Page 29 of Reindeer Flames
Hart shifted to his human form and collapsed to his hands and knees in a fit of laughter. "Do you think anyone saw us?" he asked. "I can't believe I didn't prepare for ice. We have masks to contain our breath, but I forgot all about them."
"You're lucky the rest of the reindeer have today off." I glanced around the hangar, still as empty as it had been when we'd left.
"Hart?" A booming voice filled the hangar, and we both turned toward the open door. "Fuck, it was you! I can't believe it! You were a fucking comet, coming in hot with your tail on fire! Talk about reindeer flames!"
"Fuck off, Bopp," Hart said.
His cousin continued to advance. "And who do we have here? Still palling around with the large omega, I see. Is it true what they say about the motion on the ocean?"
"What do they say?" I'd never heard that one before, at least, not in reference to large omegas.
"Depends on who you're calling the ocean," Hart said.
Bopp frowned. "What? You wouldn't … you let him top you? Wait 'til I tell Granddad!"
I waited for Hart to say something, anything, but he froze. I took a step toward Bopp, and he stopped with his hands on his hips. "Tell your granddad it will be a pleasure to make his acquaintance at our bonding ceremony, if not before."
Bopp's frown twisted into a mask of disgust. "Bonding ceremony? Are you mates now? Does that make you his bitch, Hart? What's even happening here?"
Hart stepped up beside me and patted my shoulder. "He's my omega. We're not just mates, we're fated. And you can tell Granddad and the other bullies in our family they're not invitedto any bonding ceremony until they accept Silver as one of the family."
Bopp scoffed and turned away. "Guess I won't be seeing you around, then. I'm still gonna tell them all you fell from the sky with this giant dragon omega breathing fire on your ass."
Hart shook his head and laughed. "He saved my ass. I'm not complaining."
"Whatever." Bopp left the hangar with one more confused glance over his shoulder. We hadn't won, exactly, but any time Bopp left without a smug sneer, I considered it a small victory.
CHAPTER 14
HART
After we stoppedin the locker room so I could change into the clothes in my bag, we headed to Santa 30's office. I kept my phone off while we visited him. He loved the new snickerdoodle recipe Silver had whipped up from scratch. He'd also seen my landing on the hangar's flight video, and congratulated Silver on saving us both.
His eyes were bright with unshed tears when he grabbed my shoulder. "You'll find some real estate listings on your desk."
Before I could ask him how he knew we'd been talking about moving in together, he turned to Silver and clutched his hands. "The cookies are fine. You baked them to perfection. You don't have food poisoning, but it is egg related."
Silver blinked. "That's impossible."
"Is it? You didn't sense a single inkling of heat?"
The longer Silver stared at Santa, the more rosy stain sank into his cheeks and neck. "Heat?"
"Thank goodness." I pulled Silver in for a hug. "I was so worried when you got sick. It's heat-related?" I knew nothing about dragon heats.
"I was in heat on Halloween?" Silver's voice sounded hollow, and it took a moment for my brain to process the news.
"You were in heat," I said slowly, "on Halloween."
He tried to pull away, and I realized how harsh I sounded, my throat dry and voice grating. I hugged him tighter and kissed his cheek. "Oh, Silver. We're going to be parents!"
He chuffed a wet laugh and squeezed me back. "It seems so."
Santa piled onto our hug from behind. "Congratulations! It's been ages since I've seen dragon eggs this far north."
"I have to tell Gold!" Silver wriggled from our embrace and rushed for the door. Once he had it open, he turned. "Aren't you coming with me?"
I grinned and followed him to the door. "Always." It seemed sudden, dumping my bullying family one moment and learning I was about to raise my own family the next, but I was all in with Silver. No matter what happened next, we would do it together.
