“No, you’re reminding me I’m as big as a house. Give me a freak tornado into another dimension and I could take out an evil witch by landing on her,” Logan sighed.
“Mate,” I cooed to him and kissed his forehead. “You’re not as big as a house. You’re pregnant. You’re growing a life inside your belly. Barry said they have enough anti-flu potions for the most at risk. That’ll have to be enough this time around.”
“People count on me. I’m the alchemy professor,” Logan sighed.
“Well, walk me through how to make them.”
“Call Zoey.”
“The first step to make this potion is calling my teenage sister?” I arched a brow.
“No, the first step of her brewing this potion is calling her. She’s supposed to be my apprentice but between her injury and my pregnancy she hasn’t learned anything new.”
“Alright, I’ll call her. You go rest.”
“Help me to the alch lab,” Logan said. “I need to be there. If she does it wrong, she’ll poison everyone or turn them into dung beetles or something.”
“Come on,” I gently scooped him up and carried him to the lab. Then I dragged in one of his favorite arm chairs.
“I’m sorry I’m making you work so much,” he sank into the chair with a sigh of relief.
“No more apologizing. I’m happy to make you comfortable. You’re growing a life inside of you. That’s not an easy thing to do and I want to help as much as possible,” I sat down on the chair arm and he leaned his head on my side.
“I know that. Really, I do. It’s just before we met I spent years looking after myself and finding ways to get everything done without an Alpha around. Even after we met I felt like I was pulling my fair weight of everything. Now, I’m too big to even brew potions or make you dinner.”
“Sweetheart, you’re pregnant. You are doing something so more much wonderful and important than making dinner. You’re growing a life,” I sank down onto the floor to touch his belly. “You’re growing a life inside your body that our love made. You’re doing nature’s own alchemy recipe. You’re taking a piece of me and a part of you and turning it into someone totally new and different from us.”
“Alpha, are you going to nuzzle my belly?” Logan asked.
“Do you want me to?”
“Yeah,” he grinned.
I carefully lifted his shirt to expose his full round pregnant belly and pressed my cheek against his skin.
“Should I come back later?” Zoey asked from the doorway.
“No,” I stood up. “Logan needs your help.”
“Alpha,” Logan whined and squeezed my hand. My gentle omega suddenly had the strength of three Alphas trying to crush my bones. “I think it’s time!”
“For the baby?” I turned ignoring both Zoey and the pain.
“Yes!” He nodded. “YES! I think this is a contraction! Oh, Juda above me. If this isn’t a contraction I’m dying. Maybe I am dying!”
“You’re not dying.”
“I’ll call Nurse Barry!” Zoey plucked her cellphone from her pocket and went into the hall.
“Deep breaths like we practiced, mate,” I caressed his cheek.
“You breath! I can’t think about anything but how much this hurts!” Logan growled.
“Come on. Deep breaths,” I cooed to him.
“Um… How far apart are the contractions?” Zoey peeked her head back in.
“I don’t know! Tell him if he’s not here in two minutes I’ll finish what Wrynn started and bite his hand off!” Logan growled.
“Mate, calm down. Try to take deep breaths,” I cooed to him again. “This is the moment we’ve waited for. This is the moment all of this has led up to.”
“I think that one passed,” Logan sighed. “Was I too mean? I didn’t mean to be.”
“It’s alright,” I chuckled and kissed his forehead. “Barry will be here soon and so will our baby.”
***
Bane usually took care of deliveries and to be honest I’d have preferred him to be the one to bring my child into the world. Since he left the night of the hunt I hadn’t heard from him and as far as I knew no one else had either. So, we were stuck with Barry. He was competent and sweet, but he wasn’t a Hemlock.
We decided well before Logan went into labor that his would be a home birth. Driving across campus with a dragon egg in tow would draw too much attention and too much could go wrong. The nest was here in our home and that’s where he’d give birth.
