19. Emrie

Six Months Later

Iwent hunting for my mate and found him by the new sheep pen. Since I'd teased him about sheep being one of his hoards that night outside his restaurant months ago, we'd added sheep to our little hobby farm, and to date, neither he nor his dragon had eaten any.

In all honesty, I think the little baby lambs had grabbed hold of his third heart and hadn't released it, because he loved on those lambs nearly as much as his horses, and that was saying something.

I found him by the sheep pen, checking over a baby lamb that had gotten tangled in the fence. "Did she get scratched up?"

He raised his head and smiled at me. "No. She looks good." He held the lamb up to his face and kissed her little nose. "Be careful, little one." Then he released her back to her mama.

He washed up at the water pump we had in the back of our property, then cuddled me close, nipping my neck. I shivered at the touch of his lips. "The Clan are coming soon for movie day," I reminded him. It was Thursday, and since Roarke and I split our time between here and my house on Clan property, Roarke's movie days here had been commandeered by the Clan. "We're watching that new romcom that came out last week on streaming."

He chuckled. "You're the only person I know that has so many men wrapped around your little pinky finger that they're willing to watch the latest romcom with you."

I made a face. "They come for your food."

He entangled our hands and started back to the house. "Agree to disagree." When we got to the mudroom, he helped me to get my muddy boots off, then hung my sweater up on one of the hooks along the wall.

"Is Dice almost here?"

He and his dragon were very impatient for Dice's visit. We all were. He dropped to his knees right there on the hard floor and kissed my stomach tenderly. "You okay in there, a leanbh?"

"She's fine," I assured him, stroking his hair. I looked down at my stomach, and like she always did for her daddy, she moved in reaction to his voice. I could already tell she would be a daddy's girl. I was guessing, but I felt sure she was a girl.

"And Dice is nearly here. She buzzed the gate only a moment ago."

He looked up at me from on his knees and grinned with such perfect happiness that it took my breath away. If the last six months had been a perfect miracle for me, I and my bear were often reminded that they were so much more for the dragon and man that had waited over seven hundred years for us. I tenderly held his face between my palms, and leaned over and kissed his eyelids.

"You both are wonderful, and I adore you both so much."

His dragon flared in his eyes, and Roarke stood, picking me up over my laughing protests, and carrying me to the couch where he proceeded to show me how very much he adored me back. Well, at least until the doorbell rang.

I groaned and then laughed as I tried to straighten out the mess that was my hair. I looked like I'd just been making out with my mate, and my mate loved it, if the gleam in his eyes and his smirk were any indication.

I let down the hair that hadn't already fallen out of my bun and tried to run my fingers through the long mess to detangle it. "Could you please get the door, love?"

By the time he came back, I was reasonably put together again. Dice came in, looking like the cutest biker chic pixie who ever walked the earth. She didn't look at all like what I thought of as a doctor or healer. She wore boots that laced up her calves, ripped jeans, a dazzling green tee shirt, and a black leather jacket that I'd bet she'd stolen from her boyfriend because it looked at least two sizes too big for her.

"How're the momma and daddy-to-be?" she asked, setting her healer's bag down on the coffee table and pulling up a sitting pouf so she could be comfortable while using her Insight on me.

Roarke sat down next to me and held my hand, rubbing his thumb lightly over the back of my hand in a soothing way. I think he was trying to soothe both of us. We were both nervous about this check up. We'd gone to the hospital to get confirmation when we'd first suspected we were pregnant, but we'd both decided that we wanted Dice to be my primary care doctor for the duration of the pregnancy. Paranormal doctors were awesome, but I preferred Dice, and she and I already knew each other, so I just felt more comfortable with her. We were three months into the pregnancy now, and this was Dice's first check-up. So, yes, we were nervous.

She got lost in her Insight for a few minutes, and then grinned up at both of us. "You want the good news?"

Roarke and I nodded, wide-eyed. Roarke squeezed my hand tightly.

"Twins. You're having twins. From the DNA it looks like one of them, a little girl, is going to be a dragon shifter, and the little boy is going to be a bear shifter."

I gawped at her, completely stunned, while Roarke pulled me onto his lap and hid his face in my hair. I could feel dampness on my neck. I cleared my throat, and said hoarsely, "Could you give us a moment, Dice?"

She nodded, still grinning, and went to find something to eat in our kitchen. Everyone always knew that our house had delicious food, so they gravitated there.

I turned in my mate's lap so that I could see his face. The fact that he let me showed me how much he trusted me. His eyes were red-rimmed and still moist, and he looked shattered, but in a good way. I cuddled into him, and just let him feel my love for him and his dragon, my acceptance of all the parts of him, and the peace that I was feeling. Roarke wasn't often off-balance, and when he was, it usually somehow involved me. I kissed his chin and snuggled in better, resting the side of my face against his neck. I could feel him swallow, trying to gain control, while I stroked the arm closest to me.

After a few minutes, he spoke. "We're so blessed," he said hoarsely.

I nodded. "We are." I looked up at him, meeting his beautiful azure-opal eyes. "I'm so happy, Roarke. Looking back on my life, I never knew this kind of joy was even possible. Thank you for sharing my life with me. And whatever comes, I'm glad we'll face all of our tomorrows together."

He closed his eyes, and a tear ran down his face. I caught it with a fingertip. "Stop making me cry," he demanded with a soft growl. "It's rude."

I laughed. Then I groaned as I tried to stand. Roarke helped me up, then stood as well. "You ready for my Clan?"

He sighed and let his head fall back, staring at the ceiling. "Am I ever? They're like a heard of elephants thundering through our house."

I laughed and tugged him toward Dice and the kitchen. "Yes, but they're our elephants."

He sighed again, and that said it all.

Later,with our buffet of grilled burgers, a nacho bar and a salad bar (for me), Roarke, my Clan, and I were enjoying the romcom. Or rather, I was enjoying the romcom, a few of my Clan were secretly enjoying the romcom, and others were complaining loudly about the total improbability of the plotline of the romcom.

Taco picked a cherry tomato out of my salad bowl and threw it at the TV when the woman on the TV ran back to the bus station to search for the guy that said he'd be there. And when the guy didn't show up because he'd been injured in a car accident, everyone got quiet, pulled into the story. And it was into this quiet that I said, "Roarke and I are having twins. A girl dragon shifter, and a boy bear shifter."

They all lost their minds.

"What!"

"Oh, osita, that's so good to hear!"

"Way to go, Roarke!" That was Drew. Of course.

And about four bear shifters tried to scoop me up and hug me at once, my alpha, Mateo, Mathan, and Alistair.

I laughed and looked over at Roarke. He looked grumbly, but resigned about other guys hugging me. He also looked proud, and incredibly happy.

I had an immediate flashback to an earlier time when I'd felt so very broken, when I was in love with my best friend and despairing because I would never be his. I wished I could tell that earlier me that things would work out. That the tears into my pillow, the anguish, the uncertainty, that they would fade. I wish I could show her this snapshot of joy that would be her life.

Roarke, who knew the sweet thoughts I was thinking about him, leaned over those still surrounding me in a group hug, and kissed me. I laughed when my Clan let go of me instantly and groaned, which, of course, had been Roarke's aim all along. He sat down, pulling me onto his lap, and Mathan started the movie again.

Taco immediately threw a cucumber slice at the TV, and Roarke growled at him. "You're cleaning all that up before you leave."

Taco grinned unrepentantly, while Alpha Riggs shook his head, despairing of Taco ever being anything other than a big kid.

I laughed under my breath and leaned back against my mate's chest.

Life was wonderful.