Page 37 of Marked By His Alpha Dragon's Desire

Epilogue

Luca

Today was the day. I was sure of it.

My paternity leave officially started yesterday. I would have six weeks off and then another six weeks where I would return only part-time. We had childcare lined up—it turned out that there were plenty of pack members willing to hang out with our dragonets while Raphael and I worked.

But first, I needed them to get here. And before that, I needed my mate to arrive.

I paced next to the nest, keeping one eye on the nest while I walked the length of the room. I had already texted him and called. As a last resort, I had reached out to Tyler. Still nothing.

A small fracture split the center of one of the eggs. Occasionally, both eggs would move as if the two dragonets were talking to one another, ready to explore—perhaps scheming together in a way that only siblings could.

I was about to climb into the nest with them when the sound of a siren reached my ears. It seemed awfully close.

I went to the front window just as the fire truck was turning down our road, sirens blaring, lights flashing. Then it stopped on the road.

I smiled as my mate leapt out and ran up the front walk. He wore his turnout gear. The straps of his suspenders flapping at his sides.

He burst through the front door. “I didn’t miss anything, did I?” He was already shucking off his turnout jacket that held a scent of smoke and ash. His face was darkened with soot.

“Were you on a call?” I asked.

“Just a small one. We’re done. Mostly. Tyler will have to do the paperwork.”

I shook my head. I supposed I shouldn’t be surprised that Tyler arrived to the hatching in the back of a firetruck. After all, the eggs had been laid in one. “You haven’t missed anything. They’ve just started pressing against the shells.”

Together, he and I went to the nest. It was the place where we spent a majority of our time.

In the few seconds that I had stepped away, our daughter had someone how managed to roll her egg over and she now had a crack that matched her brother’s.

It was a race.

“They’re coming! I think it’s happening!” I could barely contain my excitement. We were about to meet our babies! I had longed for this day. We had spent countless hours in the nest in the past six weeks, watching as the eggs shook and occasionally moved enough to roll. The gentle hum of their happiness was a constant reminder that inside were our children. Mine and Raphael’s.

Raphael knelt beside me, his gaze locked on the eggs.

Our daughter’s egg had a small piece of shell totally broken off, and we could peek inside.

“There you go, little one. Just a little more,” I encouraged.

Another crack echoed in the quiet room, this time from our son’s egg. Both eggs began to rock gently. They really were competing for who could come out the fastest.

Raphael’s and my gaze ping-ponged between watching one egg, then the other. One of them was bound to burst out soon.

“They are so eager!” I said.

“C’mon, babies, come see your dads.” Raphael inched closer to them, but we didn’t touch the eggs. They would be able to do this on their own.

With a sudden burst of energy, both eggs shattered. The shells crumbled to the bottom of the nest, and two tiny dragonets emerged. Their scales glimmered with shades of mint green. Their little tails unwound from where they were nestled close to their bodies inside the egg.

They blinked their green eyes up at us, and then they began to chirp excitedly.

“Beautiful,” Raphael breathed.

“They are,” I said. I held out my hands, and our daughter clambered over to me. She tripped over her feet, and I caught her. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. I have you, Jade.” I tried out the name we’d picked out for her.

Her head tipped in response. She blinked up at me with her bright green eyes.

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