Page 63 of Dragon Keeper

“She’s so sweet.”

“And she would be splashing away, but she knows I’m very tired.” Aleana floated on her back.

Are you well?He didn’t like that at all, the idea that something was wrong with his sister.

She shrugged, the motion careful. “I’m well, just very tired.”

He frowned.Mate, Aleana says she feels perfectly well, but she’s very tired.

Sloan responded immediately.We should get her to a healer. That’s distressing.

Yes. We’re in the pool for now though, and floating seems to help.

I’ll be down shortly with some snacks, maybe. Don’t worry, love. Perhaps… Could she be pregnant?Sloan asked him.

His eyes went wide.You think everybody’s pregnant now.

Only you, and possibly your sister, but definitely you.

Surely her Mari would not have left her if she was with child and in need of him.

Maybe she didn’t know. Maybe she didn’t tell him.Maybe she’s not, though. Maybe she’s just tired from flying here. She doesn’t travel with Fredda often, does she?

No. No, she usually has Mari to take her.

All right then. That seems more reasonable, then, but if she’s exhausted and should need a healer, then we will find her one. Fair?

More than, thank you.

Sloan was wonderful because he knew Tyr worried. Of course, he worried. She was his only sister. Not his only sibling, of course, but sisters were special.

Stop worrying. I’m fine, I’m just a little worn down.

Do you think so?He watched little Fredda splash to the other side of the pool, singing and just as happy as a lark. “Do you think you might be pregnant?”

“It’s possible. Unlikely, I think, but always a possibility.” She shrugged, expression unhappy, lips downturned at the corners.Mari and I had a fight before he left to go fishing.

You and Mari, you never fight.

She snorted at him and rolled her eyes. “Of course we fight. We’re mates; mates fight sometimes. But the timing of this one was poor. I was so worried about Fredda after what you told us. And he has to go on these excursions; it’s part of his duty to the clutch. And he’s an exceptional fisherman, and he loves it so. But I accused him of not caring about her safety, and that was unfair of me.”

Oh, ow. He winced. “It was. But you’re scared and unhappy.” And Tyr knew she didn’t mean it. Mari loved his daughter with the fiery burning passion of a thousand suns. “Well, perhaps he’ll have good news when he returns home.”

She rolled her eyes and smiled at him. “So which part will the good news be?”

“What if we have babies together near the same time?”

“Then the world would thank the goddess herself that we didn’t live in the same place. And that we couldn’t spend the last heavy bits of our pregnancy not snarling at one another.”

He noted that his sister was nowhere near as excited about the possibility of being pregnant as he was since she had already done it before. Fredda was a bright light, which often meant more work for her parents. “Sloan is on his way with snacks.”

“Snacks are good, very good. Especially for pregnant omegas who exercise. Get over there and get your niece. Play with her a while. It’s good to stay toned and healthy for labor over many months.”

“You could just tell me that you need some time alone and to go play with Fredda.”

“I just did.”

“Right.” Tyr nodded, then waded over to the deeper part of the pool to play with his shining little dragon niece.