Page 46 of These Little Heirs
“Stop calling me, Teal. I’m glad you’re happy. I’m glad you have a mate and a family and your brothers. You have the whole kitten and kaboodle. That’s good but stop fucking texting me about it. I’m done with you and Patrica and every fucking body else. Teal, I’m done. I have to live every day knowing that the guy who I thought was my best friend stopped me from saving my brother. You stopped me from doing the very bloody thing we went there to do. Fine. I’m alive. You got your way like Moonscales always do. I even considered who would work with your family when I turned over management of the restaurants. Be fucking happy and rejoice or what the fuck ever but leave me out of it. We’re done. I never want to talk to you again.”
Something inside me shattered as my best friend turned on his heels and disappeared into the dark. A moment later, Cobalt sprinted up from the other direction. I turned to grab him, thinking he had come because he heard what Morvan said.
“Something’s wrong with Ciro,” he said instead. “It’s like he’s going to throw up but he’s not. He can’t talk. Odell thinksit’s a furball, but I don’t think he’s spending that much time grooming himself or anyone. I--- We almost called Dara, but I thought we should get you first.”
“Shit!” I swore under my breath. Whatever I felt about Morvan hating my guts would have to wait until later.
My mate had locked himself inside the bathroom attached to our bedroom, but I heard his retching grunts as soon as we were back inside the house.
“Mate!” I called out and somewhere further inside the house Baby Steel broke out into wails. Cobalt cursed under his breath as Odie’s footsteps pattered down the hall. He stood guard outside the bathroom door as if someone might break it down and eat Ciro.
“I don’t think he can talk. He’s not choking. We’d feel that over the links but---” he said, and I zoned in on my mating link with Ciro without paying attention to what my brother said. Ciro was on the far side of the bathroom. Which was a good thing because my dragon had enough bullshit for one night. The door was bullshit, not Ciro. I shoved Cobalt out of the way and brought my foot down right next to the doorknob breaking the latch.
“Dude, we’ll have to fix that!” Indigo groaned.
Ciro’s eyes grew to saucers. This was pregnancy sickness. It had to be. For weeks we danced around the topic whenever someone brought it up but seeing him knelt on the floor there was no denying the little pooch of his belly that protruded beyond his abs. I rubbed soft circles on his bare back and waved my brothers off. Sure, he sounded like a housecat with a hairball but they didn’t need to point it out.
After he was finished being sick and the house was silent for a few minutes, Odie padded into our bedroom carrying Baby Steel and a bottle of the orange morning sickness gummies thatwere passed around from omega to omega all the time. He entered the bathroom holding them out like a peace offering.
“Thanks,” Ciro grinned.
I reached out for the gummies but Odie pulled his hand back and handed them to Ciro.
“Don’t let him kick the lid off,” Odie said and walked back out.
“I’m sorry I woke the baby up, Odie!” I called after him.
“I know you are,” he called back. “You’re lucky Guardie didn’t come bite you. He likes you but you’re acting like we’re the ones not talking to you.”
Later I’d explain it all. I’d tell them about Morvan’s short visit where he didn’t even give me a chance to speak. Hell, maybe I’d even tell them how panic rose in my throat like dragon fire when the door was between me and my in-need mate.
“He knows,” Ciro said, popping one of the orange gummies into his mouth. “He really does know. I think he was joking or maybe he’s just not happy that his baby got upset. I don’t know but he knows all that. They all know all of that. I woke up when your brain shouted ‘Morvan’.”
He rubbed his stomach for a moment and leaned back against the bathroom wall, his long legs stretched out across the checkerboard tile.
“I was on my way out to you or would’ve been if it didn’t all hit me at once. I’m sorry he’s a dick.”
“He’s not a dick,” I sighed.
“He upset my guy. He’s mad at my guy for saving his ass in seven different directions. He’s a dick. Even dicks grieve,” Ciro shrugged. “I’m not saying he’s not entitled to be sad. I’m just saying maybe he should aim his rage where it belongs and that isn’t you.”
“Not to change the subject,” I started.
“But you’re going to,” Ciro smirked.
“Yeah. I can’t talk about him right now. I need to focus on you. On us. And I think it’s time for us to double-check our suspicions. I’m not saying you have to see Dara or anyone. Just ---”
“I’ve been waiting for you to calm down enough to do the ultrasound,” Ciro said. “Look, maybe Dolores and Dara and everyone else is good for Odie. I get that. Cobalt isn’t a doctor and even though he sees you as a ‘almost-Cobalt’, you’re not him. Just like Cobalt and Indigo aren’t you. They were good enough for Odie and Ambry but I’m not having it. I’m a bloody nine-hundred-pound liger, Teal. Pregnant cats can be vicious. Laboring cats are vicious if we feel the slightest bit threatened. I’m not explaining to anyone why I ate that nice midwife or why Dara is missing an arm or a face or whatever. So, call me selfish, but I need you. I didn’t make this baby alone. This is why I asked you to take a break and decided to take one myself. I’m not nice, Teal. Don’t laugh at me,” he said before I could. “How I treat you or your family doesn’t mean I’m nice.”
“I think you’re kinder than you think.”
“Not when my instincts kick in. Back at Moonglow in the truck – I meant it when I said I’d bite you if you didn’t kiss me. I wasn’t putting up with your underwear theft without---”
“Are you switching to dirty talk on purpose?” I asked, wishing my dick would read the room.
“Um… What?” Ciro blinked and then laughed when his eyes landed on my crotch. “Babe, you’re taking care of yourself tonight. I’m sorry. I know Morvan has you all upset and if I thought ripping his face off would make you feel better, I’d pull it together and do it, but it won’t. But I can’t do that. We get to jiggling around and it’s not gonna be pretty, even if I eat the whole damn bottle of gummies.”
“I wasn’t trying to get you to do anything. Just be nice to me,” I mock-whined.
