“We’re now about every one to two minutes. Sasha, we need to get you into the delivery room. I don’t think it’ll be much longer now. Take some slow breaths for me and let's get your heart rate back down.” He clapped Jeremy on the back. “Get ready to be a papa. It won't be long now.”
They pushed her down the hall to a delivery room, which was cool and quiet. The nurse helped her climb up in the bed and readjusted the monitors. Sasha was grinding her teeth together in pain. The nurse put her feet in stirrups again. “Okay, Sasha, I need to check you one last time and see exactly where we are, okay? I need you to take some slow breaths for me.” Dr. Pierre performed the exam quickly. “Nurse, I need you to call the neonatal unit and have them come down. She’s completely dilated and ready to give birth.” He smiled at Sasha. “You’ll be a mama very soon now. You've done well and the baby has had about eighteen hours with that medicine now. I just need you to breathe for me.”
Jeremy held her hand and smoothed Sasha’s brow. A nurse handed him a cold cloth and he wiped Sasha’s forehead. She looked up at him and smiled.
Soon, the room was full of different doctors and nurses, waiting for the baby to arrive. She groaned through the contractions.
The doctor checked her again. “Sasha, I need you to push now.” She bore down and the nurse counted to ten. “Breathe, Sasha! And again!” The nurse counted to ten and Sasha squeezed Jeremy’s fingers. “And again! Push for me!”
Jeremy leaned close to her ear. “You’re wonderful. You’re amazing. Hold on, our Shrimp will be here soon. Push, cupcake.” He kissed her temple. She cried out in pain.
“I see the head, the baby is crowning. Sasha, I need you to push again. Bear down with me on this contraction! Ready? Go!” Sasha bore down, pushing against the stirrups. Jeremy watched in fascination as the doctor pulled out a baby with a head full of dark curls. The doctor quickly cleaned the ears and nose and the baby wailed. “Here, Papa, cut the cord for me. We have an angry little girl here!”
Everyone cheered. Sasha was crying on the pillow. Jeremy cut the umbilical cord and a nurse wrapped the baby up.
“Here you go, you can see your baby for just a minute before they examine her.”
Sasha marveled at her teensy little face.
“Jeremy, look at our Shrimp! Look at her!” Sasha’s eyes shimmered with tears and he tenderly kissed her forehead.
The nurse took the baby back and the doctors and nurses rapidly checked the baby over. “We’ll be taking her down to the neonatal ICU for observation.” The new parents nodded as the team of doctors and nurses scrambled out the door.
“Can I go with them?” Jeremy asked. He looked at Sasha and she smiled and nodded that it was okay.
“Sure,” the doctor replied. “We’re just finishing up here.”
“Keep her safe,” Sasha whispered.
Jeremy pressed a sweet kiss to Sasha’s lips and took off down the hall.
The doctor cleaned Sasha up, she delivered the placenta, and she was wheeled back into her private room. The nurse gave her a soda. “Congratulations, mademoiselle! What will you name her?”
Sasha took a sip of the soda. “I don't know. We haven't picked out a name. Is she okay? When can I go see her?”
The nurse patted her hand. “She’s fine. You’ll be able to see her soon. Your fiancé will be back shortly.”
Sasha closed her eyes. She was exhausted. She heard the door open and in walked Jeremy with a huge, goofy grin on his face. He'd never looked sexier. He came over and kissed her lips. “Cupcake, our Shrimp is beautiful. All ten toes and all ten fingers. I checked! They said she’s doing perfect, and she’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.” He kissed her again.
She smiled against his lips. “What will we name her?”
He pulled out Francois' phone. “Look, I took pictures for you. I don't know what we’ll name her. Do you have any ideas?”
She scrolled through the pictures of her daughter. “As a matter of fact, I do. I was thinking Onyx August Parks. I knew I loved the name Onyx Parks for some reason…and August for when she was conceived.”
His eyes widened. “Onyx August Parks? It’s perfect.” Jeremy kissed her lips slowly.
