Page 51 of A Swan’s Love Song

He was so exhausted, but the pressure building in his core had awoken him. His body was like

cement and he couldn’t even lift one finger. The call of his swan reached him through his

consciousness as if it had traveled there in his dreams.

It’s time.

Sean drifted away and his swan took over. Oh, but it had been so long since his neck had

lengthened and his arms had stretched—his shoulders, elbows and wrists becoming powerful joints

that could bruise and break if necessary. Sean’s body was slowly covered with soft, warm feathers

and his toes spread wide then filled in with webbing.

He propped himself upright on the comfy blankets, flapped his wings then with one long, hearty

push—he expelled the egg from his body. Resting on the hard, oval surface of the shell that contained

his hatchling-to-be, he allowed his form to envelop it entirely, to provide his and Avi’s unborn child

with the heat it would need to grow healthy and strong.

His efforts left him even more tired than before, but now that the pressure was gone, and his egg

was safe, Sean tucked his beak under his wing and let sleep take him. Soon enough, he would be

caring ‘round the clock for a newborn, and rest wouldn’t come as easily then.

Sean couldn’t wait.

Epilogue

Sean clutched his cell phone so tightly, he thought it might break into a thousand pieces. “I know

he’s in the middle of a council meeting, but tell him he needs to get home right now!”

Sean didn’t typically yell at people. Not even when they were being stupid or mean. In general,

he was soft-spoken, friendly and understanding. But if Sharon, Vale Valley’s town hall administrative

assistant, didn’t get Avi on the phone in the next five seconds, Sean was going to explore new avenues

of swan violence.

“Sean, the door is locked and they told me not—oh, just a second.”

The next voice he heard on the line was Avi’s. “Sean? Is it the egg?”

Thank the gods. “Yes! Hurry! I don’t know how long these things take, but you have to be

here!”

“I’m leaving now.”

Sean ended the call without saying goodbye. He was already on to the next thing.

“Kellan? The egg has a crack!”