Chapter Eleven: Bonds of the Fated Mates

-Two Weeks Later-

Bridget sat in one of the chairs, set up in Sharissa and Dustin’s back yard. They had the largest yard, so gatherings and parties were always done at their house. Tonight, was just a normal gathering of both packs. A cookout, of sorts.

“Bridget!” Ruby squealed as she ran up to her, then wrapped her arms around Bridget’s large stomach.

Bridget chuckled as she looked up at Pearl, who was smiling at her daughter.

Ever since Ruby had seen Bridget; after she and Zephyrus had returned from their Dragon’s…uh… Yeah, anyways. Ever since they had returned home, Ruby has been wrapping her arms around Bridget and hugged her with a brilliant smile on her face.

Shortly after that, Zephyrus had given Ruby, that Dragon ride, her father had insisted on riding with her, of course, while Pearl rode on Bridget’s Dragon.

“Hey there, Ruby.” Bridget said with a smile as she ran her hand through the girl’s long, orange-red hair, she’d gotten from her mother.

Ruby grinned as she kissed Bridget’s stomach. “I can’t wait till I can ride on his back.”

Bridget blinked at the girl. “His?”

Ruby nodded. “Yep.” She said, then grinned up at her and turned and ran to the rest of the cubs and pups.

Bridget looked up at Pearl and the Witch chuckled. “It’s a Witch thing. I knew it was a boy too.”

Bridget grinned. “Zephyrus will be happy to hear that.”

“Will be happy to hear what?”

Both women looked up at the three men standing around them.

Bridget grinned at her mate. “Our hatchling is a boy.” She said as she placed her hand over her large stomach.

Zephyrus looked at her stomach than at the White Witch and grinned as he looked back at his mate. “A boy, huh?”

Bridget nodded happily.

Zephyrus moved over to Bridget and leaned forward as he placed his hands on the back of the chair, then looked his mate right in the eyes.

“You’ve made me very happy; you know that?”

She grinned at him.

‘Tell him that you love him.’

Quiet, you.

‘You know you love him.’

And you love his Dragon.

Her Dragon snorted. ‘I tolerate him, at best.’

Bridget snorted. You love him.

‘I will admit to it; if you tell his human how you feel.’

Bridget grinned as she leaned towards her mate and kissed his lips.

“I love you, Bridget.” Zephyrus whispered against her lips.

Bridget froze as her heart swelled, and her Dragon roared with annoyance.

‘He beat you to it!’

Quiet. This isn’t a competition.

‘But it is. Damn it, I’m never going to hear the end of it from his Dragon.’

‘We love you!’

Bridget chuckled when Zephyrus’s Dragon’s voice came into their mind and her Dragon groaned.

‘See what I mean? You should have said it first!’

Bridget grinned. They had discovered, that though she can no longer read his thoughts, as Fated Dragon Mates, they can transfer thoughts into each other’s head.

Zephyrus stared into his mate’s beautiful blue eyes and wondered if she was having the same conversation, with her Dragon, that he was with his.

‘Maybe we should have waited? Let her say it first?’

Zephyrus snorted at his dragon. You were the one who kept pushing me to say it.

‘But she has not said it back.’

“I love you too.” Bridget said with a brilliant smile.

Zephyrus grinned as he moved back and pulled his mate off the chair. She giggled as he stood up and her feet tangled from the ground. He was careful of her enormous stomach as he nuzzled her neck.

‘They love us!’ His Dragon hollered as he jumped in the air and spun in a circle three times before he landed, and started thumping his tail happily.

Zephyrus set Bridget on her feet and grinned down at her. “You’re more than we ever expected, of our mate.”

She smiled sweetly up at him. “I didn’t think I had a mate. And I couldn’t have asked for a better mate, than a wonderful man, and his silly Dragon.”

Zephyrus chuckled as his Dragon pouted.

‘Silly?’

At least she doesn’t call you, Lizard Boy, anymore.

‘But I’m not silly.’

Without realizing it, his Dragon’s mind had reached out to their mate. Bridget smiled as she ran her hand down his cheek and looked deep into his eyes.

“You are, OUR, silly Dragon, and no one but us, will ever call you that, or we’ll rip their head off.”

