Page 230 of Omega's Heart

Even Bax was laughing, and Kaden sighed, remembering that dinner party at Holland’s.

His mother hadn’t been introduced to the raunchiness that was an omega in the privacy of their own home, though, and her expression grew pinched, like she really wanted to say something and was working hard not to get herself in trouble in the midst of a strange pack.

I’d better step in. “If all you guys want to do is ogle, I don’t imagine the Security crew will mind if you start having coffee meetings at the tables in the park. Especially if you bring Julius along, though I won’t be responsible for any of the twisted ankles and sudden falls that will cause.”

Julius blushed and protested, but Bax just laughed at him. “Please. We’re mated, not dead. It is a nice view, especially when my mate joins them. And you don’t have the omega bond robbing you of half the experience.”

Kaden lost track of the rest of the conversation, if there even was one, because Felix had started another contraction and he was occupied there. Mostly just worrying, because Felix was the one doing the work here, but from the grip his mate had on his hands, Kaden wasn’t going to be allowed to go anywhere until the baby came.

As if he had any intention of that, regardless.

Hunter whined and pawed at Felix’s arm, his ears pinned.

“The pup should probably go stay in the living room,” Raleigh mused. “It’s going to get really busy in here soon. I’ll call Cas to come get him.” He stepped out of the room, taking Hunter with him.

He was back shortly, closing the door behind him. “I left him on the couch with a snack and his favorite cartoon. Cas and Pip will be here to pick him up in a couple of minutes and take him back to our place for a sleepover.”

“Thank you,” Kaden said in relief. “He kind of got forgotten in the rush.”

Raleigh took his seat on the edge of the bed and shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt them to be around for the first part, because pups always know. And he’ll have a fun time with Pip, to take his mind off it.”

Kaden’s mother came to change out the towel. The one she took away was stained now with a streak of blood, four or five inches across.

Kaden met Holland’s eyes. “That’s good, right?”

Holland nodded and Bax moved up to sit beside him. “It’s very good,” he explained. “Not too fast, not too slow. It’s a perfect labor so far.”

Felix grunted, then his grip on Kaden’s hands relaxed. “Thank Lysoonka,” he said with feeling. “I don’t know how you did it,” he added, looking at Kaden’s mother. “I’d have ripped him out by force if I had to go as long in labor as Kaden.”

“It does get easier after you’ve had one,” she said.

“That’s true,” Bax added. “I found Fan a lot harder than Teca, and Beatrice was even easier. But by then I knew what to expect too, which helped.”

Julius jumped up, like the pup he almost wasn’t. “Do you want ice?” He scrambled for the bowl and nearly tripped over Raleigh in his rush to get it over to Felix. Kaden bent to hide his amusement against the side of Felix’s head and he could feel the vibration of Felix’s silent laughter against his chest.

“Thank you, Julius, my mouth is getting a little dry,” Felix said gravely, with that quiver in his voice that made it even more difficult for Kaden not to laugh out loud at Felix’s friend.

Felix accepted his chips of ice, but before Julius even had a chance to sit down again, Felix’s grip on Kaden’s hands had tightened. “It’s starting again,” his mate muttered and his body curled up around his belly.

“You’re doing fine,” Kaden murmured in his ear, though he wasn’t sure Felix could hear him. He seemed to have gone away, someplace where Kaden couldn’t follow him. “I’m here, I’ve got you, whatever you need.”

Felix nodded, but this time the contraction went on longer, until Kaden started to worry. Even with the other omegas telling him it was a good sign. Even with his mother telling him it was a good sign.

And then the next, which came almost on the heels of the last and brought with it a gush of clear fluid that smelled oddly sweet to Kaden’s nose.

As if that had been a signal, Felix’s labor went into high gear. Before long, it seemed to Kaden that the whole thing was either one long contraction or that the damn things were overlapping in their intention to split his mate in half. Felix was soaked with sweat, red-faced and panting, incapable of speech. Why the hell had he done to his mate?

This was horrible and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. How could his packbrothers watch this so calmly?

His mother came to sit beside him. “He’s fine. This is all normal. He won’t remember it after the baby is here.”

Kaden threw her a wild glance. “He shouldn’t have to forget it! Why the hell would the Lady make something this happy so painful?”

She put an arm around his shoulders. “Generally, things that are really worth it have to be worked and sacrificed for. Otherwise, it throws the world out of balance.” She broke off there, as if something had just occurred to her. Or maybe come clear. “Ask him, right after. Find out what he thinks.”

“Baby’s coming,” Holland cried, the omegas all exploding into a flurry of action around Felix’s belly. “Perfect. You’re doing so well, Felix.”

His mate nodded, but didn’t have enough breath left to speak.