Page 32

Hatchlings

Ozyn

D espite being early, Dalton’s baby girl was delivered safely in a matter of hours. His healing ability had transferred to his daughter, making her grow very quickly to a healthy eight pounds when the little alpha raccoon made her way into the world.

The couple named their new baby Carina. After Larken’s aunt, though with a different spelling to differentiate between the two. This was the same aunt who had raised him alone when his parents died. I thought it was a fitting tribute to the woman who had been a beta herself, like Dalton once was, and gave her life to protect Larken. She had been fierce and apparently would have been tickled pink, whatever that meant, that there were alpha females in the world once more.

The birth had gone smoothly thanks to the return of Michaella, the pack’s midwife, after her own child was born. She and ívarr welcomed a son, Nym, not long before the attacks. They had missed them, having been in Abrocaelum letting the queen meet her grandnephew.

ívarr’s sister, the scientist behind the discovery of the elves’ fertility issue, was introduced to her nephew and came to Sweetwater with them for a visit and to help them with the child. Seemingly, while she adored her new nephew, she was glad she would not be required to pass the bloodline on. I hoped Kelda would stay awhile because I would enjoy speaking to her, I think. People interested in science fascinated me. Had I not been in line to rule, I would have liked to pursue research.

We visited our friends a few days after the birth to bring a token for little Carina alongside Blake and Kade. Their other children were in the daycare, giving the nanny a well-deserved break!

Poor Kade looked uncomfortable in the late summer sun. He rubbed his belly absently. I understood the feeling with two eggs wrapped in a sling nestled close to my body.

“Ugh, I love Dalton or I wouldn’t be here. Is it bad I’m jealous he had his baby before me? I was pregnant first! It’s not fair!” Kade complained as we waited for the door to be answered.

I shot him a look as if reminding him what we carried. With us we had the six eggs since I couldn’t bear to leave them at home. Deke and Safi each held two eggs in slings, like I did. Our elf nanny was very eager to visit the new baby. I believed it was more to do with Ingal, who was the sweetest elf I had ever had the pleasure of knowing. If he was who Safi had chosen, then I wished for their union to be successful. I would be watchful for signs from Ingal and try to encourage Safi into action.

“Pretty sure Dalton feels bad you’re still pregnant, and he’s not,” Larken said with a patient smile when he opened the door. “He knows how uncomfortable you are.”

Kade flushed. “Sorry!”

“Don’t be. We get it.” Larken stepped back to let us in. He squeezed Kade’s hand, letting him know there was no problem between them.

“Here, come sit. I found this chair to be the most comfortable when I was close.” Dalton led Kade to the chair with a friendly smile. If he knew anything about the exchange at the door, he didn’t let on.

I took a seat on the large sectional sandwiched between my mate and Safi. We took a moment to remove the slings and settle the eggs beside us. They each had heating charms on them. I was surprised at how quickly they had grown. We really didn’t have much time before they hatched.

The fae’s face broke out in a beaming smile at the sight of Ingal holding Carina. Yes, my friend was smitten. I watched Safi’s face, then turned my attention to the elf.

What my magic saw there gave me cause for concern. I felt my face pull down in a frown as I studied the elf harder, taking in the changes in him since I’d last seen him. Deke wrapped an arm around me, sensing my worry.

“Ingal, could you pass the baby to Dalton, please?” I asked with some urgency.

“Why?” Dalton questioned while still heading to his nanny and taking the baby.

I left the sofa and went to the elf, kneeling at his feet. Deke was at my back, ready to step in. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Are you ill?” Dalton became worried for his friend.

“Uh, I… feel strange.” Ingal raised a trembling hand to his forehead.

Feeling the change come over him, I pushed away from him, giving him space. There was joy in my heart because I knew he was going to be okay.

The elf shifted. Where there was once an elf now sat a stunned little owl. Although one of the smallest species, the owl was perfectly formed. He was also an omega.

No one spoke for an entire minute, just watched the owl ruffling his feathers and moving his head around.

“Ah, aren’t you pretty!” I remarked.

“He is! Thanks for the warning, Ozyn, he would have felt awful if he’d shifted while holding Carina.” Dalton rocked his baby gently.

“You are welcome. I am glad I was here to witness this.”

“Oh wow! This is amazing!” Kade struggled to his feet to get closer to the owl, only to pause. He rubbed his belly, wincing in pain. “Blake, we need to go to the clinic.” A moment later, he stood in the ruins of his clothes in his wolf form.

Didn’t even get to hold the baby! he whined through the pack link.

I held back my laugh at the petulant tone. Poor Kade, though he was getting his wish. Perhaps it was a consolation for him.

Blake stood. “Sorry to cut things short, but it seems our daughter heard her papa was getting impatient to meet her. Congratulations Dalton and Larken on Carina’s safe arrival. She’s cute! Congrats Ingal on gaining your animal soul. I’ll ask Teárlach to visit you soon.”

With those words, he led Kade out the door, hopefully toward the clinic.

