Page 1 of A Hatchling for Valentine’s

Chapter One

Vic couldn’t keep still. He didn’t know how Kellan did it. His dilemma wasn’t made any better by the fact that he was terrified he might damage the egg if he made a sudden move or put too much pressure on the shell. This was especially the case since the difference in size between him and Kellan was marked. Although, he had to admit that while Kellan was small, it didn’t prevent him from being rather feisty.

As Vic trailed his fingertips from the top of the rounded point of the egg to the swell of the hard, creamy surface where it was nestled in a jumble of soft blankets and towels, he marveled at how abruptly his life had changed in only a few months. He’d gone from being a lonely Alpha wolf who had despaired of ever finding any mate, to falling madly in love with a sweet and salty swan omega who also happened to be his fated mate.

And now we’re starting a family.

First their hatchling would be born then they would be married next to Vale Lake in the spring. Vic sighed and placed a gentle kiss on the egg he had his body loosely wrapped around. He’d been truly blessed by the gods after losing his pack and being alone for so many years.

Right as Vic was about to doze off to thoughts of the new house he’d decided he wanted to build for his growing family, he was jostled awake by the sound of his mate’s voice booming in the living room.

“Vic! Wait till you see what I got!”

Vic chuckled to himself. He’d given Kellan a credit card of his own and told him to go out and buy whatever they needed for the baby. It wasn’t as if they had months before the baby hatched. Swan shifter babies arrived much sooner than wolf shifter babies did. Vic reflexively petted the egg, an uneasy twinge in his gut nagging at him.

Dr. Arthur will be by soon. Maybe he has some new insights.

They had yet to find anyone who had experienced the birth of a part swan, part wolf shifter baby. Other than not moving the egg, keeping it warm and allowing it to hatch naturally, everything else would be a whole lot of guessing mixed in with a generous portion of surprise.

“Look!” Kellan burst into the room with a large plastic bag from the local department store where many of the residents shopped. Whatever it contained was about a quarter of the size of Kellan and housed in a box. He gave Vic a messy kiss on his lips before excitedly continuing. “Remember how I saw that homemade baby food recipe channel online? Well, I found this amazing food processor on sale!” Kellan grinned as he set the bag on the edge of the bed then peeled it down to show off his purchase. “See? They even had it in red.”

Vic sat up enough to get a good look at the box so he could read all the features. “Wow. This is a nice model for the house.” He smiled at Kellan. “So is the red.” Vic plucked at his beard as he considered whether he wanted to ask the next question. “What do swan shifter babies eat?”

Kellan chewed on his lower lip. “You might not want to know. But it’ll be pureed, so it shouldn’t bother you too much. That show I saw has lots of fruit and vegetable recipes too, so I can just mix the—”

Vic held up his hand. “That’s okay. You’re right. Don’t want to know.”

Kellan’s cheeks flushed. “I’ll just take this to the kitchen then.”

“Hey.” Vic gestured for him to move closer. “How about another kiss first?”

With an even bigger grin, Kellan leaned down and opened up to Vic, an invitation for more than a quick peck. Vic cupped Kellan’s cheek, stroking his face with his thumb while moving his tongue through Kellan’s mouth, tasting the man he ached for every minute of the day. He drew back but held Kellan’s gaze.

“Did you get any swimming in?”

The day was sunny for a change, and Kellan had so few opportunities to be away from the egg. It had already been a few weeks since he’d laid it and the snowy weather hadn’t let up.

“I did. I shifted and paddled around for a while.” Kellan straightened as his expression fell.

Vic furrowed his brow. “What? Didn’t you enjoy it?”

“I’m… I’m not complaining, I swear. It’s just that there aren’t any other swans to swim with. Not even geese or ducks.” He smirked. “Well, not ones that can shift, anyway. I’m not used to being the lone water fowl. It’s unnatural.”

Vic reached out and clasped Kellan’s hand. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Maybe some will move to Vale Valley soon.”

Kellan gave a small nod. “Yeah. I suppose.” He laced his fingers with Vic’s. “What about you? You never did the midnight run on Christmas Eve and you haven’t done anything like that since.”

Vic couldn’t deny he’d been itching to get out for a good night’s romp but hadn’t felt right leaving Kellan alone with the egg. His concern was silly in some ways. What was likely to happen? He had to admit that his almost rabid need to watch over Kellan and his unhatched child had caught him off-guard.

“I’ll see what Skip and the other guys are up to this week. Now that there seems to be a break in the storms, maybe we can pull something together.”

A smile lit up Kellan’s face. “That sounds awesome. I don’t want me and the baby to mess up your life.”

Vic gasped, sitting up with a start. He yanked Kellan to him until he stumbled onto his lap then wrapped his arms around him in a firm embrace. “Don’t ever say that and please don’t think it. I was only marking time before you came along. Nothing makes me happier than having you and having a baby on the way. Do you realize how long I was alone, how I’d given up on ever finding a mate?”

Kellan relaxed in Vic’s hold and lay his head against his chest. “I know, I do. I guess letting go of all the ugly words my brother Finn and the others always drilled into me isn’t as easy as I’d thought. Over and over for years about how useless and in the way I was.” Kellan peered up at him. “I’ll get better, I promise.”

Vic sighed then cupped the back of Kellan’s neck, pressing his lips to Kellan’s forehead. “You’re fine exactly how you are. I wish I could make that little shit pay for the way he treated you. No matter what, though, I adore and love you and I want this baby more than I’ve ever wanted anything. That is one fact you can be certain of.”