Chapter 19 Viol
Viol
“Everybody, make way!” Muzo announced. “Pregnant Poppy coming through!”
His obnoxious but heartwarming declaration echoed in the hallway leading to the living room.
The bouncy omega walked two steps ahead of Poppy and me, waving his arms around as if to clear an invisible fog.
There was no reason for Muzo to yell, since nobody was actually in front of Poppy, but we didn’t want to ruin his fun.
Muzo was almost more excited about Poppy’s pregnancy than Poppy himself.
After our bouncer safely cleared the way, Poppy and I stepped into the living room behind him.
The faces of every omega family member sitting on the couch lit up.
The news of Poppy’s pregnancy spread quickly, so they decided to have an “omega’s night” to prepare him.
Although alphas usually didn’t show up to those events, Poppy insisted I come along.
Ever since we mated, Poppy had been clingier than usual—which was totally fine by me.
I’d happily spend every waking moment with him if I could.
Poppy paused and sniffed the air. “Something smells really good... and kinda familiar.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Muzo said quickly. “That’s just, uh, Alaric’s baby butt perfume. He sprayed a lot of it today.”
“I swear to gods, if you don’t stop calling it that, I’m going to turn you into a fine taxidermy rug,” Alaric muttered nastily from the couch.
I raised an amused brow. Muzo was an awful liar, but I didn’t press the issue since there was obviously a surprise hiding in wait.
Before Poppy reached the couch to greet everybody, a few friends beat him to it. Mylo and Alaric rushed over, while Matteo, Rorik, and Taylor grinned at the happy chaos from the couch. Muzo invited himself to the group hug.
I smiled at the tight-knit group, feeling warmed by their shenanigans.
Maybe I could stand to tell them more often, but I was eternally grateful for the other omegas and their friendships with Poppy.
They’d been there to support him when I hadn’t.
If it weren’t for their undying loyalty, Poppy might not have returned to the Dragonfate Games season after season.
He might’ve given up and stopped coming.
.. and I would’ve been too stubborn and idiotic to chase him down.
I shook off the lingering guilt. That was all in the past, and I owed it to Poppy not to wallow in my own angst anymore. He needed me fully present—and our future baby did, too.
When I pulled myself back to reality, Poppy was sitting in the middle of the couch, surrounded by all his friends-slash-family. I walked over and relaxed in a nearby armchair, content just to observe.
“So, Poppy,” Taylor began, “how do you feel about expecting?”
Poppy shuffled in his seat, like he couldn’t contain his excitement. “It’s wonderful. It just feels... right.”
As he finished his sentence, Poppy flashed me an adoring look. My heart fluttered. I knew my mate was ecstatic, but hearing him talk about it with others filled me with pride.
“Man, it’s wild that I had a baby before you, Pops,” Muzo remarked. “I figured you’d be the first, since you’re so nurturing and caring. But Taylor ended up being the first. Stoic, alpha dragon-hating Taylor... Oh, no offence, Tay.”
Taylor wore a wry smile. “None taken, Muzo.”
Alaric snorted as he flipped his hair back. “Well, Poppy was technically the first to find his fated mate. The problem was that his mate was too stubborn to acknowledge that,” he added, shooting me a glance that was half teasing and half judgmental.
“Yeah, I know, I deserve it,” I admitted, crossing my legs over the side of the armchair.
Since moving in, Poppy had filled his friends in on the rest of his tale.
It was easier for him to get through the darker parts now that the tundra clan’s issues had been resolved.
Honestly, I admired Poppy’s courage for being able to recount our sordid history.
It was difficult enough for me to start the damn thing with Gaius, and I never finished.
He didn’t seem to mind, though; like my brothers, he was just happy that I’d gotten over my bullshit and welcomed Poppy back into my life.
“I’m only teasing, Viol,” Alaric went on, waving a perfectly manicured hand in my direction. “Mostly.”
I snorted. I was fond of the cat shifter’s barbed tongue, since he was the only omega in the family willing to trade verbal blows with me. The others, apparently, liked and respected me too much. I would never understand why.
“Is everybody ready out there?” Cobalt called from the kitchen.
Poppy glanced up. “Huh? Ready for what?”
Muzo waved a hand in his friend’s face, like he was trying to obscure his vision. “Uhh, nothing. Hey, close your eyes!”
“Um... okay.”
Taylor stifled a laugh. Rorik did too as he got up quietly to drag the coffee table closer to the couch. As I looked over my shoulder, I raised a brow at my eldest brother. He was half hiding behind the door frame, as if making sure Poppy’s eyes were really closed before he came in.
“What’s going on?” I mouthed.
