Page 56 of The Dragon at the End of This Pregnancy

"They won't." I walked over to the enclosure to pet both, but my actions didn't reassure Sunny of their safety. "We'll find another burrow of wild dire weasels before I'll let them have your babies. They've already come so far in their training!"

Sunny's worry eased with the praise, but a frown ghosted across his brow when I bid him farewell. I wasn't good at comforting others, not when I didn't know Galen's family's eating habits. I also didn't trust them, though I tried to be brave for Galen.

Brave and foolish. That was me.

* * *

Even after Galen read all the books on kobold pregnancies to me, I still didn't know where I was carrying our little girl, exactly. The uncomfortable bloating started in my gut, but I could also feel it lower, in my balls. Most of the time, it settled in my chest. Galen tried to tell me it was heartburn from indigestion, but all I could see was a xenomorph bursting through my ribcage.

Sometimes, the pain shifted to between my hips. Every bodily function hurt worse with each passing day until I was sure I was going to birth this baby out my cock or ass any day now.

I didn't notice my belongings flying through the cave of their own accord until Galen dropped a packed bag at my feet with their magic.

"It's time to go to the gestation cave," they said.

"You think I'm about to have an egg?"

"Gods, I hope so." They chuffed a laugh, and smoke rolled over me when they bumped my chest with their snout. They dropped down so I could climb onto their back. I clutched the bag to my chest and leaned forward until it was pressed tight between me and Galen. Their spell washed over me, holding me in place for a rougher than usual takeoff and landing.

"Flying is not as easy as it once was," they admitted when we reached the birthing cave of their ancestors. "Another day, and I was afraid we would be stuck at our cave."

I saw nothing wrong with that, but the dragon pregnancy books had been adamant about following tradition. While I didn't agree with their paragon's decision to burn every kobold village to the ground for combining genes with humans, I could understand their frustration with kobolds' break from the past. I didn't always agree with Galen's insistence on tradition, either, but at least their demands were more reasonable.

This cave, for instance. It was cozy and filled with light, thanks to the bright stone at the entrance and along the walls. The mountain above us seemed to be made of the reflective stuff. Only the hollowed-out bowl in the middle of the cave floor didn't reflect the light. Upon closer inspection, I realized that was because massive amounts of blankets and pillows lined the space, most of which I recognized from Galen's stash. They'd been busy this morning while I'd been wallowing in my pain.

"Come cuddle with me." They sounded as weary as I felt. They curled into a ball in the nesting area, leaving room for me beneath their wing, close to their chest.

I snuggled in, content to be with my dragon. I had worried about laying my egg so far away from other kobolds, but they wouldn't be able to help me beyond Olaf's advice, anyway.

Magic, everyone said. Our baby girl would let us know she was ready to move outside my body, and we would use our combined magic to move her there. Unlike Galen's egg, which had already swelled the size of their right testicle, our little kobold was not yet surrounded by a shell. We would make the shell and everything she needed to live inside it from ... magic.

I'd had kobold magic since my second molt, like most betas. Thankfully, spells and skills came easily to me. I'd discovered my first clutch of baby dragonets by instinct. I hoped laying my first kobold egg would be just as easy.

I dozed off against Galen's chest. Their deep, even breaths lulled me to sleep.

I woke to stabbing pains. This time, I was certain an alien creature would poke through my ribcage. Instead, I heard a tiny voice in my head.

"It's time for me to come out."

The voice sounded both young and ancient at the same time. I didn't know what to make of it. I trembled against Galen's side, and they stirred awake.

"What is it?"

"Our little girl."

"It's time,"she repeated.

"I hear her." Galen made a rumbling sound in their throat.

"I still don't know what to do," I muttered. She could probably hear me, but it couldn't be helped.

"I will guide you. Trust me, Pop."

She'd already picked a name for me, different from what I'd called my own parents. I loved the name already. I loved her already. I could not let her down.

"Paragon, you will build my shell from the same elements as this cave."

Galen seemed as awed by their honorific as I was by mine. Their magic swirled, glistening with the light from the reflective stones around us until the shell itself glowed with the same light.

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