“Don’t worry, this will be fun,” Aria says as she places her hands on my waist and guides me to sit on the bed.
“Here, give her a shot of this to loosen up,” Nova suggests as she hands Aria a water bottle, but by the colour of the liquid inside, it’s obvious it’s not water. “I came prepared.” She grins.
Aria opens the lid and smells, and then wrinkles her nose. “What’s in this?”
“Just a little of this and a little of that,” she murmurs. “Don’t worry, I tasted it. It’s good.”
“Yeah, I think I’ll skip that,” I grunt as Aria hands me the bottle and I get a whiff of the strong alcohol. Nova shrugs, takes the bottle from my hands, and takes a gulp of the liquid.
“Let’s get started,” Jasmine calls excitedly as she opens her bags and starts to pull out clothes. “I was responsible for getting you new clothes. I hope you like them. The others also helped choose.” My mouth falls open when she pulls out four different types of jeans, various types of T-shirts in all different colours and styles, and two jackets.
“How did you know my size?” I ask suspiciously as I look at the clothes.
“You’re not much bigger than us, even though you think so for some reason. So, I just got a size bigger than me.” I can feel a knot in my throat at the effort these women went to, to surprise me and make me feel good.
“Thank you,” I murmur.
“That’s not all. Nova got you lingerie,” Jasmine reveals. “Show her.”
As soon as I see the naughty smile on Nova’s face, I know I’m in trouble. She sticks her hand in one of her bags and pulls out a dark-red panty and bra. The set is exquisite, satin and lace. I can feel my face heat with embarrassment, as I have never had anything as sexy as that before.
“I was nearly tempted to keep this one, but with your colouring, it will look much better on you than me,” she confesses. “Besides, I got myself a similar one in dark blue.”
“I don’t know what to say. I’ve never had anyone do something like this for me before,” I confess.
“Oh, don’t say anything yet. You still need to look at the makeup I got you and the hair and beauty products Aria got,” Gabriela says with a twinkling smile as she opens her bag and gives it to Aria to add to the products already on top of the bed.
“Now let’s see how all this stuff looks,” Aria suggests. “Start with the lingerie. Nova has more in the bag, but I think she’s keeping it a surprise.”
“Big mouth,” Nova grumbles playfully, and smiles as she lifts her bag to show it to me teasingly.
“You want me to show you?” I ask with a flush on my face.
“Of course,” Nova replies. “Come on, girl, and get a move on before our men come back.” She places the lingerie in my hands that I had placed on the bed and pushes me gently towards the bathroom. I reluctantly change into the underwear, but once I have it on and look at myself in the long mirror, my eyes widen at the figure before me. I have never worn something as sexy as this before. I always thought that I would look ridiculous in something so obviously sensual, but I’m surprised to see that it actually suits me.
“Oh, wow,” Gabriela shrieks as I walk out in my lingerie. “Bion is so going to tear that off you in his haste to get to the goodies that will be peaking out at him.”
“Do you think he will like it?” I ask as I lift a pair of blue jeans and a black T-shirt from the bed and start to pull the clothes on.
“Like it?” Jasmine asks. “Are you blind? That man can’t keep his eyes off you. You could be wearing a sac and he would still think you are the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“Well, now look at that. She actually has a figure under all those baggy clothes,” Nova teases; I walk towards the mirror and look at myself critically. The T-shirt moulds to my breasts and shows off my body, ending just at the edge of my low-waist jeans. Turning my back to the mirror, I look over my shoulder and see that the jeans mould to my ass like a glove, instead of the baggy ones I was using.
I feel a little self-conscious, but I have to admit that I look good. “I think I like it,” I murmur.
“You think?” Gabriela asks. “What is there not to like?” The girls continue pushing me until I’ve tried all the clothes on. There is such sexy lingerie. When Nova showed them to me, I was embarrassed, but after trying them on and seeing how good they look on me, I’m excited for Bion to see me wearing them. Aria is putting the last touches of my makeup on when we hear Gabriela gasp. Looking over, we see her eyes closed and a grimace on her face as she holds her stomach.
“What’s wrong?” Jasmine asks as she rushes towards her, a concerned look on her face.
