Chapter Twelve

Tatum

It's incredible how much someone can get done in a few months. My mothers were right when they said this was a brand new chapter for me and I've welcomed it with open arms. I've flipped the page of the story of my life and dove right in.

I sit out on the porch of my new home, still in awe that the buying process moved so swiftly. There's something to be said about doing all of this in a small town where everyone knows who we are. That seemed to make things extra smooth for us.

Our porch has a swing seat that I slowly push myself in. Our driveway is long, leading down to the road that leads into town. We're on the outskirts of town, a little slice of solitude but close enough for Vinnie to keep his job.

Across the road from us is my mothers' home. Their place is smaller than ours but they make up for that by having a huge shed in the back that they're planning on renovating into a chicken coop. They told me they always wanted to be lesbian farmers and now they can live that dream.

I'm happy for them. Hell, I'm just happy in general.

My eggs are in my lap as I rock. It feels similar to how I think it'll be in a short amount of time, me holding them while I rock them gently to sleep. I lean down and kiss them both, still marveling at how our orange baby is so warm compared to our pearl one. They're so beautifully unique already and I can't wait until they hatch so I can see their personalities.

I don't know for sure because I honestly don't know as much as I should about how dragon eggs work, but I have a feeling they'll be hatching soon. And I want to be one hundred percent ready for that. Which is why Vinnie is currently loading the car up for a little road trip.

"You all packed and ready?" Vinnie calls out, shutting the trunk and looking up at me.

"I think I'm ready. Is the car all good to go?" We decided to take Vinnie's car for this particular road trip. Sure, mine is all fixed up but we're not taking any chances. Plus, I get a nervous flutter in my belly thinking about taking her on a road trip again. For awhile, I'll only be using my car to take us into town and back.

I carefully pack our eggs into their backpacks, bringing them to the car. I put them in the back seat and hook their seatbelts around them for safety before getting into the passenger seat. I've deemed myself a passenger prince, taking the stereo cord and plugging my phone in.

"Alright," I say, looking out the window, watching as trees fly by as we start our drive. "Just start heading in that direction and I'm hoping I'll be able to just," I pause, shaking my head. "Sense them?"

"I'm sure we'll find them. And if not, then this will be a lovely family vacation before the babies hatch. You'll never find them if you don't look. I think this will be a good thing."

"I think so too," I say softly. I think I'm going to find them. I think I'm going to find my siblings today. I don't know how I know that, but I can feel it in my gut.

We drive for only an hour before something inside of me changes. It's like the wind changed direction or the temperature slightly dipped. My skin prickles with awareness. That feeling inside my chest when I'm in my shifted form, my dragon connecting with theirs seems to come alive.

"We're close," I say, reaching over and placing my hand on Vinnie's thigh. "They're close. I can feel them."

Vinnie continues driving, both of us keeping our heads on a swivel, looking every which way. He slows down when we find a winding driveway that leads up a hill and past a tree line. We can't see where the path leads but decide to follow it. The worst that can happen is we have to turn around, right?

As we drive up the driveway, my stomach flutters. This is the right way. This is where my siblings are. Or at the very least, this is where I'm supposed to be to find a piece of myself. Something lost to me when I was separated from my siblings, something that I've been craving since my egg was sent to be with my mothers.

I'll never regret being adopted by my moms. They're the best parents I could hope to have, but that doesn't stop me from wishing I could have grown up with my eggmates. I can't wait to meet them and I hope they're as excited as I am.

As the trees begin to part, Vinnie and I find a little clearing. I'm not sure what I was expecting but a little picnic area wasn't it.

It's at this location that we find a note with a name and a phone number. One phone call later, I get told to come back to this exact location next weekend to meet my brothers and their family. Fast forward to that weekend, finding ourselves right back here. If I was nervous the first time we drove here, that's nothing compared to what I'm feeling now.

There's two vehicles already here and parked, a handful of people sit around a picnic table. There's a large willow tree giving the table shade, it's long, branches curving down, giving the table the illusion of privacy.

It's beautiful and something inside of me clicks into place. This is where I was born. This is my father's nesting grounds.

I swallow thickly, doing my best not to let my nerves get the best of me. They're here. They're actually here. I'm moments away from finally being reunited with my family. I'm so giddy I could throw up.

Vinnie puts the car into park, turning towards me. "This is your moment," he says softly, running his finger over my cheek. I lean into his touch, giving him a soft smile. I don't think I could have done this without him beside me. "Do you want me to stay here or come with you?"

"They're my family, but so are you. I want you with me."

Vinnie nods his head before getting out of the car. We each pick up a backpack, carefully putting our eggs onto our backs. Then we head towards the clearing. Before we can even make it a few steps, someone is walking over to us.

My breath stutters in my chest. The man stepping towards us gives us a small smile. He doesn't look all that different to me. He's tall, broad, and has dark hair. If I got closer, I'd venture a guess that our eyes are similar colors. I can't stop myself from smiling up at my brother.

"Hi," I say in greeting, raising a hand in a little wave. "I'm Tatum."

My brother grins right back, stepping outside and down the steps until he's right in front of me. "I'm Aldryn. Our other brother is already here. Come on, there's a lot of us to meet," he says, pulling me towards the picnic table where the others are sitting.

This might be one of the happiest days of my life. I have brothers who all have mates and eggs of their own. We're like one weird patchwork family coming together. I've only just met them but already I love them. They're mine and I am theirs.

This is the start of something truly beautiful and I can't wait to get to know them even better.