Chapter 19

Aldryn

We didn't leave the house much for about a week straight. We survived on the food that I had purchased and a few takeout meals to indulge in whatever desires my mate had. Mostly, it was just the two of us settled into our nest, gazing upon our eggs. Sometimes, my mate lay there in his wolf form, snuggled around them. His tail tucked protectively around one egg while his snout rested on another. He spent quite a bit of time rubbing over them in his wolf form, marking them with his scent. He held the largest one in his arms, cradling it gently.

"He's going to give us trouble. I can tell," Eli remarked, looking fondly at the egg he held.

"Oh, yeah," I said, smiling at him. "I feel like he's going to be a bit defiant. But we will love it and cherish every moment with him."

"The one on your left is going to be a cuddler," Eli continued, his eyes soft with affection. "You know how I love to cuddle."

I was just about to place the other two eggs back into the nest and show Eli just how much we loved to cuddle when a knock came at the door.

"I'm not expecting anyone," Eli said, a hint of concern in his voice.

"I'll go see who it is. You stay here with our eggs."

I hoped that whoever it was would disappear rather quickly. I wasn't fully prepared to explain about the nest just yet, though eventually, I would need to get a job and inform the pack Alpha that we would be staying there. And of course, that meant coming clean about what I was and what our children would be.

I opened the door to find the exact person I needed to have that conversation with. "Alpha Keaton," I greeted, trying to sound composed. "It's good to see you."

He smiled broadly. "You too. We were beginning to think that maybe you and your mate had left us."

"We're still here," I assured him with a nervous chuckle, hoping our conversation would go smoothly.

"Come on in," I said. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"No, thanks, I'm fine," Keaton replied. He glanced around. "Everything all right with your mate? We have not seen Eli in a week."

I nodded, standing up a bit straighter. "Eli's great. He's resting right now."

"Good to hear. We've enjoyed having you both here, and we would have been sad to see you all go."

"Well, it's a good thing you say that. We've been meaning to have a conversation with you," I began tentatively.

He smiled warmly. "Perfect, because I was just going through the applications for the teaching position we have open and noticed that your mate's name was on the list."

Goodness, I had nearly forgotten that Eli had applied for a job. "That's right," I said. "We were hoping to settle here if that would have been possible, and I would, of course, need employment as well. I also wanted to speak with Toby about either renting this place for a longer amount of time or purchasing it."

Much to my surprise, Keaton grabbed me in a hug. "Fantastic to hear it. We would be proud to have you as members of the pack. We'll go through a formal interview with your mate as well, but honestly, he's a shoo-in. Sometimes things just feel right, don't they?"

"They sure do," I replied, running a hand through my hair. "I guess before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I should be honest about a few things." I gestured toward the table, and the two of us sat down. "You see, I was adopted into my family. They are all wolves, like Eli. I didn't know what I was until recently, when I turned twenty-five," I explained.

"I think I know where this is going," Keaton said, his expression serious. "It might explain why you feel so content here and why the others and I have been so quick to welcome you into the pack. There was a story my dad told—he was the Alpha before me. I always thought it was a bunch of malarkey. But now I'm starting to wonder. He told me that twenty-five years ago, the last of the dragons in the world laid their clutch right here in our territory. Three eggs that were then divvied up for their own safety. They were each placed in different homes across different territories."

I sucked in a breath, realizing where this conversation was heading. "My adopted mother told me a similar story," I said.

"So it's true. You are one of those dragons. And you came home."

"Yes. Eli and I left our pack, not even sure where we were going. We landed here. It just felt right," I admitted. "About a week ago, we found the nesting location. I don't know if my brothers will be coming, but I hope that they will. I'd like to stay here and wait for them, and also, be with my mate here to raise our children."

"You have a child on the way?" Keaton asked. He smiled. "No wonder your mate has not been seen. The first trimester is exhausting."

"Well. The thing is—and I'm telling you this because I trust you, and as our Alpha, you have the right to know."

"Thank you. You honor me with your trust. I vow not to break it."

"Eli laid three eggs," I said. My chest puffed with pride at my mate's accomplishment. "That is why we've been in the house all week. It seems my mate laid a clutch of eggs."

"Aldryn?" Eli came down the hall, a robe wrapped around him. He looked like a man who had been lounging about in bed for a few days, though I thought he looked rather gorgeous.

"Eli," I said, turning to him, "I was just telling Keaton about... well, everything. It seems his father was Alpha of the pack at the time my own clutch was laid."

"Congratulations on your clutch, Eli. We are proud that you've entrusted our territory with your family's safety."

Eli came to my side and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Thank you, Alpha Keaton."

Keaton turned back to me. "I can have you speak with my father if you'd like. he might have some information about when your parents nested here."

I nodded thoughtfully.

"But as for the two of you staying here with your own clutch, you're more than welcome. And Aldryn, if you're looking for a position, there are always openings within the park itself. We have our own forest rangers, and we handle a lot of the rentals and reservations that humans place in the parkland, not unlike the resort that your former pack ran."

"That would be perfect," I said, feeling a sense of relief. "Absolutely perfect."

"Good. It's settled then," Keaton said. "I will get you the paperwork, and you'll have to have a sponsor for joining the pack, but all of that is a formality. Nancy would probably volunteer. We'll present the two of you at our next pack meeting, which will be on the next full moon, two weeks from now. But all of that is a formality. Welcome. We're happy to have your family here."

"Thank you," I said sincerely, putting my arm around Eli's shoulders. I reached out a hand and shook Keaton's.

He left soon after, and it was just Eli and I standing in the kitchen.

"Is this real?" Eli asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "It feels too good to be true."

"It does," I admitted, pulling him close. "But it's real, mate. We're here. We're home."