Page 299 of May: Bloom & Bane

“It smells like Vyxen’s club in here,” Damon snorts. “I think your sons have the pain remedies sorted out.”

Sage lets out an irritated breath against my cheek.

“She’s sleeping. Or she was until the two of you woke her up.”

“Our deepest apologies. How far apart are her contractions? Have you checked her?”

“I don’t think they’ve stopped checking her.”

Heat floods my cheeks. I bury my face against their chest, my whole body twitching with embarrassment, pulsing involuntarily around them.

Ashán groans softly into my hair. “Keep still, ash’kaela. Unless you want them to hear how sweet you make us sound.”

“You sound absolutely divine, Little Reaper,” Damon purrs.

“If you two are quite finished,” Sage mutters, “my mate is in labor, and I would like for her to go back to sleep.”

Therael clears his throat. “Has her water broken?”

Ashán and Sage glance down at the drenched nest. “Yes.”

“Is she moving normally?”

Ashán smirks. “She’s moving just⁠—”

“He’s talking about Vaelína, you absolute idiot,” Sage cuts in. “She’s moving normally. And Eden’s heart rate hasn’t gone over a hundred and fifteen beats per minute.”

My eyes widen. “You were tracking my heart rate?”

He smiles softly. “Of course.”

“Since when?”

“This morning,” he says.

“... Last night,” Ashán chuckles.

“... Yesterday afternoon.”

Ashán mock-coughs. “... Technically, we’ve been monitoring it since we left Damien’s. We knew you were getting close.”

“Four days?”

“It rises during contractions, and when you’re uncomfortable.”

“It also spikes when we kiss your neck,” Ashán adds proudly.

“Ashán,” Sage groans.

“What? It does.”

Damon laughs. “Like a young me, don’t you think?”

“The reaper?” Therael sighs. “Yes.”

“Why are you two still up here?” Sage barks.

“A young you,” Damon murmurs to Therael. “Very grumpy when he’s stressed.”