19. Jackson

Chapter 19

Jackson

"You shouldn't be carrying that." I tried and failed to wrest the big box out of Marcelo's hands.

"That's sweet of you, Jackson, but as a dragon shifter, being pregnant doesn't stop me from lifting heavy weights."

"Okay." I often said or did the wrong thing, not understanding the powers dragon shifters possessed.

Marcelo hefted the box onto his hip and put an arm around me. "But thank you for being kind. It can't be easy being mated to two dragons."

I perked up a little. "I bet I'm the only person on the planet mated to not one but two dragon shifters."

Brooklyn shoved past us, holding a towering pile of boxes. "Maybe, maybe not. We could go looking for other dragon shifters once the babies arrive."

How did we suss out other dragons, I wondered?

I had so many questions, and every night I tossed them at my mates.

"No, the babies won't be dragons apart from a quick glimpse when they hatch."

But Marcelo's explanation brought up more questions. "Hatch, as in an egg?"

It would take a lifetime to learn everything about dragons, but that was what we had; our whole lives.

"Hurry up, you two."

Brooklyn was impatient to get everything unpacked.

Marcelo and I agreed that as Brooklyn had a huge-ass house, we should move in here. But we'd had to pare down our belongings.

"We don't need three air fryers," he told us as he put two in the "to sell" pile. Him saying, "We don't need…" was repeated many times as we spent two weeks going through our stuff.

Today was move-in day, and we'd ordered a bigger bed for the main bedroom, plus new bed linens and duvets.

"It looks so pretty." We stood back and admired the new bed we'd made up while ignoring the chaos in the rest of the house.

Marcelo had insisted that no matter how many boxes we had to unpack, our bedroom would remain a calm and serene oasis.

"Can I jump on it?" It did look pretty, but it was asking me to mess it up.

"Sure, as long as you fix it afterward." Marcelo folded his arms, and it emphasized his tiny bump. Instead of leaping on the bed immediately, I fell to my knees and kissed his belly.

"Hello, babies." While it wasn't for certain that he was carrying more than one egg, my dragon mates said it was more than likely. "When you are able to walk, we're going to do cannonballs on the bed, okay." I glanced up at Marcelo whose narrowed eyes suggested he might not be in agreement. "But we have to tidy the bed afterward or Dragon Daddy One might be feisty and fiery."

Marcelo bent over and blew a puff of smoke in my face before walking out of the room. I ran after him. "How'd you do that? Will our kids be able to blow smoke up…?"

I let that thought trail away because I didn't want to complete the sentence.

"No." Brooklyn was pulling out kitchen utensils that I'd snuck into a box, convinced we needed two or three of everything. "Only adults, and it takes a lot of control and practice."

Marcelo sat on the living room floor pulling out books. "I'm bored. Can we forget about unpacking for the rest of the day?"

"And spend it in bed?" I asked hopefully, my cock engorging.

"No. Let's get out of the house."

"And do what?" Brooklyn asked.

Marcelo shrugged. "Help some zoo animals escape?"

Air whooshed out of me. While I was conflicted on animals being kept in captivity, I'd never considered helping them make a break for freedom.

"And how would you do that?" Brooklyn was the most realistic of the three of us. "In human form you'd get caught. I can see the headlines, ‘Pregnant Omega Jailbreaks Hippo.'"

I giggle-snorted until I noted Marcelo's expression and stifled my laughter.

"And if your dragon swooped in and picked up a tiger in its jaws, what then?"

"Fine. Cross off the zoo escape," Marcelo huffed. "What else can we do that's different?"

"I'm guessing roller coasters are out, as you're pregnant," I teased.

"Pregnant or not, that was damned scary. I almost peed my pants."

I did an online search. "We could go to a museum."

"Not in the mood," Marcelo whined.

"Go on a picnic."

"No, we can eat at home." He got off the floor and collapsed on the sofa.

"Mini golf?"