“Don’t worry, it was nothing,” Gabriela murmurs. “Just a sharp pain, but it’s gone now.” I stand and walk towards her. I’m not happy with her paleness, and there’s still a strained look to her face, telling me that she may still be in discomfort.
“Let me check,” I ask as I move my hands over her stomach gently. “Where did you have the pain?”
“It was across my stomach, not in one specific place,” she mumbles. I can see a worried look in her eyes.
“Have you had any other pain before this one?” At her nod, I frown. “Why haven’t you said anything?”
“Bjarni is already freaking out. I didn’t want to worry him,” she grumbles as she looks down.
“Gabriela, look at me,” I state. When she lifts her eyes to meet mine, I continue. “Your pregnancy is delicate. You can’t keep things like this to yourself.” I stroke her cheek, trying to calm her. “I’m going to phone Bion and ask him what I should do.”
“It’s better now; it was just a sharp pain. No use you worrying them while they’re busy. Why don’t you talk to him when he gets back?” she suggests hopefully.
“We can’t do that, honey. Bjarni will have our heads if he knows you’re not fine and we didn’t say anything,” Aria says, her hand stroking her rounded stomach lovingly.
“He won’t let me out of bed anymore,” she grumbles with a pout.
“Well, rather you are in bed than something happen, don’t you think?” Jasmine asks as she pulls out her phone from her back pocket and hands it to me.
“Jas, what’s wrong?” I hear Bion’s concerned voice as he answers.
“It’s me,” I answer. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“You can interrupt me anytime you want, beauty. You will always be my first priority,” he murmurs, his husky voice running over my sensitive skin.
“Gabriela apparently has been having pain, but she hasn’t said anything because she didn’t want to worry Bjarni.”
“Fuck,” he grunts. “Keep her still. I’ll be back in the next hour.”
“Is there anything else I need to do?” I ask worriedly as I look over at Gabriela.
“Just try to keep her calm. If she stresses, it could get worse. I’m going to go get Bjarni, and then we’ll be on our way.” With that, he disconnects the call. I could hear the worry in his voice. I know that Gabriela is suffering from preeclampsia and we need to try to keep her as calm as possible. I need to attempt to bring her blood pressure down, as that is one of the main symptoms of preeclampsia.
“Bion says the most important thing is for you to keep calm. I’m going to try bringing your blood pressure down, but you also need to try to relax,” I say as I move behind the chair and place my hands over her temples. “Lean back and close your eyes. It’s my turn to take care of you now.”
Clearing my mind of the worry I’m feeling for her, I imagine a green light flooding her body and relaxing all her muscles, but I can feel her energy resisting. Opening my eyes, I find Nova sitting on the bed looking at us. I ask her silently to sing, knowing that her voice will help calm Gabriela. She frowns initially but then nods as she understands what I’m asking for; I close my eyes again seconds before I hear Nova start to sing. Her voice is beautiful, surrounding us with peace.
I don’t know how much time passed, but suddenly, the bedro
om door slams back and Bjarni is standing in the doorway, a wild look in his eyes, his muscles straining against his T-shirt. Gabriela is fast asleep and doesn’t see the worry in her man’s eyes. I lift a finger to my lips, asking him to keep quiet. Now that she’s fallen into a deep sleep, I want to keep her like that as long as possible.
Moving from behind Gabriela, I make my way towards Bjarni just as Bion arrives. “She fell asleep, and I think it’s a good idea that she sleeps as long as possible,” I whisper. I place my hand on Bjarni’s arm, trying to comfort the anxiety and fear I can sense from him. “She’s fine for now.” His eyes don’t leave Gabriela, but he nods to let me know that he heard.
“For now, Brother, let her sleep. As soon as she wakes up, I will do some tests and see what we are looking at.” Bjarni nods again and then walks towards Gabriela. Before I can move, Bion is pulling me against his body, his lips close to my ear. “Shit, beauty, this is not the right time, but I want you,” he murmurs, his breath moving over my neck like a caress.