Hearing others talk I thought it would be hours of trying to comfort him while he felt like he was dying, but it was over within a half hour and Logan and the shiny blue dragon egg containing our baby was settled into their nest.
“He had an easy delivery. Bane didn’t leave many notes on egg delivery, but I don’t think he had time to plan his hiatus,” Barry said.
“Have you heard from him?”
“Not since he walked out of the parking lot that night,” Barry said. “But now isn’t the time for you to worry about that. Go be with your mate. He’ll want you more than ever now.”
“How long until the egg hatches?”
“Until it’s ready,” Barry smiled. “I know that’s not what you want to hear after watching your mate in so much pain to give birth, but that’s the best I can do. The egg will hatch when the baby is ready to come out. The heartbeat is strong and there’s a perfectly healthy developing baby inside.”
“Thanks, Barry.”
“I’ll drop by in the morning to check on things. If you guys need anything in the mean time give me a call.”
I walked Barry to the door. Logan eyed him suspiciously never letting him out of his sight.
“He’s gone,” I grinned at Logan.
He gently stroked the side of the egg with a single finger.
“Did you lock the door, Alpha?”
“I did.”
“Good. No visitors. I know the whole pack will want to come in, but they can’t. The egg is too fragile. We have to protect it.”
“Can I come into the nest with you guys?” I asked.
I’d seen my mom bite Dad over a new born pup. I wasn’t taking any chances.
“Of course, you can. Just no one else is allowed in the house.”
“I’ll keep them out, mate.”
I crawled into the nest with them and Logan curled into my chest.
“I’m so tired. Will you watch the egg while I nap?”
“I’ll guard it with my life.”
“You better.”
Logan dozed off and I marveled at the shiny blue egg approximately the size of a football. Inside was the life we created. Its shell was hard as diamond to the touch. It was the first time I’d seen a dragon egg outside of a painting or other piece of art, but it was so much more than that to me. While the egg was inside Logan’s belly they were easy to protect. They were together and as long as I was by his side I could protect both of them.
Now, they were two. I rested my forehead against the shiny blue surface of the egg listening for movement. A steady heartbeat pulsated from within the egg, but the baby inside was still.
“Welcome to the pack, little one. It gets crazy sometimes, but there’s plenty of love to go around.”
With one arm wrapped around our egg and the other around Logan I dozed off exhausted from watching my sweet omega experience so much pain.
Chapter Forty-One
Logan
Our egg grew bigger every day. Shutting my eyes for a few seconds seemed to make it grow a little. Soon, it was to big to shuffle from one side of the nest to the other. So, we settled on keeping it in the middle of the nest. It made cuddling hard, but right now it wasn’t about us. We could cuddle later when our baby was safely out of the egg and could cuddle with us.
After the first few days, we started testing to see who was allowed in the house. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea, because I didn’t want anyone else near the egg who hadn’t helped make it. How could they possibly have t
he same drive to protect the egg as we did?
But still, we had to eat and since we only left the nest to go to the bathroom and take quick showers we needed some help. My first thought was Zoey. She saved our baby when they were still in my belly, but I wasn’t sure if it was okay.
Whenever Nurse Barry stopped by to check on things my wolf wanted to eat him. Well, at least maim him and shove his stethoscope where the sun didn’t shine every time he tried to press the cold metal against the egg. Jessie and I worked hard to keep the egg warm and smudge free. We didn’t need him and his tools freezing it.
“Wrynn’s at the door too,” Jessie said coming back from answering the door.
“I didn’t ask for Wrynn,” I wiped a smudge off the egg’s surface with my sleeve.
“Nope. Just no,” my wolf shook his head. “Even the other pup is a bad idea. Clumsy girl. What if she cracks the egg? Tell Alpha to eat them both and be done with it.”
“He’s your best friend.”
“Yes, and when the baby comes out of the egg he can come see them,” I said. “My wolf wants you to eat them both. Maybe this was a bad idea.”
“He brought orange chicken,” Jessie grinned, “but he’s not going to give it up until he sees you. He’s worried about you, mate.”
