Chapter Seventeen
Dante
We’d been getting ready for so long, It almost felt like the baby was never going to come. Especially when Augie got past the due date the healer had given us. “Of course,” he said, “mixed species are not always predictable.”
He told us if we went more than a month past his best guesstimate, we would have to watch more carefully.
There had been a chance he might have even gone the egg route, with me as the daddy, but my mate’s body chose otherwise, leaving me relieved.
Laying eggs was hard enough for dragons, and we’d heard a few stories of the difficulty other species went through if the alpha’s genetics took over.
Since we’d gone on paternity leave, my mate was at loose ends.
We were ready. Now…we needed the baby to be as well.
Every morning we woke up and looked at each other in question.
Not that I could possibly have any answers, but as alpha, I kind of thought I should.
All I could provide was reassurance. We were planning a home birth, unless there was an issue, but we preferred the healer to be there if possible.
On this particular morning, our questioning glance led to mutual shrugs, just like every other morning that week.
“Not even a little cramping?” I asked, instantly regretting the question when his eyes filled with tears.
“No, never mind. The baby knows when they should come, and our job is just to be here waiting.”
“But I feel like such a failure,” he whispered. “What if I never give birth? What if they just keep getting bigger and—”
“Goto high school in there?” I interrupted. “If so, we’re going to need to invest in some kind of waterproof books.”
“Shut up, alpha.” He slapped at me playfully. “You know what I mean.”
“I do, but you’re being silly. Why don’t we get shower and dress and take a walk?
Then you can check in and make sure the bakery is running smoothly.
” The advantage/disadvantage of living over his business was that he couldn’t avoid those peeks in.
His staff was doing great including one more member who had strong baking skills from another bakery where Augie had trained, and his check-ins were inevitably good.
“I’ll go first.” Until about a month before, we’d been showering together most of the time, but now we didn’t fit well, and his balance got thrown off trying to do it, so we took turns.
When the baby came, we’d probably still not be able to shower together unless we brought the baby in with us, maybe in their little seat?
We’d work it out. For now, I went about getting my clothes ready for the day while my mate performed his ablutions.
“Dante!” His cry cut through my thoughts. “Help.”
“On my way.” I tripped over both our shoes on the way to the bathroom, landing on my knees and shoving off before the curse could escape my lips.
A few more steps and I was at the bathroom door, closed because my mate didn’t like drafts.
Fortunately, never locked. “I’m here. Did you fall? Hit your head? Are you bleeding?”
He stood in front of the mirror, holding onto the sink, but when he maneuvered to face me, his jaw dropped. “No, I’m not bleeding, but you are. What happened?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m fine. You?”
“I’m so sorry. I am fine.” He grimaced. “I dropped my comb.” He hadn’t been able to pick up anything from the floor in two months. “But why are you bleeding?”
“I tripped while…not while running to help you.”
He shook his head slowly. “You’re such a bad liar. Now, lower the toilet seat lid and sit down. I’ll fix it for you.”
I wanted to protest, mostly because I wasn’t sure he could bend that far, but he managed, and when I lifted my knees at his order, even managed to bestow a kiss on each to make it all better. He was going to be the most amazing daddy.
But not that day. Three more passed with me ready to jump out of my skin every time he looked at me funny before he woke me up to say, “Alpha, I think I wet myself.”
He of course had not, and I helped him to a chair while I got the bed changed and prepared it with the special sheets we’d bought.
Then I assisted Augie to the shower and back to bed.
We’d planned to have him do a lot of walking to speed labor along, but when the healer arrived a half hour later, he shook his head.
“No need for that. Your baby is crowning.”
“Omega,” I marveled, “how are you doing this so fast?”
He rolled his eyes. “Beginner’s luck.”
From there everything happened so fast, I never even remembered to grab the camera to capture some short videos as he’d requested. The baby was coming on their own time, which was basically now.
“Healer, is it okay if it goes this fast?”
“It’s very okay. I don’t see anything going sideways, and a speedy labor will save your omega a lot of pain and energy. Ready to push, Augie?”
He grunted, “Yes.”
“All right, alpha, take your omega’s hand and prepare to have your fingers squashed.”
I laughed, thinking he was joking, but by the time our little girl slipped into the healer’s waiting hands, I’d lost feeling in my fingertips.
She was messy and angry and roared her displeasure and finally being forced out of her cozy nest, but once she was cleaned up and tucked against Augie for her first meal, her attitude improved.
Little Evelyn Sue, named after two very special women, was beautiful and sassy and made her presence in this world known from the first moment of her life.
I’d never loved anyone more than her and her daddy, and I swore to spend the rest of my life making theirs the very best I could. After all, they’d just done the hard part.