Viol’s frame tensed. He was close.
I kissed him. He kissed me back like he was possessed and my tongue was holy water.
I felt the warm, thick rush of his seed before anything else. As Viol came, he ripped his mouth off mine to release a guttural roar. He arched his back, pushing his lower body into mine. That final brush of friction combined with the feeling of being stuffed sent me over the edge. I finished against his belly as he rode his aftershocks.
“I love you,” Viol murmured into my ear. He rested his body on top of mine, our sweat-soaked skin pressed against each other.
It took a second to find my human voice again. “I love you, too.”
Viol smiled as he stroked my face. Even if he hadn’t said the words, I saw the love beaming in his eyes.
I bumped my forehead against his.
“That settles it,” I said definitively. “I’m pregnant now.”
He burst out in a chuckle. “Wow. On top of everything, now you’re psychic, too? I didn’t know my mate had so many hidden talents.”
I grinned. “Not psychic. I just have a feeling.”
“Then I believe you,” he said honestly. He followed that up with a short, sweet kiss. “I can’t wait to see you big and round with our baby. You’re going to glow even brighter than you already do.”
I blushed. “Oh, stop it...”
“Sorry, Poppy. You’re stuck with me forever.”
I captured Viol’s lips to give him a short, sweet kiss of my own. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
19
Viol
“Everybody, make way!”Muzo announced. “Pregnant Poppy coming through!”
His obnoxious but heartwarming declaration echoed in the hallway leading to the living room. The bouncy omega walked two steps ahead of Poppy and me, waving his arms around as if to clear an invisible fog. There was no reason for Muzo to yell, since nobody was actuallyin frontof Poppy, but we didn’t want to ruin his fun. Muzo was almost more excited about Poppy’s pregnancy than Poppy himself.
After our bouncer safely cleared the way, Poppy and I stepped into the living room behind him. The faces of every omega family member sitting on the couch lit up. The news of Poppy’s pregnancy spread quickly, so they decided to have an “omega’s night” to prepare him. Although alphas usually didn’t show up to those events, Poppy insisted I come along. Ever since we mated, Poppy had been clingier than usual—which was totally fine by me. I’d happily spend every waking moment with him if I could.
Poppy paused and sniffed the air. “Something smells really good... and kinda familiar.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Muzo said quickly. “That’s just, uh, Alaric’s baby butt perfume. He sprayed a lot of it today.”
“I swear to gods, if you don’t stop calling it that, I’m going to turn you into a fine taxidermy rug,” Alaric muttered nastily from the couch.
I raised an amused brow. Muzo was an awful liar, but I didn’t press the issue since there was obviously a surprise hiding in wait.
Before Poppy reached the couch to greet everybody, a few friends beat him to it. Mylo and Alaric rushed over, while Matteo, Rorik, and Taylor grinned at the happy chaos from the couch. Muzo invited himself to the group hug.
I smiled at the tight-knit group, feeling warmed by their shenanigans. Maybe I could stand to tell them more often, but I was eternally grateful for the other omegas and their friendships with Poppy. They’d been there to support him when I hadn’t. If it weren’t for their undying loyalty, Poppy might not have returned to the Dragonfate Games season after season. He might’ve given up and stopped coming... and I would’ve been too stubborn and idiotic to chase him down.
I shook off the lingering guilt. That was all in the past, and I owed it to Poppy not to wallow in my own angst anymore. He needed me fully present—and our future baby did, too.
When I pulled myself back to reality, Poppy was sitting in the middle of the couch, surrounded by all his friends-slash-family. I walked over and relaxed in a nearby armchair, content just to observe.
“So, Poppy,” Taylor began, “how do you feel about expecting?”
Poppy shuffled in his seat, like he couldn’t contain his excitement. “It’s wonderful. It just feels... right.”
As he finished his sentence, Poppy flashed me an adoring look. My heart fluttered. I knew my mate was ecstatic, but hearing him talk about it with others filled me with pride.