Bridget’s dragon snorted. ’I wouldn’t say we’d go far.’that

Zephyrus’s Dragon purred with pleasure as his Human kissed their mate.

‘You can call me, silly, anytime you want to, Berrylicious.’

Bridget and Zephyrus laughed as her Dragon roared with annoyance. But Bridget felt her smile and knew her Dragon loved them, just as much as she does.

“Zeph.” Bridget said with a whimper as she pushed on her mate’s shoulder. “Wake up.”

“What’s wrong?” He asked as he slowly opened his eyes to look at her.

They had gotten home after midnight and had finally fallen asleep around three. He turned to the table beside their bed and looked at the clock. It was only four.

“I think it’s time.” She whispered.

“Time for what?” He asked as he turned back to her.

She smiled as she placed her hand over her large stomach. His eyes bulged out as he looked down at her hand on her stomach.

“Fuck.” He grumbled as he rolled out of bed.

She chuckled, then sucked in a breath when he lifted her out of bed and into his arms.

“Where are we going?” She asked as she stared up at him.

He didn’t say anything as he walked with her out the bedroom door and down the stairs, and to the cellar where the door to his massive cave system sat, ready to be opened. With a heave, he pulled the door open and rushed inside.

**

“Mommy!”

Pearl rolled over in bed and looked at her three-year-old. “What is it, Ruby?”

“It’s time.” Ruby said, then turned and left their room.

Pearl blinked.

“What the fuck was that?” Dylan asked as he looked at his mate.

Pearl grinned when she felt the flow of magic in their community. “It’s time!” She hollered as she jumped out of bed and ran for the door.

Dylan grumbled but didn’t argue with his mate. He learned a long time ago, that there was no use in questioning the two White Witches in their pack.

They called the rest of the pack and rushed to Bridget and Zephyrus’s house. Everyone made it to their front door at the same time.

“Ring it.” Shar said anxiously, as she bobbed up and down on her toes.

Dustin rang the doorbell, and they waited. When no one answered, Maddy, tried the doorknob, and grinned when it opened.

Ruby rushed past Maddy, and the adults laughed as they watched Joy and the rest of the cubs and pups move into the house, ready to welcome the newest member to their little pack.

The adults followed the little ones to the cellar, and through the door that led to the cave system. They found Bridget and Zephyrus in the nursery cave. Bridget was on the floor, huffing, while Zephyrus stood over her, begging her to shift.

“What’s wrong?” Daryl asked as he stepped forward from the pack.

Zephyrus looked at them as he stood up from his mate. “She is having trouble shifting.”

“Can’t she deliver it as a Human?” Lyvia asked as she watched them.

Zephyrus shook his head. “No. That’s why a Dragon can only impregnate another Dragon. Because a Human could never deliver a hatchling.”

“Bridget, are you okay?” Maddy asked as she watched her and her sister’s guardian.

Bridget smiled at her. “I am fine.” She said, then screamed.

“Damn it, Bridget, shift!” Zephyrus hollered.

‘You need to let me take care of the rest.’

Bridget grunted at her Dragon. I’m trying.

‘Get on your feet!’

Bridget pulled on her mate’s arm, and he slowly helped her stand.

‘Now let me take control!’

Bridget grumbled. She didn’t like her Dragon’s tone of voice.

‘Tough cookies!’

Bridget snorted. You’ve to stop listening in on the other’s conversations.got

‘I am not going to let us die! We are going to get through this, together!’

Yes, ma’am. Bridget said as she gave up her control and let her Dragon take over.

Everyone stood back and watched as Bridget’s Dragon pushed through the haze and appeared before them. Her stomach rounded and her breathing shallow.

‘Mate!’ Zephyrus’s Dragon hollered in pain when he saw his mate was in pain.

Zephyrus let his Dragon take over, and shifted, then rubbed his large head against his mate’s side.

“Lay down.” Zephyrus said, then helped his mate slowly lay on the floor of the cave.

“Is there anything you need us to do?” Shar asked as she took a step towards them.

Zephyrus shook his large head, then paused and looked at his new family. He has been alone for so long…

“Yes.” He said as he gave them his sweetest Dragon smile. “Comfort her.”

