Page 16 of Omega Haunting (Starscale Mates #8)

Marsin

Sticking to my plan, I decided to act as if an old wolf talking to a man not even witches could see was one hundred and fifty percent normal. I gave Astral a hug and a kiss on the forehead before carrying him back to bed. I was ready to feign sleep until I dozed back off but Astral decided that night was the night we needed to discuss Dern once and for all.

“He’s going downhill fast, I think,” he whispered from under the blankets. “Faster than I thought, at least. He thinks Ormund wants him to do something for him.”

“He’s a seer, though, right?” I asked, finding his hand and entwining our fingers.

“A fortune teller,” he nodded.

“Well, seers see, right? Maybe he is seeing him. I mean, sometimes spirits show up before doors. What I don’t like is whatever Ormund wants him to do seems to have something to do with us, Astral. That’s the worrisome part.”

“I don’t think he’s seeing him, though, alpha. That’s what worries me. I’d know what to do if he was actually seeing his dead mate. I could handle that. Magic goes a little wonky when people grow older. I don’t think his true-mate would show up and demand that he do something. Something about a promise. I couldn’t imagine doing that to you if I were dead and you were old.”

“You’re not Ormund and neither am I. I think he’s dying, mate. I heard you two talking about it tonight. He might not want to acknowledge it and there isn’t a door following him around yet, but I think your friend isn’t doing great.”

Astral sniffled and I pulled him into my chest as much as his pregnant belly allowed. Why did I have to say it tonight? It could’ve waited for morning light.

“I don’t know what to do,” Astral said, his tears hitting my bare chest.

“No one can stop old age. No one can stop death, not forever anyway, mate,” I whispered, kissing the top of his head. “All you can do is be there for him, but in a way that keeps you safe too. I know you’re always careful but sometimes people don’t see things if they really care about someone and Dern means a lot to you. A lot to us.”

“We have to figure something out.”

“I think short of moving him in here, we’re doing our best and I don’t think Dern would move in with us. He likes his house. He lived there with his mate, didn’t he?”

“He did,” Astral nodded.

“Hey! Did you ever decide what we’re calling our pup?” I asked.

“Raylin because it sounds more like your name than Ether does,” Astral sniffled again.

“I like it,” I said and kissed his forehead before adding, “I like Ether too, though.” Yeah, I wasn’t about to make him think I didn’t like the other name that would grace the birth certificate of one of our other future children. I wasn’t poking that rabid dotter tonight.

***

Come morning, I woke up wrapped around a very pregnant and a very furry wolf. I couldn’t resist nuzzling into his soft grey fur. I ran my hand over his belly. His flesh jerked and he yawned. Somewhere inside of him our pup was waking up. I imagined a grey wolf pup laying next to him. A tiny miniature of my mate. Maybe with a few scales on his paws or ears. He’d have a star- shaped scale on his chest too. Perhaps it would even be furry like his carrier’s.

When Astral didn’t shift back into human form for breakfast, I didn’t worry much. Sometimes dragon shifters did that too. The dragon would take over and you had to let them get on with it before they’d relinquish control and allow their human side to come back out. When he refused to shift back for lunch, worry nagged at the back of my mind.

“Don’t make a big deal about it,” my dragon warned inside my thoughts. “Maybe it’s something wolves do to have their babies. Maybe this is natural, and we don’t know about it yet. They all forget to tell us so much because it’s stuff they already know.”

I brought our plates to the bedroom and ate in the bed with my mate. Furry or not, he was my Astral and I wasn’t leaving him alone. He lay on his side, panting and slowly wagging his tail.

“Are you close?” I asked when dinner time rolled around and he still hadn’t shifted back.

“If I crawl under the bed, will you freak out?” he shot another question back at me.

“Not if you tell me. I mean, you can even explain it after you’re under the bed. If you want to be there, I’ll carry you under there myself. You’ve been so quiet today. I need you to tell me what to do for you because I’m starting to freak out a little. I almost went to get your Moms earlier.”

“Don’t do that yet!” he panted over our mating link.

“Isn’t it too early for the baby?”

“It is but it’s not too early to den down. It’s sort of like nesting. I’m too fat to hunt. I don’t need you to do anything special. You’re doing everything already. You’re hunting and staying with me and not letting everyone else annoy me.”

“That’s what I do anyway,” I chuckled.

“I know. I’m lucky to have you. I’m lucky to have an alpha who cares so much. Not everyone gets someone like that. Not everyone gets to meet their true-mate. I think I want to go for a walk before we go under the bed.”

We walked around the neighborhood, drawing a few concerned looks from the neighbors and pack members but no one said anything. Though, if they were anything like the dragons back home, they knew not to poke pregnant carriers so close to their due dates.

Astral padded along, stopping to sniff things here and there. He chowed down on a few apples at Morgi’s orchard. Then he lounged in the shade of an apple tree. I stretched out next to him, running a hand over his big pregnant belly. He was a beautiful, soft to the touch, wolf. Earlier, he talked about how lucky he was, but I was the lucky one. Merely laying by his side in the shade made me the happiest dragon in town.

We dozed on and off hiding out from the afternoon sun under the tree. As the earth swallowed the heat-giving star, I carried Astral home. He didn’t even have to ask. This time I didn’t tuck him into bed. Instead, I tucked him in under the bed with all the pillows and blankets. Then, somehow against the odds, managed to wedge myself under there with him. We watched cat videos on my phone until we both dozed back off.

That was our life for the next two weeks until our baby was born. Doctor Leem, Teddy, and Astral’s immediate family came and went. Bringing us snacks and ensuring we didn’t need anything else. We came out a few times, when the coast was clear, and showered. I took my time washing Astral’s thick fur and using his favorite fur-friendly conditioners. I massaged his big, pregnant belly and his back. I even massaged his feet and between his toes before blow-drying him on the lowest setting and brushing him out.

“I could get used to this,” he said over our mating link as I brushed down his side.

“I hope you do. If we’re going to have a big family, you have a lot of this in your future. Next time, I might be doing it with one hand holding a pup.”

“I can’t wait to see you holding our pup,” Astral yawned.