Chapter Twenty-Six

Terrick

Scott and I were both still a bit in shock when the guard picked up Salta Sunday evening. She spent the rest of the weekend gushing about how she’d have four babies to play with and how she hoped they were all girls like her so she could buy them dresses and make them all cute.

When I shut and locked the door behind her my shoulders hung heavy. I was excited to start our family, but Scott’s anxieties weren’t wrong. Four babies was a lot of babies and even more responsibilities. I flopped down on the sofa next to him and he twisted to lay down with his head in my lap. I played with his hair and waited for him to speak. I’d done a lot of mind planning before Salta left making a rundown of the things we’d need to buy before our kids arrived in a few months. I’d even counted up how many bedrooms we might need to add on later for all the kids and Salta to have their own rooms.

“Still excited?” Scott asked hopefully.

“Yes,” I nodded. “I’m not saying it’s going to be easy, but even one baby wouldn’t have been easy.”

“I know,” Scott nodded.

“And I’ll be here the whole time,” I said. “You won’t have to worry about getting around or not being able to tie your shoes or whatever else you need help with.”

“We won’t have enough arms to do everything. If we each hold two babies, we’ll be out of arms! What if they all cry at the same time?”

“We’ll figure it out,” I said.

“I miss when the twins were my biggest worry,” he said, turning to his side.

“Me too. Though, I could eat them and make them go away,” I shrugged.

“We have to tell Blithe and Duke,” he sighed.

“Not until you’re ready.”

“I think we have to tell them sooner rather than later. I’m not saying we can’t do this, but at some point we’re going to need help and I do not want to hire a nanny.”

“No nannies,” I agreed. “We’ll take care of our own kids.”

“What about your dad? Is he going to try to pull what Syre’s sire is?” Scott asked.

“I hope not. He already promised Mom,” I said, tensing at the thought of him not meeting his grandkids.

“I’m sorry he won’t meet them,” Scott pushed himself upright.

“How do your parents feel about being grandparents? I don’t know that my mom will be around all that much. Salta’s right. She’s always busy.”

“They like it. They’ll be around a lot, because counting the twins, they’ll have six grandkids here and Duke and Syre’s baby too,” he said.

“That’s good. I always wished I had grandparents as a kid,” I admitted for the first time in my life.

“They’ll have playmates in each other and their cousins too,” Scott added.

“I don’t think playmates will be the problem,” I smirked. “There are a lot of kids in Heartville.”

“Are you okay with this?” he asked, touching my cheek.

“If I’ve given you the impression I’m not, I’m sorry, mate. I’m excited. We just have a lot to plan out and I’m still worried about the curse and Salta.”

“I think the curse, if that’s what it ever was, is finished. He’s bonded with you enough that he’s passing on his pit hound bloodline if we believe him.”

“You better believe me. How many pit hounds have you seen born? I’ve seen us. All of those are my pups too. I wasn’t joking about eating the dragon. Frost is nice and all, but these are my pups!”

“See,” he said. “All better.”

“We won’t know for sure until the moon.”

“How many days until then?” he asked.

“About another ten days I think, give or take. We’ll look it up tonight or tomorrow. I think we both need to get some sleep and come morning we’ll start the process of telling everyone and planning how to go forward.”

“I’m glad you’re with me,” Scott said.

“Given my way, I’d never be anywhere else,” I said and leaned my forehead against his.