Page 22 of The Bear, the Eagle, and their Wombat Omega (Omegas of Animals: SD #14)
Bruno
Bears had neither nests nor eggs, and bachelors in our sleuth didn’t have much to do with pregnant omegas anyway.
Making me most unqualified to help our omega get set for the birth.
But I did my best to learn. I searched online, talked to members of the sleuth and anyone who I thought might have knowledge.
There were a lot of books on pregnancy, but they were mostly humans or in rare cases, a single type of shifter, mostly, for some reason, wolves.
Some of what I found was very creative—and wrong, but the midwife was always there to steer me back on track. Our mate had settled in the nest with his square eggs and pouch baby, and all we could do was be there to help.
The main thing we had to do was hold the eggs when he wanted to rearrange the nest. I’d been under the impression that once the eggs were laid, the nest was set in stone. An impression given me by internet experts. But our mate was never quite satisfied that everything was exactly as it should be.
He also did not leave the nest unattended—by him.
We were good enough to hold the babies during nest adjustments, but not to watch things for longer than it took him to relieve himself.
So we behaved like the attentive alphas we were, taking paternity leave, from the day the eggs arrived, and waiting on our omega hand and foot.
We cooked everything we thought he’d like and brought it to him, made sure he stayed hydrated, and tried to talk him into going outside for fresh air.
Without any success. But after a week or so, someone needed fresh air, and it was us.
Steve would not even shower because he said it was a desertion of duty.
And he feared it would endanger the baby in the pouch.
The midwife showed up about then, just to make sure things were going well, and took one sniff before bustling over to Steve and planting her hands on her hips. “Wombat, are you trying to make your babies sick?”
“What?” His eyes grew wide. “I wouldn’t. Not ever.”
“Then why are you avoiding any kind of basic hygiene?”
“I… It’s not safe. I can’t leave the eggs, and the little one here”—he placed his palm over his middle—“how would I even keep them dry?”
Her lips quirked, then she broke out in a laugh. “Did nobody in your family ever tell you how pouches work?”
“No?” He sat there on his nest with one egg on either side of him and that hand on his belly. “I don’t think so.”
“Omega, your pouch is effectively sealed. It’s waterproof. How do you think natural wombats handle the rain? Your baby is as safe in there as it was inside your body itself. Now, if you don’t shower, you’re a germ factory. Do you want to be a germ factory?”
“Of course not.” He scrambled to his feet. “But what about taking care of the eggs?”
“You have two capable alphas here full-time.” She glanced at us. “You are on paternity leave?”
We both nodded.
“Then, why aren’t you taking advantage of their services? I bet they’d love to watch the eggs, right?”
More enthusiastic nodding.
“They’re going to have to take care of those babies when they’re born. Oh, I know you’re in charge, but there are three of them and you’re going to need help. Use them! You’re going to hurt their feelings otherwise.”
“I don’t want to do that,” he said. “I just want to take good care of the children.”
Her expression softened and also her tone. “And you are. But they need you to take care of yourself too, omega. Shower. Go outside for a walk. Once they are hatched and born, you’re going to need all your strength, so don’t deplete it now.”
I waited for him to protest more because we’d used every argument we could come up with, but the midwife was a professional, and she must have hit a nerve.
Steve stood up and gestured to the spot where he’d been sitting surrounded by all the stuffed animals.
“Arkyn, you can take the first watch while I shower.” He waited until our mate was seated and then turned and stalked toward the bathroom.
“Bruno, I’m going to need clean clothes. ”
Darned if he wasn’t taking her advice to make use of us. Exactly what we’d been begging him to do, but whatever worked! I dashed off to the bedroom to get him what he needed.
After I’d deposited a set of sweats and clean socks on the bathroom counter, I returned to find the midwife looking over the eggs.
“He really has been taking great care of them, hasn’t he?
Your omega is going to be a very good father.
” She bestowed a smile on us and even patted Arkyn’s shoulder, then grew serious again.
“He’s just too hard on himself. I expect you two to make sure he doesn’t fall back into old habits before I come back again in a week. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am,” we chorused.
Our omega was out of the shower and back on duty in less than five minutes, but hopefully now that the stalemate was broken, we’d be able to convince him to ease up and take those breaks the midwife recommended. He was going to be an amazing father, if he gave himself enough grace to relax into it.
We had our job to do, taking care of him while he took care of the eggs and the pouch baby. And we swore to one another to try harder and be smarter about it.
Later that afternoon, he stood up again and pointed to his spot in the nest. “Bruno, your turn. I’m going for a walk for my health.” At the door, he paused. “Arkyn, are you coming?”
I let out a breath of relief before I could stop it, but he didn’t seem to notice, just went on his way with our eagle as his guardian. I watched the eggs. My duty was clear.