Ruby tensed up. He could tell it was something she didn’t want to talk about.
Becky must have picked up on it too because she chose that moment to squeeze a liberal amount of gel onto Ruby’s stomach. “Let’s, hopefully, have a look at what’s going on in there.” She grabbed a device that fit snugly in her hand, it was attached by a wire to a large machine with a screen.
Becky spent a few minutes moving the device around on Ruby’s stomach. “You’re sure you haven’t felt any movement?”
Ruby shook her head.
“Not even something that felt like gas?” Becky glanced across at Ruby who shook her head. “I can’t see a damn thing.” She muttered to herself. “Nothing at all. A fluttery feeling? The feeling of bubbles?”
“No, nothing out of the ordinary. Aside from being two weeks overdue, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong. The biggest worry aside from the child being shell-less…” Ruby pulled her bottom lip between her teeth for a few beats. “Is that the egg might end up hardening inside of me. During the release, the egg is meant to be soft and malleable, allowing for it to pass relatively easily from the female. It is for that reason we need to be very careful during the release. We need to make sure the egg does not drop from any tall distance. You see, if the shell gets damaged in any way…” She looked down at her belly before looking back up at Becky. “At any sign of labor, we try not to shift into dragon form because this can pose a threat to the egg as well.”
“You spoke about the egg hardening up.” Eleanor took a step towards the bed. “What did you mean by that?”
Ruby shrugged. “I’m trying not to think about it too much. Trying hard to stay positive. There is more risk of this happening if the release is overdue. Once the egg is released, the shell quickly hardens becoming almost unbreakable. It’s dangerous for the female if this happens inside of her. She can rip during the release. Be seriously injured or even die.”
Ruby chewed on her lip some more. “If the egg completely hardens inside a female, there is no way to free it without intervention. The only thing that works is a silver blade. By then, the female is usually in a weakened state and this almost always results in death.” She sucked in a deep breath.
Kai felt his hand shake. No! Fuck!
The three females turned to look at him and it was then he realized that he shouted out the words instead of saying them in his mind.
Becky narrowed her eyes on him. “I’m sure that won’t be the case with Ruby.” She grabbed some paper towels from a nearby table and handed the wad to the dragon shifter.
“How can you be so certain?” The words left him before he could stop them.
The tiny female put her hands on her hips. “You know what, we don’t know for sure but Ruby is right, we need to stay positive. There was another birth, of twins, not so long ago that where against all odds, the vampire female gave birth to mixed twins. They are all happy and healthy now. It was Stephany’s main saying during the whole pregnancy. Stay positive. Stay calm and keep looking forward.” Her eyes bore into him for a few more seconds before she looked back at Ruby. “We’re here for you.” She gave Ruby’s arm a rub. “Both of you.” Her gaze softened as it landed on him once again. “Don’t hesitate if you’re worried about anything. You need to call me…or Eleanor or both of us. Now”—Becky paused as her gaze drifted to Eleanor—“would you like to do the internal?”
Eleanor shook her head. “By all means, you go right ahead.” Becky pulled on a rubber glove.
Internal. What the hell?
Ruby handed the used towel to Becky who threw it in the trash before returning to the bed. She positioned herself at the foot of the bed. “You’re going to need to open your legs a little wider for me, honey.” Hell no! An internal. Becky squirted some of the gel onto her gloved hand and rubbed her fingers together. He couldn’t look. He refused to look. Why the fuck had he looked?
God, he was such a prick. Such a fucking asshole. He made a noise that came out sounding pained. Kai looked away. He hated himself right now. She was pregnant and a liar but she was also afraid.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Becky move between Ruby’s legs. “Are there any signs before the release? Do you go into labor?”
Ruby nodded. “Yes, our bodies prepare in much the same way as a human females would. I have read several books on the subject. The only difference is our labor is quick, lasting somewhere between a half an hour and three hours at most. The actual releases are not nearly as traumatic. Like I said, the egg is soft. It’s a private moment. Dragon shifters prefer to be alone. It’s an instinctual need. The need to protect our egg while it’s vulnerable. I will need to be alone during my release. I might shift, I could hurt you if that happens. Shifting at that crucial time could damage the egg as well.” Ruby looked at the human doctor as she spoke. Kai noticed how her cheeks turned red. Becky faced away from him between Ruby’s thighs.
