Page 20 of Our Haunted Omegas (Moonscale Heirs Duet #1)

Cobalt

After cleaning myself and my mate up as best as I could with the towels, I sat on the floorboard of the truck with my feet out on the ground.

Odell dozed on and off on the seat behind me and I almost missed when I smoked because seeing him out cold, relaxed, and feeling that at ease made me feel like one smug bastard.

What better way to celebrate that than a cigarette?

I might’ve dug the secret pack out of the glovebox if Odell and Ambry weren’t wolves.

I had draconic lungs and so did Indigo. We all smoked here and there but mostly quit when we visited home the first time after starting.

It set off our carrier’s allergies as badly as fay flowers did and none of us wanted him miserable and unable to smell anything. We were raised better than that.

So, I basked in his peaceful rest without smoking up the whole area. Eventually, Indigo came out and took the bag full of soiled towels and dirty clothes and exchanged it for two fluffy robes. He handed off a lidded bowl of sandwiches and some bottled drinks.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him sleep like that,” he said, peeking inside the truck.

“We haven’t known them that long,” I laughed, unscrewing a top from one of the bottles. “How mad is Ambry?”

“Not really mad. Not really--,” he paused searching for words.

I tried to pick up what he meant over our link but it wasn’t clear there either.

“He’s not angry. He’s worried that Odie is going to run off or something.

He definitely doesn’t like him thinking he fucks over everyone who gets close to him. ”

“That was anxiety talking,” I frowned. “Though, the war has done a number on them. Maybe the way the rebuilding was handled too. It’s like it’s imprinted on them.

I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to fuck up the moment, but I’m pretty sure he has a piece of shrapnel in his butt cheek.

I knew it was rough. We’ve all heard about it but this is different. ”

“If you bring up who was hatched first, I’m going to bite you,” Indigo said, leaning one arm against the truck bed.

“Why would I bring that up now? Besides, it was Teal because of course it was fucking Teal. Who else has the drive to go around behind our grandparents’ backs and make things better?” I laughed.

“Because of war talk,” Indigo shrugged

“Did Ambry ask? That’s the forbidden question. Let him know before he meets our carrier,” I sighed.

“He didn’t ask because it doesn’t matter. Even if it was Teal – which I’m not convinced of because of how many people want to have your babies – we’d have his back. No one should do the job alone.”

“Teal thinks it’s you,” I sighed. “Says you have the most level head of us all.”

“I’m not so sure about that. The only reason Ambry isn’t pregnant right now is because he’s going around nuzzling everything all over the house because it smells too much like strangers and he doesn’t want that to upset Odie’s wolf.

He’s been at it since we got here. I have most of our stuff unpacked.

He unpacked Odie’s boxes but hasn’t finished his own yet. ”

“Are you mad?” I asked.

“I’m not mad, Co. I’m worried. Do you think he feels better now that you guys have exchanged everything?” he asked.

“I hope so. He’s certainly sleeping like he does,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at him.

“You’re going to get a vasectomy, aren’t you?” he asked.

“That’s up to him. I want kids but I want to wait until he’s ready,” I shrugged. “We’ll see how he feels when he wakes up.”

“Hungry and naked,” he muttered from behind me and Indigo chuckled.

“That’s my cue to exit stage left with the dirty laundry,” Indigo said, shouldering the laundry bag that usually lived tucked under the truck seat.

“Sorry if I chased him off,” Odie yawned, sitting up.

His knees brushed against my back, and I fought off the urge to twist around and continue where we left off. We still had plenty of clean towels stashed under the seat.

“Are you hungry?” I asked instead. Food first. It was always important to ensure your lover was satisfied in all ways.

“A bit,” he yawned. “What about my butt?”

“Uh…. Is it hungry?” I asked unsure where this line of questioning was going to lead.

“You were talking about my butt while I was asleep or at least someone’s butt. It better have been mine,” he said and poked me with his toe as I turned sideways in the door and passed off the sandwiches.

“Oh!” I was an idiot. With our mating link open he didn’t even need to be awake to know what I talked about. “I think you have a piece of shrapnel in your butt cheek.”

“Oh, that,” he rolled his eyes and took a bite of a sandwich. “I got it that night, I think. Only I was in shock and didn’t feel it. It doesn’t hurt now, and I figure surgery would hurt. So, it lives there now. If I can figure out how to charge it rent, I will.”

We ate in silence for a few minutes as his thoughts turned back to the question of kids. He opened his mouth, and I handed him one of the robes.

“Here. Put this on before we start talking about kids, please. You’re gorgeous and distracting and I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to talk about sex this close together with you naked.”

“Why did you get to keep your pants?” he blinked at me.

“Because they were clean,” I teased him. “I can go find you some real clothes if you want.”

“Not yet. I’m not ready to go inside and I don’t want to be alone.”

I opened my mouth to tell him that he never had to spend a minute alone again if he didn’t want to but that was a little obsessive even for me.

“I want to settle in before we have kids. I want to get the lay of the land and to figure out if we’re going to live here.”

“So, I’m—”

“Wait,” he laughed. “Let me finish, please. I don’t think that will take years.

I know nothing else is actually fool proof, but I think we should be careful for now but if something happens, I’ll be okay.

I want kids. I’m worried about the world we’re bringing them into. I’m worried about what might happen.”

“I’ve been thinking about it too,” I admitted.

“I haven’t talked to Teal or Indi but if it starts to stir that way, I think I’d take you and go to Sunny’s.

The Starscale worlds have some tourism now but they’ve managed to keep the peace so far.

It’s not like Dad or Grandpa would let us help anyway.

So, the best thing I could do would be to keep you safe. ”

“I like having a backup plan even if it involves becoming an alien,” he laughed.

“I thought you would,” I squeezed his knee. “I think that’s part of being a parent. You don’t just have a plan A. You have to have the whole bloody alphabet planned out.”

“I think it’s like algebra except no one tells you what X represents.”

“I don’t think they tell you in algebra either,” I laughed.

“I’m ready to see the house now, I think,” he said, glancing at the empty bowl.

“And for more food.”

“What? I might work a few nights a week but I’ve had more cardio in the past few hours than I have in the past few months,” he blushed.

“I’m not complaining,” I said, standing up and holding out my hand to help him out of the truck. “A healthy appetite means we’ll have healthy babies when the time comes.”