Page 47 of His Prodigal Alpha

“Cute.”

“Sexy.”

“Cute.”

“A silver fox.”

“Cute.”

“Gentlemen…” Eric interrupted our silly little game, sounding both exasperated and amused. He gestured to the screen and said, “I’m going to print you off some photos, but we’re otherwise done here. We’ll do another scan in four weeks and, at that time, I’ll also scan to check on the progress of your birth canal, Damon.”

Damon cringed, wrinkling his nose. “Can’t you guys just do a C-section? Ollie’s description leaves a lot to be desired.”

“Brandt and I have discussed omega caesarians,” Eric’s tone was gentle, and I knew before he said anything that Damon’s request was about to be carefully rebuffed, “and we’re of the agreement that, with the exception of emergency situations, it’s not worth the risk. As omegas, our bodies are constructed slightly differently to human or beta females…and there are enough inherent risks in a traditional C-section without adding the difference in physiology that being an omega brings to the table.”

Damon pouted as Eric wiped the lubricant from his belly. “Well that sucks. Ollie said there’s a fuckton of pain…and that I’ll shift to grow a new hole…and did I mention the pain? Oh, and the post-partum bleeding? Becauseew, Eric. Ew.”

The dragon wasn’t swayed. He just rolled his eyes. “Human and beta females go through something similar, including the pain and post-partum bleeding. Even those who have C-sections recover from birth the same way. I suspect your body would still form the birth canal to release the blood from the–”

“I can’t hear you,” Damon covered his ears, but Eric ignored him, finishing calmly.

“—open blood vessels which form after the placenta comes away from the uterine wall.”

Even I cringed at the description. Why couldn’t it be like the movies? A little bit of pushing and yelling and then hey presto! Clean, chubby baby and none of the medical gore. I was glad I was the alpha in this situation, even if I also felt a bit guilty that I’d inadvertently been responsible for what Damon would have to experience.

Damon groaned, shutting his eyes. “We’re never doing this again,” he muttered, and the words made my stomach flip-flop.

Yet another confirmation that he saw a future for us.

“I’d never ask you to,” I answered honestly.

Cracking an eye open, he squinted through it. “Is this because you didn’t want any kids?”

Danger! Trick question!

Even Eric cleared his throat and busied himself with his notes, the coward.

“I want this baby,” my reply was firm and without any hesitation. “But I’m already forty-two. I don’t think I’m young enough to start a whole brood. However,” I added carefully, “you’re my mate, kitten. If you wanted more babies, I’d think about it.”

At the end of the day, his happiness meant more to me than my hangups. Besides, didn’t shifters have a longer lifespan than humans?

“Relax, cowboy,” he gave me a little smile, “I don’t think I want more, either. I mean, we can always see how this one goes, but…well, my vision of the future kind of stops at one kid.”

It didn’t escape my notice that he hadn’t refuted my calling him my mate.

“Whatever you want, darlin’,” I grinned, unable to contain my happiness.

“Now help me up,” he demanded, “I’ve gotta pee.”

* * *

Over the course of the next five weeks, I spent every free moment I had getting my cottage finalized. The mountain lion inside me was becoming more agitated as our son’s due date loomed, and I suspected he was just as anxious about Damon still wanting to live in his poky apartment as I was. I knew he was anxious about the most recent feedback from the neighborhood watch Beck had set up. Shifters Sanctuary hadn’t seen any suspicious newcomers at all. None. That felt wrong. My alpha agreed.

God damn, but it felt weird thinking of my inner alpha as a separate entity.

We were one and the same…and yet somehow different. I couldn’t fully explain the sensation, just that my shifter side felt like his own person at times. Or, rather, his own cat.

But back to the original point. It wasn’t that I didn’t respect Damon’s wishes. I just had this deep-seated urge to protect my mate and cub. How could I do that if we lived on opposite ends of town? Especially when we had no idea what Morstein was planning, or when he and his kin would act. And they would act, I was sure of it.

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