“Nope. I’m staying with you. The children will understand.”
They had been disappointed, but when I told them Jess would take them to the Fun Day, they forgot about that and called him. The children had met Jess numerous times, and he enjoyed their dragon antics when they were allowed to remove their bracelets.
Fraser said he had to join him in the Hottest Chili Contest, while Rory was going to participate in the Flaming Ring Toss.
“I want to win the Hot Egg and Spoon Race.” Skye had put her face close to the phone.
“Do you want to nap?” My mate was making me peppermint tea because my tummy had been jumpy since I woke up.
“Too tired.” I headed back to the cinema room, thankful for the L-shaped sectional sofa in there. It was big enough I could almost live my entire life on it.
I had my eyes closed and was breathing deep breaths when Theron told me my tea was beside me. Though being pregnant had increased my internal temperature, having what was probably a shifter inside me didn’t improve my hearing. Theron had crept over the thick carpet without me being aware.
“Mmmm.” I scrunched up my face and hugged a cushion to my belly. “Can’t talk.” Iwastalking, but I had a dragon baby in my belly, so I had an excuse. “Tummy hurting.”
“Ledger.”
He didn’t speak, and I opened my eyes after the pain subsided. My mate returned with two fans. I closed one eye, trying to figure out why. I hadn’t needed them since I became pregnant.
Theron turned them on full blast and almost blew me away. But the breeze they created felt so good. I yanked off my oversized tee and embraced the cool air on my chest and belly.
“That’s nice. Thanks, sweetie.” I placed a hand on my bump.
“I think you’re in labor, treasure.”
My eyes snapped open. “Shouldn’t I be the one to tell you that when it’s time?”
“I recognize the signs. You’re overheating.”
“Owww, owww, owww.” The cool air was no longer soothing me, and my body was racked with pain. What felt like a band around my belly was squeezing me hard, until it wasn’t, the tightening eased, and I exhaled.
My mate was beside me on the couch and put an ear to my bump.
“Is the baby talking to you?” He’d never mentioned it during the nine months I’d been carrying our little one.
“My dragon can sense that the little one wants to come out.”
Despite my discomfort and anxiety that I had to push a baby out of me, I giggled, and my mate gave me a look, and the furrows between his brows formed an 11.
“You made it sound as though the baby wished to go to the Fun Day or wanted to chill with me on the sofa.”
Another contraction took hold, and Theron increased the speed of the fans. At this rate, I’d been the one flying, with that hurricane-level wind.
“Your temperature will increase even more during contractions.” He explained dragon omegas didn’t mind the increased heat, but as a human, I might experience more discomfort.
More? How much more would there be?
The contractions were closer together now. They were eight minutes and then seven, and Theron helped me get up. I needed to walk.
We padded around the cinema room. It was a beautiful day outside, but I was so hot and there was no breeze, so we paced over the carpet, and I gripped it with my toes when my body cramped.
We did this for an hour. Sometimes I'd stop and grab his arm and breathe through the cramping, and he'd put his other hand on my back and breathe with me.
“Would you like a cold shower?”
That went against everything I knew about labor. Human omegas enjoyed warm baths, but anything to cool my body sounded good. We used the bathroom off the cinema room, andmy mate must have removed my clothes because I was naked and cold water was streaming over me.
When I got out of the shower, the baby decided they were going all in, and thecontractions ramped up.
