Chapter Seven

Tatum

It's been about a week since my heat ended and moved all of my stuff out of the hotel I was renting and into Vinnie's apartment. It feels so strange, like I'm encroaching on his space. He's told me time and time again that this space is just as much as mine as it is his, but my brain hasn't really latched onto that quite yet.

I keep wondering if it's because of my siblings, out there waiting for me. Can I not put down roots until I find them? Is this destined to only be a pit stop rather than my home?

And what does that mean for me and Vinnie? It's obvious he doesn't wish to leave this place. He's set down roots here, he's made it his own. I can't just take that away from him because I'm longing to find the other dragons out in the world. That wouldn't be fair to him.

Then again, the idea of leaving my mate here fills me with more dread than I have words to articulate. Gods, why does this have to be so fucking complicated?

If my Mama was here I'm sure she'd be lovingly smacking the backside of my head, reminding me that adults should use their words.

I quickly finish brushing my teeth and spit into the sink. When I straighten, I take in the sight of myself in the mirror, my eyes pausing when they land on my stomach. I turn sideways, my hand resting on the slight swell happening there.

Huh. That's weird?

I guess I have been more relaxed here than usual, eating anything and everything that Vinnie puts in front of me. There's something about him feeding me that makes me ravenous, wanting to show my appreciation by eating every last bite.

Yeah, that must be it. Right?

"Hey, are you almost done in there?"

I startle for a moment before shaking my head at myself and opening the door for him. "Sorry, I was just checking myself out in the mirror," I tell him sheepishly.

"I don't blame you," Vinnie says with a grin, stepping over to the sink and picking up his own toothbrush. He gives me cheek a quick kiss as he moves past me. "Your body is something worth looking at."

"Thanks," I say slowly, turning myself to the other side, still staring at my stomach. "Hey, do you think I've put on weight?"

Vinnie pauses his brushing to look down at my stomach, his eyes widening for a moment. I watch as a flash of emotion crosses his face before his cheeks turn red. Normally, I'm the one who's constantly blushing in this relationship that it's almost strange to see our roles reversed.

"What's that look for?" I ask gently, trying to figure out what the fuck is going on inside that beautiful head of his. He quickly finishes brushing his teeth, spits into the sink, and then turns around, leaning against the counter to look at me fully.

"I have an idea of what's going on," he says, his voice soft and slow, like he's approaching a spooked animal. Only I'm the only one here and I'm clearly not spooked, not yet anyway.

"Okay?"

"I think that your heat did that," he says, nodding towards my belly.

"My heat made me fat?"

"Not exactly. Well, actually yes. I mean.." Vinnie lets out a frustrated groan, running his fingers through his long, auburn hair. "Okay, I'm just gonna blurt it out, it's easier that way." I wait, staring at my mate for a long moment before he finally says, "I think you're pregnant."

I stare at him. And then stare. And then I stare a little more.

What? That can't be right. Pregnancy takes a while to start showing and my heat was literally last week. That can't be it, right?

My hands subconsciously make their way to my stomach, touching it gently. Could Vinnie be right? Could I have our baby inside of me right now? Could my heat have brought us this precious gift?

"Say something?" I open my mouth but nothing comes out. "I'm worried you're freaking out right now," Vinnie says gently, cupping my face between his palms. "However you're feeling is valid, but please let me in."

I nod my head. "I'm okay," I tell him truthfully. "I feel like that can't be right though. Pregnant? With a bump already? That's not usually how these things work, Vinnie."

"That's how things work when you're carrying an egg or two," Vinnie explains, his gray eyes darting between my own. "Or three."

"Eggs? Oh my gods, because I'm a dragon and you're a phoenix." I blink slowly, the realization hitting me square in the chest. Fuck, it makes sense. Gods, my mothers are going to give me so much shit about how they always made sure I knew where babies came from and here I am shocked that fucking my mate resulted in me being pregnant. "Of course, I came from an egg. I didn't even think about that."

"I came from an egg too." Vinnie's thumb caresses my cheek, his eyes glued to my face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I think so. I think I'm fine. Just kinda shocked. Holy shit. I'm actually pregnant. With your baby. Vinnie, are you okay? I know we're mated and everything, but we never even had time to talk about our future or the prospect of a family. Everything is going so fucking fast."