"I always smash the ball too hard and get asked to leave because it hit someone and they had to call the paramedics."

I was running out of ideas. "Camping?"

Both Brooklyn and Marcelo poo-pooed that suggestion.

"I have a suggestion." Brooklyn raised his hand. "We could redecorate a room."

"Gods, no!" Marcelo wanted no part of that, and I was in agreement.

"We could get into bed and have a movie marathon. We could make popcorn and choose movies based on a theme."

Marcelo nodded. "That sounds promising, and I do love me some popcorn."

"I vote for vampire films because Marcelo is freaked out by bloodsuckers." Brooklyn draped an arm around our omega mate's shoulder.

Marcelo shivered. "They're always so pale, and their fangs dripping with blood is creepy."

A dragon shifter who shredded prey was creeped at bloodsucking vampires. Okay. I couldn't say I'd heard everything, because being mates to dragon shifters ensured I'd be blown away by them, their abilities, their idiosyncrasies, but also their love for me and each other every day until I took my last breath.

"I'll make the popcorn." Brooklyn pulled out popping corn from a cupboard. "Jackson, you and Marcelo choose the movies, but make sure the vampires are pale and bloodthirsty."

"I have to be in the middle." Marcelo swerved around the boxes and headed to the bedroom.

"Will watching something scary be dangerous for the babies?" I asked as Marcelo disappeared.

"I love that you're thinking of our little one's safety." Brooklyn kissed me. "But nothing would endanger dragon's eggs, not even an earthquake." He put his lips to my ear. "Besides, I think he secretly enjoys being scared by fake vampires."

I picked up on the word "fake," and I pulled Brooklyn close. "Are you telling me there are real vampires?"

"No." He laughed, but it was his fake laugh I recognized from when he and Marcelo were keeping all things shifter from me.

"Tell me the truth." I yanked his sleeve.

"I don't think there are. I've never met one."

That didn't reassure me, and now I'd be huddled under the covers with Marcelo shrieking.

When the three of us were in our PJs, the curtains closed to keep out the sun, and each of us had a tub of popcorn, we started the first film. Thank gods for shifter reflexes because Brooklyn had to catch Marcelo's popcorn each time our omega mate squealed.

"Don't go walking down a dark alley at night," I yelled at the screen as the young guy took a shortcut home. "Bad things happen in dark alleys."

"Oh!" Marcelo pulled the duvet in front of his face. "That's the end of him. Shame, I liked that character."

"Who would win a fight between a dragon shifter and a vampire?"

"Dragon," my mates said in unison before they tossed popcorn in their mouths.

I'd already been around the house making sure the doors and windows were locked, even though Brooklyn told me a vampire could break a window, when Marcelo's head drooped onto my shoulder. We were onto our third vampire film, but Brooklyn and I were engrossed.

"Oh no, not the woods. Who would walk in the woods at night?" I hid behind a pillow, peeking out from one side.

"Dragon shifters, that's who." Brooklyn munched on popcorn.

Maybe all the people in movies and books who walked in dark places at night were shifters and could unleash their animals if someone attacked them. I might not have had a beast inside me, but I had two fierce dragon shifters looking out for me.

"Good night." I reached across the sleeping Marcelo and kissed my alpha dragon mate.

"Did you want to be in the middle?" Brooklyn took my hand.

"No. I'm fine." If I'd been at home by myself and been foolish enough to watch vampire movies, I would have been anything but fine.

But while I lay in the dark and listened to the wind outside, a wooden floorboard creaking somewhere in the house, rustling outside my window, I crawled over Marcelo and snuggled between my mates.

Brooklyn pulled me close and rested his chin on my head. "Feel better?"

"Yes."

"I should clarify what I said about vampires earlier."

I jolted up and stared into the darkness, but Brooklyn pulled me down.

"Vampires would never attack a human mated with dragon shifters. Your blood has traces of ours, and the scent would terrify a vampire."

"I knew there was a reason I mated both of you."