Page 17 of Mated in the Stars

“She a boy now. Get mad when Teddy calls him mum.”

“Who told you this?” I asked, my eyebrow twitching in annoyance. It seemed way too heavy of a thing to tell my baby.

“He told me he was no one’s mommy,” Minter said, wrapping himself around my leg.

“Who told you?”

“Nel-um,” Minter whispered. “He’s a shhhh!”

“A shhhh?!” I asked.

“You gotta go shhh about him,” Minter said.

“Fred Moonscale,” I called from the bathroom. “What is our baby talking about?”

“Shit,” Fred swore under his breath.

“Don’t swear!” I called back.

“Don’t wake up the egg!” Fred called back as if our egg could really sleep.

“What have you been keeping from me?” I walked out of the bathroom into the nesting room, dragging the leg Minter clung to behind me.

My heart pounded in my ears and I forced myself to let out a long, slow breath. We didn’t yell in front of Minter. Hell, we did our best not to yell at each other ever. Our first meeting had been too violent – too draconic almost – for all that shit.

“I haven’t met him. So, I don’t know if he is who they think he is,” Fred said, meeting my gaze. “Want me to call Teddy to come get Minter?”

“No,” I shook my head. “I want you to tell me what’s going on. I’m not some fragile flower! I had a surgery! A surgery that hurt my brain more than my body! I don’t need all of you tiptoeing around me!”

“Tippy-claws! Tippy-claws!” Minter called out and I smiled despite the anger churning in my belly.

“Someone came through the door. The guy Teddy told you about. The one who was either hunting or being hunted by that fire breathing boar. Teddy thinks he’s Lotus. He wanted me to meet him as soon as it was clear you and the egg were okay. I didn’t, though.”

“Why not?” I asked, barely able to not screech the words at him. “If he is Lotus, he’s probably afraid and alone and---”

“He’s not alone. He’s staying at Sunny and Laken’s house. Hasn’t even tried to go back to where he came from apparently. This guy – Nelum – doesn’t think he was Lotus. Though, does admit to weird memories around Teddy and his star is yellow. The same star that disappeared from the Star Room according to Tritus. So, I don’t bloody well know what’s going on with him. Lotus is dead. If this guy was Lotus, he’s not Lotus as I knew her. He might not even be her but what I do know is that you -my very alive and very here mate- needed me. That our toddler needed me. I couldn’t go off half-cocked for someone who might not even be her. If he is, we’ll meet him together. If he’s not, we’ll find a good therapist so that Teddy stops calling him mum.”

I almost laughed at the last part but if Teddy called this guy mum, there was no doubt in my mind he was Lotus or at least he had been.

“How are you feeling?” I asked Fred once the steam was out of my sails.

“I’m not sure how to feel. Relieved. I’m relieved you and our egg are okay.,” he said after considering the question for a long, silent second. “About her? I miss her everyday and I think thishas just hammered home that I’ll always miss her. The man they’re describing sounds nothing like my Lotus. I’m not even talking about his appearance. Sure, Lotus learned to fight after she helped Lee turn over Grady Moore but she’d never have chased a pig around like that.”

“I think she would’ve if that’s how she could feed her babies,” I countered.

Fred let out another long breath. I hated times like this. I didn’t know what to say and that killed me. It plain fucking killed me. I could’ve died right there on the spot if not for Minter still wrapped around my leg. Fred smelled like grief and I hated myself for not knowing what to say.

“Don’t be like that,” Fred rubbed the bridge of his nose. “This feeling and me are old friends.”

“I think, if this guy is our guy, you’ll feel better after we meet him.”

“He nice. He eats bacy all the time if you let him though. Lakey says,” Minter added. “He’s a nice mummy.”

“Carrier,” Fred said.

“Mummy carry.”

“Close enough,” Fred sighed. “Close enough. You should get some rest. I’ll make something to eat. Do you need help getting back into the nest?”

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