AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My mate raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Yeah. It’s not as though we’re gonna push Arbor off a cliff and expect him to know how to fly.”
Rome burst out laughing at her horrified expression, and I sighed, whacking him on the back of the head. “Thanks for that, asshole.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t wait a little longer?” Ramsey murmured, twisting her hands together as she watched our son run around the clearing in the woods.
“He’s been shifting for a few weeks now, bright eyes,” I reminded her. “He needs to learn how to fly.”
“But…” Her beautiful eyes filled with moisture, and I scowled at my friend, putting the blame for her tears on him.
Rome held up his hands and slowly backed away before finally turning and walking over to talk to his mate, Thora.
I cupped Ramsey’s shoulders and turned her to face me, wrapping her up in the circle of arms, despite the very large baby bump in her belly. “I know you want to be with him, baby, but you know you can’t fly right now. That’s why I brought Cason.”
Rome was a wolf, but he was the closest thing to an uncle that Arbor had. I knew if there was anyone besides my mate who would protect my son just as fiercely as I would, it was the man we’d named our son after him. If anything happened while Arbor was flying, Rome’s wolf would be there to watch over him on the ground.
Ramsey’s bottom lip popped out and quivered as a single tear rolled down her cheek. I loved seeing my woman knocked up and waddling around with the proof that she was mine on display for everyone to see. But the hormones were a bitch. She cried at the drop of a hat, and it tore me apart inside.
“Please don’t cry, bright eyes,” I pleaded.
She sniffed and wiped under her eyes, then sighed. “Sorry. I just…I always imagined I’d be there when our baby learned to fly.”
“You are here. You’ll be able to watch him the whole time. I promise we won’t let him leave the air above the clearing.”
My mate nodded and sniffed again, before flashing me a tremulous smile.
“That’s my girl,” I murmured before placing a kiss on her nose.
Rasemy stepped out of my embrace as Thora walked up to stand beside her. They linked arms, and Thora murmured, “They’ve got this. Arbor is going to be amazing.” My mate swallowed hard, then made a shooing motion at me. “Go.”
I nodded and turned to walk away, but she grabbed my arm, making me look back at her. Her expression was fierce when she growled, “If he gets hurt, I’m holding Rome responsible.”
Thora chuckled, and I grinned. “Fine by me.” I had no problem throwing my friend under the bus if it meant my mate wouldn’t be mad at me. Although, it was always fun to make it up to her.
“Daddy!!” Arbor shouted.
“Be right there, little man.”
“Love you, bright eyes,” I murmured before giving my mate one more kiss and jogging over to join my brother and son.
Falcons tended to shift earlier than a lot of other shifter breeds, so Arbor was only four. But baby birds learned to fly, and bird shifters did too.
Proving that it wasn’t too early for our son, he took to the air as though he’d always been flying.
“Mommy!” Arbor shrieked after his feet touched ground again He ran toward Ramsey as fast as his little legs would go. “Did you see me? Did you?”
“You bet I did, baby,” she laughed as he threw himself at her legs and hugged them tight. “You were amazing. I never doubted it for a second.”
I chuckled, frowning when Rome rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, and I whacked him on the back of the head. “If you make her cry, you’ll never have another kid,” I threatened in a low growl.
Thora had wandered over and was also giving her mate a warning glare. Rome’s shoulders dropped. “Fine,” he grumped.
I didn’t stick around since I was impatient to get over to my mate and son.
“Feeling better, bright eyes?” I asked softly as I dropped my arm over her shoulder.
She beamed up at me. “I’m so proud of him.”
