Page 23 of Singing the Dragon’s Heart

Chapter

Twenty-Three

L ife sucked.

Kami got out of bed to go pee again .

He was uncomfortable, and he couldn’t quite get any sleep because he had heartburn all the time.

And because nowhere was comfortable.

And also, this baby was three weeks later than Rowan had thought she was going to be.

Rowan’s advice was lots of sex, which was great, except that he didn’t want to.

And walking, which again, great but very uncomfortable. Still he did it.

He walked upstairs and downstairs and around the pool and down into the pool and out of the pool. He walked with Triton, he walked with Talon, he walked with Lake, he walked with all of the kids.

He frowned, then tugged on a robe and headed out of the apartment.

He was going to see Cain, and the seer had better be awake.

He’d had an idea, and he needed to deal with it right now.

Why didn’t they have dogs?

There were no dogs here besides Cain’s. There were no cats besides Cain’s either. This was not right. There should be dogs. Children deserved dogs. They had outside areas, sort of. They could make a dog-poop area. They needed dogs. There was just no question here.

That was what was wrong with this entire place.

“Hailee, what are you doing?” Reno’s soft voice had him leaping out of his skin.

“I’m going to tell Cain that we need dogs here.”

“Oh. It’s three thirty in the morning.”

“Well, then, he should have dealt with this dog thing before I had to wake him up.”

“I guess so. You wanting to walk?” Reno offered an arm.

“No!” He waved his hands in the air. Maybe interpretive dance would get through to his braaken. “No, I don’t want to walk anymore. I am sick of walking. I want a dog to play with. I want, if I am going to have to take endless walks, a dog to walk with. I would settle for a coyote! Or a mountain lion! Anything.”

“Woof.”

“Oh, ha-ha.” He whacked Reno on the chest. “I don’t like you anymore.”

“You don’t like me any less. Let’s walk.” Reno took his hand, leading him away from Cain’s.

“I want ice cream.”

“Now, that I can do.”

Kami shook his head. “Soft serve.”

“They have serve-yourself at the cafe, hailee. Twenty-four-seven.”

“Well, bring it on. Or fro-yo. Do they have fro-yo?”

“We’ll see what’s in the machines?—”

“Betty!” Kami all but jumped on Cain’s assistant as she walked toward them, a box of sushi in hand. “I need to talk to Cain.”

“Now?” She blinked hard, then glanced at Reno. “Is it an emergency?”

“No. Well, yes! I need a dog. The kids need dogs. We need a dog shelter or adoption center or something. A dog library. I could check out a dog to walk.”

She mouthed, “A dog library…” Then she looked at Reno again. “Has his water broken?”

“Don’t look at him!” Kami stomped his foot. Which was a mistake, because a gush of liquid came from him, and he grunted, eyes wide as he stared down at his feet.

“Well, now you’ve done it, baby,” Reno teased.

“Asshole.”

Betty chuckled. “Let me call someone to come clean up, and I’ll let Rowan know, too.”

“Thanks. Let’s go wash you up, baby, and then we’ll get ice cream.”

“Can I have ice cream now?” Kami was trying not to panic, everything Rowan the baby expert had ever told him flying right out of his mind.

“Yes.” Reno picked him up, which was quite the habit now, and took him home for a warm shower. Then they walked down to get soft serve. He was panting, having to stop every so many turns of the halls to breathe.

“You’re doing great, baby.”

“Oh, dark chocolate and coconut fro-yo,” he said, moaning happily. “It will be like a Mounds bar.”

“Yum.” Reno got vanilla and then doused it with hot fudge and caramel sauce. Because of course he did.

“This is so yum, you’re right.” He beamed at Reno. “Thanks for not just dumping me in bed and calling in Rowan.”

“He said you would have plenty of time. And I’m with you every step of the way. I know you’ve been uncomfortable.”

“And grumpy,” Kami said by way of apology.

“No more than usual.”

“Oh, asshat. You are a giant jerk.” But he was laughing his ass off.

“I am.” Reno licked his spoon. “But I love you.”

Kami beamed at him. “I love you too.”

They ate their fro-yo, then headed to the medical wing hand in hand. They would meet with Rowan and see where he wanted Kami. To be honest, Kami hoped he could do this at home and not in the medical area.

“Kami!” Rowan met them in the little waiting room, looking a little ruffled, which was unusual for him. He was wearing a nice soft sweater, and pants that, on anyone else, would be sweats. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired from walking. But I had fro-yo.”

“Mmhmm. Mmhmm. So when did your water break?”

“Whenever Betty called you.”

“Are you having pretty hard pains yet?”

“Describe hard pains.” He grinned. “I mean, compared to dying from giving away my heartstone? No. But compared to normal days? Yes.”

