by C. M. Steele
“I have to finish the battle,” I told Gideon. “Stay with him. Guard him with your life.”
“Yes, sir.” Gideon held Draco steady.
“By the way, you were right. One down and three more to end.” I stormed off, searching for more soldiers to destroy, but it seemed they were all about gone. Some fled for their lives while our men killed the rest.
I rushed back to Draco, who was having a rough time breathing deep. “We need to get him out of here.”
“Uncle, we’ve lost many today,” Dante said, coming up to us with a haunted expression on his face.
“I know, Dante. Please help clean up the weapons and make certain that we don’t have more vampires trapped under the rubble. I have to take Draco to safety.”
Draco called for Charlotte several times in his confusion. “We’re taking you to her.”
Chapter 35
Nora
I was panicking as Charlotte shook in the corner of the room. The first pangs of labor hit her as we waited for news. Normally, the battle would have ended by now, but they hadn’t been back. Charlotte knew more than I had. I couldn’t imagine what she was thinking or what she was seeing. Had one of our mates died? No, we would feel it, right?
“Are they alright, Charlotte?”
She was rocking back and forth, ignoring me. I looked at Mary, who was scared as well. She had lost her husband three months ago. Thoughts of losing Draco at this time must be crushing Charlotte’s heart.
“Charlotte, damn it, answer me.”
“Yes, they are,” she sobbed, suddenly turning to me with tears in her eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, but they’re alive. That’s all I knooowww,” she cried, doubling over in pain. I didn’t know if it was her pain or fear of Falcon’s safety, but my stomach hurt, too. I stood up and walked over to Charlotte and wrapped my arms around her. “Nora, the baby’s coming and he’s not with me. Oh God, I hope he comes back. He heard me call to him and he’s hurt. It’s my fault.”
“It’s not your fault. You needed him. I know you’re struggling. Ugh…but…Ugh. He’s going to be okay. I know it.”
“Are you okay, Leonora?” Mary asked.
“I have a bad stomach ache.”
“Are you sure you’re not going into labor, too?”
“I don’t know, but I sure as hell am not going to try calling Falcon,” I grunted. Fuck me, they claimed we were stronger than regular women, but fuck, they must be superheroes because I want to vomit and shit at the same damn time.
“Okay, I want both of you to breathe. You need to relax. Of course, this is the worst time to try and relax, but you have to stay strong. The longer you fight the birth, the harder it will be.”
“Mary,” Charlotte grunted, gripping the chair and holding back the tears in her eyes. “You all lied. This shit hurts like a bitch.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lied, but it was no sense telling you it was just as bad as regular labor.”
“I want Falcon here,” I moaned, the pain feeling stronger every five minutes. I wanted to roll around on the floor at this point, but I had to remember that my mate was risking his life for us and we had to be strong.
“Charlotte, we need to remain tough for our men.”
I held her hand and we fed off each other’s strength. We didn’t know how long it was going to be before the relief came or our men returned. If they returned. Goodness, I couldn’t even fathom Falcon not coming back to me. I needed him so much that I wanted to beg him to come to me.
“We’ve got this,” I reminded her. We’d been best friends and close as we could be long before they appeared in our lives. Long before we had two strong men there to take care of us, it was just us two. Fuck, the pain was getting harder.
“Let me get you ladies some water,” Mary said, leaving the control room. She came back a second later. “Can you tell me where the kitchen is at?”
“Yes, turn right and go down the hall, last door,” I grunted.
“Thanks, I’ll be right back.” We nodded, then went back to coping with the pain. It wasn’t continuous, but it felt like it. My belly was extremely stiff and it felt like a band was being tightened around it. I needed Falcon with me. Thor was rubbing his face against my belly trying to comfort me. As the pain ebbed, I brushed his fur with my hand.
“I’m going to be fine, boy. You’re such an amazing dog. I don’t know why you weren’t scooped up at first sighhttttt.” A pain ripped through me again.
“Nora, oh my God, are you okay?” Mary asked, running into the room with the ice water. I blacked out when I heard a noise come from upstairs. Who was here?
Chapter 36
Falcon
We got to the island, holding Draco in our arms. I clicked the alarm off, hoping the women knew it was us and at the same time not. He was hurt pretty bad. His ribs crushed his lungs and damaged his heart. His recovery would take a little longer than normal. Damn, I shook my head in frustration. I didn’t need my mother’s letter with me to realize that we had to stick together or we would be goners. This was the most insane battle I’d ever been in. They played dirty and I may never be able to return to America again if the police got wind of it. This was the third explosion on one of my properties.
I heard a high-pitched scream. “Charlotte,” Draco cried out in his stupor.
“Stay here with him. I’ll go check on them.” I said to Gideon, I was downstairs and in the security room in a flash. I saw both women, rocking with pain etched on their faces.
