Forever (Fallen Series Book 3)

by Micalea Smeltzer

  Remembering his words sent a shiver down my spine.

  “Just don’t think about it,” suggested Diana. “That should make it easier. But there are some other things you should know.”

  “Like what?” I asked raising my eyebrows.

  She bit her lip. “Remember when Jonathon told you werewolves didn’t exist?”

  I tried to remember back that far. “I think so.”

  “He lied.”

  I clenched my jaw. What else had he lied about? “So, they are real?” I asked.

  “Yes,” she frowned, braiding her hair to busy her fingers. “They don’t actually turn into wolves but they grow hair all over their bodies, especially their faces, and their teeth grow long and pointed, the full moon has a strange effect on them. Being near them on a full moon is a bad idea because they lose all sense of their humanity. Not that they have much left anyway. You don’t want to get bit by one either, whether you’re human or vampire. If you’re human you turn into one and if you’re a vampire it acts like a poison to your system. And silver bullets are only a myth by the way.”

  “Are there other things I should know about?” I asked.

  “There are shifters. Shifters can come any form. Wolf, bird, tiger, you get the idea,” she cupped her chin in her hand. “Shifters aren’t so bad. They still have their humanity unlike werewolves. And there are fairies. They usually stick to themselves though. Enchanters are like sorcerers.”

  “Why hasn’t Jonathon told me any of this?”

  Diana shook her head. “I have no idea. He’s strange. He thinks he’s protecting you but really he’s only hurting you by keeping you in the dark.”

  If Jonathon had kept the existence of werewolves and shifters a secret what else was he hiding?

  I knew it was no good to dwell on this kind of stuff. Plus, I wasn’t supposed to get stressed because Dr. Crane thought it would distress the baby.

  “Ow!” I cried as the baby kicked me sharply in the stomach.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, clearly worried.

  “I think so,” I answered. “Ow!” I cried again as another sharp kick stabbed into my side.

  Diana jumped up and fluttered around me.

  “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear,” she said in a panic-stricken tone.

  “Why are you freaking out?” I demanded.

  “I think you’re going into labor!” she shrieked.

  “Oh, please Diana. I think I know the difference between contractions and the baby kicking me. You’re freaking out over nothing.”

  She took a deep breath. “Not labor. Okay. Deep breaths, Diana,” she said to herself. I resisted the urge to laugh at her. Finally she seemed to regain control of herself.

  “What’s going on?” asked Jonathon running into the room. “Danny said he thought you were in labor.”

  “No,” I sighed. “Diana just freaked out because the baby kicked me.”

  “She said ‘ow’,” Diana defended herself.

  Jonathon snorted, trying to hold back his laughter. “The baby is half vampire so his kicks can be rather strong.”

  “Right,” Diana shook her head. “I’m an idiot.”

  “Since that was a false alarm are you ready for bed?” he asked.

  “I guess,” I shrugged. He smiled and gathered me into his arms trying not jostle me. He flew out of the room and up the attic steps and managed not to move me a bit. He laid me down on the bed and covered me with the blanket.

  He rubbed my stomach. “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired and fat.”

  He chuckled. “You’re not fat.”

  I pointed to my stomach. “What does this look like Sherlock?”

  “You’re pregnant not fat,” he grinned.

  “That’s what you think,” I smiled. “Maybe I’m part bear and just stocking up for the winter.”

  “Hmm,” his lips quirked at the corners. “I might believe you if it weren’t June. You do eat enough to feed an army or maybe a small country.”

  “Hey!” I smacked his arm in jest.

  He laughed and climbed in the bed. “Go to sleep, principessa. You need your rest.”

  “I’ll try,” I conceded. Sleep was pretty much an impossibility these days. I was too big and my back killed me but finally I managed to shut my eyes and block out the world.

  Chapter Thirteen: Pains

  Sometime in the night I awoke suddenly and threw up over the side of the bed.