Safi was staring open mouthed at Ingal. “You are amazing! Can you fly?” He’d tucked away his own wings thanks to the magic he was learning. I knew it bothered him that he couldn’t flutter around the same way he had before he met me. There were times I wondered if he regretted his decision to attempt the escape that cost him the use of his wings.

“Here.” Larken leaned down to let Ingal climb onto his arm. “I’m going to take you upstairs so you can try to shift back in privacy. Want some help?”

Ingal gave a forlorn hoot. He had chosen the correct family to grow a bond with. They clearly loved him.

I never thought I would shift. Ozyn, you told me I would, but my family is nothing, he said using the pack bond. He and Safi were both members of the pack now. It made it easier for them to do their jobs if they could always communicate with the shifters they lived with.

We don’t hold lands or titles. I questioned the queen on her decision to send me here and my mother nearly disowned me for it! The queen was very patient, explaining the goddess wanted me to go. So I went… and now… This is too much!

“Oh, Ingal! The Luna wanted this for you,” Dalton cried, still rocking Carina. “Go with Lark and shift back. We need to celebrate!”

Next to me, Safi’s face had paled. What was wrong? His eyes followed Larken carrying Ingal up the stairs.

Dalton and Deke both looked at Safi with frowns. Were they wondering what was wrong with him, too?

“May I hold Carina?” I asked, settling back on the sofa.

Deke sat next to me with a squeeze of my thigh. I glanced at Safi, who was still looking towards the stairs where Larken had taken the new owl shifter. I could see a number of expressions passing over his face. A longing, hopelessness, sadness. I wondered what it all meant. He’d been obvious about his feelings up until Ingal shifted. I even thought Ingal might reciprocate those feelings. Now, Safi was conflicted. I’d talk to Deke about it later, maybe he’d know if there was something I was missing.

“Sure! Wow, this has been quite the visit! A lot to process.” Dalton handed me the baby, then perched on the arm of the chair, clearly in shock.

Go make Dalton some tea, I ordered my mate.

All I felt was Deke’s amusement as he left to do my bidding.

I received a call a few days after Ingal’s shift and the birth of Kade and Blake’s newest daughter, an omega wolf called Iris. Blake and Kade chose the name to honor Blake’s mother, who died at the hands of her abusive mate. I sensed it was a healing moment for them. It helped that she also had the same silver-blue eyes her dad did, the same eyes Deke did. They were a trait from his aunt’s side of the family.

Deke was a Sweetwater by name, not blood. His uncle had allowed him to change his name when he was to be heir to the pack before Blake was born.

“Ozyn! I thought you might like to be involved after reading my research. We think we’ve found a way to block heats that even Dalton’s ability won’t get around!” Aldrin sounded overjoyed.

“Are you presenting your findings to Alpha Blake?”

“Yes. There’s a meeting at the science center in an hour. Would you like to come? I’d love it if you could bring the eggs. I would like to take some measurements if you would allow it.”

“Of course. The eggs have to come with me. Deke is at work, so I will need someone to help me carry the eggs over. They cannot be left alone.”

“I’ll head over!” James called in the background. I must have been on speaker or their mating bond was wide open. Given how connected Aldrin and James were, I believed it to be the latter.

It took me a little while to prepare the eggs. Safi was excited to head to the center, perhaps hoping Ingal would be there. His feelings for the elf were still confusing to me. He was still discussing a match with Teárlach while his heart was tied up in Ingal.

I wondered if we would see Ingal there. Surely Dalton had been invited to attend since this affected his future. He would have another heat in three months. With the moonroot it was possible he would push the heat off, but no one knew how effective it would be long term.

James knocked on our door some twenty minutes later. “Could I measure the eggs here? I thought it would be less intrusive that way.”

“Come in,” I said, stepping aside to let him pass. “Yes, that would be better, thank you.”

With some direction, I helped James take the measurements he and Aldrin wanted. We then re-packed the eggs and some warming spells into the slings and headed for the science center.

The room was busy. Alpha Blake was there, Dakota shadowing him, Chase with his temporary assistant Rudi, who had decided to stay with the pack now that he’d lost his ability to fly. He had settled in Sweetwater with his mate. Their daughter Nova and her mate, Ricky, returned to the aviary to work under her brother, Mateo.

Also waiting for the news was Dalton, Axel, a delegation of elves and from the aviary, Grady. Alpha Logan from the pride was also present.

On a screen were several SDF agents and former council members who had been cleared from wrongdoings. Talks were still ongoing about how this new supernatural council would be made up. It would take months, even a year before it was up and running.

I noticed some faceless government officials and realized the gravity of the situation.

If they had done it, this was a monumental discovery with implications in the medical industry. For a long time, pharmaceutical companies made the only blocker for a heat which commonly had long-term ill effects.

“Good, everyone is here,” Aldrin began once we were all seated. “We had a breakthrough finding a way to use the innate talent dragons have to block their heats. As Ozyn,” he gestured at me, “explained, he can pause his heat using his magic.”

