"It still has an umbilical cord..." I whisper, dragging myself closer to the sweet-looking baby, ignoring the way my leg seems to hurt worse than it did.
"What does that mean?" Hayes asks, his brows furrowed and lips pressed tightly together as he assesses the tiny little being as it sleeps soundly.
"That thing on it's belly... It's attached still. That usually comes off after they are born." I muse, an air of confusion coming over me as I look closer and observe how tiny the little thing is.
"Do you think...is that from the egg?" Hayes asks, looking around, his hand carefully peeling back layers of leaves and moss as he follows the still moist umbilical cord.
I watch him closely, the inside of my lip trapped between my teeth as I watch anxiously. That is, until something warm and soft slides over my hand and I look down. The tiniest little hand waves, the baby starting to squirm and fuss.
Everything around me seems to slow down, my heart pounding and my chest aching, longing for the baby I lost. Would it have been as beautiful as this one? As frail and innocent looking. A sob shakes me violently as I reach down without thinking. The little goosebumps dot the poor child as he shivers and the sweetest little whimper fills my ears.
"Oh, it's okay, sweetie," I blubber, tucking it into my arm with a half sob, half laugh. The baby's eyes remain closed as he whines and tucks in, as if telling me it likes it. "Oh, look at that sweet little nose."
"Ky..." Hayes says my name softly as I stare at this baby, my baby now as its little finger wraps around my pinkie finger, laying its claim on my heart.
I'd forgotten how much I wanted this...how much being a mother meant to me, how much I had craved this unconditional love and relentless trust.
"Kyra," Hayes calls my name again and I sniffle as I look up at him, a heavy frown on his face, as he stares at the baby in my arms.
"Yea?"
shell, one looking incredibly like the oner we have been chasing all along. Then he holds up the bottom shell, the long umbilical cord leading to it as a placenta connects to it, providing the baby with nutrients. "So it is..."
believe so,
nose crinkles,
think for once, we caught
Teiran and Flora only have Ezrah..."
his mind. I can feel what is coming as my
lick my lips, ready to fight him
needs protecting and how
spins, looking at me before he looks back at
his words, making sure I hear everyone and feel
blink at
a damn monster, but I am not one entirely. I have killed many things, but one of them will never be a baby. Not after I have seen the way you
do then?" I whisper, lost for what to do other than
He looks around.
wait for you to heal. When you can walk,
chuckle. It blossoms into a full-blown laughter out of happiness and he looks at me as if I am losing
about him being a boy?" Hayes asks, stepping closer like he is
heart is full as I feel a giddy glee through me. This sweet baby is just a dragon, a tiny helpless baby dragon shifter. Hayes gives me a skeptical brow and shakes his head
different with
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