Epilogue

Dimitri

M y nerves were done. Caspian was due. Our not-so-little dragon was being stubborn, and his daddy was paying the price. He was due two days ago, and still nothing. No contractions, and no signs of going into labor. The only thing that Caspian had experienced was being uncomfortable to the point he was miserable. My mate was amazing and perfect and wasn't complaining even a little, but I knew he was over being pregnant and had been for some time. Not that I blamed him. From the beginning the pregnancy had been less than ideal.

"Dimitri!"

The urgency in Caspian's voice, as well as the sudden sharp pain in my lower stomach had me rushing toward him. He was in the bathroom taking a warm bath in hopes of alleviating some of his discomfort. I hurried into the bathroom and found my mate on his knees and holding onto the side of the tub.

"What is it? Is the baby coming?" I asked as I reached him. I placed my arms on his shoulders and felt the tension in them. Caspian was panting, and when another pain punched my stomach, I nodded. "I will be back. I need my phone. It is just in the bedroom."

I didn't wait for Caspian to answer me. I took off and hurried to our bedroom. I had the phone in my hand and was calling Dr. King's number before I even made it back to the bathroom.

"Dimitri? Is it finally time?"

"Dr. King, I think it is. I'm feeling sharp pains through our bond. Does that mean he's in a lot of discomfort?"

"It's possible," he told me. "I will be right there. Is it all right for me to come into the house?"

"Ja. We are in the bedroom." I made it back to Caspian who was still holding onto the side of the tub. His face looked white, and my concern for him amplified. "We are actually in the bathroom. Caspian was in the bath, trying to relax, but he looks as if he's not doing well. Please hurry."

"I'm walking into the house now," Dr. King said. I pulled my phone away and after touching the red button to end the call, I dropped the phone on the floor. "Caspian, lyubimyy? Dr. King is here. He's here, my love. He will help."

Caspian looked up at me, and all I saw was tension in his face.

"Hello?"

"In here!" I called out. Dr. King entered the bathroom seconds later, and was across the room in a blink. "How is he?"

"I do not know," I said. "He seems frozen in pain."

Dr. King gave me a concerned look. He knelt down, and placed a hand on Caspian's other shoulder. When he did, a green light came from his hand. It seemed to enter Caspian, who looked up at the doctor.

"How are you doing? Ready to have the baby it seems."

"Hurts."

"Yes, I don't doubt that. If you were an omega, I would say you could push the baby out in the tub, but you don't have an omega line. I need to get you to the bed so I can deliver the baby, all right?"

Caspian nodded. Dr. King looked at me.

"I can use magic to move him. Is your dragon going to be all right with me doing that?"

"Ja. Please help him."

"I will. I promise. Now let's go to the bedroom and your little guy can be born."

I nodded. Caspian and Dr. King disappeared as I turned to look at my mate. I knew he was only in the bedroom. I found Caspian on our bed with Dr. King beside him. His hand was hovering over his stomach, glowing again. Once the hand was above Caspian's large stomach, I saw the tension leave Caspian's face.

I closed the distance between us and knelt down beside my mate and took his hand. "I'm here, Caspian." I pulled his hand to my mouth and gave it a kiss.

"I don't know what happened. I was relaxing finally, and then there was a sharp pain. I called out to you, and then felt the water get really warm."

"Your waters broke," Dr. King said. "Your little one is ready to be born." He looked at us and smiled. "I'll start now. Let me know if you feel any more pain."

"I feel wonderful now. I wish I could have felt this light throughout the pregnancy."

Dr. King chuckled. I watched as his hand moved across Caspian's stomach. When my mate squeezed my hand, I looked back at him. "Are you in pain?"

"No. I'm nervous though."

I pulled his hand close and kissed it again. "You are going to be an amazing daddy. Our son is going to adore you like I do."

"A little bit of movement here while I work to get him out," Dr. King said.

"He's almost here," I said.

"He is. We're finally going to meet our son," Caspian said. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and turned my head enough just in time to see Dr. King pull the baby from Caspian. My eyes widened, and I felt terrible about it instantly. "What's wrong?" Caspian asked as he squeezed my hand harder than I would have thought.

"Nothing," I said. "He's a big baby."

Dr. King chuckled. "He really is. He's the biggest I've ever delivered." Seconds later there was a loud cry in the room. Caspian's breath caught, and he tried to look down his body. I knew his stomach was still most likely in the way, which had brought him a great deal of frustration in the past month.

"His lungs sure work," I said. Caspian looked at me and shook his head.

"They do," Dr. King said. "You have a very large, very healthy alpha here," he told us. When moved toward us, he was holding the baby that was now wrapped in a blue blanket. "Here you go, Daddy. I need to take care of the placenta and then close you," he said to Caspian as he carefully placed the baby on Caspian's chest. "You can get to know your little dragon in the meantime."

I moved closer, staring at my mate holding our child. I was already hopelessly in love with my mate, but I somehow managed to fall even more in love with him in that moment. He was holding our child, and looked more beautiful than ever.

"You would think that he would at least look a little like me," Caspian said. "Especially after everything he put me through." Caspian looked directly at me. "He's beautiful, but he has be because he's your clone."