“Fine, but if I eat the chicken and my wolf eats him don’t blame me,” I polished another spot on the egg with my sleeve. “I bet no one came to annoy Juda’s egg.”
“They probably did. Hemlocks have always been a close-knit bunch,” Jessie chuckled and walked off to let the others in.
“Hey, Logan,” Zoey inched into the room with a small smile. “The anti-flu potions I made didn’t kill anyone. Nurse Barry said they were great. I’m just going to sit over here on the sofa, alright?”
I didn’t look up at her right away. I waited for my wolf to grumble or protest her presence. When he didn’t protest after a few seconds I looked up at her.
“Thanks for making them for me,” I smiled. “It’s been a crazy few days.”
“The egg is a lot bigger than I thought it’d be,” she said.
“It’s grown a lot since it came out,” I told her. “It’s as hard as diamond too.”
“Can I touch it?” She asked then blushed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Jessie told me how much it worries you to have other people around.”
“Actually, come over here,” I waved to her. “Sit here.” I pointed to a spot just outside the nest.
“Watch for smudges on that side. I don’t like them. It’s like dirty fingerprints all over my baby,” I whispered to her. “If you see one you just polish it off with your sleeve like this.” I showed her my method of keeping the egg shiny and smudge free.
“Hi, little one,” Zoey whispered to the egg. “I’m your Aunt Zoey and I’m so happy you’re finally here with us. I can’t wait to meet you.”
A few minutes later, Wrynn and Jessie walked into the living room. My wolf didn’t even turn his head when he smelled them.
“I brought lunch,” Wrynn said. “I know you haven’t been feeling well. I’m always so hungry the next few days after giving birth. I wanted to come sooner, but Jessie kept telling me you didn’t want company. I’m not company, though. I’m family.”
“I know. Maybe I was being silly.”
“No, you’re not,” Jessie settled into the nest next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “You’re right. We have to protect the egg just like we would any pup.”
“Maybe a few more people around sometimes wouldn’t be too bad,” I said and bit my lip. “But I’m not responsible for any bites.”
“If Jessie bites me I’ll boop him on the nose,” Wrynn laughed.
***
Over the next few weeks Wrynn came over whenever he could. Sometimes he brought the pups, but mostly he came alone. He was smart enough to never bring others with him. Mostly, he cooked, and we chatted about the egg and the baby inside. Now that I wasn’t carrying the egg inside of me I was patient. The baby would come out when he or she was ready. It was everyone else who couldn’t wait.
When she wasn’t in class Zoey became a permanent fixture at our home. She sat just outside of the nest reading or listening to music and helping keep it shiny and smudge free. We spent hours talking about potions and magical theories and sometimes even what the Grim Howlers were up to.
It was nice to have a third pair of eyes around. Zoey was good at catching smudges and knowing when it was time to wrap the egg up in a warm blanket. Having her around also meant Jessie and I could spend more time together. We didn’t leave the house, but we could both be in another room without me breaking out in stress hives from worrying about the egg being alone when it hatched. I didn’t want our baby to come into the world alone in an empty nest. I wanted to be there when he or she took their first breath and saw the big world for the very first time.
“Ross wanted me to ask if he could come by and talk to you,” Zoey said bringing in the groceries she picked up on the way over from class.
“Did he have a vision about the egg?” I sat up and yawned.
“No and I’d rather not be the shot messenger, so I won’t say what he wants to talk to you about. Just that he wants to speak with you. He said the sooner the better.”
“I’ll call him,” I told her.
“Actually, he’s waiting outside for an answer,” Zoey frowned. “I’ll be right back. I need to get the groceries put away. Where’s Jessie?”
“At Darian’s,” I sighed. “He called and asked him to come over. They’re having some secret Alpha meeting. It has me worried.”
“Oh, that,” Zoey rolled her eyes as she walked back into the living room. “Bane’s coming back with his true-mate.”
“Who?”
