Page 15 of Omega Haunting (Starscale Mates #8)

Astral

I invited Teddy along to our ultrasound the next day. I’d been good about keeping my family out of the examination room because some things needed to be between me, Marsin, and the doctor but I figured having a friend around might make Marsin less tense about the whole situation. He claimed to like Doctor Leem just fine, but his dragon always muttered about wolf stew and launching him into the sun. The sun that was the wrong color but he always let that go because it was the sun my wolf and I were under.

My parents weren’t thrilled that Teddy got to tag along while they only saw the sonograms afterwards, but Teddy wasn’t going to fuss about me, tell me how to be pregnant, or tell the doctor how to do his job. Marsin did so much of that last one that I was sure Doctor Leem daydreamed about launching him back to Starscale 1.

“You’re in a good mood today,” Marsin pointed out as he helped me out of the car.

“Of course, I am,” I chuckled.

“Yes, you are. I am too but I was talking to Teddy.”

“Started chatting with someone new last night,” he shrugged. “Not like that. He’s a shaman out in Uncle Sky’s territory. I know he can’t reconnect me to Mum. She’s back with Dad now, but it’s nice to hear about the afterlife. At least the parts he knows about.”

“Does Nelum know you still call him Mum?” Marsin asked.

“I don’t call him Mum. I’m not talking about Nelum. I’m talking about my mother. Theoretically, they’re the same person but in reality, you and I are more of the same person than Lotus and Nelum.”

“Uh…. Your sire doesn’t seem to think so,” Marsin said.

“Let’s not talk about this right now, okay? We could go round and round about it and there really isn’t an answer. It’s different for everyone.”

“I wonder who our baby was before,” I pondered, entwining my fingers through Marsin’s.

Nelum/Lotus was a complicated subject for Marsin because he was going to be on the side of his brother no matter what. For Elio, Nelum and Lotus were the same but different.

“Teddy hasn’t met his mate yet,” I reminded my alpha. “He doesn’t get it. I don’t think he can get it. Before meeting you, if I thought two people were the same in two different lives…. I don’t know. Thinking about it makes my head hurt but he doesn’t get it. If I lost you, I’d wait and whatever you the next life turned you into, you’d still be you for me. It’s not fair, though. Fred got his mate back, but Teddy still doesn’t have his mum. Remember that.”

The topic was dropped as we walked into the clinic. This time we didn’t wait at all and I wondered if the doctor just wanted Marsin in and out as quickly as possible.

“I see you brought two of them today,” Doctor Leem chuckled in lieu of hello when he walked into the room to find a dragon standing on either side of me. Teddy moved to stand against the wall as the doctor made his way to the examination table.

“That’s Teddy. He’s Fred Moonscale’s son,” I introduced him.

Doctor Leem opened his mouth and shut it again. Did he have beef with the Moonscales or just Fred?

“We met briefly,” Teddy said. “Doctor Leem went to medical school at Moonscale Academy. He was an intern while my mum was still alive.”

“Oh my god! You hooked up with my doctor?!” My mouth dropped open and the doctor blushed.

“That was a long time ago and before my mate,” Doctor Leem said.

“You could’ve denied it, dude,” Teddy laughed. “They would’ve assumed you worked on Mum’s case.”

“Pack link,” the doctor shrugged. “If it makes you uncomfortable, I can refer you to one of my colleagues.”

“No,” I leaned back. “But now Marsin really can’t eat you. He likes Teddy too much.”

“Well, not too much,” Teddy laughed.

“I’ve never slept with Teddy,” Marsin announced.

“I’d hope not. You’re his uncle,” I teased him and tapped my free hand on my belly. “Let’s see my baby.”

“My baby,” Marsin teased.

A second later, the monitor was on, and our baby’s nose filled the screen. Our pup was all but developed enough to live in the solid world. There were ears where you’d expect a human baby to have ears but also wolf ears perched on top of the head.

“He’s starting to shift,” Doctor Leem announced. “You might have an easier delivery if he decides to go through with it?”

“He?” Teddy asked, arching his neck for a better look at the monitor.

“He,” Doctor Leem nodded and a second later I spotted what the doctor had seen.

“Now we can start thinking about baby names,” Marsin said, ignoring the doctor for a change with his eyes glued to the monitor.

“I’ve been thinking about baby names,” I laughed. “I’ve been thinking about baby names since I was a kid playing house.”

“And what have you been thinking about?” Marsin asked.

“When we have a girl, she will be Crowalin. For a boy, I’ve always liked Ravlen or Ether. We can use them both eventually of course.”

“I like them,” Marsin nodded after a moment of thoughtful consideration.

“Me too,” Teddy said, reminding us that he was still there. “Should I see myself back to the bed and breakfast?”

“Anywhere you like but not our house,” Marsin teased him. “You’re too young to see what we’re gonna do when we get home.”

“Bet I’ve done it more than you,” Teddy teased him and gave me a one-armed hug goodbye once my shirt was back on.

***

Later that night, I stared at the sonogram wondering if our little boy was a Raylin or an Ether. He might grow up to be neither and change his name to something dull like David or exotic like Pineapple. Still. We had to call him something. After a few late-night hours of deliberation, I decided on Raylin because it sounded the most like Marsin. I was about to wake him up to tell him that I finally decided when my wolf’s ears perked up. Someone was outside. I sniffed the air, figuring it was one of my siblings or their kids going for a late-night hunt. Sometimes a wolf couldn’t ignore the urge to take down a deer if their belly was grumbling loud enough.

