Defender's Blood Alex's Destiny (An Urban Fantasy)

by A. K. Michaels

  “Yeah, thanks,” James answered and even managed a small smile.

  They made their way over and sat down, James in the chair opposite Zach and Alex in Zach’s lap. James looked over at Alex, and saw the love between her and Zach.

  Zach started chatting and telling some funny stories about the things him and James had got up to, and before James knew it, he was joining in. Alex laughed and commented, giving Zach a few punches at places she thought inappropriate. Not once did he see her flinch while looking at him and he could see the goodness in this human.

  When James had gone back to the cockpit, Zach grabbed her with such force it took her breath away and she squealed. “What?”

  He laughed into her hair as he replied, “You are truly amazing. You so put him at ease and that is damn near impossible! Thank you, Alex, he needs some more people he feels comfortable with.”

  She didn’t think it had been that big a deal. The guy was nice, so he had scars, everyone did. The only difference being James’s were on the outside and most other people had them on the inside. When she told this to Zach, he kissed her passionately and promised he was going to ‘treat’ her, when they got home.

  James came to visit them at home a couple of times, too, and the evenings were always good. Plenty of banter, jokes, and alcohol. Alex liked him a lot and she came to feel quite protective of him.

  Zach had laughed ‘till he had tears, when she told him this. “He’s a fucking warrior, he could rip most folk in two, and you feel protective of him? Honey, that is one of the most funny and loving things I’ve heard you say.”

  Alex pouted and punched Zach in the shoulder, hard, and he laughed all the more. James might be tough, a warrior, but he was also vulnerable and that was the part she felt protective of.

  Alex loved Zach’s bungalow, but made a few little changes with cushions, curtains, and so on, and now it truly felt like home. She had added a rocking chair in the room with Zach’s piano, so she could sit comfortably and listen to him play. Those times were some of the most wonderful she had experienced in her life, relaxing and listening to his fingers create magic from the keys. She felt incredibly special at those times, as if he only played for her. It was totally amazing and she cherished it immensely.

  She especially loved their bedroom. She couldn’t believe he had bought her a four poster bed, just because she had said she liked the one at Duncan’s in Scotland.

  Zach was also true to his word about their sex life. It was beyond words and she couldn’t believe half of the things they did. He was nothing, if not inventive.

  She was slowly getting more confident in that department and was looking forward to that evening’s entertainment. He had told her that morning before she left for some more training, they would be using her vibrators that night. She was self-conscious and excited both at the same time.

  When she got home, he made dinner, steak, and had a bottle of wine chilled and waiting. When she had got some Dutch courage, he laughed and took her to their room.

  He had used it on her and it was so erotic that she came quickly. He hadn’t let her off that easy though, he then made her use it on herself while he watched. It took some breathing exercises to calm her, but she did as asked and found it just as erotic. The glowing of Zach’s eyes spurred her on and the sex they had afterwards was worth it. He could make her body thrum and sing, and she once again thanked her lucky stars that they were together.

  Chapter 20

  The next morning Alex got up and heard Zach in the kitchen making breakfast. His acute hearing meant he knew she was up and he shouted, “You stay in that bed, Alexina. I’ll be through shortly. I have pancakes here for you and then afterwards you’re going to find out...honey is not just for putting on pancakes!”

  The meaning was clear and she thought, how on earth does he come up with these things?

  “I have a very vivid imagination!” he shouted through, in reply to her thought.

  Zach walked in and Alex was sitting on the bed, he thought she looked a bit pale? Maybe he was tiring her out too much?

  “No, Zach, it’s not that, I just feel a bit off,” she answered his thought.

  Zach wondered what could be wrong. She was having some of his blood each week, and it was only the most serious of illnesses that it couldn’t cure. He placed the tray down in front of her and she shot to her feet. She got to the bathroom just in time as she fell to her knees and threw up.

  She was violently sick, over and over again. “What’s wrong with me?” she whimpered.

  “I don’t know. I’m taking you to the clinic.” Zach only had his jeans on, so he threw on a t-shirt and shoes and picked Alex up. He got her bathrobe and put it on her.