“That’s the big secret Darian won’t let anyone in on,” Zoey rolled her eyes. “Maybe you could worm it out of Ross. He’s pretty hard headed, though. So, I make no promises.”
“I know I’m being silly. Ross won’t hurt the baby. I know that logically, but if he comes in it’s only a matter of time before my house is full of people and the egg needs quiet and so do I. I’ve always liked the quiet life. I had enough excitement for the rest of my life already. So, it’s time for peace and quiet and having pups and in this case a baby dragon.”
“Please,” Zoey drew out the word and flashed me puppy dog eyes.
“Fine but tell him to stay on the other side of the room. I don’t want to bite him and no Monta. I can smell him lurking out there too. He irritates Jessie and if he’s here when my Alpha gets back and irritates him…”
“Got it, only Ross. I’ll go get him,” Zoey sprinted off to the door.
I moved in front of the egg and arranged the blankets so that it was warm and hidden from sight.
“Thanks for agreeing to see me, Logan,” Ross walked into the room. Zoey kept ahold of his hand and walked him to the other side of the room.
“Sorry, there’s no cushions on the sofa. We needed them for the nest.”
“That’s fine. It’s still comfortable,” Ross said sitting down.
“What do you want?” I cut straight to the point.
“It’s really rare for a Hemlock dragon to be born. In fact, it’s rare for any sort of dragon to be born. So many of us have never seen a dragon egg hatch.”
“I’ll make sure to record it for you guys. No problem,” I smiled thinking the conversation was over and Ross would leave.
“Actually, Darian and I were talking, it would be such a happy thing for all of us to be here when the egg hatched. We might not get another chance in our lifetimes. We all have the blood of dragons pumping in our veins. His twin is dragon, but Bane’s the only one of us who has ever seen an egg hatch.”
“Bane isn’t here,” I said.
I wished Jessie would hurry up and get his butt home. He was better at dealing with his family than I was, but there was no way I was letting all the Hemlocks crowd into our tiny house to watch my baby come out of
their egg.
“Bane has found what he’s been seeking for a very long time. He’s happy now. He’s coming home next month,” Ross smiled.
“Good for him,” I nodded. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea to have everyone crowd in here.”
“We could move the nest to a bigger house. If you have more kids you’ll need to move anyway.”
“Um. . . No,” I shook my head. “We’re not moving the egg. The nest is here. The egg is here. I’m here. Jessie will be home soon. We have Zoey to help and Wrynn sometimes. We’re okay here. Everyone can meet the baby after he or she comes out of the egg.”
“We’d all be there for a live birth,” Ross said. “At least in the waiting room.”
“Okay, you can wait on the porch,” I nodded. “That’s fine. Just keep them quiet, okay?”
“Logan, please. This means a lot to us. We could even fly in your brother and his mate.”
“Jayden’s busy. Syn’s pregnant again. He’ll come meet the baby at a proper time like everyone else will. You’re stressing me out. My wolf would like to eat you. So, I think it’s time for you to go. I’ll be sure to record the hatching for everyone to watch.”
I wasn’t lying. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and my wolf paced silently looking for the perfect opportunity to pounce out of my chest.
“Logan, it really would mean a lot to all of us,” Ross said.
“Maybe we can talk about it again later,” Zoey said stepping in front of Ross. “It’s his and Jessie’s baby and we have to respect their wishes.”
The door swung open bringing in clear rays of sunlight.
“Hey, everything alright?” Jessie looked from me to his siblings.
“Ross was just leaving,” I said. “Right?”
“Actually, I was trying to explain to Logan how much it would mean to us if we could be here when the egg hatched.”
Jessie tensed and clenched his jaw.
“See, he doesn’t like the idea either,” my wolf said smugly.
“It would be a lot of work,” Jessie finally said. “We’d have to set up a divide and everyone would have to stay on the other side of the room and it could only be close family and not everyone on Hemlock Mountain.”
Omega Magic Page 20
