Page 61 of The Dragon's Perfect Omega
"Yes, look deep inside yourself to find the vision that isn't revealing itself to you." She stood and walked over to the dresser beside her bed. From it, she pulled a bundle of dried flowers.
"What are those?" I asked.
"Dragonshine. We harvest them from the east side of the volcano every year. Plucked at the right time, they have great magical potency. Burning these and inhaling the smoke can help unlock your powers."
"Thank you." Gingerly, I took the plants from her. Even in their dried state, their petals still seemed to give off a beautiful golden glow. Was that the light of hope?
"Keep in mind that you might not find the exact vision you want the first time you go looking. Being able to direct your thoughts in that manner takes training. And also…" She paused.
"And also what?"
"It takes faith. The Gods rarely talk to those who don’t want to listen."
"They talk to me plenty,” I waved her off. "And I won't stop until I see what I need," I said, determined. Iwasa little wary of what else I might be shown, but I couldn't let fear stop me.
Iwouldn'tlet fear stop me.
31
Zim
Lowen was meditatingand the whole house stank of those plants he burned. He'd been doing this almost every day since he'd come back from the shrine a month ago. So far, there'd been no promising results. A couple of visions, but nothing that helped. I encouraged him to keep at it, sure that he would crack the puzzle someday. In the meantime, I had to live with the smell.
But as I went down to the kitchen to get something to drink, the doorbell rang, providing me with a distraction.
Who could it be?
Lowen was busy meditating and his mother was out shopping, so it fell on me to greet our guest. When I opened the door, I was faced with a stranger. The man had to be another omega, because he was pregnant. "Hi," I said, trying not to stare at his belly. After all, he wasn't staring at mine either, and I was visibly showing now. The twins were making themselves known.
The stranger responded with a kind smile. "Hi. I'm Adrian." He extended a hand to me. "You don't know me, but I thought I'd introduce myself. There's not a lot of us omegas on this island, so I figure we have to stick together, right?"
"Yeah, sure, come in." I stepped inside so he could enter the house. It was August, and the temperatures inside and outside were still high, but at least on the inside we were in the shade.
"You need your mate to install some air conditioning in this place," Adrian commented as I led him to the living room. "Dragons are fine without it, but this island really is too hot for people like us."
"Yeah, I've been thinking that." I felt the corner of my lips tug up. Talking to Adrian was easy. How nice of him to come visit. "How long have you been living here?"
"Oh, pretty much since my own twins were born," he said, sitting down on the couch. "They're six years old now, and little trouble makers through and through. I'm sure yours will keep you on your toes too, once they arrive."
So he knew that I was carrying twins. And what was more, he'd gone through the same thing—and it seemed he and his kids were all right. That was a relief to hear. "Honestly, I'm not sure I'm ready to be a parent," I admitted. "I didn't even know I was an omega until a few months ago."
Adrian's expression turned sympathetic. "That must have been rough."
"It was," I admitted. "But having Lowen on my side helps a lot." I glanced at the coffee table, which was empty, aside from some magazines. "Can I get you anything? Tea or coffee?"
"Oh no, sit down. You must be tired. I remember what it was like when I was pregnant with the twins and unbonded. It was horrible." He got up. "What would you like to drink? I'll get you something. Sit down."
"Um, just some water would be nice," I said when I realized there was no point in talking back to Adrian. He was already on his way to the kitchen—obviously, he'd visited before.
"How did you get here?" I asked when he came back with a glass of water for me. "To this island, I mean. How did you meet your dragon? If that's not too personal to ask." I just wondered how other people got themselves into the sort of situation I found myself in.
"It's okay," he said, waving his hand. "I met Tyrel when I responded to an ad he took out in a newspaper." The memory seemed to put a smile on his face.
An ad in a newspaper? And I thought Lowen and I had met under funny circumstances.
Adrian laughed. "I know it's a weird story, but you don't have to look at me like that. Ty was looking for an omega mate because he needed an heir but he wasn't interested in women." Adrian shrugged. "When we met, we instantly became obsessed with each other. I guess fate works in unconventional ways sometimes." He sat on the couch again. "Ty's got more than enough heirs now too. First we had the twins, Eric and Taryn. Then Daire, another little boy. I love my boys, but I'm hoping this one will be a girl," he added, patting his belly. "Dragon girls are rare, but an omega can dream."
"You really want a girl, huh?" I felt a small smile steal itself on my face. The omega before me looked so happy with his life. I hoped I could be like him when my babies were here.
