Page 24

Chapter 24

Ollie

T oday was it. I felt it in my bones. Today was the day we were going to get to meet our daughter. The egg looked exactly the same. Not even a hint of movement. But I knew.

More specifically, I had felt it in my shoulder blades. All day I had been itchy. I went so far as to rub my back against a tree in the back yard. Mal found me shimming against the bark, his eyebrows raised.

“Let me call Eryndor,” he said.

How or why Eryndor was going to help, I didn’t know.

Twenty minutes later, Eryndor had me and Malric standing in the back yard, facing each other, holding hands.

“You understand that as part of being a dragon mate, you will develop wings?” Eryndor asked.

Yes, I had known that theoretically. I’d just been so busy that it hadn’t occurred to me that it was true, and especially not that it was happening. I’d kinda thought that ship had sailed. Even today when I had stuffed a coat hanger down the back of my shirt, it hadn’t even crossed my mind that my wings could be coming in.

“Of course,” I said. “But I guess I assumed since it hadn’t happened yet, that I might be the exception to the rule.” I was a mouse, after all, and as far as I knew, that was beyond rare. It wasn’t like I could poll all the dragon shifter mice mates to see if they had wings, and if so, when they’d come in.

“You will not be able to fly right away, but soon you’ll take to the skies with your mate at your side.” Eryndor’s voice took on a sultry, soft tone meant to keep me at ease. I knew that he believed in the power of meditation, I supposed that was why Malric had called him.

Malric’s dragon rumbled his approval.

I grinned. “That sounds amazing, but for the record, I’d be happy with a basket.”

“And I will still make you one.” Mal kissed my cheek. It wasn’t the first time he’d mentioned it, and I had a feeling it was because he liked the idea as much as I did.

Eryndor looked back and forth between us as if trying to figure out if we were kidding or not. I held up my hands in the form of a basket, and he rolled his eyes.

“But first you have to bring your wings forward. That’s what I am here for.”

I didn’t care what that entailed exactly, as long as it meant this itching would stop. I was so done with the itching.

Malric gave my hands a reassuring squeeze and winked. “Just trust your mouse. He will know what to do.”

I snorted. “I don’t think he’ll know what to do with wings, Mal.” I knew I sure didn’t.

“Shhh. Close your eyes. Focus on your breath.” Eryndor began coaching me on breathing. Something about a box. Breathe in for five, hold for five, out for five, and hold for five. I was completely lost.

“Visualize your wings. The color, the feel, the scales.”

How was I supposed to know the color? Was I supposed to pick? Was that how it worked? Or maybe by default they matched my mate’s or maybe my daughter’s. I needed a whole lot more information than he was giving.

“I can’t—”

“Shh. You know what they look like, Ollie. They’re your wings. They’ve always been there, we’re just bringing them out.”

There was no way this was going to work. As if I could just picture a massive set of wings sprouting from my shoulder blades, with talons at the end of each joint, the leathery membrane matching in color to my dragon mate. The flapping noise they would make if I fanned them out and flexed against the breeze. Only that was exactly what I was doing.

Malric gasped, and his hands gripped me tighter. “Ollie,” he said.

“Shh,” I said. “I’m concentrating.”

I swore I had them in my mind’s eye. The weight of them against my back, the way that they would flex and pull against my shoulders. I leaned forward, putting more weight on the balls of my feet to keep myself from falling backward from their weight.

“Ollie... open your eyes, mate,” Malric said.

My eye flew open, and I stared at my mate, only he was looking at something over my shoulder. His eyes were wide with wonder and his jaw hanging open.

“Mal, I was so close. Why did you interrupt me? Now we have to start over.” I shouldn’t have snapped at him. He meant well. My frustration wasn’t his doing.

“Um. Ollie. Look at your shadow,” Eryndor said.

I looked down at the ground. My shadow was there, but behind me were two wings fanned out wide. I spun, trying to look at them, except my center of gravity was off and I ended up on the ground. My wings flapping wildly, throwing me even more off balance. I landed on my mate since he had tried to catch me. He still couldn’t take his eyes off my wings.

“They are magnificent, mate. Truly.”

He helped me to get up right again. Then he walked around me in a circle while I tried to take one tentative step forward.

I don’t know why I had envisioned my wings on my beast initially. This made more sense. A mouse with wings would be absolutely adorable, though. I dared anyone on this planet to deny that.

“This is... not easy,” I said. “I can’t imagine ever flying.” Just standing and not falling took concentration. How could I ever be graceful enough to take to the sky?

“You’ll get there,” Eryndor said. “I have coached many new mates through this process. Unlike shifting to your other form, this one doesn’t always come naturally. You’re doing great. For the next couple of weeks, you should bring your wings out at least once a day and get used to walking around with them.” He made it sound so simple. “Then we’ll work on taking to the skies. Put away any valuable things if you plan to bring them out in the house, though. Plenty of people have knocked down shelves or broken windows.”

I snorted out a laugh. “I could see that happening. When I had my pregnant belly… let’s just say there were a few casualties.” More than a few, and my wings were a whole lot larger. I was going to have to reserve their release for the great out of doors, at least until I got control.

“They truly are beautiful, Ollie.” Malric grazed the back of his hand over the thin membrane between the joints.

I let out a giggle. “That tickles!”

“I’ll have to note that for later.”

After walking around—first with help and then on my own—it was deemed time to figure out how to put them away. Turned out, that was so much more difficult than pulling them out.

It wasn’t a case of simply seeing them in my head and having them be there. It called on the same kind of energy I used to shift, but without the assistance of my beast. I hadn’t realized how much of the weight my little mouse pulled when I shifted. I was more like the person who turned on the ignition of the car, while he was the one driving it. And I had to figure out how to become both, at least when it came to my wings.

Eryndor was a great teacher. And after I put my wings away and took them out, put them away and took them out three more times, he told me it was time to rest.

“Go. Take a shower. Forget they exist.” As if that was possible.

Just like when I’d been sure that it was the day for my hatch to be laid multiple times, I’d been wrong about today being hatching day. The feeling, the sensation I got that told me it was time to meet our little girl, had nothing to do with her at all, and everything to do with my wings.

“I thought I was gonna get to meet you today, sweet girl,” I whispered, kissing her shell as I pulled a blanket over myself. I was chilled after my shower, and the fuzzy blanket was perfect. “Could’ve used the distraction.”

Exhaustion saturated every cell of my being. Taking wings was rough, but putting them away—that was so much more.

“Your father’s taking a shower, and when he comes out, sweet baby girl, he can tell you a story. I want to, but Daddy’s too tired to think straight. I got my wings today. It’s very exciting. It means I’ll be able to fly with you. But don’t worry, I’m still getting my basket.”

And for a split second, I could have sworn I heard our girl chirp.

“See? Even you agree—a mouse needs his basket.”