I screamed again and formed a mental map of feet as they slipped out of me. I lost track of time as I panted and waited for the contractions to stop. Once they did, I saw them hold my child amid my blurry vision. It was several seconds before I could focus. Sometime in the quick blinks they gave him to his other Father.

In Matros’ muscled arms was a splotchy baby with closed eyes and dripping wet. Puffy red skin almost as if sunburned, slimy wet hair and a wide grimace. Parts of his arms and legs were swollen with splotches of white.

God, he was beautiful.

***

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

PETER

I’d say both women looked with endearing smiles. Maybe they tried, but I still saw tall females with rows of razor teeth. An Omega’s instincts are strong, but I had to balance that against diplomacy and most of all… The Moment.

A few months ago, I was a kid going nowhere in the hills of Tennessee. It wasn’t my location that did it. I was ‘happy’ doing nothing. Now… I was a new father and an Omega. Mother and Father wrapped up in one. The pain was over, but I still felt the warm tears go down my face. Although some went over the ‘fish’ that clung to my claw wounds.

My gaze darted over my son while I made sure that he had the correct number of toes and fingers. He was bigger than I imagined.

My son. I have a son. Me?

My smile widened. Yeah, me… no, us.

“An heir,” whispered Matros.

“Alpha?”

“Yes.” They used another word, but Alphas were the rulers. He would have loved any child, but this meant this kingdom… ours was safe.

He walked to hand me our child. I noticed he didn’t keep the women in his vision. Maybe in the castle, they would have cleaned him up. Perhaps the women could sense his intent. I held him against my chest and splashed water to clean him off.

I remembered hearing a woman becomes a mother when she’s pregnant and a father when he holds his child. Where was I in all that? I sure felt like a parent now. My lips brushed his head and I kissed my Alpha son.

Our heads jerked to a familiar male voice. Within a tight seal of withering eels was Matros’ greatest enemy and mine. I hugged my son tight. He was only in this world a few minutes and he already had someone that wished him harm.

Through a long row of serrated teeth, he hissed. “Release me.”

One of the women whistled. If I thought it out, I wouldn’t have done it. My hand went around her cold, clammy wrist. Her head jerked down. I removed my fingers just as fast.

“He is our king,” Sammen said as if explaining something to a child.