  He carried her outside and as they were halfway to the jeep she asked to be put down, she was going to be sick again. Zach didn’t release her fully, he went down onto his knees and she half-knelt on the ground. She was sick again, violently. He was getting increasingly worried and picked her up when she had finished and placed her in the jeep. He moved off, driving a little too fast, towards the clinic.

  The clinic was actually more like a mini-hospital, there were doctors and nurses and due to the nature of some of the work carried out by Zach and the like, they dealt with quite a few injuries, some of them serious.

  Zach was trying to use his powers to see if he could find out what was wrong and was surprised when he felt something different in Alex. Shit, it better not be cancer. I’ll die if anything happens to her.

  He had blocked his mind from her, she didn’t need to know what he was trying to do, and his panic would only upset her more. They had to stop twice as Alex heaved out of the window. She was feeling awful and the one thing she couldn’t stand was being sick. Pain she could cope with, but vomiting always made her feel like a child again, and she just wanted to be hugged and made better.

  The clinic came into view and Zach screeched to a halt outside, not bothering to even park properly. He picked her up and carried her inside.

  The nurse at reception was the mate of a Wolf that Zach knew and was quite friendly with. He had met her a few times only, but it was nice to see a face he knew. “Kate, we need some help here. Alexina’s ill, I don’t know what’s wrong!” He sounded desperate, and he was.

  Kate’s voice was calm as she got up and motioned Zach to follow her, “Okay, Zach, bring her on through. I’ll page David, he’s on his way in and he won’t be long.”

  Kate took them through to a small one-bed cubicle and got Alex safely situated on it while getting her something to throw up in. She took her blood pressure and temperature and generally tried to keep them both calm.

  Alex’s blood pressure was a bit on the high side, but her temperature was fine. She continued to vomit and every time she did, Zach’s fear shot up a notch.

  “Where the bloody hell is David!” Zach growled, and Kate could obviously tell he was close to exploding.

  “Zach, please try to stay calm, he’s on his way,” she said quietly. Zach growled low in his throat, he was scared and was getting angrier by the second.

  *****

  David, one of the doctors at the clinic, rushed in a couple of minutes later, directing queries immediately to Kate. “Blood pressure? Temp?”

  He moved over to Alex and Zach just about snarled at him. “Where the fuck have you been?”

  David was a human, he had worked and lived in Unity for more than ten years, but seeing Zach snarling frightened him more than a little. David’s tone was placatory as he spoke to Zach, “I’m sorry, I was on my way in. Please let me see to Alex and try and sort out what’s going on.”

  David was aware that these two were mates and Alex would therefore be taking some of Zach’s blood to stop her from ageing It should also have protected her from just about any of the normal illnesses that humans got. However, it was plain to see she was pretty ill.

  With what or how he didn’t know, but he thought he had better hu
rry up and diagnose it. Before the Vampire ripped his throat out.

  “Okay, Alexina, is it? Right, I’m going to have to examine you, is that okay?” He directed this to both Alex and Zach.

  Alex nodded, but the Vampire was not so quick to answer, “If you must, just be careful what you do, though, I’m watching you.”

  He lay Alex down flat and started to examine her, he felt all over and palpated several places. He felt something, but knew it couldn’t be what he was thinking. So if not that, then it may be some kind of growth.

  Shit, he didn’t want to give this Vampire any bad news. David was pretty sure if he told Zach what he was thinking, the Vampire would probably lose it. If Zach lost it, he was pretty sure his anger would be directed at him.

  He tried to sound calm as he spoke, “Right, I’m going to take some blood and do some tests. I want Kate to give you an ultrasound on your stomach, just to make sure nothing’s going on there that shouldn’t be. Are you okay with that?” Again Alex nodded, and Zach just growled.

  David took a deep breath to calm himself. An upset Vampire was not a good start to his day.

  *****

  David took some blood and disappeared. Kate then got a wheelchair and took Alex through to a room that had the ultrasound machine in it. Zach stayed close at her side the entire time, reaching down and holding her hand.