A little while later, Jeremy touched her arm and murmured, “Sasha, we need to talk.” It was the very thing that chilled her blood. It was the quintessential ‘there’s shit going wrong and I'm going to have to be the asshole that breaks it to you', phrase. She looked at him in panic. He smiled gently, trying to ease the news. “The doctor you are seeing is also well versed in vampire blood, being so close to Claudio and the group of vamps here. He's run a few tests, very quietly, of course; he's been paid well to keep his mouth shut. Onyx isn't fully human, which I’m sure you expected with me being, well…me.”
Her breath caught in her throat and her vision narrowed into a black tunnel swirling all around her. “What? What’s wrong with her?” She struggled with the rough hospital blanket, trying to untangle herself. “I have to get down to see her.”
Jeremy gently put his hand on her shoulder. “Wait. You can't go down yet.”
Her nostrils flared and she gave him a look that would emasculate most men. “Like hell I can't. That is my baby, and I need to know if she’s okay.”
“She’s fine, Sasha, just…paranormal. She has all ten fingers and toes, like I said; she’s beautiful. She's just…not fully human. The doctor is impressed that she’s doing so damn well; her breathing is stabilized, she’s pink and healthy and beautiful, but her blood is showing signs of vampirism. We don’t know if she has werewolf tendencies yet. We won't know until Trevor gets here.”
“What do you mean, when Trevor gets here?” Her eyes narrowed and she untucked the God-awful blanket from around her legs. Jeremy calmly tucked it back in and she fought the urge to slap his beautiful face.
He spoke patiently, like he was speaking to a child. “Sasha, Trevor has studied vampire and werewolf history for a long time. He’ll perform an exam and be able to spot signs of either trait. I don't know a lot about it, but he does. This is a really rare event. Normally humans and paranormals don’t have children, but, apparently, you and I have a blood bond since I took your blood during sex, and it allowed conception to occur. That’s what he and I been able to figure out so far.”
“This feels like a bad movie. A really shitty one. I want to see my baby.” She punched the call button before he could stop her.
“Damn it, Sasha,” he growled.
The nurse came through the door with a smile. “Yes, Sasha? Can I get anything for you?”
“Yes. I want my baby. I want to go see her, right now.” She fought with the puce green hospital blanket again, frustrated tears in her eyes. Jeremy had tucked her so tight it was impossible to get out.
The nurse checked her watch. “It’s been enough time. If you'd like to go down, I can get you a wheelchair.” Sasha nodded enthusiastically. She needed her baby. She glanced over at Jeremy and saw his jaw clenched and his nostrils flared.
“What is wrong with you? Are you really that mad at me for wanting to see Onyx?” Her voice rose in frustration.
He smiled, but barely. “No. It isn't that.” He took a slow breath and held it for a minute. “I need to go take a walk.”
She sat up and winced at the dull ache in her core. “Where are you going? What do you mean, you need to go take a walk? Why don't you want to see Onyx?”
He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her forehead. “It isn't that I don't want to see Onyx, love…I need to go. I can't explain it right now.”
Her eyebrow went up and she folded her arms. “You’re different…there’s a lot that we need to talk about, it seems.”
He nodded, “We will, later. Once Trevor gets here and can check over Onyx. I need to go.” He leaned over quickly and kissed her forehead again.
The nurse came in the door and cheerily said, “Who’s ready to see the baby?” She seemed to note the tension in the room and quickly eased to the side o
f the bed. “Sasha, she’s ready for you. She's hungry, too.”
Sasha's dark eyes went to the nurse, the hurt in her face melting. “She wants me?”
The nurse, Belinda, nodded. “She does. She's ready for her mama.” Jeremy took that opportunity to slip out the door. Fucking coward. Sasha quickly moved out of the bed, her heart shouting for her daughter. The nurse helped her get into the wheelchair, gently tucking a blanket around her legs. “Let's go see your lovely daughter.” The nurse wheeled her out of the room and down the puce colored hallway that reminded her of one night with too many melon ball drinks. Her puke had looked just like that.
She focused on the soft patter of the nurse's feet behind her and tried to crowd thoughts of Jeremy and his strange behavior out of her mind. Could this be because he's been drinking so much blood? Do I need to be concerned? Before, he seemed more…normal, so to speak. Now, I feel like I'm on edge. I…I don't know. I want to know more. Sasha took a slow breath and waited for another door to open so the nurse could wheel her through. “How much longer until we get to Onyx?”
