Page 27 of Baby Me


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"Thank you, warrior. I appreciate the gesture." Cage took the cigar and twirled it in his fingers.

“You know, kid. Babies are tougher than they look. Yours are the toughest. Their little souls have been around the block a few times, and they are well prepared for this life. So, don’t you worry about them. I've done plenty of that for you. With some love and guidance from you and your mate, they’ll grow up to be fine warriors.”

Warriors. He was having a hard enough time understanding that he had a daughter, much less that she would be a warrior. "I want to help them do that. How can I when all I want to do is wrap them up in fluffy clouds and never let the evils of the world know they exist?"

“I wanted to protect all my dragonlings when they were first born too. But that would have been both a bad idea for them and the world. My brood have all fought a lot of battles with a lot of demons. The Earth would have been a very different place, dark and filled with fear and death had our children not defended it.” The warrior took a puff on the cigar but didn't blow out any smoke, rather he blew soft green puffs of healing dragon's breath.

“If they get hurt," if they died, he couldn't voice that thought. He had to be courageous for his children. "I don’t think I could handle it.”

Both men stared down at the little ones.“Somehow you do. They'll have plenty of scrapes and bruises as they grow up. Nothing prepares you for losing one though. When we lost Jara, I nearly burned the world down myself.”

This man had given the greatest of sacrifices in the fight against evil. “Why didn’t you?”

“My mate reminded me there were others still living in the world that I cared about. We had to go on for the rest of them. They were all hurt and mourning the loss of their brother too. Especially his sister. So, you find a way. It’s not easy. It won’t be for you either. You find a way to go on. Not the same as before. But you do.” The elder dragon warrior clapped Cage on the back. "You don't have to worry about any of that just yet. They're not ready to go off and fight anything but the sandman. Revel in their innocence as long as you can."

Azy came in, joining the two men. "How are our kidlets this morning? Have you been up with them long? You should have woken me."

She picked up the ball of light and cradled the egg with their tiny children inside. They made the perfect picture. Except for the fact that his beautiful mate couldn't yet hold the twins in her arms, let them suckle at her breast. The midwife assured them the light took care of all their needs, drawing on the magical energy the dragons and mermaids had provided at their birth.

"You needed your rest, love." He ran a hand over her hair, tucking a lock behind her ear. He turned to introduce Azy to the warrior, but the man was gone. His words remained in Cage's mind for him to mull over later.

Azy leaned into Cage and hummed the mermaid lullaby to them. Her voice was so soft and sweet. Alluring. At the end of the song, she set them back down in the bassinet and stared at them."I know Señora Boh said they are out of danger, that Ereshkigal can't find them in the light and when they are fully grown, they won't need that protection anymore. I'm still so worried about them. What if the demon dragons show up again? I can't protect them the same as I could when they were still growing inside of me."

Cage's chest contracted, feeling every bit of Azy's worry. He would be strong for her."We've reinforced the wards and more dragon warriors are arriving every hour. The villa and the surrounding area are in total lockdown. Nothing is getting in. But there is one more thing we can do."

An unbreakable bond. He and Azy already had that. Perhaps the rest of the world needed to know it was true.

He bent down on one knee and took her hands in his. "Azynsa, I know we’re already planning a wedding, but I’ve never asked you. Will you marry me? I want the whole world to know you're the light of my soul, the mate of my heart. I know we don't yet have the Wyvern mate’s ring, but the human ritual has a magic of its own and--"

Azy looked down at him with more love in her eyes than he ever deserved. But he was greedy and would hoard all of it for himself. "You sweet, silly dragon. You don't have to convince me, you know."

This would be better if he did have a ring for her. He should have made her one."I was trying to be romantic. I know our relationship hasn't had the traditional path. I thought I'd try to do this one thing right."

She pulled him up and wrapped her arms around him. "You've done a million things right. Our romance is different than anyone else's. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you so very much."

Cage wanted nothing more than to make love to his mate, but she had just birthed twins a few days ago, so he would be content to hold her in his arms for now. Azy reached down and squeezed his butt. Naughty mermaid. He squeezed hers in return, but chastely turned them both, throwing his arm over her shoulder and guided her wandering hand around his waist.

Her fingers wandered anyway and reached into his pocket. "Cage? What's this?"

She pulled out a ring, glowing like pure sunshine. They both stared at it the light reflecting in each other's eyes.

"Holy First Dragon. You found it. You found your ring." Pride swelled inside of him at his clever, clever mate.

"Have you been hiding it in your pocket all this time?" Her voice was filled with wonder as she stared at the precious item. The one last thing they needed to prove to the world that she was his true mate.

"I-I don't-" A flash of fuzzy memory shot through his mind. Trying to make her a ring, failing, another dragon helping him. Creating the swords. "Maybe I have. I think the First Dragon may have been involved in this."

"I thought the White Witch had to hide it for me."

"I'm not the one who put it in my pocket for you to just find." Cage chuckled.

Azy smacked him on the arm and then pulled him down for a tail-tingling kiss. "Let's get married right away. I know Ciara's had everything planned forever. I saw her files. She's been planning a wedding like this since she was a little girl. I kind of think she pulled together all the elements of how she wanted to get married."

Azy chewed on the side of her lip, thinking up something devious, Cage could tell."You know I don't really care about the ceremony that much, as long as I'm there with you, the details don't matter. What would you think if we asked Jakob and Ciara to join us? If we got married at the same time?"

"You would share your wedding day with her?"

"She's my friend. It would make the whole thing a real celebration of love." A pretty pink flushed took over Azy's cheeks when she said the words.