  Alex was scared, she felt terrible, she couldn’t remember ever being this sick.

  Zach wasn’t just scared. He was absolutely terrified. She had to be okay, she just had to be.

  Kate got her comfy on the bed in the room and lifted her nightie up to get access to her stomach. Kate spoke calmly to Alex, trying to keep not only the patient but her very agitated Vampire calm. “Okay, Alex, have you had one of these before?”

  Alex shook her head, trying not to be sick again. Kate continued on, “That’s okay, there’s nothing to it, I’ll put some of this rather cold gel on your stomach, and then all I do is place this piece here onto your stomach to get a look inside.”

  Kate was holding a piece of the ultrasound machine in her hands and then got the gel and squirted some onto Alex. She used the scanner in her hand to rub the gel all over and then got down to doing the scan.

  Kate moved it all over from just under Alex’s breasts and down to just above her low-hung panties. She stayed at the lower end and went over the same area time and again looking at the monitor while doing so. She couldn’t keep the frown from her face, and Zach’s terror shot up even more.

  “What’s wrong, Kate? I can see in your face you see something? What the hell’s wrong?” Zach couldn’t keep the panic from his voice.

  Kate’s expression was shocked as she spoke, “I’ll just be a minute. I need David to have a look. Don’t worry and try to stay calm.” She just about ran from the room.

  Alex could feel Zach’s pure unadulterated fear pulsing through him and she squeezed his hand. “Zach, you need to calm down, honey, please, you’re going to explode if you don’t.” She barely got the words out, trying not to be sick again.

  Zach was once more amazed at this female, his mate. She was ill, feeling scared, but she was trying to calm him. He should be the one trying to ease her fears.

  He tried to talk and it took a couple of tries to get his voice working. “I know, I’m sorry. I can deal with anything, Alexina, anything at all, except this. You’ve got to be okay!” He was totally bereft, this can’t be happening.

  The centuries he had been on his own and he finds his soulmate, his one true love and he was possibly going to lose her. The look that had crossed Kate’s face was not hard to read, something was wrong with Alexina.

  Kate came back with David right behind her. She sat down and once again placed the ultrasound on Alex’s stomach. David looked intently at the monitor, he lost all colour in his face.

  Shit! Shit! Shit! Zach felt as if his insides were being ripped out. “WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG!” he roared.

  David looked from Zach to Alex and back again. “Well, I don’t know how to say...” and that was all he got out before Zach grabbed him by the throat and pushed him against the wall.

  “Zach! No, stop it!” Alex screamed. Kate was trying to pry his hand from David’s throat.

  Zach finally managed to get some control back and released the doctor. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Doc, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please tell us what’s going on?” Zach whispered.

  David tried once more to speak, “As I began to tell you, I’ve never seen this before. I don’t think anyone has, Zach, Alex...well, Alex, she’s, well, she’s pregnant!”

  Alex gasped and Zach staggered back. Zach’s voice was incredulous. “No, Doc, you must’ve got it wrong. She can’t be pregnant! You do realize I’m a Vampire? We can’t sire children.”

  He moved to Alex’s side, leaned down and put his arm around her. Shit this was bad, real bad. They must have mistaken a tumour inside of her, fuck, he can’t lose her.

  David’s voice was clear and all business as he spoke, “Zach, there’s no mistake. She is definitely pregnant. The heartbeats are very clear.”

  Alex squealed, “What did you just say? Did you say heartbeats? As in plural?”

  David nodded. “Yes, there’s more than one – you’re having twins.”

  Continued in Book 2: The Birth and The Battle, HERE.

  Author's Note

  Thank you so much for reading Defender's #1. I really hope you enjoyed it. There is so much excitement going on in #2 and you can grab it HERE, so I hope you enjoy that too.

  Check out details of my other series in the following pages, together with my contact details and sign-up for my VIP Clan.

  Now I know you’ll be wanting to get started on your next read, but if I could ask you to take a couple of minutes of your time, and leave a review it would be very much appreciated.

  Live, love, read!

  Love

  Ava xx

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