Page 33 of The Griffin, the Tiger, and Their House Cat Omega

As time went on, I was getting as big as a house, and it was too early in the pregnancy for that. Also my stomach was round and hard and to my memory not the shape of any I’d seen in the clowder growing up.

Of course, I hadn’t been all that interested in omega’s pregnancies then, being in the process of growing up myself. I dove into the online shifter network, trying to find out what to expect from a house cat who was carrying DNA from a griffin or tiger, but somehow those combinations never made the message boards. Mixed matings had become more common in recent years and gained acceptance, but there were still haters who responded to nearly every chat thread, and I worried about our baby having to face such people.

I’d spent so long avoiding shifters that even though I was now mated to two and spending a lot more time with the denizens of Animals and their friends, I still had an innate wariness based on the jerks who had been so mean to me as a house cat.

“What are you looking at, omega mine?” asked Allen, sitting down next to me on the sofa. I was holding my tablet and reading one of those threads. I had just come across someone who said very mean things to a wolf/lion mated couple about to give birth to their first child. “I don’t like your expression. Let me see.”

I hadn’t wanted them to know how worried I was. They had enough to deal with just in dealing with me and my food cravings and swollen ankles. “It’s nothing. Just reading about what I might expect as the pregnancy goes on. Omega stuff.” I triedto laugh as if it truly was nothing, but my griffin mate was too smart for that.

“I thought we weren’t going to keep secrets anymore?” We’d had quite a talk after the incident with the pregnancy test. “How are we supposed to be supportive mates if you don’t share what you need from us?”

I hung my head in shame, but he took the tablet from me. “Omega, I am not saying this to make you feel bad. And I think you know that.”

His kiss took the sting out of my words if not my thoughts. “Matthew, we love you and any worries of yours are officially ours. You know River would say the same thing if he was not at work. So…do you want to tell me, or do I need to figure it out from what you were so intently poring over on the screen.”

“No need for that. I’ll talk.”

He chuckled. “I won’t need to get out the instruments of torture then. Omega, please. Why do you look so worried?”

I pointed to my stomach. “I was trying to find out if there’s something odd about my shape. And maybe what to expect as the pregnancy goes along.”

“The midwife can answer all of that for you.” He reached for his phone but I stilled his hand.

“No, remember? Our special mix is not that predictable, but I thought I might find something online. Maybe another house cat is mated to a griffin and a tiger.”

“And are they?” He had told us that no griffin he knew of had found their fated, but they did mate and reproduce, I was pretty sure. Even if it wasn’t their true mate, they might have the same mix of genes.

“Not that I can find, but I have seen lots of shifters who are with different types talking about their pregnancies.”

Allen tucked me into his arms, and I rested my cheek on his muscular chest. “And was it helpful?”

“Kind of, but then I started seeing the hateful replies from those who think each should stay with their own kind. What if our baby faces that?”

“They won’t.” He kissed the top of my head. “Those bullies are online where they can’t be identified. Our child will have three dads who will watch over them and lots of other kids from similar matings to hang out with. And their parents who are also watchful. Not that they won’t ever have a challenge, but who doesn’t growing up?”

“Our clowder kept all the kids isolated,” I mused. “To protect us, but I don’t think it was the best thing, really. Most were too afraid to step out even after they grew up and look how I ended up?”

“You mean perfect?” he asked, stroking my hair. “But, I agree, that would not be the way to raise a child. It was much harder for you than it needed to be because of the isolation. We will be careful and encourage our children to learn and grow and become their best selves.”

“Wait, did you just go plural on me?”

“Yep.”

“What if I only want one? We already have a lovely wonderful daughter, so I guess that’s two.”

“Then that’s the number we’ll have. So, any other concerns?”

“Yes.” I sat up and took his hand, placing it on my belly. “I feel like I’m bigger than I should be, and harder. Maybe I need to see the midwife again.”

A slow smile twitched the corners of his lips and made his eyes sparkle. “Omega I don’t know how to tell you this, but I think you’ve got an egg in there.”

“Cats don’t lay eggs,” I scoffed.

“No but griffins do, and the midwife did say nearly any combination of our genes is possible.”

“The midwife never mentioned eggs.” I jumped up and looked around as if I could change things by running

“I thought…really?”

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