Laura stepped back, looking at Zenya with pure delight. “I’ve been so excited to meet you. When Nicolas cancelled the last appointment for your she-cats and told me the news, I almost flew out to see you. Everyone here is walking with a jump in our step. You are the miracle we’ve waited for.”
Zenya looked at her mate and he smiled. Looking back at the doctor she said, “I’m not fond of needles, so please be nice.”
“We’ll be drawing blood, but skin, hair, and urine samples from you and your lion will be painless.”
“You need a urine sample from my cat. Do you have a litter box?”
Laura and Nicolas laughed, but the doctor replied, “I’ve been doing this for years dear, and I promise to make you as comfortable as possible. After the testing, we’ll perform an ultrasound and look at your baby.”
Zenya smiled for the first time since they arrived at the doctor’s office. “I’ll hold that thought.”
Laura’s assistants followed Zenya with their eyes and smiled whenever she noticed them. Nicolas knew she felt on display, but she really was a phenomenon and their child would change the course of beastkind forever.
***
During much of the testing, Laura sent Nicolas to a private room so Zenya could answer questions and provide samples without him looking on at every step. Zenya breathed a deep sigh when he grumpily left her in Laura’s hands.
“Thank you,” she said.
“I’ve been handling male wolves for most of my life. There is no beating around the bush or putting up with their tendency to insist upon control. With one backhand my life would be over. I established my own type of dominance many years ago. Gray hair helps me along now and they’re getting to the point they don’t even want to argue. I can appear frail so they underestimate me when it’s needed.”
Zenya laughed and then listened while Laura told her, step by step, what she was doing and why. The doctor also added insight to the speculation happening in her office. “Everyone is on pins and needles wondering if you will give birth to a lion or a wolf. It will be interesting to see if this child is the first of many between separate beastkinds or if your circumstance is unique.”
“By unique, you mean it’s possible this won’t happen again?”
“I’ve never studied lions or had live blood samples to test. We’ve only experimented on wolf pregnancy, but I hold every hope that you are the first of many to deliver a child without human intervention.”
Three doctors, including Laura, examined her blood beneath a microscope in the main lab with Zenya looking on. The doctors spoke in terms Zenya couldn’t follow, but their excitement told her something was different about her blood.
Laura looked at Zenya after checking the lens again. “You have female lions here in Dallas?”
“Yes.”
“I need blood samples from them all.” The doctor’s excitement was barely contained.
“They must voluntarily donate.”
“I can be very persuasive.” Laura’s voice reflected her certainty.
Zenya wasn’t about to let her cats be guinea pigs if they didn’t want to but she knew the importance of them creating children without humans, “Gentleness will more likely win them over.”
“I can also be gentle.” The doctor gave a soft smile understanding Zenya’s feelings.
“When do you want the samples?”
“As soon as they can be transported here, or I can bring another doctor with me and take them at the hotel.” Anticipation lit up the doctor’s eyes.
Zenya didn’t quite give in completely. “We need to ask Nicolas.”
“That’s fine. Now we need to get your human samples and then your lion samples.”
“Why do you call us lions?”
The doctor’s eyes twinkled. “I have an old cat named Tabitha and there is no comparison. It’s like calling a wolf a dog.”
Zenya grinned. “We call ourselves cats, but thank you for your sensitivity.”
“You know you’re delaying.”
“I know.” Zenya said on a long drawn out sigh.
The human samples were easy. It was Zenya’s first pelvic examination and she thought she would rather provide cat pee.
Laura looked at her after the exam. “I’ll be quite honest. I’ve never seen a lion other than a dead one before. I’ll try to behave with decorum, but it won’t be easy. Remove the remainder of your clothing and shift. I’ll give you a few minutes of privacy.”
“Why?”
“It’s rude in the human world to watch a woman undress during an OB/GYN exam.”
Zenya laughed. She stood, then took off her shirt and bra. Her shift took a blink of an eye and Laura stared in wonder.
“Thank you, Zenya. You are an amazing creature.” Laura shook her head after several moments. “I want to feel the baby inside your stomach and then get the samples I need. We know while in your womb, you control the child’s shift to beastkind, but I would still like to perform the ultrasound in each of your forms. We’ve never had a purebred before.”
Zenya’s thoughts moved to the word ‘purebred.’ In a way, the doctor was correct, but in others that was far from the truth. The cats as a whole would think her child a monster, and murdering her offspring would become their newest mission.
Laura repeated her request and Zenya focused back on the doctor. The peeing was unpleasant, but at least Laura left her alone to attempt the chore of aiming into the large receptacle. A soft knock on the door five minutes later brought another doctor in to collect the sample. Laura returned a few minutes later with a large cart, followed by Nicolas.
Zenya jumped to the examination table and lay down. Her tail swished in excitement to see her baby for the first time. Laura shaved the hair from her stomach and then added gel to her soft underbelly and explained everything as she performed the test.
“Now it’s time to see your child.”
Chapter Forty-four
The transducer probe was cold and images immediately showed up on the screen. Laura enlarged the picture and explained what they were looking at. Nicolas ran his hand over the soft fur on her neck, his eyes transfixed on the monitor.
