanted them to have the best odds.

With Lark's help, I decorated the cabin for a welcome home party for Tuft and our babies. The last piece of the puzzle was snagging Tuft's belongings from his room without him knowing.

Lark had the solution for that, too. He asked Tuft to meet him in the cafeteria before dinner to discuss the youth league. I hid in the hallway with an invisibility spell and slipped into his room just as he locked the door behind him.

I knew how to teleport items, but I'd never teleported myself like that before, and twice in rapid succession. I felt a little nauseated afterward, but it was worth it to see all of Tuft's colorful shirts, vests, and his hanging display of ties and bowties in my closet. My chest filled with pride when I opened the two drawers at the top of my dresser and found his underwear, shorts, and pants. I resisted the urge to lean over the drawer for a deep sniff. I didn't want to be late.

I added some magical sparkles to the "Welcome home" sign, and then I teleported as close to the fortress as I dared. I didn't want to knock into someone I couldn't see.

Tuft had his back to the door where I entered the cafeteria, and Lark looked concerned. When he saw me, he waved me over.

Tuft turned toward me, and it was like the clouds lifted to show the sun, his smile was so bright. I beamed back at him. I pulled out the chair to sit beside him, but Lark jumped to his feet. "Sit here. You've got a lot to discuss."

I slid into the chair facing Tuft and Lark vanished, like he'd teleported home from right behind me. I didn't know we could do that.

"I have a surprise for you," I said.

At the same time, Tuft said, "When you left, I thought you weren't coming back."

"Oh." I studied his worried expression. He even smelled off, like he'd been stressed for hours. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to travel to Earth and back before you knew I was gone." I should have known Tuft would find out I'd left, but this was far beyond ruining my surprise. I'd let Tuft think I'd abandoned him.

"One of your coworkers was looking for you," he said. "I wouldn't have known until tonight, if …"

"I will never leave you." I reached across the table to take both of his hands in mine. "You're my mate, and my home. All the French fries in the world won't change that."

"French fries?" He frowned suspiciously. "Who's she? I'm jealous."

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