“Falcon,” Nora cried out.
“Where’s Draco?” Charlotte asked, clutching her belly.
“He’s resting in your bedroom.”
“Resting? You’re keeping something from me, Falcon,” she accused.
“Pot meet kettle. He was injured, but he’s alive and resting to heal.”
“Is it over? Did we lose?”
“No, we didn’t lose. But the damage was extensive. They played dirty, the rest of our army is putting out fires.”
“The rest?” Nora asked, her eyes holding back the tears and heartache I could see.
“Yes, I’m sorry, but we lost a lot of soldiers, more than we’ve lost in centuries. There’s a traitor among us, rather a group of traitors.”
“Who?”
“De Rosas. All of them. They fled with The Lamian soldiers with their tails between their legs. They’re going to pay. That is for certain.”
“Agh!” Charlotte shouted. “Fuck me.”
“Charlotte, you’re doing good. Stay calm,” Nora added.
“Wait, you’re having the baby right now?” I asked Nora. Then, I felt her claw my damn hand. Her eyes crossed as another pain hit her.
“We need to get them somewhere comfortable to have the babies,” Mary said.
“Okay, Mary, you stay down here and I’ll take the girls to the delivery room we had made.”
“You made one?”
“Yes, dearest, you were too pre-occupied with other matters here to notice.”
“Take us, now,” Charlotte growled at me. Wow, she was hurting. I wondered if that meant she was having a girl. I don’t know. I was the youngest and we were never around when a mate went into labor.
“Can you wait here?” I asked Nora. She nodded. I scooped Charlotte up into my arms and teleported her into the other room. It was sterile and huge with everything we needed to clean the babies and the women once the birth happened. The other births before were messier, but with modern technology and techniques, we’d have it like they did in the hospitals today.
“I’ll be right back, okay, Charlotte?”
“Falcon, thank you, please take this.”
“What’s…” I saw the contents of the cleared sealed bag and didn’t bother finishing my words. “How? Never mind, now isn’t the time. But thank you,” I said. She’d saved my mother’s letter. The only time I could think of her being able to do it was the night of the lab building blast. I coul
dn’t thank her enough for this treasure.
I tucked it into my shirt and vanished to get my mate. She was sitting there with her dog curled up at her feet. “Come, my love.”
“I can still walk,” she said.
“I don’t care about my wounds, they are almost healed.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck, that wound my most recent and still fresh, she gasped. “Falcon. Oh God. I can’t,” she sobbed.
“I’m okay, my love. I promise. I’m here, right?”
“Yes, you are, but I could have lost you today.” The tears were flowing.
“Nora, my world. I’m fine. I need you to be calm. You’re having our baby.”
“I know. It fucking hurts,” she muttered through gritted teeth. We got to the room in a second, and I laid her on the other delivery bed.
Next I went and grabbed Mary. “Thank you, Mary.”
“It’s my pleasure, Falcon. Where’s my son?” she asked.
“He’s cleaning up the debris as well.”
“Thank you,” she said.
“Don’t thank me. That was Draco.”
“It doesn’t matter. I know I won’t be here much longer, but I don’t want Dante to die.”
“I feel the same way, Mary. He’s going to be a great leader.”
“Yes, he has you in him. We’ve all seen that since he was a baby. Now, let’s get these babies born.”
“Falcon,” Nora sobbed my name. I was at her side, bringing her hand to my lips. I kissed her white-knuckled fist that was digging into my flesh.
“I love you, Nora. I need to get you ready to deliver the baby. You can’t wear pants to do this.” I helped Nora undress without moving her too fast. I knew she was hurting and I couldn’t take away her pain. “Everything we need is in the cabinets next to each bed,” I told Mary. I wrapped the gown around Nora’s front, leaving the back untied and letting her lay back.
“Falcon, tell me. Is Draco going to be okay?” Charlotte asked me.
“Yes, Charlotte,” Draco muttered from the door. “Sorry, I teleported to the security room first. Gideon told me you were in here.”
“You should be laying down, Draco,” Charlotte exclaimed.
“I should be by your side. I’ll just sit here and keep you company, but I don’t want to miss our baby being born.”
“Take it easy, Draco. We could be here a long time.”
“Ah,” Charlotte screamed. Then Nora echoed her pain cry. This was insane. They were having the babies at the same time.
“I’ll prepare the blankets,” Mary said, setting up the room in lightning speed, each table next to the women’s legs. Thankfully the beds weren’t directly across from each other because I didn’t want Draco to see my wife’s bits and I was certain he felt the same way.