She could hear the nurse’s smile in her voice. “Mademoiselle, we’ll be there in a minute, the NICU is a little bit away from here.”
“Do you know how long she’ll have to stay there?” Sasha twisted her fingers together.
“No, I don't. The doctor should, though. Look, here we are.” She paused in front of a pale blue door. “We need you to scrub your hands up to the elbow, and put a cap and gown on when you go into the room, because there are many babies in there who are very weak and cannot be around germs. We will get Onyx and you can spend time with her in the little room over there,” She pointed with her finger to a door that said, Pour les mères et les nourrissons – For mothers and infants. Sasha nodded. “Can you walk from here, mademoiselle? It’d be much easier.” Sasha nodded again, her heart in her throat.
The nurse helped her stand and she held on to the doorjamb. “I'm ready.” Her heart beat in her throat like a little bird struggling to fly away from capture. Panic was real and alive in her. She spent a few minutes at the sink, scrubbing, as if prepping for surgery, then the nurse dried her arms with a sanitized towel and helped her dress in a cap and gown – both in another awful pale green shade.
“Come,” the other woman said softly. They opened the glass door and walked through to a room that was warm and quiet except for the ticking and whooshing of different machines. She saw several tiny babies in incubators, tubes and gadgets stuck to them. Her heart squeezed painfully. The nurse stopped at an open crib. “Here is your daughter. Look, no machines, it’s quite a feat for one born at thirty-six weeks. I'm amazed.”
Onyx lay on her back, eyes closed and breathing slowly. Dark hair curled on her scalp and she was perfectly pink, with just a hint of a tan. Impossibly dark lashes lay against her cheeks and her mouth was a perfect rosebud, with a full lower lip. “She’s beautiful,” Sasha breathed.
The nurse smiled and nodded. “Oui, she is. Let us take her out of here. Did you want to breastfeed or use a bottle? It may be hard for you to breastfeed, since she was a tiny bit early, but we can certainly try.” She reached into the crib and gently lifted the baby.
Sasha's eyes filled with tears as the nurse put the baby in her arms. Onyx squirmed slightly, her perfect little mouth opening as if to cry, then settled back to sleep. “Oh, she's perfect! I would like to try breastfeeding, please.” A tear escaped her right eye and coursed down her cheek. Jeremy, you missed this… They quietly slipped back through the NICU and moved to the small room across the hall. It was set up comfortably, cream-colored walls with tiger and bear decals traipsing along the walls. A large rocking chair was set into a corner with only a small lamp lighting the room to give it a cozy feel. No harsh fluorescent lights here. The rocking chair had a comfortable plush cushion to lean back against.
Sasha moved to sit down and the nurse murmured, softly, “Wait. Give me the baby so you can undo your gown. Babies love chest to chest therapy, it helps them so very much. I will unwrap her from her blanket.” Sasha nodded as she quickly undid the ties at her neck, peeling the gown to her waist. She eased back in the chair, wincing again at the pain. She held her arms out for her daughter. The nurse gently placed her in her mother's loving embrace and began teaching Sasha how to breastfeed. Unfortunately, twenty minutes and a wailing baby later, they decided to give her a bottle and try breastfeeding again next time. “We can also pump your breasts to see if the milk will express better that way,” the nurse told her gently, handing her a bottle of formula. Onyx slurped it down happily.
Sasha stroked her dark hair. “I wonder what color her eyes will be.” she murmured.
The nurse shrugged. “It’s usually hard to tell until they get a bit older. Her eyes look like they will be light, though. Very unusual with you and the father both having dark eyes.” She adjusted the lights in the room, dimming them slightly. “Let me show you how to burp her. I believe in the old school method of putting her on your shoulder. Plus, it gives you more mama-and-me snuggle time.” After letting out a hearty burp, Onyx was asleep again. “I’ll leave you here for a while. You two enjoy your time together.” The nurse turned and grabbed a blanket from a dresser against the wall. “Here, this will keep you both warm.” She spread it over them and left the room, pausing at the door to say, “I'll be back in a little while.”