“Hmmm.” Rowan came to him, smiling. “May I touch you.”

“Sure.”

Rowan helped him raise his shirt, then put both hands on his belly. He felt a bit of warmth where those hands touched him, and Miranda’s little song became super intense for a moment.

“Mmm.”

Reno glanced at him, then at Rowan. “You keep making those noises.”

“Do you want to go home, Kami? Do this there?”

“I do.” He grinned. “I really like your little medical place, but I want to be in my bed and my bathtub and stuff.”

“Okay. You and Reno go ahead and get you settled. No sense in going to bed or anything, but make sure you can be comfortable. I’m going to wake one of my assistants and gather some supplies.”

“Thanks, Rowan.” He hugged the sweet dragon, because he was so relieved. Gods, he hated being such a wienie, but he hated med bays. He really did.

“Come on, love.”

They wandered back up, taking about an hour to do it. There was no rush, and he had to stop and breathe every five minutes or so.

Reno stayed right there, teasing and talking, breathing with him when he needed it.

“Are you excited?” He was. He imagined that excitement would turn to fear as the pain got worse, but right now, it wasn’t scary. He wasn’t comfortable, that was for sure, but he wasn’t in agony yet.

Lake assured him it was coming.

So did Dex.

Eyv said it was hard to remember, and he was just glad it was over.

Weirdly enough that was actually the scariest answer. He couldn’t believe that someone wouldn’t remember.

“I am. I’m nervous, and I want you not to hurt, but I do want to meet her, hold her, get to know her.” Reno rubbed his back as the contraction deepened. “I never ever believed I would be a soffar, you know? This is such an honor. Thank you.”

“Uh-huh.” The sweet words deserved attention and all, but he was very busy breathing and trying not to scream.

This was not the place, even though it sure felt like the time for screaming.

Damn.

“Kami?” Now Reno sounded concerned.

“I just couldn’t breathe there for a moment.” He panted. “I think I need to get home.”

“Put your arms around my neck.”

Kami did as he was bid, and Reno scooped him up with exquisite gentleness, carrying him the rest of the way down their long hall to their apartments.

“I can feel your muscles clenching,” Reno said. “We need Rowan.”

“I’m here!” Rowan met them at their door, smiling at him. “All that walking was good, Kami.”

“I sure hope so,” he gritted out.

“Trust me. It makes things faster.”

They went inside and headed directly to the bedroom. Reno put him down, so gentle, and he found it so hard to let go.

His muscles tightened again, and he yanked Reno to him, his fingers clenching. “Don’t go!”

“Go? Go where?” Reno sat on the bed, holding him close. “Where would I go, hailee?”

Kami didn’t know. He didn’t really care. “I don’t have to be logical right now! I’m having a baby! I don’t know if I want to have a baby!”

Reno blinked at him and tilted his head. “This doesn’t seem like an appropriate time to decide that, Kami.”

“Don’t make me hurt you.” He was scared. “What if I suck? What if I suck at this? What will I do?”

“You’re amazing. I know you are, and so am I.” How could Reno sound so reasonable? It wasn’t fair. Not even a little bit.

“Kids love you.” He did have to agree with that. “But I still panic when someone spits up on me.”

“It’s different when it’s yours. Boone used to puke anytime someone else did. Trust me. I was on dozens of missions with him. But now? He just mops.”

“Ugh. Thanks for the puke-o-rama when I just ate fro-yo and then started with muscle spasms.”

Reno kissed the top of his head. “I live to serve, baby.”

Rowan came in, offered him a smile. “I suggest you find a robe, something open in the front and non-binding. You’ll be more comfortable. Also, if you’d like to get into the tub, you can. Whatever makes you happy right now.”

“Are you staying?”

“Let me peek at your birth line.”

He lifted his shirt and Rowan looked at the line, which was damn near purple and gaping some. “Yes, I think I will. I don’t think this will take too long.”

Kami wasn’t sure if that was terrifying or comforting, if he was honest.

Maybe it was both.

Rowan left the bedroom and Kami stood, stripping off his clothes. Rowan was right; he did feel better, less constrained, and the air felt amazing on his skin. “I don’t want a robe.”

“Okay.” Reno went to the bedroom door. “Rowan, he doesn’t want to put on a robe.”

“Alpha, he’s the one in labor. He can do whatever makes him happy. I’ve seen naked omegas before.” Rowan’s voice was calm, and Kami got the distinct impression that he had said these sorts of things before.

“Oh. Oh good. I’m so glad.” Reno came to him, helping him with the last of his clothes. “Would you like a drink? Juice or cold water? Tea?”

“Do we have any of that passionfruit tea left? I’d take that over ice.”

That would give him enough of a chance to breathe, to be alone. To focus on what was going on in his body.

He really just needed to get his proverbial shit together.