Chapter 22

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Elowyn's ankles were the size of balloons.

Not little balloons.

Not birthday party balloons.

But hot air balloons. In fact, that was perfect because his ankles burned so bad. And Elowyn just didn't know what to do about it.

Rowan said it was perfectly normal, especially since he was carrying twins. Everybody experienced this.

Elowyn thought Rowan was just bullshitting him because they were brothers.

So, he was going to get rid of some water weight. He was not going to be in a position where he couldn't function. He had a child to take care of. He had supper to make. He had a house to clean. He had baby blankets to make. So many things.

And so, he was on the treadmill.

One step after another.

Elowyn rolled his eyes, his body swaying pendulously; if this did not work, he was going to just…

He didn't even know.

Every single thing he could think of that went after that was kind of gross and bloody and violent and made him want to throw up.

And he was tired of throwing up, so he didn't do that.

Triton walked through the door of the little room that used to be Elowyn's, and said, "What are you doing?"

Elowyn glared at him. "Do not start with me."

"I'm sorry, my love, but you're supposed to be resting and not straining against gravity." Triton watched him, and he could see out of the corner of his eye how Triton's hands flexed as if he wanted to snatch Elowyn off the treadmill.

Elowyn glared. "Don't even think about it."

One of the Triton's rusty eyebrows shot up. "I'm thinking about it."

Okay, that was a little hot. And didn't that fact piss him off even more?

Elowyn frowned over, trying for thunderous. He had the sinking suspicion it was cute, because Triton was fighting his grin with all he had. "I'm serious."

"I understand, hailee."

"Are you listening to me? I am going to walk on this treadmill until my ankles are…pretty again?"

"Wait." Triton's head tilted. "Are you telling me that this is about the fact that you don't feel attractive?"

Elowyn thought he might just kill Triton. Just kill him right here.

Pop his head off between his fingers like he was pinching a bit of dough off of a loaf of rising bread.

Of course, instead of having the screaming meltdown he fully intended to have, Elowyn just burst into tears.

Fabulous.

"Hailee!" Triton rushed to him, grabbing him up and holding him against that wide chest. "Do not cry, my love. It will all be well. I will massage your feet."

And, of course, Cerran was there in seconds. "What happened? Why is the treadmill running? Why is he crying?"

"He was on the treadmill. Trying to reduce his swelling." Triton sounded utterly panicked.

"Ah. Well, that's helpful, but not when you have two babies pressing you into the earth. Would you like to soak in the bath with us, Elowyn?"

"It's not big enough. I'm huge," he sobbed.

"Nonsense. We made it big enough for two hulking warriors to practically swim. Come Triton, I'll run the water. Leilani is sound asleep, holding her stuffed pig."

The visual did make Elowyn smile. Of Leilani, not the tub. She did love that pig.

Triton carried him to the bathroom, and he had to admit, that palatial bath would hold them all. And he didn't feel guilty about the water, as they had an ingenious cistern and snow-melt system at the keep.

"You're thinking very hard." Cerran peered at him. "Right now, you don't have to think. We're just going to float, the three of us. Just enjoy being weightless."

Elowyn vaguely remembered being weightless. It was a long time ago.

Months.

Possibly centuries. Even when he was in the pool, he plummeted without a floaty.

Right now, he was a neutron star. So heavy that he could just sink through the floor, through the mountain itself, and end up somewhere in the core of the?—

"Will you stop it?" Triton growled. "You're pregnant with our babies. You are not fat."

"And even if you were, you would still be the most beautiful hailee ever." It was incredibly hard to argue with Cerran when he was like this, his face totally suffused with pure bliss.

It was irritating as hell.

Still, they were trying so hard, and the water did look amazing. And when they got all settled—all three of them—it was blissful.

Triton's hands were on his belly. Cerran's hands were around his feet.

All he had to do was relax.

And float.

Let them touch him.

Elowyn sighed, his body relaxing against Cerran's, which held him up just enough. Triton slicked his hands with a bit of oil, starting with his toes and massaging.

All right, maybe he wouldn't kill them.

Yet.

Today.

"So why are you in such a bad mood?" Cerran asked.

"Because I'm growing two giant dragon babies in my belly? And they're being kicky and punchy and…" And what if they were off? What if the babies were strange?

What if the babies both looked just like Triton or just like Cerran?

What if one of the babies had twelve arms?

It could happen. He'd never actually seen a twelve-armed baby and neither had Rowan, but it could happen.

Triton stared at him, and it suddenly occurred to Elowyn that his mates were incredibly good at hearing his innermost thoughts, especially when they were worried.

And that maybe he shouldn't be thinking twelve-armed thoughts about their children.

"No one's being born with twelve arms. Twelve arms is too many," Triton said, voice serious as a heart attack. "Four arms, however, that would make a great fighter. Possibly even six, but twelve? Twelve will not work."

"No." Cerran was smiling against his cheek. "Twelve would just get in the way during battle. My poor brain, at least, would forget which arm I was trying to use to punch who."

Elowyn started giggling, the sound moving through his entire body, and he swore that he could feel the babies laughing too. Oh, that was so much better than walking on the treadmill.

Triton smiled over at him. "That's better."

Elowyn didn't want to admit it, but it really was. Being adored and pampered was so much nicer than walking and worrying and feeling heavy.

His mate's hands felt like heaven on him, and he just sat there. It was amazing how pleasant it was to not have gravity working against him.

It was no wonder he spent so much time in the pool.

"I can't wait to meet them," Cerran admitted, his voice a little—almost embarrassed.

"They still have a while left to cook, but I understand." Elowyn chuckled and patted his belly. "In a deep abiding way. They're small, but they're heavy."

Triton chuckled. "Are you saying that our children are dense?"

That was when Cerran popped off with, "Only because they're related to you."

His eyes widened, and he stared at Triton, who scowled at Cerran. Then his expression shifted, and he roared with laughter. It was impossible not to laugh with him, and Elowyn snorted, the sound wild and hilarious, and they were all off and running, the sound of their mirth echoing off the walls.

Every time one of them slowed, another would set them off again, and Elowyn laughed until his muscles hurt, and he had to whoop for air.

"Shh." Cerran stroked his belly. "No setting off anything early."

"No, but it felt so good." Elowyn leaned his head back, tilting so that Cerran could reach him for a kiss. At the same time, he wiggled his toes at Triton, reminding his big alpha dragon exactly what he was supposed to be doing.

Triton got the hint, and his braaken proceeded to melt him, between kisses and massages and their giggle fit. By the time that it was all over, he was completely boneless. Just a lump of dragon and dragon baby.

"Thank you, braaken."

"Of course, hailee. All you had to do was ask," Cerran pointed out, and Triton rolled his eyes.

"That would be too easy," Triton explained to Cerran. "It is our job. We must spoil our hailee and pay attention. He shouldn't have to ask."

They all looked at each other, and the laughter started again.

Cerran steamed the water in the tub, warming it well, and that was so perfect for when the laughter stopped and all he wanted to do was relax and let them love on him.

He really did need to remember that they loved him and would help him when he required help.

He was their hailee. And he was very happy with that.