Sasha closed her eyes as she hummed to Onyx. The baby was curled up against her chest, sleeping contentedly. A smell of lavender suddenly caught her by surprise. It was soothing. She closed her eyes for a few moments. A sound made her open them again and the lack of light in the room was jarring. “Who's there?” Her heart thudded in her chest.
“Hello, Sasha.” The voice was familiar but strange at the same time and it sent skitters of panic up and down her spine. She clutched Onyx tightly against her chest.
“Who are you? What happened to the light? I'll start screaming if you try to hurt us.” Her voice was clipped and tight, mostly because fear was closing her windpipe.
“Hmm, screaming would be a very, very bad move. I like you, Sasha. I've always liked you, but for right now, you don't need to know who I am. You just need to know that I’m watching. I'm always watching. I'll find you when I’m ready for you. I just hope you’re ready to hear the truth when I come.” She couldn't tell if the mystery voice belonged to a man or a woman. Her pulse went frantic as she felt a chill draw near her.
“Don't hurt my baby. I'll do whatever you want.” She clutched Onyx tighter to her breast, and the baby woke and started to fuss.
“I'd never hurt her. She's too important. You, however, are dispensable at this point.” The voice sighed and continued. “Although, he wouldn't like it very much. Oh, how I’d love to hurt Jeremy as he hurt me. It’s a good thing you were always kind. A very good thing.”
“Do I know you?”
“Yes,” the voice replied, gently. “I think it’d be best if you forget I was here right now. It truly would be a shame for anything to happen to the one who’ll have eyes like emeralds and hair like midnight.”
“Wh-What? You’re seriously threatening my baby?”
The voice whispered, menacingly, “Shut your fat mouth, woman, unless you want me to take you out right now. I can have it done in thirty seconds; your windpipe would be crushed before you could even scream.”
A gasp of terror caught in her throat. “What do you want from me?”
“I want you to forget I've ever been here.” With that, the voice was gone, the chill leaving the room.
Jeremy paced up the hallway toward the NICU. Something was off, he just couldn't put his finger on it. He waited for the glass doors to open and moved through them. The nurse on duty looked at him with desire in her green eyes. He knew he was a good-looking guy and women seemed to have the hots for the bad boy type. But frankly he wasn't interested because he wanted his woman. “I'm looking for Sasha Jones.”
“Um…I need to see your hospital bracelet for you to
get in here.” He held out a muscular arm in frustration. The nurse bit her lip and murmured on a sigh, “She's in the Mother's Room right down the hall.”
He nodded his head quickly and took off toward the woman who’d always held his heart. He couldn't place the niggling fear that skittered up his spine. Pushing it from his mind, he took a slow breath as he came upon the door and gently knocked, his knuckles caressing the cool wood. “Who–who is it?” he heard Sasha tremulously call out and his heart clenched.
“It's me, cupcake.” He gently turned the handle of the door and saw her ensconced in a rocking chair, their daughter curled up on her bare chest. “God, you two are beautiful.” He pulled her phone out of his pocket and hit the camera button, snapping a couple of quick pictures. They were tasteful; her breasts were mostly covered by the blanket.
Sasha's dark eyes were wary and she seemed to smile tightly. “Hi.”
He leaned over to brush a kiss on her full mouth, and she turned her head to the side so his lips awkwardly touched the corner of her mouth and her cheek. “What's wrong, baby?” he purred softly.
She shot him a venomous look and pursed her lips. “You left me and didn't come up here with me. Francois didn't come either, anything could have happened to us. You’re acting all weird…and I don't…I don't like being up here by myself,” she finished lamely. He arched a dark eyebrow and looked at her curiously.
“What’s going on?”
Her eyes gave her away; they always did. She bit her bottom lip and quickly shot out, “Nothing.”
He pierced her with a probing look. “You’re lying to me.”
She tried to smile, but it came across as a grimace. “Never.”
A knock sounded at the door and she sighed. His ears picked it up quickly. Bullshit. You, Miss Sasha, are lying to me. Something is really up. Is there someone else? Her head chef possibly? Is there something wrong with Onyx? What is she hiding?
Once Bitten, Twice Shy Page 5
