Chapter Thirteen

Vinnie

Meeting Tatum's brother was a dream come true. Watching him interact with them brought me so much joy. I might not be able to stay in contact with my family, but that doesn't mean the same needs to be for him and his brothers.

I got to see my mate open up, blossoming like a rose in the spring. It was downright magical and we all promised each other to stay in touch and visit each other often. I look forward to getting to know them more and more as time goes on. I want them in our lives. I want them to be uncles to our children and be uncles to theirs.

The time of dragons and phoenixes is back in full force and personally, I welcome the era.

Speaking of new eras, I run my fingers down Tatum's spine just the way I know he likes. "You gotta breathe. Staring at them like that isn't going to make them hatch any faster. It's like watching paint dry," I say with a warm chuckle.

"Watching them hatch is not like watching paint dry! How dare you make that comparison!"

I can't help but laugh at my mate's indignation. Gods, he's adorable. I pull him close and lick his cheek just to get a reaction out of him. He groans, shoving my face away. "Don't distract me! What if I miss something!"

I sit beside him, looking over our eggs. There's a tiny crack in the pearl one. It snakes down the side, curving under it where we can't see. It's the very first crack. I'm elated at the sight but know these things can take time despite how excited Tatum is beside me.

"They'll come when they're ready," I tell him, trying to distract him before he bites every single one of his fingernails. I didn't realize he was a nervous biter until we found the first crack.

"Come on," Tatum whispers, completely ignoring me. "Come on out, little ones. Daddy is ready to meet you." To my utter surprise, another crack forms on the pearl egg, spidering outwards in three different directions. Tatum looks at me with a smirk.

"Okay, okay," I say with a chuckle, raising my hands in defeat. "I didn't realize you were an egg whisperer."

"I didn't either," he says, laughing along with me. He leans his head against my shoulder, petting the orange egg. "Now it's your turn. Let's see you break free."

We both suck in a sharp breath as a little beak pecks the egg from the inside, poking a hole through the side of its shell. "Oh my gods," I whisper, watching in wonder as our little phoenix begins to break his way free.

I was expecting this process to take hours but here they are, both preparing to burst into the world on their own time. I'm glad Tatum thought to put down new towels under the eggs, just in case. He's more in tune with our eggs than me.

We sit side by side, leaning against each other on the bed. Our legs are folded beneath us, with an egg in front of us each. The pearl one in front of me and the orange crystal in front of him. Our eyes dart between the two, waiting for which will emerge first.

Despite the pearl egg being the first born, I think the orange egg will be the first to hatch.

"Oh," Tatum breathes out, his eyes glued to area a little beak is working hard at pushing the shell out of the way. The crystal cracks and shatters, being pushed away by a determined little chick. "Hello, little lovely. Welcome to the world."

The chick pokes their little head out and I can't stop my grin from spreading. Their little head is covered in bright orange feathers with little patches of white. They let out a little noise as they walk out of their shell completely, stumbling onto the sheets before us.

They blink up at us, taking us in before chirping again, this time sounding more sure of themselves. Oh my gods. I've never seen anything cuter.

"Our little phoenix," I say, looking over at Tatum, finding silent tears falling down his cheeks. My big strong mate is such a softie. "He's precious, just like his daddy."

Tatum shoves his elbow in my side, making me chuckle. "I am not precious," he grumbles under his breath. He holds out his hands for our chick. "Come here, little one."

Our little phoenix sees Tatum's hand and leaps into it, flapping their little wings a few times before stumbling into his palm. Tatum holds him close, carefully bringing them up to his face to really get a good look at him.

Once they're comfortable, shimmering light surrounds them. We watch with rapt attention as our phoenix changes and morphs, undergoing their very first shift. One moment they're an adorable orange chick and the next they're a human baby.

"Look at her," Tatum whispers, a few more tears leaking from his eyes and sliding down his cheeks. "She's beautiful."

He's right, she really is. In her human form, she's pale with bright orange hair. I wonder if it'll stay this color or if it'll turn a more red color like my own. She's got a birthmark on the side of her neck that reminds me of a footprint, adding to her distinguished look. These two might be twins but I have a feeling they're going to be polar opposites.

While Tatum gets our baby girl into a diaper and some clothes, our other egg finishes cracking. "Here comes the next one," I let him know so he doesn't miss a moment of this experience.

"Are you ready to meet your sibling?" Tatum asks our daughter, running his fingers carefully over her orange hair.

The pearl egg cracks a little more before a little wing blasts through. I suck in a sharp breath, watching in amazement as our little dragon uses their wings to get the shell out of the way. They duck back inside for a moment before their face slowly peers out. Good lord, how could this little one be any more adorable?

"Hey there," I say softly, looking down into giant dark eyes. "You're safe. You ready to come on out? Come meet your family."

The little dragon raises their head in my direction. Their scales are a lovely white color, shining just like their pearl egg. Their eyes are nearly black and I'm not sure if that's just their natural color if they're getting used to seeing the light outside the safety of their egg.

They think about bringing their leg outside the egg, accidentally step on the side of it, cracking it further, before darting back into the safety of their shell.

"They're so cute I might actually die," Tatum whispers to me and I nod in agreement. Such a fierce creature getting scared by their own egg shell. What could be cute than that?

"You're safe, baby. Come on. Your daddies have been waiting to meet you."

They stick their head out again, their little black eyes narrowed with suspicion. Instead of taking a dainty little step, our little dragon flaps their wings and leaps out of the shell. They do a front flip as they try to land on the bed. They're the size of a small dog, their white, leathery wing making them look even larger as they stretch out on either side of them. What a magnificent little dragon we've been gifted with.

"That was perfect," I tell them, clapping my hands softly. They still look like they might not trust me, but that's okay. I hold out my hand and they give it a curious sniff before launching themself into my lap. I hold onto them gently, feeling their scales against my palms.

Just like our little phoenix, our dragon slowly shifts into their human form. What a magical miracle.

"A little boy. We've managed to have one of each," I say with a grin, leaning over and kissing my mate on the cheek. I quickly get our son into a diaper and into the little onesie we have for him.

Tatum and I lay our children down beside each other and they instantly turn onto their sides, reaching for each other. My heart swells at the sight.

"Skye and Lily," I whisper, running my hand over their bellies as I say their names. Then I look over at Tatum, taking his face between my palms. "Thank you."

"For what?"

I shrug. "For being you. For loving me. For losing that damn tire that forced you to stop here. I love you so fucking much, Tatum and I can't imagine my life without you in it."

"I love you too. You've given me a true home, one filled with love and hope and family. I have you and our twins and my moms and my brothers. I'm just so fucking happy, Vinnie."

"Me too, sweetheart. Me too."