Page 24 of Alpha Dragon's Mating Contract
“Um,” Walren said.
“Think about it.” Raptor tapped on the contract. “Tell me if the compensation is too low.”
Too low?Walren opened and closed his mouth like a fish. Those numbers were insanely high.
And yet there was no amount of money that Raptor could pay, for Walren to part with his baby.
What if Walren just... didn’t get pregnant somehow? Surely Uriel had a contraceptive spell; mages could write spells for lots of things. It just had to stay intact for the duration of Walren’s heat.
“I really might not conceive,” Walren said guiltily. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”
Raptor shrugged. “I’ll try my best.” More quietly, “You sound nervous.”
“The contract makes me nervous.”
“You don’t have to sign it now. Take some time to think about it.”
Walren looked at the numbers again.
Food. Money. Protection.
His friends had been moving out of the safe house one by one. There had been five of them back in Colorado: Pinks the wolf shifter, Ivo the mink shifter, Nat the raccoon shifter, Killian the rabbit shifter, and Walren. Then they had gotten kidnapped; Pinks had escaped first and gotten tangled with an alpha. Now that they were all rescued and living in Cartfalls, Ivo and Nat had bonded with alphas too, leaving just Walren, Killian, and their babies at the safe house.
Not that Killian would be there for much longer—Walren had seen one of the alphas, Crush, eyeing him with interest.
Soon, it would just be just Walren and Zebbie left. Even though the safe house was supposed to be safe, Walren knew he would feel uneasy living alone with his son.
How much of an idiot would he be to pass up everything that Raptor offered?
Walren wet his lips, his heart thudding. “I—I accept your offer.”
Raptor raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”
Walren nodded quickly. The initial contract was for six months. It would end before Walren’s next heat, and by then, Walren should’ve built up enough of a nest egg to find himself an actual job.
All he had to do was get through this heat without conceiving.
It would be simple enough, right?
Raptor rumbled, a slow smile curving his lips. “Good. Now, I want you to read this damn thing, since you’ve been relying on me to give you the highlights. Once you’ve read the contract and signed it, we’ll be set.”
Walren nodded nervously. He twisted his fingers together and made himself read every single line, sometimes going over them multiple times when the words didn’t sink in. At least the contract had been written in simple English.
Midway through, Raptor set down a cup of steaming green tea next to Walren. Walren drank it gratefully. Then he felt really bad because Raptor wasn’t going to get the baby he was hoping for.
When Walren had read every word—including exactly how Raptor would hold him down and breed him—he looked up, swallowing nervously. “You’re sure you’ll be okay if I don’t conceive?”
Raptor’s eyes darkened. “I would be disappointed, I guess. But I’m not planning on that outcome.”
Walren’s insides tightened again.
It’s going to be okay,he told himself.I’m not letting him take away my babies.
What if Raptor wanted Zebbie as a consolation prize? Walren’s heart stuttered. Zebbie was... special. He wasn’t just a gazelle shifter, and he had too many quirks for the alpha not to notice eventually.
I’ll keep hiding Zebbie as best as I can,Walren decided.
He picked up the stone-carved pen that Raptor had left out, signing his name carefully. Dark navy ink flowed onto the page; it was the smoothest pen Walren had ever used.