Everyone looked at each other. The cubs and pups reacted first. They all ran to Bridget’s large head and started patting her, telling her she was going to be all right. The adults grinned as they rushed to join their children and surrounded the blue Dragon. They rubbed her sides, her stomach, and her head, as they showered her with praise, and told her how happy they were for her. And that she’s going to be a wonderful mother.

A large tear slid out of Bridget’s large eye as she listened to her friends.

“You need to push, Mafilia.” Zephyrus said as he moved to her tail and watched for his hatchling to appear.

Bridget started pushing, and Zephyrus’s Dragon jumped for joy when they saw their hatchling appear.

“Here he comes!” Zephyrus hollered.

Bridget pushed again, and soon; Zephyrus held his son in his clawed hands. He was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The color was an amazing red, like sparks of fire.

Everyone sucked in their breaths when they saw his son, and he knew what their first words were going to be before they even said them.

“AN EGG?!” They hollered at the same time.

Zephyrus grinned at them, showing his bright white, Dragon teeth.

“That would explain why a Human can’t have a Dragon’s hatchling.” Shar said with a laugh.

“And why they can only knot as Dragons.” Dustin said with a nod.

“So, the egg grows for two weeks in the human, then the Dragon delivers it?” Maddy asked as she rubbed Bridget’s side.

Zephyrus nodded. “Exactly.”

“Did Bridget know all this?” Josie asked.

Bridget sat up and held her hands out to her mate. Zephyrus grinned as he handed his mate, their egg.

“Of course, I did.” Bridget said as she stood and moved over to a huge nest, full of animal pelts.

“I wondered why you had built this.” Shar said as she climbed up into it and sat on one of the pelts.

Bridget smiled as she laid her egg in the middle of the nest.

“It’s a nesting faze; all pregnant Dragons go through it.” Zephyrus said with a laugh.

“So, she had said.” Shar said with a grin.

“So why didn’t you tell us about it?” Maddy asked as she stared at her guardian’s egg. Holy fuck, there’s a Dragon Egg in their underground cave system!

Ruby climbed up into the nest and stared at the egg.

Shar smiled as she watched her niece. She had the oddest look on her face.

Bridget and Zephyrus shifted to their Human form, so they could sit with their egg, along with the rest of their pack, their family.

Everyone watched in shock as Ruby ran to the Dragon Egg and wrapped her arms around it.

“Ruby?” Dylan asked as he watched his daughter.

“Mine.” Ruby said in that voice, they all knew, all too well.

“What the?” Dylan said as his eyes opened wide.

Everyone looked at each other, then burst into laughter.

Ruby continued to hold onto the egg as she rubbed her cheek against it.

“Well, looks like you won’t be getting her away from here, any time soon.” Sharissa said with a laugh as she watched her niece and the egg.

Bridget smiled as she touched the egg with her right hand, and Ruby’s head with her left. “We couldn’t ask for a better mate, for our son.”

Zephyrus laughed as he ruffled Ruby’s hair. “I agree.”

Dylan looked at his mate’s shocked face. “Did you know?”

Pearl shook her head, then grinned. “It explains a lot, though.”

Everyone turned to the egg when they heard Ruby purring.

“I guess she’s staying here tonight.” Bridget said with a wide grin.

“I guess we’re all staying here tonight.” Shar said as she watched Joy lead her brother to a pelt, then covered him and laid down beside him. Once she was lying beside her brother, the other cubs and pups done the same, and soon the little pack was all asleep.

Dustin chuckled. “Guess we should get comfortable.” He said, then sat down behind his mate and pulled her back against his chest.

Bridget smiled as she watched their family settle themselves in the large nest she had built. When Zephyrus had asked her, why she had built the nest so big, she had had no clue, but now she understands.

Zephyrus pulled his mate against this side and kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”

She smiled up at him. “I love you too.”

Ruby slid down the egg until her bottom was on the same pelt, it sat on, then she wrapped her arms back around it and snuggled her cheek against its warm shell.

With a deep sigh, she closed her eyes. “Mine.”

~*~

This book may be over but their story is not.

THIS SERIES IS A LONG INTERTWINING STORY THAT IS OVER 250,000 WORDS. I DIVIDED IT INTO 13 BOOKS, SO THAT EACH FATED MATE COUPLE HAD THEIR OWN BOOK. SO THE BOOKS ARE SHORT (BUT SWEET). ENJOY!