Page 32 of Reindeer Flames
"Is there enough food for one more?" I glanced at the bathroom door. Steam curled from the sizeable gap around the thin wood frame. The pipes protested, and then the patter of water against the sides of the shower enclosure diminished to a single slow drip.
"Of course!" Papa's overly cheerful grin made up for Dad's slight frown.
"Who's here?" Dad asked. "In your shower?"
"Your mate?" Papa asked. "The dragon baker?"
I nodded, afraid my voice would crack or fail me completely.
"Wonderful." Papa dragged me into the kitchen. "Set the table for four. I brought napkins and that vegetable dip you like. I'll chop up the broccoli and cauliflower."
He shoved the bakery box with more snickerdoodles to the side, but then he leaned down and inhaled deeply. "Smells delicious. Dessert?"
"If you'd like. We can't stay much past one. We have an open house at two."
"Open house?" Papa frowned at me. "You're moving in together?"
I nodded.
"Isn't that fast, even for fated mates?"
I wanted to melt into a puddle on the floor, or shift into my reindeer and take to the skies. My parents had raised me to be a responsible alpha, and here I was, knocking up my fated omega the first time we had sex, all because I couldn't fit a condom in my Halloween costume.
"That would be my fault." Silver stood in the kitchen doorway looking magnificent. He wore a gray suit that brought out the lowlights in his hair. I was nowhere near as professional in my polo and jeans.
"Papa, this is Silver, my mate," I stammered.
Silver held out his hand, and they shook. Papa leaned in for a sniff, and he tackle-hugged my much-larger mate. "Now I understand the rush. Congratulations!"
I'd expected harsh words. Instead, Papa hugged me and called to Dad, who was watching a game on the living room television. "Congratulations are in order, Encke! Come give our son a hug! We're going to be grandparents!"
Of all the ways I expected my parents to react to the news that Silver was pregnant, this wasn't it. No teasing,no lectures, no "responsible alpha" sermons. Their simple acceptance had me swallowing back sobs and wiping away tears of joy. Everything from house hunting to the brutal training for Christmas Eve seemed less stressful now, replaced by gentle excitement and anticipation. I couldn't wait to be a dad. Better yet, I was looking forward to introducing our babies to my dad and papa.
CHAPTER 15
SILVER
Hart's parentsaccompanied us to Candy Cane Lane, an adorable heated cobblestone alley between Santa 12 and 13's warehouses. The house was even cuter in person, and the realtor, an otter shifter named Melvin, had baked chocolate chip cookies to make it smell like home.
I expected it to be packed, or already spoken for, but Melvin met us on the front stoop with a smile and handshakes for the four of us.
"Welcome to your new home!"
The entryway split off in three directions. The kitchen was on our right, and the living room was a few steps down to our left. Ahead was a hallway with a single door on either side, opening up again before another door to the back yard. My dragon wanted to inspect the yard, but first, I had to judge the kitchen against my standards. While I could bake in subpar conditions, I wanted my home to have the most up-to-date magical technology, ensuring consistent baking temperatures and minimal pollution.
This kitchen had it all. It was almost as advanced as the bakery. The only difference was the size. I couldn't fit ten cookie sheets in the oven at once, but four? No problem. I was sosmitten with the kitchen, I didn't want to follow Hart and his family into the rest of the house. I worried they would hate it.
My fears never materialized. Encke loved the spacious living room and the huge picture window overlooking a line of pristine snow-covered bushes that blocked the wind and the view to the other houses in the neighborhood. Both of Hart's parents laughed at the tiny dining room, only big enough for a bench nook or a six-person table. "You'll never have to host a Comet family dinner," Norris, Hart's papa, teased.
"I doubt they'll ask." Hart didn't seem bothered by the admission. He'd come a long way from the first time Bopp had called him a Large Omega Lover.
Across from the small dining room, we found a large den. At the back, an open stairway went up. On the second floor, we found three bedrooms, each bigger than the last, and all with gorgeous views of twinkling lights in the distance.
Back downstairs, we had one doorway left, or so I thought. Beneath the stairs, we found another. "This house has a basement?" I asked Melvin.
"It does." He grinned. "It's perfect for a growing family."
The basement was unfinished, its walls and window wells protected from the frost and snow with a magical barrier. Each wall had an egress window, which meant we could have up to four more bedrooms.
