Night Fury's Wrath

Chapter 31: Puzzle Pieces [Part 3]

"Is there something I should know about?" Mom warbled warily.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?!" I snapped irritably, looking up at the white dragon. I stalked through the tall grass in a random direction, hoping to get away from everyone for a while, but Mom had found me by flying above the fields. I kept getting asked if I had a 'surprise' or if there was 'something they should know about.' It was annoying! "I don't have any big secrets! I keep saying that over and over, but nobody believes me, and nobody will tell me why they keep asking! Does everyone have their heads in their asses or something?!"

Mom dropped from her slow glide above me, flattening a bunch of tall grass with her weight, and walked beside me, matching my pace. She looked at me for a long moment, seemingly searching for something. "Myrkr came to me for information," she revealed slowly.

I shot her an impatient look. "And?"

"He asked me about... eggs."

I stopped walking as it finally dawned on me, slowly turning to face her. "Does everyone think I'm pregnant?" I asked in a quiet, mortified voice.

She raised a brow. "He asked me a lot of questions about how painful carrying and laying an egg was, why eggs are a good thing, why eggs are worth it, and how best to handle a pregnant female in pain," she explained calmly. "It sounded like he was searching for advice because he accidentally got you pregnant." My jaw dropped open, staring at her with a massive blush and utter disbelief. She tilted her head. "Sooo... are you? That might explain your sudden interest in my egg. If you are pregnant, I will completely understand and support you-"

"NO!" I shrieked, cutting her off before she said anything more. "I am NOT pregnant!"

"Are you sure-"

"Am I sure?!" I shouted incredulously, making her step back with a wince. "How could I not be sure?! Whoops, he licked my face, I guess I'm freaking pregnant?! We haven't even mated yet, Mom!"

"You haven't?" She warbled, eyes widening. "Oh."

"I'm not even an adult!"

She smiled sheepishly. "Well, I was barely an adult when your father and I-"

"I don't need to hear about my parents' private life!" I groaned, shaking my head hard. "Why does everyone jump to conclusions?" Did Nana Moon spread that rumor? She probably did.

"Do you happen to know why he asked me questions about eggs, then?" She queried, eyeing me carefully. "It was pretty sudden. Do you think he wants them soon?"

I sighed and looked in the general direction of the burrow, where Myrkr likely was. "He definitely wants one," I admitted awkwardly. "It's sort of obvious." I didn't know about soon, though...

"You talked about eggs with him?" She sounded surprised.

I huffed, turning back to her with annoyance tinging my voice. "You let me keep your egg warm with my new mate lying right next to me. What did you think we would talk about?"

She opened her mouth, blinked, then closed it. "Right..."

"I made him a deal," I explained, making an effort to be less snippy. "If he could come up with a good reason why it was worthwhile for me to go through the pain of carrying and laying his egg, then I'd reconsider my decision about making an egg." I neglected to mention the second reason. My deeper doubts about being a mother were private, the only exception being Myrkr. I didn't want anyone else going on a long lecture about why I shouldn't doubt myself. I wanted to figure it out on my own.