After quickly removing Taylor’s clothes beneath the covers, I took his hand. He squeezed it with full force every time a contraction ripped through him, which came more and more frequently. I used a damp towel to wipe the sweat off his furrowed brow.
“Fuck, this thing is big,” Taylor snarled. He opened his mouth to curse more when a wave of pain made him clench his teeth, doubling over with a roar.
Dammit, I wished there was more I could do. Omegas were so much braver than us. I doubted half the alphas I knew could tolerate this much pain without passing out.
“I’m here, Taylor,” I reminded him.
I couldn’t tell if he heard me over the sounds of his groans, but he squeezed my hand harder. It almost felt like he was crushing my bones.
Then Taylor’s eyes snapped open as he stared at nothing. He stopped groaning, and his grip loosened on my hand. Except for the sound of his rapid breathing, the room was dead silent.
“What is it?” I asked.
Taylor blinked, then slowly sat upright, as if in a dream. He grasped the edge of the blanket and lifted it.
Just before I moved to look closer, I heard Aurum say, “Uh, is it just me, or is that blanket glowing?”
He was right. Itwasglowing.
Side by side, Taylor and I peered beneath the curtain of darkness... and saw a bright red glowing egg by his thighs.
I was speechless.
Our egg was here—and it was more beautiful than I could’ve ever imagined.
“What?” Saffron urged when neither of us spoke. “Can we see, too?”
I wanted to answer him that yes, he could, but the beauty of the egg literally took my breath away. Even in the darkness of the blanket cover, it shone in brilliant shades of red, like a perfectly oval faceted ruby. It almost didn’t look real.
Taylor moved first. He sat up, pushing back the covers to reveal the egg.
My brothers gasped. They, too, were awestruck by our gorgeous egg.
“That’s... what dragon eggs look like?” Thystle murmured.
“It’s beautiful,” Jade said as the red glow reflected off his lenses.
Taylor radiated relief, happiness and pride. He took the egg into his lap and curled around it, but his human arms weren’t enough to satisfy his brooding instinct. With a growl, he shifted into tiger form to properly envelop his egg. He moved his big furry body until the egg was comfortably nestled in his side.
He sighed. “That’s better.”
Aurum snickered. “A tiger with an egg... that’s new.”
His twin elbowed him. “Congrats, you guys. Seriously.”
The rest of my brothers joined in, ogling our unhatched baby and praising Taylor for the excellent job he did on laying a dragon egg.
“Let’s give them space,” Cobalt suggested. “Taylor. If you need anything at all, just ask.”
Taylor nodded. He looked surprised to hear Cobalt speak since he was so quiet. “Thanks.”
As my brothers piled reluctantly out of the room—their curiosity about the egg was tangible—I let out a sigh of relief to be alone with my mate again. I put my arm around his broad, powerful shoulders and nestled my face into his fur. It was warm and soft, better than any bed.
I realized I’d never been so close to his tiger form before. The other times I’d seen it were during challenges, when I wasn’t allowed to go near him. I was glad the Games were finally over so I could reap the rewards in peace.
“You did amazing, my love,” I murmured into Taylor’s fur. “I’m so proud of you.”
The deep rumble of his appreciative purr made his entire body vibrate.