Dr. King chuckled. "His eyes are blue thought," he told us.

"But that's it? This kid put me through so much yuck and all I get is blue eyes?" Caspian smiled at me, and shook his head. "He's so beautiful, Dimitri."

"He is your son, of course he is."

Caspian rolled his eyes. "I love him. He needs brothers though."

Dr. King snorted, and I couldn't blame him. "You are literally still giving birth. Are you sure you are thinking with a clear mind?"

Caspian sighed. "I am. We're still going with the name Ayden, right?"

I smiled. "Ja, we are. It is fitting, no? He is our little fighter I think." I leaned in and kissed Caspian. He turned his head toward me, meeting my lips with his. "I love you," I told him after we parted. "We will have as many as you wish. But let's wait until he's a little older."

"We have to since I won't have a fertile period for a year." Caspian glanced at the baby and then back at me. "Or did you mean for us to wait several years?"

I reached out and ran my fingers through his hair. "We will have them as soon as you would like. I only meant that we cannot have another baby just yet."

"You are closed," Dr. King said. It was difficult, but I pulled my gaze away from my mate and son. "Your baby is just over eleven pounds, and perfectly healthy."

I looked at Caspian. "Still wish to have more babies?" Dr. King chuckled, and Caspian was staring at me with wide eyes.

"Yes. At least one more. I can't do only one."

"Lyubimyy, it does not have to be decided now," I told him. I caressed his face and moved in for another kiss. "I was only joking. We will have as many as you wish. If you say you want seven and then change your mind after the next one, I will not be upset. I only wish for you and our babies to be healthy."

"Do you want to sit up?" Dr. King asked. "You cannot walk as of yet. You need to remain in the bed until the feeling returns to your lower half."

"Can I?"

"Of course," Dr. King said. He carefully took the baby and held him out to me. "You meet your son, and I'll help your mate. Then I'll leave the two of you so you can bond with the baby."

I quickly stood before carefully taking the baby from the doctor. Immediately I saw what Caspian said. He looked so much like me. Well, except for those blue eyes. "Hello little Ayden. You are so beautiful. So is your daddy." I said quietly. Ayden yawned and then closed his eyes as I stood there holding my son.

I looked down at Caspian and realized that he was now lounging against a pile of pillows on our bed. Dr. King was gone, and when I looked toward the door, it was still open, but the doctor was nowhere to be seen.

"He went downstairs. You were talking to him in Russian. I could pick up on a word here and there, but I still don't know it all that well."

"I apologize," I told him. "I was telling him of his grandfather and great-grandfather. How they are strong dragons, and will be amazing men in his life." I pulled the baby closer, kissed his forehead, and then bent down to hand him back to my mate. Caspian took the baby and did the same before he held him close and closed his own eyes. "Are you feeling all right?"

Caspian's eyes immediately opened. "I am. My lower half is still numb, but there is a sudden lightness overall. Dr. King said it would take a few days, at the minimum, for my body to really start to feel better, but it will happen soon. I love our son already, but the pregnancy was a lot."

I nodded. I carefully sat beside him on the edge of the bed. I placed my hand on top of his where it was cradling Ayden. "We will let everyone know he is here once you are feeling up to it." I was in no rush to have our lives disrupted.

"Later this evening," Caspian said. "Once I can walk, we should let everyone know. Your parents are back, right?"

I nodded. They had returned a few days ago, but Caspian had been so miserable the last week that he'd spent most of his time in bed or in the bath. I could not relate, but I was sympathetic and felt for him. I had done everything I could to care for my mate, and at times I had succeeded, but others I felt as if I wasn't doing enough for him.

"Stop," Caspian said. I pulled my eyes from the baby and met blue eyes that I dreamed about. "You did everything perfectly. Some pregnancies are just more difficult than others. You though, were exactly what I needed, and you took such amazing care of me."

"I wish I could have taken your pain and discomfort."

Caspian looked down at the baby and smiled. "He was worth every day spent sick or uncomfortable." Caspian looked up at me and gestured for me to move closer. I did, but he shook his head. "No, you should join us on the bed. I want to cuddle with my guys."

I chuckled, but did exactly as he'd suggested. I would never deny him anything. My entire world was right there on the bed, and if Caspian wanted me to cuddle with them, I would be there for as long as he wished.

I carefully climbed onto the bed from the other side, and once I was settled beside them, Caspian carefully placed the baby on my chest. He leaned in and turned his upper body toward us before he sighed. I wrapped my arm around him, pulling him closer. I could feel the love and contentment through our bond. I kissed Ayden's black hair before I leaned in and kissed Caspian's. In that moment, I could not have asked for more.

"I love you," I said.

Caspian looked up at me and smiled. "I love you too." I leaned down and kissed his forehead. When Caspian snuggled in, I sat there and held my mate and our son. It didn't take long before I felt Caspian drift off into sleep. He more than earned it, and I wasn't going to do a thing to disturb him. Why would it? I was holding my loves in my arms. Life truly had blessed me.

Curious to know more about why Frederick was sent to Amherst? Be sure to check out Frederick to find out more!