I caught the undercurrent of fierce benevolence in his voice, like he had genuine sympathy for the toy. Or the plushie was a stand-in for something else.
Saffron squinted suspiciously at him. “Um, why are you in Cobalt and Muzo’s room often enough to know that?”
“Because shut up,” Viol said. He pushed the plushie at me. “Take him. He’ll make you feel better.”
Viol’s confidence in the toy kindled my curiosity. If a plushie brought comfort to someone as tormented as Viol, maybe there was merit in his claim. I curled my paw gently around the toy and nestled it by my head in the pile. It was skillfully crafted, and obviously custom-made. There was only one omega I knew who could create this sewing masterpiece.
“Did Taylor make this, too?” I asked.
Saffron nodded. “He made all the plushies. Saffron Jr, too.” He glared at Viol. “And I haven’t forgotten the time you nearly stolehim, by the way.”
“I didn’t do that,” Viol muttered.
“You literally did. Both Mylo and I saw it.” He rolled his eyes. “Anyway, Muzo will understand if you borrow him, Rorik.”
I nodded, making a mental note to thank the jackal later.
“Thank you, Viol,” I said.
He looked surprised at my gratitude. He gave a jerky nod, then slipped out of the room.
Saffron sighed when his brother was gone. “He’s so fucking weird.”
Mylo and I spoke at the same time: “No, he’s not.”
My own outburst surprised me.When did I get so defensive over Viol?
Saffron gaped, then broke into laughter. “You guys sound like me and Aurum!”
I exchanged a grin with my fellow omega. It pleased me to share a moment like that with Mylo—and hopefully, many more.
Then came a sudden pulse in my abdomen.
My fur went rigid, then flattened as a shudder rolled down my body.
“Rorik?” Saffron asked, concerned.
Mylo understood what was happening to me before I did. “The egg’s coming.”
The egg. That was right. I’d been briefed that all the omegas—even mammal shifters—laid eggs thanks to the dragons’ strong genes. It didn’t feel real until now, when I experienced the first contraction and the tight sensation of the egg moving to its exit.
I suddenly felt out of my depth. Back in the tundra clan, childbirth—or egg laying, for that matter—was never explained to us because it was something omegas ‘naturally’ understood. The alphas called it our purpose. Now that ignorance came back to bite me in the ass. Or in this case, emerge from my ass.
“What do you need? Water? More blankets?” Saffron offered.
His voice pulled me back to the present. It reminded me I was here, on Chromatimaeus Island, with my fated mate. Not in the tundra clan. I was safe and cared for.
“I want you to stay right there,” I murmured, my bear’s voice slipping out in a low growl. I pressed my belly to the blanketed floor and rested my forehead against the plushie. Blueberry 1.0, they’d called him. It was unexpectedly comforting.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Saffron promised. His eyes glinted with devotion—a dragon’s raw, instinctive devotion to his mate.
“Come closer.”
He crawled into the fort on all fours and spooned me from behind. The size difference of his human form compared to my polar bear’s size was immense, but so was the peace his embrace gave me. The next contraction wasn’t as scary, and the one after was nagging but manageable.
Saffron stroked my flank fur in a calming rhythm. “Let us know if you need anything, okay?”
I recalled his comment from a few minutes ago, and remembered the kindness of someone who wasn’t present.
