The Vampire Who Loved Me
Page 22
For the next two hours Achilles did everything he could to stifle the pain, trying to put all his focus on Rebecca. As the latest wave of pain passed he lay panting, drenched in his own sweat. “How’s she doing?” he managed between quick breaths he didn’t even need to fill his lungs.
“Better than you,” came Kristin’s arch reply.
Another contraction caught him up in the tidal wave of pain. His body struggled against itself, and he could feel muscle fiber tearing in his groin, a fire so intense it felt like a red hot metal sword searing his flesh. He cried out.
“The baby’s head is cresting. That’s good, keep going, Rebecca. Push.” She let out a hard low cry that cleaved through him.
Then there was release. Blessed total release. The room rang with the lusty cry of a set of newborn lungs. His whole body melted into a puddle unable to move.
“You’ve got a fine baby boy.” Dr. Shepperd cradled the infant for a moment before handing him off to Kristin to hold.
“Oh, gods, he’s gorgeous. Look at that dark hair,” she cooed.
Achilles barely had time to sit up before he was knocked to the mattress again with the same searing fire.
“Time for round number two,” the doctor said, far too calmly.
The raw screaming pain escalated and he and Rebecca shouted out together.
“There it is. Push!” the doctor encouraged.
And then, just like before, the intensity of the pain was matched by a flood of adrenaline that created total release. A second cry echoed to join the first.
“A beautiful girl!”
Achilles swore every bone in his body was liquefied. His eyes were shut, but he sensed the warm, squirming bundle that was placed in his arms.
He opened his eyes and stared down at the impossibly little person. The small pink lips, full and damp, opened in a cry, pink little toothless gums peeping out. Dark hair swirled over the tiny head no bigger than his fist.
He placed the knuckle of his pinky against the little questing mouth and the cry stopped as the baby suckled. “I think this one’s hungry.”
“May I?” the doctor asked as he lifted the tiny bundle and transferred it to Rebecca’s breast. “I’ll be back to check on you both in a few hours.”
Achilles didn’t miss how Dr. Shepperd nudged Kristin with his arm. “Um, yeah. I’m going to go tell Dmitri the good news. One of each. How cool is that?”
They both disappeared in a cloud of dark particles. Achilles was glad they were finally gone. He turned to look at Rebecca. She was more than his wife. She was his mate, his other half. A fierce joy filled him as he watched the tiny babies feed one after the other at her breast.
Using the last ounce of energy he possessed, he phased his bed right beside Rebecca’s and curled one of the sleeping babies between them.
“Look, I think we have a little vampire,” she murmured softly.
Achilles watched as Rebecca unlatched the nursing infant and lifted the baby’s lip to show minute twin fangs poking out from the smooth gumline.
“So when did you want me to make you a vampire?”
She kissed him lightly, nibbling at his lip, making him growl low where heat stirred in his belly.
“I think we’re going to have to wait until I’m done nursing.”
“Why?”
“Listen.”
He listened intently. There were three human heartbeats in the room, one lower and slower, two fast and light. He looked up into her sparkling eyes. “It’s impossible.”
“Improbable, not impossible.”
“But they have fangs.”
“And yet part of them is still human. We can’t take the chance that they’d survive on blood alone.”
He nodded. “You’re right. We’ll wait. But only until they’re weaned. I’m not taking a chance of losing you.”
She kissed him soundly, her fingers curling into the hair at his nape, making him fire with longing for her. She broke their kiss and he shook his head, chuckling. “Living vampires. It’s like you told Roman, everything changes.”
Rebecca smiled at him in a way that sunk in deep and grabbed hold of his heart in a way he wanted to enjoy for eons to come. “No, not everything,” she said softly, inching in closer for another kiss.
Achilles traced his fingers along the edge of her face, memorizing every line, loving the woman beside him and knowing he’d be with her for all time. “Then name me one thing that never changes.”
She grinned. “Love.”
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
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First published in Great Britain 2011
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited,
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
© Theresa Meyers 2011
ISBN: 978-1-408-92893-6