“Being alone at a time like that would not be a good idea,” Becky said.
“I would hate to hurt you.” Ruby repeated, swallowing thickly, her eyes locked with Becky’s and then with his.
“Trust me, I’m not as weak as I look.” Becky held her gloved hand in the air. Her fingers glistened with gel.
It wasn’t something Kai had even thought about. He’d always just assumed he would be there for the birth of his son. His son. Lately he’d envisioned a male because he thought he would end up with a human. A little girl. Maybe. Like Ruby had said, it didn’t matter.
“Even a vampire is no match for a dragon shifter. Particularly a female shifter trying to protect her egg. It would be better if I was alone. I will make sure of it.”
Becky gasped. Her eyes were wide and her skin pale. He’d never seen her looking this out of sorts. “If anything goes wrong. No, you need to tell us the moment you go into labor.”
Ruby shook her head.
“Yes.” It came out sounding harsh. “You must. I promise you we’ll move to a safe distance if need be. Kai could be there, Eleanor will definitely be present. We need to help you.”
Ruby nodded. “As you wish, but you will need to keep a safe distance.” She looked down at her belly as she spoke.
Becky’s shoulders sagged and she huffed out a breath. “Good. Don’t scare me like that. This is not a regular birth…release. You can’t be alone. We can talk about it some more.”
Ruby nodded, she gave Becky a half smile.
“Okay.” Becky lowered the gloved hand. “Let’s do this. It might be a little uncomfortable. It might even hurt a little. Are you ready?”
“Yes, I’m ready. I can take the pain. I grew up with three brothers.”
“You’re lucky.” Becky said. “I’m a single child. I used to wish I had siblings.”
“It was so much fun.” Ruby’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “We used to get into so much trouble. I have two older and one younger brother. Not only did I scrape my knees and my elbows but I broke plenty bones along the way as well.” She smiled. “I can take the pain.”
Becky nodded. Her curls bounced. “Good to know.” Her voice was high. “Lucky you guys heal so quickly.”
“Yeah…we did such stupid things like jump off of cliffs and change into our dragon form at the last second. It didn’t always end well.” She pulled a face.
Eleanor made a humming noise low in her throat. “I’m pretty sure bones would’ve needed to be reset.”
“Quite a few. We were such terrors.” Ruby smiled. Especially Blaze and I we…” She let the sentence die. “We’re mature now. No more adventures.” She looked wistful. “I’m ready.”
“Breathe in deeply and hold your breath.” Becky instructed.
Ruby frowned. One hand clasped her belly while the other gripped the sheet. She was worried, if it wasn’t about the pain, then she was worried about the baby. That made two of them.
Becky put her arm forward. He could see that she moved it between Ruby’s legs but couldn’t see exactly what she was doing. Ru
by flinched but if he had blinked, he would have missed it.
Becky withdrew her hand on a sigh. Gel glistened on her fingers. “Your cervix is tight. No sign of ripening.”
“What does that mean?” Ruby’s hand clutched the sheet tighter.
“Your womb is sealed tight.” Eleanor chimed in. “It doesn’t mean anything, child. Like Becky said earlier. Some females have a tight womb entrance one day and deliver the next.”
Becky nodded. “It is usually a sign that the baby is happy to stay inside for a bit longer. I don’t think you will go into labor any time soon.”
“That’s really bad.” Ruby shook her head. Her lip quivered ever so slightly.
Becky removed the glove, ensuring that she pulled it inside out, before tossing it in the trash. “You can cover up.” She gestured to Ruby’s robe. The shifter pulled the bunched up material down over her thighs. Thank fuck!
Becky sucked in a deep breath. “Bad?” She shook her head. “It might be bad for a dragon shifter but this is a mixed child. We don’t have much to go on. Not at all. This could be perfectly normal.” Becky shrugged.
