7. Flint

7

FLINT

O ne month later…

There are far too many children in this house. Ansel's kids are chasing around Lewis's kids, and Kade's kids are toddling behind them, too young to keep up. People are passing around Toby's chicks, and Lark is constantly getting into the kitchen drawers.

This house is nothing like the silent, empty place Dominic brought me home to over a year ago.

The egg is on the "egg stand" Ansel has purchased specifically for the egg hatching events he loves so much. It looks a little like a short cat tower, with a soft center for the eggs to wiggle back and forth. Dominic and I watch our egg intently as our little one does their best to peck their way into the world.

Mom is chatting happily with Kade. The two of them are as thick as thieves these days. Grace is here too, holding Mom's hand.

The two of them officially started dating a few weeks ago.

Max is in the corner, laughing with Cy. I never thought the two of them would get along. Heller is teasing Toby about something, and the poor guy is blushing furiously. Ben is showing Felix pictures of his tortoise. Otis and Daniel are carrying around trays of food, trying to get everyone to eat. Todd and Lewis stand together by the foot of the stairs, content to watch the kids play next to Nadia and Sarah.

When I couldn't find my pebble, I didn't realize that would lead me to this community of mixed shifter couples who were more than eager to welcome us into their circle of friends. Maybe that's how loss works. It makes you go searching for something else.

There's a little crack, and the shell of our little one's egg pops off.

That's our cue to go.

Like Ansel instructed us several times, I lift up the egg stand and carry it back through the formal dining room and into the music room. That's where we agreed we'd greet our little one for the first time.

I set the egg stand down just as Dominic closes the door. He rips off his clothes, eager to join our little one his bear form. White fur grows all over his expanding body, and his hands flatten out into huge paws. I love the black nose that grows from his snout and his pair of soulful black eyes that stare at our little one hopefully as they valiantly try to wriggle out of their shell.

I will never get over how beautiful he is like this.

When I shift, I shrink. Instead of paws, my arms slim out to wings. My nose turns into a beak, and my feet grow claws. I'm adorable as a penguin shifter, and I don't think Dominic appreciates how cute I am. I flap my wings and playfully and caw at him to get his attention.

He rolls his eyes and chuffs, pointing his paw at the top of the egg stand.

Unfortunately, I can no longer see the top of the egg stand. I'm too short.

Clearly, that thing was built by a polar bear shifter.

I crane my neck, wishing that penguins weren't flightless birds. Dominic notices the problem and scoops me up in his arm, so I can properly see. Our chick is wet and sluggish as they lean to the side, finally sliding free of their shell. They're so little. They let out a tired cheep as they stand on their two legs.

That's right, little one. You did it.

Dominic scoops them up too, licking our chick's head with his mighty tongue. Our little one leans into his tongue like a cat. Then slowly, they start to expand just like their omega dad. Their dark wet feathers transform into light blue fur, and their wings become bear arms. I love the little bear ears that pop up on each side of their head, and the patch of white fur on their belly.

Dominic nuzzles their head affectionately. I walk the precariously, uneven path of Dominic's arm to get closer. They stare at me curiously, probably wondering who I am. That's why we wanted to greet our little on in this room.

They may not recognize my appearance, but they'll recognize the sound of my voice.

I burrow my beak in their fur for a bit, enjoying the opportunity to share my animal form with them. Then after a few minutes, I shift back into my human form and track down my clothes.

It's time to show them that I'm the guy who sang to them while they were just an egg waiting to hatch.

Dominic lumbers over to the piano, taking a seat right next to it on the floor, and holding our cub on his shoulder, so they can see. I sit on the bench and place my fingers on the keys.

"Here's one I wrote just for you," I say and start to play.

Outside in the hall, children are laughing. The world is changing.

Now the Ivanov mansion is just a house where people love each other, Dominic is just a man with a life of his own, and Anchorage is just a place where the secrets have already been told.