  “Principessa,” Jonathon whispered pulling my hair back as I retched. I closed my eyes. The sound of his voice was like a hammer against my sensitive skull. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Shut up,” I moaned climbing out of the bed. He was by my side in an instant, steadying my shaky frame. “I’m fine,” I moaned motioning him away.

  “You most definitely are not fine,” he growled, following me closely like a shadow.

  “Please, be quiet,” I whined. He didn’t say anything. I waddled into the bathroom with Jonathon’s help and grabbed something to take for my headache chugging down a glass of water. I gripped the sides of the sink.

  Jonathon’s hand cupped my waist. “What’s wrong?” He whispered.

  “I don’t know. I don’t feel right.” I put a hand to my head.

  “What can I do?” he whispered, strained.

  “I don’t know,” I moaned. A sudden pain in my stomach had me clenching at my bulge. I looked up at Jonathon panic stricken. “I think something’s wrong with the baby! Call Dr. Crane! Now!” I shouted, completely forgetting about my throbbing head in my panic about the baby.

  Jonathon disappeared. I waddled back into his room trying to gather up some things to take to the hospital. I didn’t have much as far as the baby was concerned. I still didn’t quite believe that he would be coming home with me… Then I went into panic mode. I had nothing for the baby! I only had one outfit, no crib, no changing table, no car seat, nothing! I zipped up my overnight bag and decided I had other, more important, things to worry about. Another pain stabbed me in the side and I hissed out a breath. I heard Jonathon muttering into the phone, his back to me. He clicked the phone off.

  “Dr. Crane says we have to get to the hospital now,” he said turning around, at the same time that I said, “Oh crap,” and all the color drained from my face.

  “No,” he gasped.

  I looked down at the floor. “That cannot be good,” I whispered. My water had broken but Dr. Crane had said if it did break it should be clear. This was anything but clear. In fact it didn’t look like ‘water’ at all. It just looked like a puddle of blood and it kept dripping from between my legs.

  “We have to go, now!” Jonathon cried, his eyes were bulging and the veins in his neck stood out.

  “I’m covered in blood,” I stared at him in disbelief. Just because he was immune to my blood didn’t mean the others in the house were.

  “There’s no time,” he said already gathering me in his arms. He looked down at me, clearly frightened.

  “The baby’s dying isn’t he?” I whispered.

  “Yes,” he groaned out. “And so are you.”

  “What? How do you know?” I cried as he started down the main steps.

  “I can feel that I’m losing you. Soul mates remember?”

  He had to pause to open the door.

  A voice behind us said, “I smell blood. Is everything okay?”

  “No,” Jonathon said to his uncle. “We have to leave right now.”

  “I’ll get the others,” said Patrick.

  “Will they be able to control themselves this time? You know what happened when Amelia had Danny and Mason,” growled Jonathon.

  “That was over a hundred years ago. I surely hope they’ve learned more restraint.”

  “Fine, get them. But I’m not waiting,” warned Jonathon and we were out the door again. The whole conversation between him and his uncle had only lasted ten seconds.

  He clicked the button to unlock my new car. It had been my birthday
present. A black Lexus GX. Since Jonathon picked my last car I had been allowed to pick this one.

  “I’ll ruin the leather!” I cried looking at my bloodstained pajama pants.

  “You’re seriously worrying about the car at a time like this?” he asked buckling me in.

  “Sorry,” I began to cry. “It’s easier to worry about the car, than, than—” I stuttered, unable to finish the sentence.

  “I’ll buy you a new one, deal? It’ll be exactly the same. You’ll never know the difference,” he promised speeding down the road.

  Another pain stabbed through me and clutched my stomach, a hiss escaping my lips. I closed my eyes and tried to breathe through the pain. “Are we there yet?” I asked through clenched teeth. These were definitely contractions. I had been right when I told Diana I would know the difference between a kick from the baby and a contraction. It felt like a bowling ball was trying to come out of me.

  “Almost,” he breathed.

  “Hurry,” I hissed. “Something’s wrong! I can feel it!”

