I shook my head as panic rose in my chest. “I don’t know what to do. The truck is at the bottom of the hill, and I don’t have the energy to shift or climb down there.”
“Don’t you worry.” He stood and headed toward the edge of the cliff. “I’ll make sure you get home in time.”
Sticking two fingers in his mouth, Garret whistled loud enough for the whole valley to hear.
Suddenly the flapping of wings grew closer, and several dragons hovered at the tree line.
Garret pointed to Blaze and a turquoise-scaled dragon. “You two have an emergency. Down here, now.”
The omega grabbed Kirin right before both dragons landed.
As another cramp took hold, I closed my eyes and suffered through the pain. When I finally felt some relief, I opened my eyes and found Blaze and Loubaneau, Garret’s mate, in their human forms and clothing, on either side of me. Holding meunder my arms, they lifted me up while Garrett slid a basket stretcher under me.
“We always keep one of these up here, just in case,” the omega said.
Blaze nodded. “Lou is going to fly you home and I will take Kirin and Garret with me in the truck and meet you there.”
I reached out to him. “I’m sorry I ruined your flying time.”
He shook his head. “I should have known better. I should have stayed at home with you. But it doesn’t matter. You need to get there now. Lou will take care of you until I arrive. I love you.”
I didn’t have any time to respond. Blaze stepped back and I was swept up into the air. I hadn’t seen the firefighter shift back into his dragon form, but I was dangling below him while flying over the trees, heading back toward Cloudhaven.
I must have blacked out while in the sky, as I don’t remember anything until I was in my backyard and Lou and Blaze were carrying me into the house with Kirin rushing along behind them.
“Daddy, are you okay?”
The fear in his voice made me want to reach out and hug him, but I didn’t have the chance. “I’m okay. I’m just ready to lay my egg. You’re going to be a big brother soon.”
“I don’t wanna be a big brother if it’s going to hurt you.”
“Your dad will be okay.” After setting me in the nest I’d made in the spare room, Blaze held Kirin in his lap outside of the pile of pillows and blankets. “This is normal for daddies to go through. He experienced the same thing when you were in your egg. We just had to get him off the hill and back home quickly. He’s okay now.”
I reached out to them both. “Yes, I’m okay.” Pain sliced much lower in my abdomen. I turned away, trying to hide the agony from my son.
Garret brought a cold cloth and laid it on my forehead. Then he fed me an ice cube.
“Thank you,” I said between crunches of ice. I didn’t remember much about laying Kirin’s egg or even him hatching. It all seemed a distant memory overshadowed by the stress of raising him on my own.
“Do you want to go in the bathtub?” Garret asked. “I can draw it for you. It might relieve some of the pain.”
I shook my head as the pressure shifted, becoming heavy between my legs. I held a pillow to my face. “It’s coming now. I can feel it.”
Lou reached for Kirin’s hand. “C’mon, buddy. Why don’t you show me your collection of fire trucks. I’ve heard you got a lot of them.”
I was thankful the firefighter knew exactly how to get my son out of the room. With how worried he was for me before, I doubted he’d be able to watch me push the egg out.
“Let’s get your pants off.”
I lifted my hips as Blaze removed my clothes, not quite the same way he had when he’d gotten me into this situation.
“You’re wide open and ready to push,” Garret said from the edge of my nest by my feet.
For some reason, I had no problem with him seeing me there with my legs spread open. The dragons of Cloudhaven, and in fact all the shifters of the town, didn’t view nudity the same as in Saramto. It was a natural state to be in before and after a shift, and obviously when in labor.
Another piercing spasm. I pushed as I gripped Blaze’s hand as tight as I could.
“Good.” Garret handed my mate the cold cloth. “There was movement with that one. Just a couple more.”
