16
Cloud
The next fewweeks were spent on much-needed relaxation. Since we met, my and Meeko's lives had been a non-stop adventure, but now that he was growing a baby inside his body, I gently ordered him to rest. Of course, in his own Meeko-esque fashion, he refused to just curl up in the nest and sleep all day long. He always had to be doingsomething—in his case, it was chatting with the other omegas in my family and soaking up their stories like a sponge.
Good thing we had plenty of omegas.
Whenever I wasn't hunting for food or fixing the nest, I was by Meeko's side. But there was a nagging feeling at the back of my mind like a thorn. I couldn't settle down properly until it was dealt with.
The sword.
How beautiful would it be to present our newborn baby with Meeko's heirloom? Not that a baby could wield a sword, obviously, and they wouldn't be able to use it at all if they were an alpha.
It wasn't just the missing sword that bothered me. Animus and Mistral were still out there doing gods knew what. Animus hadn't shown up since our altercation that night, which struck me as odd after he was so involved with my cousins' lives. Was there something about us that he didn't like? Was it the fact that we'd refused his offer; his help in return for our fated mate magic?
"Was it hard for you, near the end of your pregnancy?" Meeko asked.
I remembered where we were. He was talking to Castor. The two had become fast friends since Meeko came to live with us, and he often asked me to fly him to their dam to sit and chat while Annabelle ran around causing mischief.
"Not physically," Castor said. "I was a bit concerned about the birth going smoothly, since I'm an older omega. But you're young and spry. You'll be fine."
I almost snorted. Castor was one of the fittest guys I knew. He had to be in order to fell freakingtreesand carry them around.
Meeko put his hands on his belly, now fully filled out. Every morning we woke up wondering if today was going to be the day.
"I'm nervous but also excited," Meeko murmured.
Castor smiled. "Totally normal. The anticipation gets worse when you're this close."
I tuned out of their conversation. It wasn't that I didn't care, but there was an uncomfortable tugging in my chest. Something felt out of place.
Then the familiarity of the sensation hit me. It was the same way I felt during my conversation with Animus.
"I'm gonna go grab a fish for lunch," I lied, spreading my wings.
"Okay," Meeko said. "Anyway, Castor, about the birth process..."
Glad that he was distracted, I took off into the sky. I didn't want Meeko to worry about what I was going to do.
I scanned the ground as I flew, seeking the source of that feeling. Fire burned in the pit of my stomach. It was my alpha instincts flaring up, wanting to protect my mate.
I finally pinpointed the source of the cold discomfort down in a clearing. When I touched down, my feathers prickled like the temperature had plummeted.
Then I saw why. Animus stepped out of the shadows of the trees, approaching me in the clearing.
He wasn't alone. Animus's claws were clenched in Mistral's hair. The other harpy was on the ground, wide-eyed and panicked. His feathers were askew, like he'd already tried to fight Animus and lost.
My eyes drifted to Mistral's hand. I sucked in a breath.
There was the sword. All this time, he still had it.
Animus shot me a cruel grin and lifted Mistral by the hair. He looked like a cat bringing home prey its owners don't want. "Surprise."
I shuffled uncomfortably. What was he doing?
"Did you... summon me here?" I asked.
"You could say that," Animus drawled.
