Tito was about to become a father.

The thought was enough to make him want to throw up, and he might have if he’d been in the privacy of his own suite back at home. Instead, he was at the Ogorth clan, surrounded by people he didn’t know. He was here for the war and was supposed to support his king through it.

There was no one better than him to support Killian. He’d been Killian’s friend for most of their lives, and he’d become his personal assistant when Killian had taken his father’s place on the throne. The two of them had planned the coup together, and even though it had been terrifying, it had been nothing compared to what Tito was going through right now.

He was about to become a father.

He swallowed and stared at the door in front of him. He’d been told the infirmary was located here and that he’d be handed the egg today. He’d been tempted to say no thank you and ignore the entire situation, but he owed it to his cousin not to.

He closed his eyes as he thought of her. He couldn’t believe he’d never see her again, but he wasn’t surprised. He and his family had been frantic since the Saganto clan had started down the path that had led to this war. Delia had become a Saganto clan member after she met her partner, Alix. She’d kept in touch with their family for a while after moving in with them, then had stopped.

They knew why now.

Tito could only imagine how frightened she’d been and what her life had been like. She’d no doubt been happy when she found out she was pregnant, but instead of raising her child and settling down in her pregnancy and in her new family, she’d had to run. She’d managed to save her child, but she’d died in the process, as had her partner. The baby in the infirmary had lost their entire family, and they hadn’t even hatched out of the egg.

How could Tito raise this child? How could he do the job his cousin had been supposed to do and make her proud?

When he thought about all of it, he wanted to cry. Instead, he opened his eyes, squared his shoulders, and stepped toward the door. Wasting time wouldn’t help anyone, least of all him. This was something he had to do, and he might as well do it and get it out of the way.

No matter how terrified he was, there was no other option.

He pushed open the door. The space was wide, with big windows that gave it an airy feeling. There were two rows of beds, one on each side of the room. A few were separated from the rest of the room by curtains, but not the one Tito was looking for.

The egg he was here to collect didn’t need a bed yet, but Lisha, the healer, had settled by one anyway. He and a human man were looking at the egg, and Tito took another moment to breathe and settle his anxiety.

There was no way to change what had happened. No matter how much he wished to, he couldn’t. His cousin wouldn’t come back, and neither would her partner. They were dead, and Tito was already making plans to bring their bodies back to their clan. Technically, Alix wasn’t an Eiloren clan member, but that didn’t matter. He and Delia had been together. They’d fled the Saganto clan and had come to warn the Ogorth clan of what their king was planning. They both deserved to be celebrated and honored. Alix would become a clan member even though he was dead.

Lisha manipulated the egg for a moment longer. Tito had no idea what he was looking for, and he probably wouldn’t understand even if the healer told him. 

Lisha lowered the egg. “Everything looks good.”

“I know you told me about the baby, but I almost hoped you were kidding,” Tito said.

Lisha set the egg down on the nearest bed and turned to Tito. He smiled at him, but it was a sad smile that echoed Tito’s feelings.

Having children was almost always celebrated in their clans. The same should have gone for this egg, but instead, the baby inside had lost their parents and might hatch in the middle of a war. Tito had no idea when the egg would hatch, but he prayed it would wait a bit. He needed to be able to focus on the war and keep everything as it should be. Killian needed him, and he wanted to help.

“Unfortunately, I wasn’t,” Lisha said. “This baby lost both of their parents and only has you left.”

Tito snorted. He’d known that, but that didn’t mean he was comfortable with the idea. “Way to make all of this sound easier. You don’t have to guilt me into accepting the egg. I’m taking it home.”

“Good. I realize what we’re asking of you isn’t easy. I’m sorry for your loss.”

Tito couldn’t look away from the egg. He was related to the child inside of it, but he wasn’t their father, or rather, he wasn’t supposed to be. He’d been asked to take that role, but he was sure plenty of people would be better suited, even if he ignored his job and how much work he had because of the war. “You’re sure they wanted me to take care of it? Because Delia’s parents would be happy to raise their grandchild.”

“It’s what the egg’s father told me before he passed away. I don’t know if the two of you ever met, but he seemed to know and trust you.”