“Could be. Should be. Maybe.” Ruby moved to sit more upright. She sniffed. Kai could see that she was trying not to cry. “We don’t know anything, do we?”
Fuck. The fear rolled off of her. He could scent it. Her eyes were filling with tears and her lip quivered some more. Kai moved towards the bed, he took her hand. “I will stay with you. You’re not alone anymore…remember.” He knew he sounded like a pussy and that his words would not be much help. He couldn’t give her the answers she sought. The ones they both sought, but at least it was something.
Ruby gave him the ghost of a smile. “Thank you.”
Kai couldn’t make himself let go of her. He should. He really should. He’d said his piece and offered comfort. His fingers only held on tighter to hers.
Becky shook her head, drawing his attention away from where they were joined. “I will discuss the matter with our local veterinarian. Hopefully they have some experience with reptiles. If not I’ll have to call around. I know it isn’t much to go on but it’s at least something. We found with the vampire/wolf shifter mix, there were characteristics from both species present. This was true for the pregnancy, and the birth, as well as in the offspring.” She took a breath as she paused. “For example, the pregnancy was longer than what was typical of a wolf pregnancy and much shorter than that of a vampire. The young were much smaller than vampire young, as is typical of a wolf shifter pregnancy.”
“Interesting. It gives me hope.” Ruby still sounded worried.
“It should. I believe the same will be true for this pregnancy. Another example is that Stephany excreted milk instead of blood for the first three months after the twins were born. Then one day she started producing a mixture of the two.” Becky’s face lit into a huge grin. “She called me up, sure she was dying. Just for the record…” Becky turned serious. She glanced at Eleanor. “Stephany gave me full permission to discuss this with you. She even offered to come and talk with you if you need some support.”
Ruby nodded but didn’t say anything. There was a puzzled look on her face.
“So…” Becky huffed. “I am respecting doctor patient privilege.” Kai wasn’t sure what she was talking about.
Ruby frowned. “What did you mean by excrete milk? Is it the same as humans when they use their mammary glands to feed their young?” She wrinkled up her nose like the idea was weird to her.
Becky nodded. “That’s exactly what I mean.” She narrowed her eyes at Ruby. “Vampire and wolf shifter females feed their young from their breasts. Is this not the case with dragon shifters?”
Ruby’s eyes widened. “No. They are born with teeth. Our babies eat food. We chop it up finely at first, of course.”
Becky pulled her gaping mouth closed. “O-of course.” She stuttered. “Lactose intolerant. I forgot.”
Ruby let go of his hand. “You don’t think that…” She looked down at her breasts which were encased in the thin, cotton robe. Then she palmed them using both her hands.
Kai had to bite back a groan. He was going straight to hell. Her mounds were full and so damned soft looking. Kai bit back a groan and tried not to look. Hell was too good for him.
Ruby gave another light squeeze. Kai’s dick gave a twitch.
“They have been feeling a bit more sensitive.” She frowned. “I’m not sure but they might also be a bit bigger.” She gave them a third squeeze.
“They are bigger,” he blurted. Kai wished that he could bite off his own tongue. There was no point though since it would just regenerate.
Becky threw him an amused grin. Damnit.
“You think so?” Ruby asked, she looked at him expectantly. She was waiting for an answer.
He rocked on his heels. “Definitely.” It came out sounding strangled. “I mean, they were full before but they’re…um…fuller now.” Why couldn’t he keep his mouth closed?
Ruby pushed out a solid breath. “I never thought I would ever feed a child with my mammary glands. I don’t know why we even have them since we don’t really need them.” She shrugged.
Kai could think of a few reasons but he grit his teeth instead of voicing them. Not a single fucking word would pass his lips again during this particular conversation. Certainly not anything concerning her mammary fucking glands.
“You’ll get used to it. Have your nipples darkened?” Becky asked.
Oh god! Or her nipples. He was keeping his lips zipped.
“It is another sign your breasts are preparing for milk or blood production. Depending on the species,” Becky added.
Both Ruby and Becky looked at him but he decided to check his boots and then the far wall. Not answering.
“I think so.” Ruby was frowning, big time. “I’m not sure…I haven’t paid much attention. They have been bouncing more. They’ve been in the way more.”