  He slammed his hand down on the horn at the same time he slammed on the breaks. I slammed into the console and the movement made the strangest feeling occur inside my womb. I screamed.

  “I’m so sorry,” he choked on a sob and rolled down the window and started to yell out obscenities in Italian to the person that had stopped so suddenly in front of us. He honked the horn one more time before going around. I wasn’t in so much pain that it went out of my notice that he melted their tires with his power. In normal circumstances I would have scolded him for his temper but this was far from normal.

  We began to race down the darkened streets again. In the distance I could see the bright lights of the hospital. Almost there, I said silently to the precious little thing inside me. Stay with me. Mommy loves you.

  I was beyond worried that the baby wasn’t going to make it, and maybe in the process I was going to die as well. I had never given much thought to dying, of leaving Jonathon, even when I wanted to stay human. But looking at Jonathon’s face I could see he thought that all three of our fates were sealed. There would be no war with the Originals. Tonight the baby would die, I would die, and Jonathon would die.

  At least we’ll go together, I thought suddenly.

  And then I screamed again.

  “I’m hurrying, I’m hurrying,” he murmured. “Almost there, almost there, yes!”

  The car eased to a stop this time. He was at my side in an instant stunning the human man there. I noticed he wore a hospital uniform.

  Jonathon pulled me out of the car and cradled me to his chest and started into the hospital.

  “Sir, you can’t park there,” said the human man in rapid fire Italian.

  Jonathon turned, bared his teeth, and growled. The man paled. Patrick’s hand clamped down on Jonathon’s shoulder. “Go,” he said motioning with his head, “we’ve got this.” I then saw the rest of the family over his shoulder. Another pain ripped through me then and I screamed. Then they all disappeared.

  Jonathon was not at all concerned with discretion. He raced up the steps instead of wasting precious minutes waiting for the elevator. He finally pushed open the door to the top floor and I screamed again and began to convulse. This was bad. Jonathon had never before looked so frightened.

  Dr. Crane was already there in his scrubs pulling on gloves. The lights were dim but I could see a brighter light coming from one of the back rooms.

  “This way,” motioned Dr. Crane as he disappeared down the hallway.

  Jonathon rushed after him. The room was completely set up. Hospital bed, monitors, everything.

  Jonathon laid me on the bed as gently as he could but it didn’t matter. I was having another contraction and this was the worse yet. I curled in on myself and let out a bloodcurdling scream. Sweat broke out across my skin. Jonathon’s cold hands tried to wipe it away. My breathing began to accelerate. My back arched unnaturally.

  “Turn around,” said Jonathon gruffly to Dr. Crane before ripping my clothes off and covering me in a hospital gown. “Everything will be okay, principessa,” he whispered in my ear. I could tell that he didn’t believe it, though.

  Dr. Crane turned on a bright round hospital light that nearly blinded me before he asked, “Can I turn around now?”

  “Yeah,” said Jonathon.

  Dr. Crane hooked me up to an IV but I didn’t see what good it would do and then he put a clamp on my finger and suddenly the room was filled with the sound of my heartbeat. Beep. Beep. Beep.

  Another contraction came and I screamed again. The beeping from the monitor was so fast I was surprised my heart didn’t give out. Jonathon took my hand in his and I squeezed it as hard as I could. He kissed my forehead tenderly. “I’m so sorry, principessa. I don’t know what I was thinking putting you in this situation.”

  I breathed in and out and the beeping slowed to a more normal, acceptable pace. “I wanted a baby remember? But I can assure you if I ever-” I screamed again. Steadying my breathing I continued, “make it out of this alive I will personally kill you.”

  He chuckled. “I’m glad to see that even during the most intense pain of your life you can still make jokes.”

  “That’s me,” I grimaced in pain, “the eternal optimist.”

  Dr. Crane pushed on my stomach, trying to move the baby, and I screamed again. Only this time I couldn’t stop.

  “Do something!” yelled Jonathon at the doctor.