“Not until the baby’s born,” someone whispered. “I need to be here until then.”

“Dern,” my wolf sighed into my thoughts. “Probably out there talking to himself again. If he keeps it up we’re either going to have to hire him a live in carer or put him in that retirement home on the other side of town. He might even like it there.”

I let out a long, slow breath as I swung my legs out of bed and managed to push myself upright without Marsin’s help. The last thing I needed this close to delivering my pup was for my mate to get worked up about Dern just when they were starting to get along. Whatever was wrong with Dern didn’t matter. He was pack and more than that, no matter what he’d done or didn’t do in his past, he was the only reason Marsin and I were together now. I’d take a bullet for that old hound. Well, maybe not right now, but I’d definitely bite someone’s gun hand off for him.

“I’m gonna do it,” Dern sighed. “Ormund, I’m going to do it. I just—It will too work!”

“Dern?” I said, leaning out the back door, a little out of breath after puttering through the house. “Would you and Ormund like to come inside?”

“You can see this giant ass?” Dern called back, putting his hands on his hips.

“Uh…. Nope, but I believe you can.”

“You better believe it. I’ve had the sight since the day my eyes opened,” Dern sighed. “I don’t know how much you heard but it’s nothing bad, Ast, I promise. I know Marsin’s all worked up and---”

“I don’t think you’re gonna hurt anyone, Dern,” I waved for him to come inside. “Maybe yourself wandering around in the middle of the night but can we talk about that inside? My feet are killing me. Come on in. I’ll get you something to drink. Do you want a sandwich or something too?”

“Okay,” Dern nodded and came up the steps with a sigh. “You stay out here. I don’t need you waking up that damn dragon. No one needs that. You know how ornery they are when they haven’t slept and soon they’re not going to sleep at all when that pup comes and stuff. So you sit out here. Yes, I’ll bring you a sandwich or something but we still have all that stew you wanted me to cook at home. Damn it, Ormund. Just give me a minute. No, that dragon isn’t gonna eat me. Sheesh. You are on my nerves something fierce tonight! Fine! I’ll see you at home if the imps don’t kidnap me on the walk back.”

Dern flashed ‘Ormund’ a dirty look and shut the door behind him.

“Fucking alphas,” he rolled his eyes.

“That bad, huh?” I chuckled.

“He worries.”

“Dern, I’m worried too,” I admitted opening the fridge and pulling out the fresh sliced deer Marsin had hunted the day before. “If he’s really there… Are you dying and not telling anyone?” I decided straight forward was the only way left for the conversation to go if I wanted to get to bed any time soon.

“No, pup, I’m not dying. Like I told you, I’ve seen him since the day he died. It’s complicated. I’ll tell you about it sometime. I’ll tell everyone when the time is right.”

“What does he want you to do?”

“A few things. It doesn’t really matter, though. I’ll get to it when I do. I’ll get to it before my door shows up anyway. I’m in no rush.”

“Dern,” I sighed. “I summon my ancestors, and I can’t see Ormund.”

“That’s because he’s not your ancestor. He’s my mate.”

“I know that. I’m just---”

“Hormones can do that to you.”

“Did you ever have a pup, Dern?” I asked, changing the subject as I made up a couple of quick sandwiches and grabbed apples from the bowl on the counter.

“I have twins. They’re all grown up and living off somewhere else now,” he said. “They’re good guys. Like I was saying, though, hormones make you worry about everything but you don’t have to worry about me. I’m old, but I’m not senile yet. I remember everything like it was yesterday.”

“What does Ormund want you to do?” I tried again, as I sat down at the table across from Dern.

I wiggled my toes and groaned internally. I’d have to wake up Marsin to rub my feet after Dern left for the night or I’d never get to sleep now.

“You should be restin’ up before that pup gets here,” Dern sighed. “You’re gonna need all the rest you can get.”

“Have you seen something else about me or Marsin, Dern?” I asked, my voice a little firmer.

“Nothing new,” he shook his head and smelled like he was telling the truth.

“Why were you arguing outside of my house with your dead mate?” I asked the obvious question we both skirted around earlier.

“He was spying. He knows Marsin doesn’t like me.”

“Marsin likes you.”

“No, he doesn’t. He puts up with me because it makes you happy.”

“Ormund wouldn’t try to hurt Marsin, would he?” I asked, pushing aside my plate suddenly no longer hungry for my midnight snack.

“Ormund wouldn’t hurt nobody. Not unless they were gonna come after me or the kids. He won’t hurt Marsin, because your mate doesn’t have the heart to break yours.”

“He doesn’t want to hurt you, Dern,” I frowned at the old wolf. “You don’t have to be afraid of anyone. You’re pack and Marsin’s pack too now. You can tell Ormund that. I think we’ve taken good care of you – as much as you’d let us take care of you – since he’s been gone. He doesn’t need to walk around with a chip on his shoulder now.”

“It’s complicated, Ast. It really is. He has one more person he needs to help before we can rest and I don’t know how to get stuff done anymore. I’m tired and he’s gonna do what he’s gonna do. He won’t hurt you or Marsin, though.”

“Who do you think he’d hurt?” I leaned forward, my belly broiling with concern.

“Anyone who stands in his way of keeping a promise.”

“Dern, can I walk you home, buddy? When you finish with that sandwich?” Marsin asked from the doorway.

“No, it’s okay. Ormund’s still hanging around outside. He’ll walk me home.”