Chapter Eight

Peter

Incessant itching was driving me mad, I needed to let my beast out and was sure Georgi felt the same.

"Let's go out and shift after breakfast." I poured more fresh-squeezed orange juice into each of our glasses. "My bear wants to stretch his legs and sniff the area a bit, and I know Georgi would love to play in the field behind the living accommodations. We haven't had much of a chance to explore yet."

"That sounds like a great idea." Karl finished the last bite of his chocolate chip pancake and wiped his mouth. "I could use a good flight around the area."

"I wish I could fly." My son looked adorable with his little pout. One day, the pouting would get old, and he'd have to stop, but for now, I just wanted to cuddle him whenever I saw his lips pull down like that.

"Well, I know it's not the same as being a shifter who can fly, but maybe one day, I can take you on a flight with me. Not today. And your papa would have to approve it first. Rayne and his brother Wolf showed me a few contraptions at the training center that allow dragon shifters to carry passengers safely strapped to them. I can show them to you both and see if that is something we can do, all right?"

"I think that sounds like something we can do." I smiled down at my mini-me, matching his excited energy with a matching bounce in my seat. "But, for now, let's clean up these dishes and go out and shift."

"Yes." Georgi pumped his fist and jumped out of his chair, heading toward the back door.

"Hey, bud?" Karl stood and took his plate to the sink, rinsing it off before placing it in the dishwasher. "I believe your papa told you to clean up first."

"Oh. Right." Georgi returned to his kitchen table seat and gathered his dirty dishes before bringing them to Karl at the sink.

"Thanks, buddy. I'll rinse these off if you take this rag and wipe down the table for me. Okay?"

"Okay."

I loved watching the two most influential people work together like a family should. This was the type of environment I had always wanted to give to my children. Unfortunately, things hadn't been as I had hoped—not until now, at least.

"Ready?" Karl startled me out of my musings, snaking his arms around my waist and sneaking a kiss as Georgi hopped around by the back door waiting for us to go outside.

"Let's go." I held Karl's hand and motioned to Georgi to open the door.

As soon as we were outdoors, Georgi stripped down and shifted into his fur, letting out the most adorable baby cub roar.

"That was him telling us to hurry up." I laughed as I disrobed. "Go ahead and show me that beautiful beast of yours."

"Okay, here he is." Karl undressed and shifted, taking the shape of his dragon. Breathtaking, he stood there and let me admire him. Georgi even came over to give him a little sniff and head rub.

I joined in on the fun and took my bear form. I noticed the tiny but noticeable curve of my belly in this shape. Some shifters chose not to shift during pregnancy, but my family always had and I didn't see a reason to stop doing so now. My grandpaw and grandmaw always told me it would help in the delivery process later if we kept shifting. I was not sure if they were correct or if that was just an old omega's tale, but regardless, I was listening to them.

My bear roared in happiness to be free and able to ramble through the field behind the house. A few other shifters were enjoying a flight or run in the area, and a few wolf and lion pups soon joined Georgi. Georgi fell on his bottom when one of the wolf pups shifted into a tiny green dragon. I was startled at the fact that they had more than one shape. I was sure that later tonight I would hear how unfair it was that my son only had a bear.

Will our little one have two forms as well?

I mind-linked my mate, who was enjoying a flight with a few other former GSC agents he had worked with who now worked at the center.

We won't know until they are born, but both genes have blessed the children born lately to parents of different shifter kinds. So, it's possible. Just be prepared either way, Karl sent back through our link.

Good to know.

As the afternoon passed, we enjoyed the day in the sun surrounded by other shifters. I'd never felt so free to be in this form, even as a child on my family's farm. Here, we were protected from the outside world and could run and play without being afraid a human would stumble across us and create issues. At this moment, I agreed with Georgi when he said he wanted to stay here forever.

Getting a bit hungry, I shifted back and laid out a picnic. I noticed we weren't the only family with the idea. This was a perfect spot for this sort of activity.

"Hey, Peter. Hi, Karl." Wolf walked up to us and gave us hugs. "I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure." Karl opened a container of fruit so Georgi could start eating. "Do you want some watermelon, Wolf?"

"No, thank you." Wolf waved off the offer. "Ollie made a feast, and I promised I'd come right back. I just wanted to ask Peter something. Would you like to help at the training center? We could use another pair of hands at the Montessori school and daycare. I know it would only be for a couple of weeks until the birth, but you would be welcomed back after paternity leave. Are you interested?"

"I am." I looked down at Georgi and imagined helping him and the other kids daily. "That sounds amazing. I went to school for early childhood development to learn about kids that age."

"Amazing." Wolf smiled. "And Karl will be helping us with the new project. It will be great having you both. I'd better return to my family before they eat my share of the food. Ollie is a good cook."

Wolf waved goodbye and jogged back toward his mate and family. I couldn't believe the stories some other shifters on campus told about that guy. There was no way that family man was ever a playboy. I couldn't see it when looking at how he loved his omega and didn't spare anyone a glance if Ollie was in the room. People should stop spreading rumors.

"Are you sure you are up to that?" Karl handed me a plate and started filling his own.

"I am." I sat down next to Georgi and dug in. "I have been hoping to ask them if there was anything I could help with. It will be great. I always wanted to work with kids. And when the baby is born, if we're still here, I can bring them to work with me."

"Then I'm happy for you." Karl stabbed his fork into a piece of melon. "Maybe this is meant to be our home after all."