Her own parents weren’t sentimental, and they didn’t mind a last-minute wedding. They were proud of her for earning her PhD and attended her graduation ceremony, then took her and Eli out for dinner afterward. It was casual and easy, much like the rest of her relationship with them. As a wedding gift, they insisted on paying for the entire wedding. She argued with them at first, but spending money was their way of showing their love, so she finally agreed.
When her mother heard Ava wasn’t interested in planning the wedding and was considering a courthouse wedding with a justice of the peace as the officiant, she paid a wedding planner who promised to handle every single detail. The clan grumbled a little, because involving a human wedding planner meant the wedding wouldn’t be on their land.
Ava satisfied the clan by letting them plan a big graduation party for her.
They took to the task with vigor, and she ended up with a huge backyard graduation party on a warm Friday night.
The following Sunday, she and Eli got married on the beach with all of the clan there. She wore a white sundress, and he wore his best khaki pants.
After they said ‘I do’ and danced at their reception on the beach, they headed up to the cliffs with only the shifters, and they did a traditional dragon shifter ceremony.
As soon as she’d slipped the necklace with his wedding ring over his neck, he scooped her into his arms. “My mate,” he said.
“My mate,” she said back to him.
And then the rest of the clan rushed them, hugging her.
“Welcome to the clan,” Eli’s father said.
She felt an overpowering rush of emotion. This was her new home. Her family. Her clan.
They were on cloud nine when they got back to their home and started packing for the honeymoon. They were going to take a brief trip to Venice, and then get back and start on a few new projects the hospital had requested.
Ava had never been happier, and she thought Eli felt the same way.
She went into the bathroom to get her shampoo. She was struck by a sudden wave of dizziness. She gripped the countertop as the room spun again. Then, she bent over and vomited.
She heard Eli before she saw him, and she managed to get the toilet flushed in time.
He came running up the stairs and grabbed her shoulders. “Ava, are you sick? What’s wrong?” He didn’t try to hide the frantic tone of his voice.
She rinsed her mouth and grabbed her toothbrush, squeezing some toothpaste onto the end. They hadn’t been married long enough for her to throw up in front of him. She brushed while he watched.
Her stomach rebelled again, and she covered her mouth.
He smoothed her hair back. “Ava, let’s get you to the doctor.”
She smiled despite the nausea. “I’m fine, I promise. It’s just a bug or something I ate.” She patted her stomach. “I already feel better.”
“Sweetheart, I’ve never seen you sick.”
The nickname made her blush, but she liked hearing it from him. She thought back. It was true that she hadn’t been sick since they’d been together, but they also hadn’t been together all that long. And it was also true that when she did get sick, she was more prone to fevers than vomiting.
And now, she felt great. Which wasn’t compatible with food poisoning or a stomach virus.
She began to count the days. With all the excitement of the graduation ceremony and the wedding, she’d lost count of her cycle. She couldn’t stop the gasp that flew out of her mouth.
His eyes widened. “What is it? What’s happened?” He put his arm around her and guided her to one of the empty bedrooms. He kept tugging on her until she sat down on the bed and he sat next to her, holding her hand. “I think…”
“What? Tell me.”
“I think I could be pregnant.”
“Pregnant. A baby,” he said to himself. “That’s wonderful!”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I could be wrong.”
“We need a test,” he said. “I’ll go get one.”
“I know for a fact that Helena has some. She told me.”
He stood up. “I’ll go now. Someone will be home. And if they’re not, then I’ll get it anyway.”
She’d already learned that the dragons’ sense of boundaries was much more fluid than human boundaries. They had very little privacy, and that was how they liked it. All of them breezed in and out of each other’s homes with abandon, and it bothered no one. However, when she’d remarked on it, Eli had promised that he’d make sure she had her own space. After all, he had his own separate lab in the yard. But so far, she’d relished having so many close family members.
“Stay here,” he said. And then he was gone.
Five minutes later, he was back with the test. “I’ve never done this before,” she said.
He growled, and she laughed. She loved how possessive he was.
He kissed the top of her head. “I think my PhD mate can figure it out.”
Ten minutes later, she was holding the test in her hand, waiting.
When the ‘positive’ plus sign showed up, it wasn’t faint or hard to read. It was big and bright. “We’re going to have a baby.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “My mate. I love you so much. I will always be grateful that you gave me another chance.”
Epilogue
In late September, Ava held up the invitation to show her husband and mate. “It’s here. The annual Dragon Festival is going to start on October 29th.”
“We are going to have a great time,” Eli said. He put his hand on Ava’s stomach, right on her baby bump. She was five months along, and he really enjoyed tracking the baby’s growth and progress. “And so are you, little baby.”
She put her hand over his, smiling when the baby kicked. “I