Kill me now. Fuck.
“Let’s take a look,” Becky said. “I think it would be good sign if there were changes. It would show us that your child carries vampire traits. It would certainly put my mind at ease about this pregnancy even though I am almost certain, although different from a normal dragon shifter pregnancy, it is perfectly normal for a mixed child.” She paused. “Let’s undo the tie on your robe and take a look.”
“I’m going to step out of the room.” He was a colossal pussy but he didn’t give a fuck. There was no way…
“I would prefer it if you stayed, that’s if Ruby doesn’t mind.” Becky’s gaze held him in place. For a tiny human she was quite something.
“I don’t think that Ruby”—He stammered and spluttered— “would be comfortable…”
“I don’t mind at all.” Ruby shook her head. “I’m not ashamed of my body and besides, you’ve already seen me naked.”
“Exactly.” Becky raised her brows. “It is sometimes difficult to pick up subtle changes on your own body. We don’t always notice them. You saw Ruby before. You will be able to assess better than anyone else. I’m looking for changes in size…”
“I already told you that they’re bigger,” he snapped. Kai pinched the bridge of his nose and prayed for calm. “Sorry…that’s fine. I’m happy to help out.” Don’t act like a dick just because yours can’t behave.
Becky nodded once and helped Ruby with the tie at the back of her neck. Ruby held her hair up. “As I was saying…” Becky gave him a hard stare. “We’re looking for definite changes in size as well as any changes to the nipple shape, size and color.”
Kai nodded. He could do this. Ruby was the mother of his child. His unborn baby. He wasn’t going to react in any way. His body was going to behave itself…for once.
Becky pulled down the garment.
Dear lord in heaven.
Kai hadn’t been lying when he’d said her breasts had been full before but they were much fuller now. Her nipples were plumper, darker. His mouth watered and his dick throbbed. He dropped his g
aze to her belly. To the beautiful golden tattoos at the top of the curve. “Yeah.” His voice was gruff. “Definitely fuller and Ruby’s nipples are darker too.” Just as pretty. He was sure they would taste magni…no. Not going there.
“That’s great.” Becky smiled.
“The unborn child must have vampire traits.” Eleanor was smiling too. “It’s a good sign.”
“It still doesn’t tell us if I am carrying an egg or not.” Ruby leaned back on the bed. She made no attempt to cover herself.
Kai’s jeans felt distinctly tight. He felt like the biggest jerk alive.
“I think we need to trust nature to do what needs to be done. It has before and I’m sure that it will again.” Becky gave Ruby a reassuring smile. “I will do a bit of research. You are a strong female. A non-human. You’ll be okay.”
“I’m not worried about myself,” Ruby all but whispered. She pulled her lip between her teeth. “My worry is for him.”
Becky didn’t say anything. It was easy to read between the lines, she didn’t want to make any promises she couldn’t keep.
“I’d like to feel your belly.” Eleanor moved to the side of the bed. “It is our only way of getting a picture of what’s going on in the womb. It is something I am used to doing since we can’t use human equipment.”
Ruby nodded. Thank fuck, she finally pulled her gown over her breasts only to pull it up over her belly.
Kai kept his gaze on Ruby’s face. She was looking at Eleanor with such expectation, such hope.
The healer began to palpitate her belly. Using firm but gentle strokes. “Do dragon shifters have water inside the womb surrounding the egg?”
Ruby nodded. “Yes, it surrounds the egg as a protection.”
Eleanor made a sound of acknowledgement. “You said the shell is soft?”
Ruby nodded again. “Yes.” Her eyes were still firmly on the healer.
“You feel similar to a vampire at about four months of pregnancy. Your belly is more compact but that differs from female to female. I can feel something there but I can’t tell whether you are carrying an egg or not.” She gave a small shake of the head. “I’m sorry, child. I agree with Becky. This pregnancy will progress as it should. We need to take it day by day. You must inform us of the first signs of labor though. This is even more important with a short labor. You need to stay close to the female.” She glanced at Kai.
A Mate for Kai (The Program #6) Page 12