“There is your child.”
So small. Laura took several pictures and then moved the probe for a different view.
Nicolas didn’t speak out loud but, “I love you,” whispered into her mind.
“And I love you.” She said back into his.
Laura broke into their silent communication, “Would you like to see your child as human?”
“Yes, I would,” Nicolas didn’t give Zenya a chance to answer.
She growled softly over his alpha tendency of taking charge but she wanted to see their child as human too. She shifted and lay back against the white sheet covering the table.
Reverence flowed with Laura’s words, “No matter how old I grow, I will never get over the actual shift of beastkind. It’s its own miracle.”
Nicolas was right, Zenya liked the doctor. In her entire life she had little human interaction and would rather not have any. This woman had changed her mind.
The gel hit her stomach again and then the probe sought out the small blip that was their baby. Zenya’s tears trailed down her face and Nicolas bent over and kissed them. Her mate’s eyes appeared misty when she looked at him. He was her miracle.
***
The cats were nervous, but after seeing the ultrasound pictures, they decided to allow blood samples. Over Nicolas’s objections, Talya gave blood also. When Laura learned they had two juvenile male cats, she requested their blood too. It was evening before the doctor left and everyone craved food.
“Order pizza,” Nicolas told Bernard.
Talya cheered. After the food arrived, they sat on the couches, floor, and chairs so they could all eat in the penthouse together.
Vorlyk took Madayah out to dinner. She walked into the living area wearing a beautiful short-sleeved dress. Her scars showed prominently and her nervousness caused her e
yes to darken and her hands to tremble.
“You are beautiful, my dear.” Vorlyk walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He kissed the damaged side of her face, then the smooth side.
Nicolas realized after only a few short weeks he no longer noticed anything but Madayah’s beauty. A quiet sob drew his attention and he walked over to Marta.
Going to his knees, he whispered into her ear, “You are just as beautiful. Like Madayah’s, we see your scars as strength.”
Her quiet reply stunned him, “I cry tears of happiness and love. I do not feel sorry for myself. You, finding us, will be the best gift in our lives. Thank you, alpha.”
He squeezed her hand. These women were stronger than even he gave them credit for. Their low numbers didn’t matter; they were a clan to be reckoned with. His alpha power flowed through the room as Vorlyk walked his mate out the door. “Change if you wish. You are all welcome to sleep here tonight.”
“Will you be with us or in your room with Zenya keeping us up all night?”
“Talya.” Zenya drew out the two syllables of the bratty cat’s name.
Nicolas walked over to his mate and took her into his arms. “I’m afraid she’s right, love. I have every intention of making you scream.”
“Oomph.” Zenya’s elbow landed in his side. She turned and walked into their bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
“She really can’t get enough of me and awaits her prince in the bedchamber.”
“We’ll count the scratches covering your body in the morning,” Troy said.
“I’ll be happy to teach you to walk without eyes after she blinds you,” Sheeba added.
Nicolas placed his hand on the doorknob and looked at his pack. “Each of you will be mated someday, and I will remember your words.” He closed the door on their laughter and looked with longing at the exquisite woman waiting in their bed. He was the luckiest man on earth.
The following day they shopped. The women enjoyed every minute, while the men and boys began grumbling after lunch. The experience brought them closer together, and Nicolas noticed the newer cats fit in perfectly and were now holding their own.
That evening, they ordered Chinese and ate like they had the previous evening. There were no mishaps the day before and Nicolas wanted to keep it that way.
A sleepy pack boarded the plane the next morning and they returned to the Western Clan’s property. Nicolas craved his true home, but there was no way he would leave the safety in numbers provided by Columbus’s pack until after his child arrived. Even then he knew it would be some time before they made the move.
He communicated with Duncan and gave instructions for the home, or mansion, as Duncan called it, to begin construction. Vorlyk left the details to Nicolas, but more and more he noticed the vampire’s ability to lead. The alliance with Marcus and Amy was easier now, too. It would never be perfect, but the vampires made it work for the safety of their clans.
Nicolas held Zenya after making love long into the night. It was the last night before she shifted to cat for the remainder of her pregnancy. Laura requested to attend the birth and Zenya agreed. She would have no problem delivering herself, but once the baby came she knew the doctor needed testing samples. There would be no privacy for the new mother, but Zenya understood what this child meant for beastkind.
Morning light came too soon and after claiming his mate a last time before his child’s birth, they walked out of the room and joined the others for breakfast. Cruz, Mateo, and Talya were assigned to the firing range during the afternoon and their excitement kept them from sitting still.
“You three will run the entire property and be back here for lunch.” Alpha eyes begged them to argue.
Of course, it was Talya who tried to have the last word, “But, alpha, what shall you do without us?”
“Enjoy some peace and quiet.”
“Well you should have let us have some last night.”
Talya immediately looked to Zenya for her punishment.
“Dishes, no shooting practice, or run the property?”
The three teens couldn’t get out the door quick enough.