Aldrin brought up a DNA chart. “But shifters don’t have magic, you say. That’s a lie. They do. Some more, some less. Talents like extra healing for themselves or others, the ability to detect lies. These are forms of magic. The issue was harnessing it to pause heats until they were convenient for the omega.”

He clicked on a set of gene sequences. “Thanks to samples of Ozyn’s blood before a heat, we have found a gene responsible and two new proteins which, we discovered, are an expression of magic in the blood. One pauses, the other activates. Using either of these proteins, we can turn each of the genes off or on. At first there were concerns it was only a dragon trait, however we studied prepubescent shifters and found the activated gene. One of the identified proteins is also in the saliva of a mating bite, hence why a mating bite puts an omega into heat.

“Aldrin, you’re going on a tangent,” James sweetly reminded his mate.

“Right. Puberty! During the later stages of puberty, when the shifter is nearly physically mature, they begin heat cycles, where this protein is produced by the body to switch off this gene, thus allowing heat cycles to begin.”

No one spoke. I could feel the amazement each shifter had. The elves, some of whom might be shifters themselves, were now completely invested in this project.

“When an omega has a child, this other protein is in action, pushing pause on this gene. Thus halting heat cycles. Dalton’s super healing ability was interesting. Having gone through three heats in almost a year, it was possible to take samples from him and witness an overproduction of the on switch protein in his body. His ability consistently resets him to peak physical condition, usually with a high caloric cost, correct?” Aldrin waited for Dalton to answer.

“Uh, yeah. I’m always eating these days, especially after I’ve had to do some healing.”

“So, we can use your blood to make the protein for others, but we need to isolate one, or rather redirect it.”

“Redirect?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“Well, this is just magic put into scientific terms. We can help Dalton unlock a new ability, or use gene therapy to suppress his talent completely.”

“I want to learn something new! Given the choice. The goddess gave me this ability. I would hate to offend her by giving it away.” Dalton looked practically giddy.

“We thought you might say that,” Aldrin said with a fatherly smile. “Since your healing looks more like dragon magic, Ozyn or Nhil would be better placed on how to teach you to redirect it.”

The meeting broke soon after with a plan to test this other protein, the pause protein, as they were calling it, on omegas.

James walked us home with my eggs tightly fastened to his chest. He stroked them absentmindedly as he walked, talking the entire time about his delight at fixing this issue for omegas.

He was especially happy about helping Dalton in a way that his ability shouldn’t be able to overcome. While Dalton had always wanted to be an omega and carry children, having so many so close together was overwhelming. Not to mention expensive.

Being able to choose when they went into heat would be game changing for omegas all over the world. The current method was poisonous long-term and most suffered through heats rather than use it. This version would likely have no side effects.

We went up to the bedroom when we returned, to settle the eggs. I wanted to wrap them up in our scents once more and enjoy a quiet evening.

“Oh, there you are,” Deke said, leaving the bathroom. A cloud of a heavenly scent followed him. “I ran you a bath.”

Safi made his excuses and returned to his room on the other side of the house. James grinned, made his goodbyes, and left.

“Hmm, that sounds nice. It’s been a long day and I fear the eggs will hatch at any moment.”

“Do you have time for a bath with me?”

I examined the eggs. “Not a crack. We have time.”

He led me into the bathroom where he stripped me out of my clothes, then helped me into the sweetly scented steaming water. Once he joined me, he pampered me until the water ran cold, then took me to bed.

For hours he worked over my body, massaging, licking and sucking every inch of me, treating me like a treasure until, finally, he slid his cock inside me. Together, we moved as one until I reached my peak and Deke followed after, stretching me on his knot.

We lay in the quiet, barely illuminated room tied together until I heard a loud crack, followed quickly by five other cracking noises.

I tried to sit up, but winced at the pull on my rim. With a thought, I used my magic to expand my hole further, letting Deke’s knot slip out. Another thought had it returning to its pre-sex size. I loved my magic.

Hitting the light switch, I left the bed for the nest. “They’re hatching!” I cried, dropping to the floor.

Deke joined me, covering me with a blanket while we waited for the babies to break out of their shells.

Our enigma was the first to emerge. He was a silver-blue, which reminded me of his father’s eyes. Twin omegas came next. They were the pale blue of a summer sky, each slightly darker underneath, like their brother, Nhil. We had an alpha who was a darker shade of blue with a gray underbelly. Then another enigma, who was most like me, white on top, silver underneath.

The last egg took a lot longer to open up. This one was the one we had both worried over. I saw why when a furry little snow white head popped out of the pearlescent shell. We had a wolf daughter. An alpha female.

“Oh!” I cried as each of the babies made their way towards us on wobbly legs. “They are so perfect!”

“Happy hatching day, little ones!” Deke said through tears. He picked up each baby for us both to kiss.

When I saw my mate with our new additions, the way he loved them and me, I knew everything I’d gone through to get here made this moment all the sweeter.