  “I’m trying! The baby’s breach and the cord is wrapped around his neck! We don’t have much time!”

  “Hurry! I can’t lose her! I’ll rip out your throat if she doesn’t make it through this! And that’s a promise,” Jonathon growled at the poor doctor.

  Dr. Crane released my stomach, having successfully turned the baby, and said “Kylie, you’re going to have to push now. I’ll help all I can. This is going to be very painful but I know you can do it.”

  I closed my mouth, my scream stopping instantly, and whimpered.

  “I’m ready,” I nodded shakily as sweat dripped off of me.

  Jonathon looked down at me and his eyes were full of fear. I caressed his chin. “It’ll be okay,” I assured him. I’d tell him anything at this point to erase that look from his face.

  “I’ll never forgive myself for this,” he took my hand and kissed it.

  “Stop it,” I warned. “I need you right now. I need you to help me. Please,” I begged.

  He nodded his head. “I can do that,” he kissed me.

  “Let’s get this show on the road,” said Dr. Crane grabbing his chair.

  I screamed again and gripped Jonathon’s hand tighter. “Push now,” ordered Dr. Crane. I did and a more intense pain rocked through my body. I bit down on my lip and tasted blood. “Keep going, keep going, keep going!” Dr. Crane chanted.

  It continued like this for ten more minutes before Dr. Crane said, “He’s stuck. Her pelvic bone is too small. I’m going to have to break it.”

  “No!” growled Jonathon.

  “It’s the only way!” said Dr. Crane. I could see that his scrubs and gloves were already covered in blood.

  “Do it!” I screamed. “Get him out! Do whatever it takes!”

  Jonathon snarled and grabbed Dr. Crane’s hand. “I know what I’m doing,” said Dr. Crane. “You can trust me. You have to.” Jonathon released his hand and came back to my side.

  He kissed my forehead and brushed my damp hair back. A tear escaped the corner of my eye as I braced myself for more pain. I didn’t know how much more battering my body could take before it gave out. He put his forehead to mine and said, “Principessa, I love you. Forever and always.”

  “Stop it,” I tried to say sternly but I was so tired that it came out like a whisper. “Don’t say your goodbyes. I’m not going anywhere.”

  He didn’t look convinced.

  “Ready?” asked Dr. Crane.

  I nodded and whimpered, closing my eyes, and squeezing Jonathon’s hand tight. The
worse scream yet escaped my lips as the doctor broke my pelvic bone with his bare hands. I screamed and I cried and I screamed some more.

  “I’m so sorry. So, so, sorry,” Jonathon chanted.

  “It hurts!” I screamed. “Get him out! Please make it stop! Please!” I begged desperately and heard the beeping accelerate. Jonathon wiped away my tears with his cold hands.

  “I can see your baby,” said Dr. Crane. “I need you to push. It’s going to be unbearable now that your pelvis is broken. But I think one more push will do it and I should be able to get him. Okay?” he asked.

  “I can do this,” I whispered.

  He gave me a sad smile. “You’re a strong woman. Get ready,” he added.

  “Jonathon, hold me,” I commanded. He wrapped me in his strong arms and helped me to sit up.

  I felt the contraction coming and began to push. Dr. Crane had been right. This was worse. So much worse. My finger nails dug into Jonathon’s granite skin and if he had been human it would have certainly drawn blood.

  “Almost there,” Dr. Crane assured me.

  I collapsed back onto the pillows and heard the most wonderful noise I had ever heard. Dr. Crane unwrapped the cord from around my son’s tiny neck and I heard his cry.

  Jonathon looked relieved. The baby was fine and I was fine. And from his look, maybe this meant the prophecy was wrong. Maybe it wasn’t about us. For just a moment I had the fleeting thought that maybe I would be different. Maybe I could make it through this and stay human.

  “It’s a boy,” the doctor said unnecessarily. Dr. Crane held him up for me to see and he was beautiful. He had dark brown curly hair, with just a hint of gold from his father, and the most beautiful, intelligent, brown eyes.