Chapter Ten

Vinnie

My eyes drift away from my sleeping mate. His face is slack with a peaceful sleep. I tuck the blankets around him carefully, making sure he's okay.

Now that I know he's okay, I look down at my eggs. They're the most beautiful things I've ever seen and that's saying something because Tatum exists.

My fingers trace over the first egg, my heart swelling with affection. The shell is the most beautiful pearl I've ever seen, the light coming in from the streetlights outside making it iridescent, different colors warping over the shell. It's smaller than an average baby but I know that'll change with time, the shell expanding as the occupant inside continues to grow.

Gods, creating life like this is such a miracle that leaves me in complete awe.

Our second egg was a surprise but I couldn't love it any less than the first. This one is hot to the touch and I can feel it in the pit of my stomach, this egg contains a phoenix just like me. The shell is a bright orange color and reminds me of a crystal rather than a gem. It's not smooth like the pearl egg, instead having barely there diamond shaped ridges all over it.

This one is slightly smaller than the pearl egg but no less magnificent.

I tenderly wrap them both with a towel, wanting to keep them warm and safe. I slide them onto the bed next to Tatum before getting into bed on the other side, keeping the eggs between us. I lay there, staring at my mate and my eggs, overwhelmed with how happy I am.

This town I've come to call my own has always been good at keeping my loneliness at bay. They love and accept me. I know all their names, I know all their orders, I know how their kids who live two states over are doing. But there was always something missing, something that left me longing for more.

It turns out, I was just waiting for my true mate to arrive and lose a tire.

I can't imagine leaving this place, but I also want nothing more than for Tatum to find his siblings. They are out there, probably longing for Tatum the same way I longed for him, the same way he longs for them. I could never keep that from him as long as it's within my power to help him find them.

And who's to say that finding them will mean I lose this place? Maybe I'll gain a few brother-in-laws along the way. Even more people to care for doesn't sound like a bad thing.

Tatum begins to stir, mumbling to me and reaching a hand towards me. It lands on the pearl egg and his eyes suddenly widen. He leans up, groaning as that jostles his body. He must be sore from birthing our eggs.

"Hey, try not to move, sweetheart. Do you need something? I'll get it for you."

Before I can properly get myself out of the bed, Tatum shakes his head. "Just stay for a moment. Want to take this all in."

"I understand," I say softly because I do. This feels monumental. This feels huge. Like this is a new chapter of our lives, a turning point of sorts. There was before knowing Tatum and having these babies and now there's afterwards and everything that comes with knowing them.

I welcome it wholeheartedly.

"They're so beautiful," Tatum says softly. He runs a finger over the pearl egg before touching the orange one. "This one is so hot compared to the other one."

"Phoenix shifters run hot," I explain gently, waiting to see his reaction. Somehow his smile widens even more.

"We have one of each? Really?" I nod my head. "That's amazing. Both of our kinds were near extinct and now there's more. We're keeping our lines alive. Gods, that's both wonderful and terrifying, isn't it? Like a weight on our shoulders to keep things going."

"There's no burden to being alive, not when we have each other. They won't grow up alone. They won't wonder if things end with them. And that's without factoring in your siblings out there. They might be popping out babies of their own for all we know."

Tatum grins. "I hope they are. Hopefully their egg-sperience is as wonderful as mine was."

"That was terrible," I say with a groan that only makes my mate chuckle. What does it say about me that it's that particular terrible pun that gives me the certainty and courage to tell him how I'm feeling. "I wanna say something but I don't want you to feel the need to reply."

"Okay," Tatum says slowly, his eyes boring into my own.

Swallowing thickly I continue on, "you're the most wonderful man I've ever met and I don't understand why it is the universe stuck you with me but I'm forever grateful. Everyday I learn more about you and those things are more reasons for me to adore you. You're my mate and the father of my children. You are my egg bearer. The thought of spending our lives together fills me with more joy than I know how to express. Tatum," I say, making sure this last part sticks. "I love you."

Tatum sucks in a sharp breath, his eyes widening the longer I talk. His cheeks turn that adorable pink I've grown to love so much. His hand, which up until now has been tracing patterns against the shell of our eggs, stops. He reaches across the eggs to touch my cheek.

"Oh, Vinnie," he breathes out, his eyes achingly soft. "I love you too." Oh my gods, I don't think my chest has ever felt this type of fluttering before at hearing him say he loves me! "I know this has all happened rather fast but I don't care. I left the only place I've ever called home only to find my forever home with you."

"That's the thing about true mates," I say, grinning from ear to ear. "Everything goes fast because we can feel this connection from the instant we meet. You're it for me, Tatum."

"You're it for me too. And now we have these precious eggs to take care of. I can't wait until they hatch and we get to officially meet them."

I can't stay away a moment longer. Carefully, I lean across the eggs in order to kiss my mate's lips. I love him so much and knowing he loves me too? It's priceless. I'm not sure anything will ever compare to this feeling.

The rest of the night we stay awake, whispering over our eggs like if we talk too loud it might wake them up. We keep them warm and safe, talking about what our future might hold, wondering what our babies might look like, and wondering how in the world we'll fit four people in this little apartment.

I'm content and whole, spending the night dreaming about the future Tatum and I have for ourselves, knowing that no matter what path we might take, we'll take it side by side.