Page 15 of A Clutch for Hutch (Omegas of Animals #16)

Dirk

Thank all the gods and goddesses.

“How are you this morning?” Hutch came strolling or rather waddling into the kitchen where I was nursing a cup of the decaf we were both drinking these days.

The midwife had suggested that it was better for my mate, and I didn’t think it was fair for him to be the only one stuck with the less-than coffee. “And what’s for breakfast?”

I stood up and kissed him. “Anything you like, and I’m great. How are you?” I bent to kiss his huge belly. “And our four eggs?”

“Please don’t say that. Having that many dragon hatchlings at once is not for the faint of heart. They are five times more mischievous than the average shifter.”

“I’m sorry. Surely it won’t be that many. How about French toast and bacon?”

“Perfect.” He pulled himself up to sit on a kitchen stool. “I’m starving but also tired and feeling a little edgy. I suppose that’s normal for pregnancy.”

“Your guess is as good as mine. We can check with the midwife, though. Maybe there’s something we can do to make you feel better?”

“As I recall, there’s nothing to do but wait for the eggs to be ready to come out and hope they don’t get as big as watermelons and stay inside me forever.” His sigh came from deep inside.

“I don’t think that’s a possibility.” I set strips of bacon to fry and started on the French toast, trying not to be obvious about breaking the eggs.

It had begun to upset him lately, but the protein was so good for him.

“Maybe we should drive over to see the midwife, or ask them to stop by just to confirm everything is on track.”

“Oh no,” he protested. “I’m being silly. It’s just that the eggs are taking up a lot of space in there, and it’s making me cranky. Thank you for making me breakfast.”

“You’re very welcome,” I said. “It’s the least I can do for the omega carrying my four…er, three or maybe two eggs.”

“Don’t help me,” he groaned. “There’s probably enough eggs in there to have our own baseball team and we’ll set records.”

I finished cooking and served my mate his breakfast. “There you go. Now you eat every bite and be strong.”

He picked up his fork then set it back down. “I’m not really hungry. I’m sorry.”

“Mate, you’re coping with other people sharing your body, and they’re tucked into big hard eggs. I’ll put this away for later, but if you would rather have something else, I can do that, too. How about a smoothie? I have some bananas and strawberries in the freezer.”

“A smoothie sounds good.” He pushed around a piece of bacon on his plate while I got out the blender and ingredients. “Wait, no. Even that doesn’t sound appealing.”

“But you just said…”

“It did and now it doesn’t. I’m sorry!”

“You don’t have to apologize. You just need to avoid malnutrition.

Maybe just a banana? They’re full of potassium I hear.

” In the end, I got him to eat the banana and a few strawberries, along with a Colby jack cheese stick for protein.

It wasn’t enough, but with those eggs inside him, his stomach couldn’t hold much.

After he ate, he went to lie down on the sofa, and I tucked a blanket over him.

It was so hard to see him struggling, and although I didn’t want to go behind his back, I needed the midwife’s advice.

So, once his eyes closed, I took the phone out into the nest room and dialed.

The midwife’s mate answered and said they’d be home in a couple of hours, hopefully, So, that didn’t work.

Returning to the kitchen, I cleaned up the breakfast mess and filled a tall glass with ice and water for my mate.

Keeping hydrated was especially important if he wasn’t eating enough.

His eyes had bags under them and although he tried to be pleasant, my mate was far too uncomfortable to be his usual cheerful self.

“Alpha?” his voice came from under the blanket, thin and plaintive. “Alpha, I don’t feel right. Can you come and help me up?”

Oh no. I hoped the midwife would call back soon. Had I even asked to have her do that? I wasn’t sure.

So I did the one thing I could. I helped my mate to stand, assuming he’d want to go to the restroom, but he pulled me in the other direction. To the screened porch. Where the nest was.

“Omega, do you think…I mean…is it time?”

“I hope so because if not, my body has a weird sense of humor.” He doubled up, panting. “Can you call the midwife?”

“I did…I mean, yes.” I hadn’t told him about the first call, but I also hadn’t told the midwife about the nest thing.

There was only one reason I could think of to be in here, unless he was planning to move things.

But the pain on his face told me it was option A: the eggs were on the way.

I called the midwife’s number and this time was transferred to the midwife’s private number.

When I explained the situation, they said I had things well under control.

They were at another delivery and would be there as soon as possible.

I turned to my omega, to tell him, but he’d already taken off his pants and was on his hands and knees next to the nest chair. “Oh gods, are they coming?”

He looked at me over his shoulder and gave me a side-eye. “They’d better be, or I’m having the weirdest set of spasms. Ohhh.” He panted. “Please catch them.”

From there, things moved fast. No sooner were the first words out of his mouth than his hole stretched wider than I’d have dreamed it could, and a blue egg squeezed out.

I caught it and laid it in the nest, turning back just in time for a green one.

A yellow, red, and orange followed, giving me barely enough time to get each settled before the next was out.

I set each carefully next to the previous one, and when the last was nestled in the papasan chair, helped my omega to his feet.

The eggs were sparkly as well as colorful, the most extraordinary thing I’d ever seen.

My mate was exhausted, and I tried to get him to bed, but he was not leaving those eggs alone, and I really hadn’t expected anything different. We were here for the long haul, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.