I Was The Only Omega In The Beast World-Chapter 175: CP: Babies Are Helping The Stones To Wake Up
The alcove was dim and quiet when Alex woke.
Soft afternoon light filtered through the ironwood vines that screened the entrance, painting everything in muted golds and greens. The air smelled of warm stone, spring water, and the faint herbal sharpness of the cooling compresses Sally had insisted on. Someone had tucked extra furs behind his lower back and under his knees, and a loose, oversized tunic had been draped over him—soft enough not to rub against his tender, swollen chest.
He was surrounded.
Naga’s coils formed the outer wall of the nest, one thick loop cradling the underside of his belly with careful, protective weight. Lucas lay curled against his back, the wolf lord’s arm draped over Alex’s side so his large hand could rest directly on the swell. Leo had claimed the space in front, one his long tail thumping softly on the ground. Zale floated nearby in the shallow basin they’d carved into the floor, the mer-prince’s presence a constant cool mist that kept the air from growing too warm or stuffy.
Alex shifted slightly, testing his body.
The lower-back ache was still there—dull and persistent—but the pillows had taken the worst of the edge off. His breasts felt heavy and overly sensitive, the nipples tight against the soft fabric, but the cooling compresses Sally had layered beneath the tunic helped. The nausea had retreated to a low simmer instead of the rolling waves of the morning. His ankles were still faintly swollen, but the cool mist from Zale’s sphere had reduced the puffiness.
The small lives inside him were quiet now, resting after whatever they had done with the stones. He could still feel them—three, definitely three, maybe a faint fourth—warm and steady, their heartbeats a gentle rhythm against his own.
Naga’s tongue flicked against his temple the moment he moved. "You’re awake."
"How long was I out?" Alex’s voice came out hoarse.
"Three hours," Lucas murmured against the back of his neck, not opening his eyes.
Leo’s golden eyes cracked open. "You went pale on the ridge. Your scent went sharp with exhaustion and pain. We brought you straight here."
Zale’s sphere drifted closer, cool fingers forming from the mist to brush gently over Alex’s forehead. "Your temperature spiked briefly. The little ones were restless after the stones reacted. Your body had to work hard to stabilize everything."
Alex pressed a hand to his belly. The swell felt firmer today, the skin stretched tighter. When he moved, he felt the distinct weight of it pulling at his lower back and hips. "They’re growing fast."
" Cubs naturally grows faster than snakelings," Naga agreed. His coil shifted, adjusting the support under the curve. "Your scent changed again while you slept. Richer. More layered. There are at least three distinct signatures now. Possibly four."
Alex swallowed. The reality of it—hit him harder in the quiet of the alcove. His body was changing rapidly. The nausea, the backache, the tenderness in his chest, the swelling in his ankles, the constant low-grade fatigue... it was all accelerating. And the small lives inside him were the reason.
"I need to sit up," he said.
Naga helped him, coils moving with effortless strength to prop him against the furs. Lucas stayed glued to his back, one hand never leaving the swell. Leo shifted so he could rest a warm palm over Alex’s belly beside Lucas’s hand. Zale’s cool mist continued to soothe the lingering nausea.
Sally appeared at the entrance almost immediately, as if she’d been listening for movement. She carried a tray with more ginger tea, stone fruits and a small bowl of mashed berries mixed with honey.
"You look better," she said, eyes scanning him with the sharp assessment of someone who had been cataloging every symptom for weeks. "Still pale. Still pressing your lower back. But your color is coming back. How’s the chest?"
"Tender," Alex admitted. "Heavier."
"I’ll adjust the wraps. And I found a salve in the wolf archives—cooling, with some kind of mint. Should help." She set the tray down and sat on the edge of the nest, careful not to jostle him. "The stones?"
Alex reached for the pouch that someone had placed beside the pillows. The seven artifacts were still warm—noticeably warmer than they had been this morning. When he touched them, the small lives inside him stirred again, fluttering in response.
"They reacted," he said. "Not fully awake, but... they showed me something. The threshold. A door. And the shadow behind it. Or connected to it." He looked up at his mates. "The Shadow Lord was there too. Waiting. For his master to awake most likely."
Leo’s tail lashed once. "The stones reacted to the babies. Not just to you. That means the little ones are part of whatever the threshold needs."
"They’re helping wake them," Alex said. "River was right. The stones remember me, but the babies are giving them something new to hold onto. Something living."
Zale’s voice was thoughtful. "Then the next step is controlled. We wait and see if they wake further. We reinforce the springs so the shadow cannot move through water if it tries. And we prepare for whatever the threshold actually does when it opens." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
Alex nodded slowly. The plan made sense. His body, however, had other opinions. Another dull throb rolled through his lower back, and he winced, shifting his weight. The movement made his tender breasts ache sharply, and a fresh wave of mild nausea rose in his throat.
Naga noticed immediately. "Enough talking for now. You need to eat, then rest again. The little ones took a great deal from you today."
Sally was already holding out the tea. "Small sips. If you keep it down, we try the this homemade jam I made. If not, we wait twenty minutes and try again. I’ve got more compresses cooling by the pool."
Alex took the tea with both hands, grateful for the warmth against his palms even as the cool mist from Zale continued to ease the nausea. He drank slowly, feeling the small lives inside him settle once more, responding to the calm voices around him and the steady presence of his mates.
