The massive blue dragon perked up, pleased.
Thystle made that growl-purr sound that vibrated in his throat. “Feeling better?” he asked, nuzzling my cheek.
“Much,” I said with a content sigh.
Jade smiled. “Glad to hear it. Remember, Matteo, you’re part of our family now. If you ever need help, you simply have to ask.”
My chest swelled with feeling. “I will. Thanks, Jade.” The warm fuzzies were interrupted as a sudden cramp in my side made me wince. “Ow.”
“Sounds like contraction o’clock,” Crimson commented. “Let’s leave these two to their egg-laying, shall we?”
The dragon brothers wished me well before taking flight to give us privacy.
Well, all except one.
Viol lurked at the far end of the rooftop, glowering in our direction. He seemed reluctant to leave.
Thystle pulled away from me.
“You’re not starting anything with him, are you?” I asked.
“No,” he promised.
My mate approached his brother. The two dragons stared at each other, neither one wanting to back down.
But why didn’t Viol want to? I wasn’t his mate, and I felt no romantic feelings from him. The concern he showed was purely platonic. Was he just worried about me?
“Viol,” Thystle growled in a neutral tone. “I’ve got this. You can leave.”
Viol slowly flicked his tail. “You sure?” he challenged.
“Matteo is my mate. He’s my responsibility, not yours.”
“A pregnant omega isallof our responsibility,” Viol countered. There was no vitriol in his voice. He spoke as if stating a fact.
His comment didn’t really surprise me. During our first family meeting in the kitchen, he came across as gruff but well-meaning, especially towards children. That confirmed my hunch that he only had my best interest in mind when he’d snatched me away.
Thystle took a breath. “I appreciate your help. Without you, Matteo wouldn’t have the nesting materials he needed. So, thanks. But I’ll take it from here.”
Viol’s dark gaze slid towards me. When I nodded, he blew out a puff of smoke. “Fine. Good luck,” he added genuinely.
Then he unfurled his wings with acrackand took to the sky, disappearing into the island mountains.
Thystle returned to my side, curling around me and my nest. “Sorry about the family drama,” he mumbled. “I know they can be a lot sometimes.”
I stroked his side. “Don’t worry about it. I like having a big, new family. And I don’t know why you were so nervous about Viol. He’s not that bad.”
Thystle snorted. “Saying Viol isn’t that bad is like comparing a puppy to a tarantula. Enough about him. How are you?”
I wiped the sweat off my brow. “Fine. Definitely about to lay an egg.”
“I’m here,” Thystle murmured, rubbing his face against my neck. I could tell he wanted to be as close as possible to soothe me, which was sweet. Plus, the coolness of his scales was a welcome distraction.
A throb of pain coursed through my lower body. I was glad to be sitting already, otherwise my knees would’ve failed me. I hissed and curled my fingers against Thystle’s side. I appreciated his support—both emotional and physical.
“Clothes,” I managed through my teeth.
The agony robbed me of the ability to string more than two words together, but thankfully, Thystle understood. He craned his neck so his maw was above my pants. There was no way he could tug them off without shredding them, but that was fine with me. Pants were replaceable.