He pulls my body tighter against his, and I can feel his hardness against my stomach. Groaning in response, I lift my arms and place them around his neck as I turn my head. He captures my lips in a blistering kiss that engulfs us with its heat. “I hate to break up this party, but I would like to get my mate,” Brandr teases from behind Bion. Groaning, Bion lifts his head, a scowl on his face as he looks over his shoulder at Brandr.
I see Brandr lift his hands up in surrender, a smirk on his face as he squeezes around us to get to Aria. “Asshole,” Bion grumbles as he steps back. He adjusts his cock and then takes my hand to guide me back to where Bjarni and Gabriela are.
“How long has she been sleeping?” he whispers.
“I don’t know. I asked Nova to sing while I tried to calm her. I’m not sure how much time went by, but I started right after talking to you.”
“Good. That’s about forty-five minutes,” Bion says as he places his hand over her stomach and closes his eyes. I see Bjarni tense and his lips thin, but he doesn’t say anything at Bion’s touch. I notice that now that he’s close to Gabriela, he seems calmer, his eyes not so wild. Earlier on, I was worried that he was about to snap.
Bion pulls his hand away and opens his eyes. “Let’s take her to the infirmary,” he grunts as he moves back for Bjarni to carry Gabriela.
“What’s wrong?” Bjarni growls for the first time since entering the room, the wild look I saw before back in his eyes.
“Bjarni,” Gabriela murmurs as she awakens before Bion can answer.
“Baby girl.” Bjarni lowers his head and kisses Gabriela on the forehead. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, don’t worry,” she says with a strained smile.
“How about we make our way to the infirmary. I want to run some tests,” Bion interrupts. I see a look pass between him and Bjarni, and then Bjarni bends down and picks Gabriela up against his chest.
“Let’s go see how you’re doing, baby girl.” I can hear a catch in his voice when he speaks. My heart tightens with worry. Bion takes hold of my hand and starts to walk, guiding me out of the room and towards the infirmary. Bjarni walks behind us. I can hear him talking quietly to Gabriela as they follow us. When we arrive at the infirmary, I notice that Jasmine, Aria, Nova, and Brandr also followed us and are now standing outside, a worried look on all their faces as I’m sure is on mine.
Once Gabriela is lying on the bed, Bjarni stands beside her, holding her hand and stroking her cheek gently. “Sweetheart, I want you to stay calm while I explain to you what’s happening. Will you do that?” Bion asks. Gabriela looks up at Bjarni and then back at Bion and nods. “Your babies are distressed. I’m going to have to get them out.” A low growl is ripped out of Bjarni at Bion’s words. His eyes brighten to a goldish gleam that I’ve never seen before.
“Fuck,” I hear Cassius say from where he’s sitting next to his woman.
“Don’t lose your shit, Brother. Your woman needs you,” Bion states as Bjarni’s breath becomes laboured as if he’s been running.
“Babe,” Gabriela calls, her hand stroking his. “We are going to be fine.”
My heart breaks at the anguish I see in his eyes as he looks at his woman. He places both hands on the bed, gripping the mattress. His fists whiten with the force of his grip. “I’m sorry.” His voice is a guttural murmur that sounds as if it’s coming from his very depth.
“Stop blaming yourself. This isn’t your fault,” she murmurs as a tear slips out of the corner of her eye. He lowers his head and buries it against her neck. Gabriela lifts her hand and starts to stroke his hair as she turns her head and buries her face against him. I can feel tears burn my eyes at the pain that these two people are going through. In the short time I have known them, they have become my family.
Bion pulls me against his chest and murmurs against my ear, “I need you to be strong, beauty; we need to help Gabriela and the babies. Can you do that?” I nod against his chest. He kisses the top of my head and then pulls away. Bion looks over my shoulder, and I see him incline his head to the door. Turning my head, I notice that Draco and Wulf are standing just inside the infirmary, a determined look to them.
“I need to start, Brother,” Bion says. I start to make my way towards Bjarni to try to calm him, but Bion pulls me back with a scowl and then shakes his head. There is another deep growl from Bjarni, but he doesn’t move.
I hear Gabriela talking quietly to him, but I can’t tell what she’s saying, as she’s whispering. A minute later, Bjarni lifts his head and looks deep into her eyes before he nods and stands. “I’m ready,” she says, but instead of looking at us, she’s looking at Bjarni.
