Page 49 of Alpha Dragon's Mating Contract
“Alright, I’m going to get started on your nest,” Raptor said.
And there went all of Walren’s brainstorming, because this dragon wasridiculous.
“I’m not even pregnant,” Walren said.
“Yet!” Raptor nuzzled his sweaty nape. “I like to be prepared. Remember the crib and car seat?” And in a whisper, “I actually also have a handful of baby clothes.”
“Oh, gods,” Walren said.
Raptor turned his head toward the bedroom doors. “Hass, my minion. I have a list of items you need to acquire ASAP.”
Ever so faintly, there was a reply from Hassel. “Master, yes, Master!”
Raptor waited for a beat, presumably so Hassel could get a pen and paper. Then he cleared his throat.
“Three hundred cans of sweet corn, fifteen rubber ducks, ten straws, twenty boxes of tissue paper, ten tubs of hollow plastic balls, five pool noodles, fifty packs of ice cream sticks, twenty bath towels, and ten bunches of rosemary...”
It was at this point that Raptor seemed to run out of steam. Just as Walren thought he would stop there, the dragon perked up again.
“Oh! Don’t forget to get a grandfather clock, three bags of rice, two long plastic pipes and agiantpipe, forty yards of industrial-strength steel rope, and all the hardwood you can find.”
There was another pause.
“Nope, that’s it,” Raptor said cheerfully. “Thanks.”
Walren stared. “Is that... all supposed to go into the nest?”
“Yup!”
“How?”
Raptor rubbed his chin. Then he smiled, but Walrenknewthe alpha didn’t have a damn clue, either. “We’ll see! It’s a surprise!”
“Have you ever... built a nest?”
“Nope!”
I’m getting a real bad feeling about this.Maybe this was one skill that Raptor didn’t share with his twin—Ivo had sent pictures of Ace’s nests, and they had looked amazing.
Not that Walren was expecting something of that quality.
“I appreciate the effort you’re putting into this,” he said sincerely.
Raptor beamed. “Now, while Hass is putting in supply orders, I’m going to clean you up.”
He carefully gathered Walren into his arms. It probably felt like scooping a lump of soft dough off the counter; Walren was so drained that he couldn’t even hold up his head.
Raptor carried him to the bathroom. Walren cracked his eyes open... and gaped.
Like his kitchen, Raptor’s bathroom was a thing of beauty. Large windows poured sunlight onto the marble walls and floors. A long mirror spanned the elegant counter; the twin sinks were made of pale blue frosted glass. Their faucets were flat and rectangular like in those architectural design magazines, and when Raptor turned one on, water flowed out in a smooth, unbroken sheet.
Then there was the shower. It was large enough for two, with a rain shower head, a regular shower head, and nozzles on the walls. There was even a large stone bench against one wall.
“You can control the water temperature and pressure,” Raptor said when he caught Walren staring. He tapped on a panel on the glass shower wall, which lit up to display the water temperature and different massage options.
“It looks so fancy,” Walren moaned. “I’ve only ever seen this in videos.”
Raptor grinned. He sat down on a different bench—carved out of wood this time—and turned Walren around on his knot. When Walren was facing him fully, Raptor carried him into the shower, angling him toward the wall nozzles.