Their cries continued for what seemed like hours. Mary would step out to bring them water and ice and bring us some food. We’d been wounded, and although our mate’s blood would be the best cure, now wasn’t the time for it, so we had to refuel as best as possible because neither of us had any intention of leaving them.
“Charlotte, I’m so sorry for not getting to you sooner.”
“I’m the one who’s sorry. I didn’t mean to call for you. If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt and Falcon wouldn’t have had a close call.”
Charlotte’s frame was smaller than Nora’s and her hips were narrow in comparison, so it had to hurt for the tendons around her hips to stretch to accommodate her large baby. “Charlotte, you couldn’t stop your feelings and we’re a family now, so just calm yourself and everything will be well in time. I’m almost healed and Draco is made of titanium or something. He will be well in a few hours.”
“He’s right, Charlie. We’re family. It wasn’t your fault.”
“I haven’t been good at this whole vision thing and that’s why we almost lost.”
“No, my mother was phenomenal at her visions, having had centuries to master them, and where is she now? There are things we can and cannot change. Remember to listen to yourself. Did you read what you gave me?”
“No,” she grunted, another pain hitting her.
“Then you should. My mother was a wise woman. And this letter still haunts my soul because of her strength.”
“Ah,” Nora cried. I turned back to my mate who was sweating. I jumped to my feet, teleported to the kitchen for fresh ice, and came back to serve her some as I wiped her brow. Even in the throes of labor, she looked like a goddess. The emotions had the room charged with energy. This was a big deal. Two new vampires in a world where nearly a thousand vampires had been destroyed and more were to come.
“Charlotte, shit,” Draco growled, her water broke all over the floor. The baby was going to be coming soon. Would she have a girl? I looked at Nora. She was shocked, staring at Charlotte, who was clutching the steel bed. I knew it was best to get the strongest beds possible. With Nora’s grip on our headboard, I had to make sure they didn’t destroy the bed before the babies came out.
I continued to hold Nora’s hand as Charlotte cried out. Then I felt the death grip on my hand, Nora equally letting out a high-pitched cry. Mary was down by Charlotte’s legs, looking in between to see the baby. “It’s coming. We’ll have the first baby soon.”
I moved between Nora’s legs, which she tried to close. “I’m going to check how you’re doing,” I said, giving her smile.
“No, you shouldn’t be down there,” she squealed. I rolled my eyes. I’d had my face between her thighs so many times it didn’t matter to me. I knew what was going to happen and I knew that it never stopped mates once they healed, which was much faster than a human.
I smirked. “My love, now isn’t the time to be embarrassed. This is our life we made together. Come on, part those thighs a bit more.” She did and I could see a crown of matted, wet, dark hair. I started smiling, which turned into a chuckle.
“What is it?”
“Our little man is coming, too,” I replied with a grin. Her water hadn’t broken yet, but I was sure if she started pushing, it would. Mary helped me prep the floor beneath her. Then I helped Nora closer to the edge. “Can you scoot your ass down a bit, love?” She moved a little and it was enough. Charlotte followed suit and Mary helped with the stirrups. Draco tried to help, but Charlotte shook her head.
“I need you to be whole soon. Stay by me. Mary is here for us,” she whispered, caressing Draco’s face. I looked at my friend, who was feeling helpless. He’d been a warrior through and through, and the day his mate needed him, he was barely standing. I gave him a reassuring smile.
“Thanks for everything, Falcon. I wouldn’t be here without you,” he confessed with tears in his eyes for the first time in centuries.
“Always, brother,” I replied. Our short bonding moment was interrupted by the main attractions trying to make their way into the world.
“Fuck, this baby has a head like you,” Charlotte snarled at Draco, whose faced turned comical in his nervousness. He sat in the swivel chair, spinning it slightly to protect his parts from her anger. That was a smart move. I was out of reach for Nora as she screamed. I rubbed her legs. “We’re almost there, my sweet.”
“We?” she hissed. “I’m the one having your melon headed baby.” I had never heard her talk to me like that, even when she was mad at me. I thought it was cute and it seemed too funny to me. I bit back a laugh, knowing I was in for worse should she see me laughing.
“I’m sorry, Nora.”
“Oh, Falcon, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be angry,” she whimpered.
“I know. It’s the pain and the fact that I did this to you. It’s almost over. I…” A large splash happened as her water broke. We were smart to put in the two drains just near both beds. Nora roared a loud cry and so did Charlotte. Suddenly, I was holding my baby in my arms and Mary caught Charlotte’s.
I looked down at the long-awaited moment in fatherly love.
“My king,” Nora said to me. I lifted my head to see t
hat all eyes were on me as I held our daughter. Her eyes were open and gazing up at me with curiosity. A coo escaped her bowed lips. A vision of beauty that was made from love.
The sirens wailed. They found us…
The End
Part I
Release coming Fall 2017