BION 19
When I touched Gabriela’s stomach, I could instantly feel the babies’ distress. If I don’t operate and get them out, we will lose them and Gabriela. The problem is to keep Bjarni calm; I know that as soon as I go near her with a scalpel, Bjarni is going to attack me. I want Brie out of here in case he loses his shit, but I’m going to need her to take care of the babies as soon as I get them out.
Shit, if anything happens to Gabriela, Bjarni will be lost to us too. I can’t lose Bjarni so soon after losing my own brother. Gabriela hasn’t been with Bjarni long enough to be able to heal quickly if something ruptures, and I can’t wait any longer, as I can feel the babies’ distress. “Beauty, please prepare everything for when the babies arrive. I’m going to start.” I prepare the anaesthetic and then move towards the bed.
“Bjarni?” I call. I have to see if he accepts this before I continue. He looks over at me, his eyes so full of anguish that my heart squeezes for him.
“Save them,” he says in a strangled voice. I want to appease him, but right now, I can’t do that, as I’m not sure what will happen. Taking Gabriela’s arm, I proceed to inject her with the anaesthetic.
“Relax. Soon you will have your babies with you and everything will be okay,” I promise as I see her fighting to keep her eyes open. I hope I can keep my promise and that all three come out of this alive.
“I love you,” she murmurs as she closes her eyes. Looking over, I see a tear escape and roll down Bjarni’s cheek. He doesn’t wipe it away. He just stands there with his hand entwined with hers. I take her pulse to make sure she’s fine, and then I lift her shirt to just under her breasts and lower her yoga pants just enough so that I can make the incision. I swab the area, and then I take the scalpel. As soon as I grab the scalpel, I can hear Bjarni’s breathing quicken, and the muscles on his arms tense even more than they already were.
Looking at him, I lift my eyebrows, not wanting him to attack me at a critical time, but he nods and then turns his head and stares at Gabriela’s face. I cut just enough to be able to extract the babies; I need to hurry, as all three are in danger. “Beauty,” I call as I start to lift the first one out, and instantly, she’s next to me to take the child. Lifting the baby, I smile when I see it’s a boy. Most of the Elementals’ children are boys. It’s rare for girls
to be born. That’s why it’s so difficult for us to find our mates.
When Jasmine got pregnant, I acquired an incubator just in case. Then when Gabriela had fallen pregnant and we found out she was having twins, I acquired another one, and a good thing, too, as these two are premature and will have to stay in the incubator until they are stronger.
Clearing the baby’s airway, I pass him on to Brie. “You have a son, Brother,” I state, and see his head shoot up and around to where Brie is already placing the infant in the incubator. His eyes widen when he sees the size of his child. The baby is only twenty-six weeks and will fit snuggly into his hand, and then his eyes are on me and I can see the fear in them. “Don’t worry, he’s fine. It’s normal to be so small at this time.” He nods and turns his face to look back at Gabriela.
He stretches his hand and gently strokes her hair as I start to extract the second child, and then finally, she’s out. If the situation wasn’t so dire, I would laugh in happiness at the birth of our first baby girl at the compound, but all three are still in danger and I can’t celebrate yet. Passing the baby to Brie, I’m about to tell Bjarni he has a baby girl when I feel Gabriela’s breathing change. No fucking way. There is no way I’m letting her give up. Looking over at Draco and Wulf, I don’t have to say anything. They understand and move forward towards us, ready to hold Bjarni.
“Bjarni, I need you to talk to her. I’m losing her. Keep her here, Brother.” I hurry with the afterbirth before I can start stitching her up. From the corner of my eye, I can see that Bjarni has bent down and has his head next to hers while he quietly talks to her. I feel a hand on my back. Looking over my shoulder, I see Brie’s concerned look.
“I can help her,” she says. I don’t question her, as I’ve seen her work her healing with Gunner, so I nod in acceptance. “Nova,” she calls, and then proceeds to the other side of the bed to lay her hands on Gabriela where I’m starting to stitch.
“How can I help?” Nova asks from next to her.
BION: Elemental's MC (book 5) Page 15
