Page 16 of Sealed With A Kiss
Standing, I held my hand out to help my mate up. “I’ve never heard a better idea.”
And maybe after the nap, I’d feel better about having to see my brother again.
15
Milo Mikolov
Ifelt my lips stretch up into a smile as I watched my mate playing with our daughter in the fields outside of the training center. We had come out here for the birth of our son and to be closer to Nik’s family. The council approved my early paternity leave after I told them that my mate was still anxious after losing his first mate during childbirth. Even though that meant I was only back to work three months before taking my leave, I was able to get quite a few cases solved. Besides, they knew I’d be back. But they understood that I needed to be at the training center for now. Being with family and at the training center surrounded by the strongest magic weavers he knew, and the most skilled doctors in the country, already had my mate looking lighter and acting less stressed. Plus, a little vacation from the office was a good thing in my book.
“Hey, Milo, how are you feeling this morning?” Rayne joined me on the picnic blanket I laid out while the families around meshifted and frolicked. I missed being able to shift, but I didn’t want to until after I delivered safely.
“I can’t complain. Much.” Chuckling, I rubbed a hand over my stomach. There had been a few tightening cramps throughout the night and into the morning, but I wasn’t ready to let anyone know yet. Once Nik heard that I was in discomfort, he would stop playing with Willow and hover like a worrywart. I needed space right now, not to be watched like a hawk or a dragon. “I can’t believe that it’s been four months and it’s almost time to have this little egg. And then we need to wait another couple of months for it to hatch? How did you go through this so many times?”
“Honestly, every time I was pregnant, I swore it was the last. Then the babies were in my arms and being all cute and I was begging for his dragon cock to knock me up again.” Rayne rubbed a hand over his own bulging belly. “At least you’re having a singleton. I have no idea why fate keeps throwing multiples at me. This really might be the last time. I can deliver any day now and I told Zander I think I’m done for good this time.”
“I’ll check back in with you in about six months.” Wolf’s mate Ollie sat down with us on the lawn and stretched out. “I told Wolf that we are taking at least a six-year break. Then maybe we can have a couple more. But this pregnancy has been a little rough, and even Doctor Matthews has suggested we take some precautions for a few years and give my body a break.”
“With the amount of Ramono and Survolar babies born in the last several years, I think that’s a great idea.” Rayne stretched over and grabbed a strawberry from one of the containers I had laid out for the picnic. “We will make all the alphas drink Hendrix’s newest tea and that should help.”
“Is Hendrix back yet?” I looked around trying to find my friend. “I thought he was staying up at the council until Angus was fully released.”
“He is staying up there for now. But he just sent us a surprise package and wrote a note to give our alphas the tea.” Ollie popped a blueberry in his mouth. “He said there will be some drama coming soon and we need to hold off on getting pregnant again. We’ll be needed and big bellies may get in the way.”
“Did he say what that meant? The drama?” Tiny pricks of fear tried to crawl up my spine, but I dug my nails into the lawn beside the blanket, grounding myself.
“No. But I think it has something to do with Angus and the people who hexed him. They seem to be getting closer to finding out who it is.” Rayne handed me a bottle of water. “Drink this. You need the hydration.”
“Thanks.” I grabbed the bottle and chugged half of it. “I’m surprised the council hasn’t contacted me about any of the updates, then.”
“You’re on leave, remember. And Nik asked them to not update you with anything that would cause more stress.” Rayne held a finger up. “And don’t get mad about it. Try not to be, at least. Remember Nik is stressed out.”
“At least the visit to the council to meet with Angus didn’t go horribly like I feared.” Ollie gestured toward Nik, Zander, and Wolf who were all playing with the kids in the north field. “I don’t think they fully trust him not to become a tool again to be used against us, but at least they agreed to the council and Hendrix’s argument to let Angus out of prison and stay under supervised parole instead. I don’t know what Hendrix would have done if his mate was forced to remain in a cell.”
“It was hard for them.” I waved at Nik when he looked our way and appreciated the curve of his ass as he turned back around and bent to pick up Willow. “But I think they finally understood that Angus was a pretty innocent victim in something much bigger. He may have been an easy target because he was young and confused when the group found him, but that’s howbrainwashing and spellcraft works in those sorts of groups. They look for a weakness and work on it until they get what they want.”
A sharp pain hit my stomach as I ended my sentence, and I winced.
“Are you okay?” Nik started running toward me. “I felt that through our bond.”
Fuck. I guess I can’t hide it any longer.
“Yeah, I think it’s time to meet our little egg though.”
“Luckily you are staying at one of the houses right next to the field.” Rayne stood. “Let’s get you to the house.”
“Actually, I think you and Zander need to head to the hospital.” Ollie gestured to Rayne’s belly where his shirt had ridden up and we could clearly see that the omega line was beginning to open. “Not sure how you didn’t notice but it looks like your triplets are trying to make their escape.”
“Fuck, really?” Rayne attempted to examine his line but could only do so with his fingers, due to the size of his belly being too large to see under. “How did I not know.”
“I don’t know.” I panted, my contractions hitting stronger and closer together. “But I need to get to the nest.”
“Let’s go.” Nik grabbed my hand, walking toward our rental. “Ollie, Wolf told me that you two will be watching Willow tonight for us. Thanks.”
“Oh. Okay.” Ollie chuckled. “I wish he’d asked me first but he knows I’d say yes anyway. Call us with updates.”
“Will do.” Nik waved to them and proceeded to gently lead me back to the nest I had been building over the last week. A nest filled with crocheted stuffies, body-length pillows, and two dozen fleece blankets. The place where an hour later we lay cuddling our beautiful teal-blue egg.
16
