“Nah,” Gaia said, picking up my thoughts over the flight link. “You keep him busy,” she nodded at Sermon. “Plus, no one fucks with me. Not just because they know I’ll kick their asses, but because they think we’re fucking you and your mom will kick their asses.”
“I mean, she would kick the ass of anyone who fucked with you,” I shrugged, glancing up at her. “But only because it’s her favorite hobby after the plane.”
“Is she coming to get you?” Gaia asked, because that was my mum’s MO. She had a private plane and loved to use it. If planes still used fossil fuels, she’d probably start climate change all over again.
“No, she doesn’t want to leave Bree’s side and I don’t blame her. Not with everything going on. I remember the first time this one put an egg in you---” I said, trying to guide the conversation away from the real reason she wasn’t flying to pick me up. I hadn’t actually been invited yet. Still, I had wings and a bank account. I could get around on my own just fine.
“He didn’t put an egg in me. He doesn’t make his own eggs! I had an egg and he fertilized it!” Gaia said, reaching over to slap my arm.
I glanced at Sermon, but he was already reading his book again, arms over his nipples in case he got caught in the crossfire.
“At least put a top on before you attack me. I can’t hit you back for fear of those things getting in the way,” I nod at her.
“They’re breasts. It’s not like you haven’t seen a million pairs before,” she rolled her eyes.
“I haven’t counted them,” I shrugged. “I just don’t want to accidentally knock one off and get Sermon going.”
“I can’t believe you two ever hooked up,” Sermon laughed.
“We were stoned!” we groaned in unison.
I adored Gaia. She was loud-mouthed in a way that reminded me of my mother and the dragonesses I grew up around. She was fiercely protective of those she cared about but also didn’t let any of them get by with bullshit.
“Are we going with Beryl?” she asked Sermon while pulling her long light brown hair up into a high ponytail.
“Do you want to for the wedding? I think they’re in the planning stages? Maybe?” Sermon shrugged.
“Sort of. I think we should be there for a wedding, and I wouldn’t mind catching a drag show. Besides, I’m almost out of sunscreen again and they don’t sell my brand here,” she said, looking around. “Have you stolen my top again?”
“What? It’s him that has a problem with the liberation of your girls, not me,” he laughed. “For all I care they can live in the sunshine year round.”
“I don’t have a problem with it unless she’s trying to beat me up!” I laughed and Gaia glanced at me in the way that said I needed to occupy myself for some time because she was about to monopolize her true-mate’s attention in a way that I didn’t want to bear witness to.
“Here,” he reached for her and tugged her onto his lap as I sat up. “I’ll cover them up for you.”
“I’ll leave you to plundering your mate, but are you coming to the GGB?” I asked, rising to my feet.
They shared a quick look that let me know they were speaking over their mating link.
“Think your mum will have a problem with us staying?” Sermon asked.
“Never has before.”
“Well, double-check because babies change everything,” Sermon said. “We’ll come, but I’d rather stay with her than at a hotel. They’re so loud there!”
I nodded and left them to their own devices. Back inside the Scale B&B beach house, I scrolled on my phone catching up with all the GGB stuff I’d missed. They had a few murders recently and I didn’t want to drag Gaia into that. She was Sermon’s omega and that made her family.
I was just reading through a post about the threats Jade’s playroom, Flight School, was still receiving when my phone rang. I had meant to text mum and tell her that my friends would probably come in for the wedding too if that was okay, but had waited too long. To be fair, we talked on the phone most days. So her calling wasn’t that out of the ordinary.
“Hey,” I yawned and went into the kitchen to put on another pot of coffee.
“Mornin’,” she said, turning on her camera. She was sitting on the porch next to Bree who rested her head against Mum’s shoulder.
“How’s my sibling?” I asked.
“Still not budging,” Bree laughed, patting her big belly.
Any day now that egg was coming out of her. Carrying an egg didn’t always produce the big pregnant belly that shifters who had live births got, but sometimes it did.