After they helped clear the table, Nicolas took Zenya’s hand and they walked deep into the woods. He nuzzled her hair away from her neck and breathed in her combination human, cat, and pregnant scent. The three mixed to become incredibly alluring. “It’s time, my love.”
“I know, but I shall miss this.”
“Me too, but I want our baby here sooner than later, though if you change your mind I won’t object.”
“I’m not changing my mind. I agree with you and I can’t wait to hold our child.”
They removed their clothes and shifted together. Nicolas would sleep with his mate each night as wolf, but he was able to shift at will while Zenya’s change back and forth would only delay the birth. They traveled the property for two hours, checking in on the teenagers. Nicolas was happy Talya had the two younger boys to remind her of childhood.
Esta impatiently awaited their return and she told them she was shifting to cat until the birth, too. Nicolas heard Aster groan in the background and felt sorry for the disappointed wolf. His courtship was not going as quickly as planned, though their eventual mating was just a matter of time. Now it would be at least six weeks longer. Nicolas figured that was Esta’s plan, but he was glad Zenya would have a she-cat to commiserate with.
The clan settled in for the birth of their first child. The enemy remained quiet and the weeks passed.
Chapter Forty-five
Nicolas rested beside Zenya on their bed in wolf form.
“You need to speak with the boys about the birds and the bees.” The words whispered from her mind to his with humor.
He licked her ear. “And what do you think I could teach them that they don’t already know?”
“Anything is better than what Talya told them this afternoon.”
“Do I want to know?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“Just how did they miss you being within hearing of this conversation?”
“I’ve turned into a lump of plump flesh everyone ignores.”
Nicolas shifted to human and laid his head against her fury belly. “This is the only part of you that is even slightly plump. You still don’t wish to know the sex of our first child?”
“Bite your tongue. How dare you insinuate there could be another when I’m barely surviving this pregnancy.”
Her melancholy was completely normal and Nicolas tried to go with the flow. “Laura will be here tomorrow and you didn’t answer my question.”
“No, I do not want to know. Will it make a difference?”
“Not in the slightest, but some days I feel we have too much estrogen in our clan.”
Nicolas’s devilish grin let her know he teased but her sharp nails extended and caused small wounds in his naked thigh.
“Okay, not enough estrogen must be the problem.” His playful words did the trick and the sound of her telepathic laughter was music to his ears.
Both their heads turned at the sound of someone knocking on the front door.
Zenya looked at her mate. “Are we expecting anyone?”
Marcus’s voice came from the front of the house. Nicolas rose from the bed and put on a pair of sweatpants. Zenya followed him from the room.
Nicolas sighed, “I assume this isn’t a social visit?”
“No. I received a call about an hour ago from Dmitri.”
“Is there a problem to the north?”
“Not exactly. He asked if we’d heard from Honey.”
“I haven’t heard from the bear since we separated after South America. What happened?”
“Dmitri was vague and didn’t give me any real answers, but asked that we let him know if Honey shows up or makes contact.”
“That’s all?”
“Well, no. Cheri called forty-five minutes later and asked about Honey, too.”
“What’s going on?”
“She was a bit more forthcoming.”
“And?”
“It seems Honey kidnapped Mandy, Emily’s sister.”
“What?” Nicolas was stunned.
“That’s pretty close to how I reacted. He showed in Cheri’s territory after his trip with you, left for a while, and then returned. Cheri said he paid absolutely no attention to Mandy, but apparently ordered a large feral cage and had it delivered to Cheri’s property.”
“Why a feral cage?”
“Cheri, Brandt, and Emily wanted the same answers, but by the time anyone thought to search down the bear it was too late. Mandy and Honey couldn’t be found, and the feral cage, along with the large truck that delivered it, disappeared.”
“The bear is crazy.”
“I think you’re right.”
“When did this happen?”
“Three days ago.”
“And they can’t find them?”
“No.”
Zenya’s voice sounded in Nicolas’s head, “Where would he take her?”
Nicolas relayed the question.
“No one is sure, but they’ve checked several places and they’re looking at a few more.”
“Do you think she’s in danger?” Zenya asked.
The hardest part of her being cat for these last weeks of pregnancy was her inability to communicate with Marcus’s clan, including his children.
Nicolas answered her himself, “I can’t believe he would hurt her, but bears are out of my realm. They have different rules they live by, some instinctual, and some dictated by their vampire. Chances are good he wants to mate with her, but I’ve heard their mating is bloody and violent. Brandt or Emily will kill him.”
“They need to find them first.”
Marcus arched his eyebrows. “But why the cage?”
“I think that’s what has everyone so upset. She obviously didn’t go willingly.”
“Will Dmitri help locate them?”
“We’re not sure. He runs his nightclub in Colorado, interacts with some cats, and all of our American wolf clans, but keeps his bears fairly private. The Kodiak, or alpha, as we would call him, never leaves his territory. I met him once many years ago. He wasn’t pleasant to be around, and I think without Dmitri, they’d all kill everyone that stood in their way. We have no idea how many beastkind bears exist.”
Fang Chronicles: Zenya's Story Page 19