The twins popped up on either side of Cobalt. They both flashed a shushing gesture. I rolled my eyes. I hadn’t even said anything out loud.
But then Cobalt stepped gingerly into the room and I saw what he was carrying—a big batch of freshly baked blueberry muffins.
Poppy finally peeked. Then his eyes widened into wet brown orbs. I didn’t know why my mate was tearing up at the sight of muffins, but I was determined to find out.
“Oh, Cobalt,” Poppy murmured. “Did you make those for me?”
“Rorik helped,” Cobalt said, flashing the polar bear shifter a smile.
Poppy whimpered with emotion as he turned towards Rorik. With his big watery eyes, he was doing his best impression of a puppy.
“You remembered,” he said, his lower lip trembling. “About Mrs. Sara’s muffins...”
Rorik grinned shyly and patted Poppy on the back. “The ones we made are probably not as good as hers. But I thought you might like them anyway.”
“Oh, you guys,” Poppy murmured.
Rorik pulled his emotional friend in for a bear hug before he burst out crying.
“Not as good? I’ll be the judge of that,” Muzo announced as he reached for a muffin from the tray.
Cobalt frowned as he lifted the tray high above his mate’s head. “Not yet.”
“Aww, come on!”
“Pregnant omegas eat first, remember?” Mylo pointed out gently.
Matteo chuckled as he lounged casually in his seat. “Yeah, especially the one whose party it is.”
“AKA, not you, dog,” Alaric snarked at Muzo.
“Hey, Poppy is a dog, too,” Muzo complained, although he didn’t sound that offended.
Alaric raised his chin, sniffing. “He’s a noble and majestic wolf, actually.”
Poppy unearthed his face from Rorik’s chest and wiped away his tears. “Oh, stop fighting, everyone. Let’s all eat muffins together, okay?”
Cobalt exhaled a relenting sigh, but he strode towards Poppy and handed him the premier muffin. “Okay. But you first.”
Poppy accepted the muffin with a grateful smile. He cupped the bottom of the muffin so he wouldn’t spill any crumbs, then took a bite. It was followed by a muffled sound of surprise.
“This is so good!” he cried. “You guys did a great job.”
Cobalt and Rorik smiled. Both large men looked shy and appreciative.
“Viol, you have to try it,” Poppy urged, offering it to me.
I sighed. My mate was never content to enjoy a treat by himself, even when it was specifically for him. He always insisted on sharing. But that was just another way he showed his love.
I sauntered off the armchair to meet his muffin halfway. I met Poppy’s gaze while taking a bite. My brows rose as the warm, buttery taste of baked goods and fresh blueberries hit my tongue.
“Oh, shit,” I mumbled through my bite. “That is good.”
Poppy beamed at me. “Just like Mrs. Sara used to make. Because, like hers, they were made with love.”
Half the room went ‘awww’ as Poppy blushed profusely.
After a pause, Muzo reached for the muffin tray and asked, “Now can I eat mine?”
It took a few months for Poppy’s pregnancy to show. But when it did, I felt like a cartoon wolf with heart-shaped eyes popping out of his head. As if he wasn’t gorgeous enough, he now had the added sexy glow of being visibly pregnant.
However, unlike my horny brothers, sex wasn’t the only thing on my mind. My alpha instincts flew into high drive. In a very annoying overprotective fashion.
We were both heading downstairs for a midnight snack when Poppy took a single step towards the staircase. My overly sensitive instincts pinged.
“Poppy, be careful,” I implored.
He paused, then looked fondly at me. “I will be.”
“Let me help.”
I rushed towards him, looping his arm in mine. I glared down at the steps as if they’d committed a felony.
Poppy giggled. “You’re so funny lately.”
“I’m not trying to be,” I mumbled. “I just want you to be safe.”
He cocked a playful brow at me. “I’m on my way to get animal crackers. It doesn’t get safer than that.”
“What if you can’t see the steps past your belly?” I asked with a frown. “Holy Drake forbid, you could miss one and slip and fall.”
“I’m holding the railing.” He wriggled his fingers—clutched securely on said railing—for good measure.
I grunted as I led him down the staircase. “The animal crackers could be expired. I don’t want you eating expired food.”
“Then I wouldn’t eat them.”
“You could forget to check the date!”
He laughed again. “Good thing you’re coming with me.”
Poppy poked gentle fun at me and my over-dramatic alpha panic all the way down to the kitchen. I urged Poppy to sit down while I fetched the box of animal crackers, triple checked the expiry date, then poured them into a bowl. I also brought a glass of water in case the crackers were too dry.
Poppy smiled as I spread them in front of him. He had to sit a little further back from the table, thanks to his big belly. “Thank you.”