"It's really fucking fast," Vinnie says but his eyes are soft. Despite the way we're diving into the unknown, there's a peace between us. We're on the same page. If we're leaping into this thing, we're both doing it with abandonment, we're doing it together. "I'm not upset that it's happening though. I've waited a long time to meet you and now that you're here and in my life, I'm not letting go. I already know without a doubt that you're it for me, no matter what that entails."

I'm so overwhelmed by his words that I do the only thing I can think to do; I grab Vinnie into a tight hug. Tears threaten to fall but I do my best to keep them at bay if only barely.

I'm pregnant and Vinnie just confessed that he's in this for the long haul. It's not necessarily that I doubted him or our bond, but hearing him say it leaves me breathless. My body feels lighter with this knowledge and reassurance.

Fuck, I can't handle the feelings welling up inside of me. They're so fucking big and all encompassing. I adore this man. These feelings are so special, like nothing I've experienced before.

"I'm in this as well," I tell him, hoping my voice isn't too muffled from burying itself against his shoulder. "I can't stop thinking about the future we're going to build together. I have no idea what that even means but I want it. I want everything with you, Vinnie."

"I'm so fucking glad to hear that, sweetheart."

I finally pull myself away from Vinnie, untangling our limbs. I take his hand in my own and pull him out of the bathroom towards the bedroom. "I know you've gotta head to work soon but can we just sit for a second?"

"Of course," he says with a soft smile. There's something about this man that brings down all my walls. He makes me feel soft. I love it.

I tug my mate into our nest, the two of us laying face to face. Vinnie's fingers play across my side, making me shiver. We both look down at my stomach which is absolutely slightly round. A thrill goes through me now that I know why, now that I know what's happening inside of me.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Will you come with me? To find my brothers?"

"Where you go, I do," Vinnie says right away, without even having to think about it. "There's nothing I want more than to be with you when you go out and find them. Is that something you want to do right away or do you want to wait until after the egg is here?"

"Probably after the egg is here." My brows wrinkle. "We could even wait until after the egg hatches. Maybe it'll be easier once they're in baby form."

"Might be easier to lug around an egg rather than a baby," Vinnie says with a warm chuckle. "Either way, the decision is yours to make. I'll be one hundred and ten percent behind you."

"You're so smart. We should go after the egg is, you know, out of me. I'm worried about leaving though."

"Why are you worried? Let me put you at ease."

"This is your home," I say, like it's obvious. "I can't ask you to leave, not for good."

Vinnie's lips twitch with something close to amusement. He lifts his hand, placing it against my cheek. Leaning forward, he gives me a little kiss on the lips before pulling back in order to look into my eyes. "You are my home now, sweetheart. Do I love living here? Yeah, I really do. But you're more important than that. You're everything." He kisses me again and my stomach alights with butterflies. "Plus, who's to say we can't come back?"

I smile against Vinnie's lips. "You make a fantastic point," I murmur before kissing him deeper, licking into his mouth, moaning when he kisses me just as fiercely.

"Fuck. As much as I want to flip you over and fuck you until you pass out," he says, nipping at my bottom lip and making me moan. "You'll have to wait until my shift is over."

With that, Vinnie flips over and gets out of bed. The move is so fucking smooth that I find myself hard just from the display. He puts his hair up into a messy bun, careful to pull a few strands out so they're around his face.

My mate is so fucking gorgeous. I'm so lucky.

"You're such a tease," I say with a pout.

"Delayed gratification can be incredibly rewarding, sweetheart."

I feel myself heating under his gaze, his eyes racking over my body. I pull the covers over my chest, squinting at him. "Stop looking at me like that. If I can't have what I want then you don't get a show."

Vinnie chuckles, shaking his head at me. Once he's all dressed and ready, he leans down and gives me a quick kiss before heading out the door to the diner. I lay back in bed, trying to decide what the fuck I feel like doing while I wait for him to get done with work.

Pulling out my phone, I decide a call to my mothers is in order.