Page 31 of The Dragon, the Bear, and Their Sugar Glider Omega

She had him lie back and examined him while we told her what we’d noticed the night before. Her expression was hard to read, but it amped up my concern when she said, “I think we need a scan here.” Then she left to get things set up.

Clay’s hands were fisting and flexing, but we each took one and smoothed them out. “It will be fine,” I told him, and Rome echoed that sentiment.

“As long as the baby is okay, I’m good too.” He blew out a long breath as the midwife returned.

She gelled him up and ran the device over his belly in all directions before making a stunning pronouncement. “You are having more than one.”

My heart lifted, but it stuttered when she went on. “A pouch baby, marsupial style, and there’s at least one egg in there, too. So, that explains the hardness.”

We all gaped at her. “What does that mean?” Clay asked. “Are they okay?”

“They look great, but I’ve never seen this happen before, so we’re going to have to monitor you closely and wing it.”

Not reassuring in the least. But we talked on the way to a late breakfast and agreed we would monitor carefully but also not spend every moment worrying when we couldn’t fix it. All we could do was love the babies and take care of our omega.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rome

The day was lovely. No usual San Diego marine layer to gray-up the sky.

But even with the promise of sunlight, Clay was slow to get out of bed. He’d piled up all the pillows like a barrier around him in our custom, oversized bed.

“Clay. Clay.” I tickled the top of his head. “Time to get up.”

“No. Not today.” He turned over onto his stomach, head facing away from me.

“Are you feeling sick?” I sat on the edge of the mattress, reaching over the pillows to rub his back.

“Just want to curl up somewhere safe and wait.”

“Wait for what?”

“Babies.”

It had not been a difficult pregnancy so far. Clay was young, healthy, and doing well.

“Aw, sweetheart. They’re not coming yet.” Were they? I realized how little I actually knew about sugar gliders and their young, let alone sugar gliders who mated with dragons and bears.

“But soon. They will be here soon.”

How soon? “Do you feel any cramping or pain?”

“No. I just want to nap for a while.”

“That’s okay. You can do that.”

I stayed to comfort him a little while longer then left him dozing and went to find Armel.

My bear mate was in the kitchen putting away the clean dishes from the dishwasher. He loved his kitchen and took over most of the kitchen chores and duties, including cooking some very fine meals. Which was a good thing because all I was good for was cooking hot dogs and buying already-baked chickens. That, and making soup from a can.

“Hey, Arm. I can’t get Clay up. He’s got all the pillows around him like a barrier, and he says he just wants to curl up somewhere safe and wait for babies.”

“Is he nesting?”

“That would make sense since the midwife thinks he’s carrying at least one egg.”

“We can let him be for now. Make him comfortable. In a while, we can bring him lunch in bed.”

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