Page 44 of Dragon's Midlife Secret Baby
He put his arm around her waist. “We haven’t had very much time to be a family, just us. Now that we’re going to be living together, I thought it’d be nice if we had our own little getaway. Do you like it?”
“I love it, and I love you.” She kissed him, feeling more content than she thought she would be about moving out of the covenstead.
“I like this bed!” Corbin had walkedover to the low bed with half rails and was poking the fluffy blanket.
“It’s all yours,” Beck told him.
Corbin gasped, his eyes wide and his mouth open comically. “For me?Mybed?”
“Yeah. Why don’t you try it out? Climb on up there.” Beck walked over as Corbin squirmed into the bed. “Is it comfy?”
“I get to sleep here?” he asked, wiggling happily.
“You sure do. Every night. And Mommy and I will be right in the next room. Does that sound good to you?”
“Uh huh!” Corbin flapped his arms and legs like he was making a snow angel.
Beck laughed. “You’re something else, kiddo.”
“Are you ready yet?” a deep voice bellowed from down the stairs.
Now Chelsea laughed. “Lilith wasn’t kidding. Kendrick really is excited. I guess the question is, are you?”
Beck took in a deep breath. “Yeah, I think I am. A little nervous, maybe. It’s a lot of responsibility. But it’ll be nice to have something that anchors me like this.”
“Then let’s go.” Chelsea picked up Corbin, and they made their way back down to the main floor.
Kendrick was waiting near a different door, one that Chelsea hadn’t been through. He handed each of them a dark ceremonial robe. “Right this way.” His voice had gone from lively and excited to solemn as he opened the door and guided them down a set of stairs to the basement.
The floor was hard-packed earth, and the walls were an extension of the brick that made up the rest of the house. The only light came from candles in sconces on the walls, and some were making long, slow drips down the brick.
The rest of the Alexander clan were already there, waiting for them. They wore the same dark robes that Kendrick had given to them. The hoods were up, hiding their faces in the shadow of the fabric, but it was easy for Chelsea to see who was who. Putting on her own robe and then Corbin’s, she stood next to Beck as he took his place in the circle.
There was a moment of silence before Kendrick began. “The Alexander clan goes back many, many centuries. In our modern times, we are one of the oldest clans in existence. It is our strength—not only in our bodies but also in our minds and souls—that keeps us alive and moving forward. It is also through careful leadership, a responsibility that has been passed down from one to the next as time goes on.”
“Though our numbers may be small, still we continue to carry on the traditions of our forefathers. We do so tonight.” Kendrick moved to the wall, taking a flaming torch from a holder and lifting it above his head. “Beck Alexander!”
“I am here.” Though he’d put up his hood like the others had, Beck now pulled it back and stepped forward.
The corner of Kendrick’s mouth twitched, but he managed to keep his smile away. “You are the only son of Bernard Kendrick. As I have no children of my own, you are by rights the next Alpha of the Alexander clan. Is anyone believing this man to be unfit for the job?”
A deep silence fell over the basement. At one point, Chelsea would’ve expected Griffin to speak up, but he was as silent as the others.
“Beck Alexander, do you promise to dutifully guide the clan into the future, to preserve its members not only in their number but also in their wellbeing, to lead them to the best of your ability, to make your ancestors proud?” Kendrick asked, his voice now echoing slightly off the walls.
Beck bowed his head. “I will do this.”
Now Kendrick stretched his arms out wide, stillholding the torch. “As we are all brethren here, let us show our true forms.”
Each one of them shifted into their beasts. Bones cracked, spines elongated, and skin changed. Fingers elongated to claws, and the dull thud of newly formed feet hitting the floor could be heard over the hiss of the candles. Someone’s tail whipped against the wall. Wings were held at bay, but they nevertheless made a soft rustling as they expanded.
“Dragon, Mommy?” Corbin asked as he watched the rest of his family change.
They’d talked to him about this a bit beforehand, although she and Beck hadn’t known whether or not he’d be able to shift at will. With his age, however, it wouldn’t be a problem if he wasn’t capable. “Yes, dear.”
“Okay.” He scrunched up his face and his body grew tense. He balled his hands into fists and then let them go again. Nothing happened.
Just when she thought he was about to give up and they’d have to move on, the boy lurched forward. He was on his hands and knees while still in his human form, but that didn’t last long. Corbin’s sweet little face stretched forward into a muzzle. He couldn’t quite control his wings as theysprouted from his back and dragged down onto the floor. Sitting back on his haunches, he looked at his own hands with the same fascination that Chelsea felt at seeing him like this. His green scales matched those of his father.
