“I want Aurum here, too,” I said.
Mylo perked up. “I’ll get him!”
But as Mylo reached the peak of the steps, Aurum appeared in the doorway. His bedhead poked out in every direction, and he looked flustered, like he’d run here in a hurry.
“Oh, hey,” he greeted Mylo, then glanced down at the fort. “What’s goin’ on?”
“Rorik’s laying his egg. He wanted you here, so I was coming to fetch you,” Mylo explained.
Aurum’s gaze flickered with emotion. He wasted no time leaping down the steps, helping Mylo back down, then kneeling by the fort’s entrance.
“How did you get here so fast?” Saffron asked his twin.
Aurum shrugged. “Viol randomly shook me awake and told me to haul ass down to the cellar. Freaked me the hell out. I thought he’d finally lost it.”
“How’d he know Rorik was laying?” Saffron asked.
Mylo tilted his head. “Maybe he didn’t leave. He could’ve been standing outside the door, listening to make sure everything was okay,” he suggested. “He’s thoughtful that way.”
Aurum’s brow arched, and I’m sure Saffron mirrored the gesture behind me, but neither said anything.
A throb of agony hit my gut. I shut my eyes and growled when the pain didn’t subside. The egg didn’t seem big when it was snugly in my womb, but on the way out it was a different story.
“Just keep breathing,” Mylo encouraged. “That helped me get through the worst of it.”
Aurum nodded. “You can do it, big guy.”
“You’re doing great, Rorik,” Saffron said.
Their words gave me the strength to keep going. I focused on his palm pleasantly stroking my fur. The opposing sensation was a decent distraction from the pain. But I knew I couldn’t ignore the contractions, either. I had to push or this egg would never come out.
And the faster I laid it, the sooner I’d see my baby.
That lit a fire inside me. Pain be damned, I channeled my thoughts and energy into laying my egg. Besides, if every other omega had been through this, then I as a warrior should’ve had no problem.
...was what I thought until the next contraction hit me.
I snarled, digging my claws into the blankets. I would’ve felt bad for shredding them if I wasn’t tangled in the snares of pain.
“Oh, Rorik,” Saffron murmured, rubbing my sides. “I know it sucks. I wish I could take the pain away from you. It’ll all be worth it, in the end.”
He was right, of course, but he wasn’t the one pushing an egg out of his ass.
But as the uncomfortable tightness swelled, it was followed by a sudden wave of relief. I gasped, allowing myself a few seconds to enjoy the lack of agony, then realized the inside of the fort was no longer dark.
A curious glow appeared behind me. Panting with effort, I craned my neck to see Saffron staring wide-eyed at a radiant object. I didn’t know what it was, or where it had come from until he lifted it up for me to see, and I realized what it was.
My egg.
Ouregg.
I stared in total awe. The smooth curve of the shell was brilliant yellow. Fragments of darker gold shimmered like sunset light bouncing off a glacier. I’d never seen anything like it. It was beautiful.
“Our baby’s in here,” Saffron whispered as he cradled the egg. His expression was already gentle and nurturing, and the egg hadn’t even hatched yet. I knew he’d provide the care it needed until the time came to emerge into the world.
I felt a rush of pride watching my mate lovingly stroke the egg’s shell. Saffron was going to be an amazing alpha father.
No—he already was.
