Then without another word I pooled the sedative from my pocket and injected it into her neck. I watched Laura's eyes droop closed and I knew it was time. The moment she was out I shouted
“Kenyan! It’s show time. We need to get them both into surgery. I want to lift out her heart and place it in Jeremy's chest without delay.”
Surgery had not gone as I’d expected for several reasons. The first reason was I realized that Laura was pregnant seconds after I removed her heart from her body. Under normal circumstances she should have gone still and all blood should have ceased to pump through her body. However instead of complete silence I was mortified when her blood continued to circulate. That’s when I realized my mistake. Laura was only two or three days pregnant at most and the babies’ hearts had yet formed. Realizing my error I and carefully weighed all my options. Option one; I could reattach Laura’s heart. She would wake up in a few hours and the babies would be fine. Of course once she found out Jeremy died her wolf would die and probably the unborn babies would then die as well.
Option two; I could attach Laura to the mechanical heart and hope that the babies would grow healthy inside her womb while she regenerated her own heart. This was the only option that ensured Jeremy would live. Of course the mechanical heart didn’t guarantee the babies would live. In fact they might already die from the trauma of removing her heart in the first place. The biggest down side to that was Jeremy would have to be a single parent for several years and Laura was going to wake up in a few years to toddlers. I was still going back and forth with the options when I heard Kenyan yell
“Leona love, he’s flat lined again. His heart stopped three minutes ago and I can’t get it re-started. Nothing you told me to do is working. I think you are out of time. It’s now or never honey. Tell me what you want me to do?”
I was torn and felt like I was damned if I did and damned if I didn’t. It was decision time. I shouted back to Kenyan
“Prep him. I have her heart and am bringing it in.”
Then, I quickly hooked Laura to the mechanical heart and rushed into Jeremy’s room for surgery. It took four hours of tedious surgery on Jeremy to attach everything with exact precision. I wiped the sweat from my brow and said a small silent prayer before I closed up his chest. I did everything I could the rest was up to Jeremy now.
It’s been four days since the surgery and I had the feeling Jeremy would be waking up soon. I did my best to keep him in a drug induced coma but between his Bastet DNA and his new and improved vampire heart he seemed to push the drugs out of his system damn near as fast as I could put them in. I double checked Jeremy's chest incision and was pleased at how well it healed. Jeremy would have a scar for life but it was no worse than a human that had bypass surgery. I double checked his vitals and was all around surprised at his rapid recovery. His new heart was beating strong with no signs of rejection.
I moved around to the other side of the bed and prepared the ultrasound machine. I skimmed it over Laura's belly and was very pleased with the progress of the babies. They seemed to be developing perfectly. Then I shifted my gaze up her body and took a good look at her growing heart. It too looked great so I checked all Laura’s vitals as well. Like Jeremy she was healing far faster than I could have ever imagined. Initially things didn’t go that well for Laura or Jeremy immediately following surgery. In fact both of the crashed several times before I was able to get them stabilized.
It was funny how you could learn something by accident that should have been a no brainer in the first place. Turns out the two of them healed twice as fast once we put them in the same room. I was running back and forth between rooms dealing with their individual issues. I was becoming exhausted after the double surgeries and I finally said bring Laura in here. The moment I had them both in the same room they both stabilized. I could recall the moment Kenyan told me about his youth. He mentioned how when he was a child medical beds were always double. Back then he said a true mate always stayed in physical contact with their mate so they could heal faster. Then he launched into a story about his mom and dad staying in bed together for almost six months.
The words no sooner came out of his mouth than I demanded we try it. We found a bigger bed and laid them in side by side. Everything changed beyond my wildest imagination. I did an ultrasound once a day to double check Laura's progress. She has already grown back more than half of her own heart. At this rate she will be fully recovered in less than another month. In fact, I think if Jeremy wakes up in the next thirty six hours I will probably allow her to wake up as well. I'm not sure why but I've become convinced that if they allow their souls to blend the healing will increase even more.
CHAPTER 32
(Laura’s POV)
“Mamma, I went into labor a little early and have already had the babies. I know you said you were coming this week but exactly when are you and Uncle Nik going to get here?”
I had tears of happiness slipping down my face as I waited for my mom to respond.
“Oh honey, I know. Kenyan called the moment you went into labor. We’ve made all the arrangements and are already on our way to the airport. Nik is flying us directly there. I think we should arrive before sunset tonight. Tell me all about my grand babies. Spare me no details. I can chat all the way to the airport.”
I looked up at Jeremy took a deep breath and smiled before I said
“The labor and child birth was even harder than Leona thought it was going to be. Part of me wished I had agreed to have the pre-planned C-section Leona was pushing for. It took over twelve hours and we couldn’t even call you because Leona was scared the babes might die the entire time. ” I said as found myself thinking back
“Push harder Laura, you’re almost there. You have to give it all you’ve got or I’m going to have to give you a C-section. Please just concentrate and push.”
“I don’t feel like pushing anymore Leona!” I screamed back at my sister.
I was tired of pushing and I was tired of listening to her condescending voice telling me to push. For god’s sakes what did she think I’d been doing for the past twelve hours! I was exhausted and not one baby had made its way into the world yet. I had known this was going to be a difficult birth. Leona had strongly urged me to consider having a planned C-section I’d sworn however I could do this. Now however I wasn’t so sure. I was about to open my mouth and tell her again to give me the C-section when Jeremy leaned in close to my face and said
“Come on baby, you know you can do it. You are the strongest woman I’ve ever known. I know it hurts, but you can do it. Just concentrate and make it happen. Leona promised once you get out the first one the rest will come that much easier.”
Jeremy’s words gave me the extra energy and encouragement that I needed. I grunted and pushed with everything I had left in me.
“That’s it Laura, the baby’s head is crowning.” Shrieked Jeremy in excitement.
“Then I felt warmth spread through my body as Leona pulled my first born into the world.
“Oh Laura, you did good. It’s a boy and he’s a tiger just like his daddy. I haven’t weighed him yet but I am betting he’s well over twelve pounds.”
“Well my first born is Bastet since I had to give birth to him while he was in his tiger form. He was almost twelve pounds Mamma. He gave me such a hard time I decided to name him after Dad. His name is Lucas Nathan Renza.”
“Oh honey your daddy would have been so proud. I know that the two of you didn’t always see eye to eye but he loved you with all his heart. He always knew you were destined to be so much more than a pack wolf. I swear sometimes he was ornery to you just to push you. Every time you became complacent in life he would poke you hard to get you moving again.”
I thought about my mamma’s words for a moment and wondered if she was right. I wasn’t sure she was but it would be nice to think my dad say those things to motivate. Either way thinking about it didn’t hurt like it used to. Jeremy helped me to get over the past so that I c
ould enjoy my present and look forward to my future. I pushed my mamma’s comments out of my head and continued
“My second baby dang near slid out without me even pushing. She was so tiny compared to her brother, weighing only four pounds. Mamma she has the brightest red hair you’ve ever seen. We think she takes after you. She was born in her human form so we’re assuming she might be a wolf but Leona’s been unable to confirm that. The only thing we know for sure is she has fangs. We named her Nina Marie after Jeremy’s grand mom and your mom.”
“Oh honey she sounds precious. I can’t wait to see her.” My mamma crooned into the phone. I could hear her smile coming through with each syllable she spoke
“Oh Mamma, I was so tired after Nina Marie and I still had four more to go. The triplets were nowhere near as hard as Lucas Nathan but still tougher than Nina Marie. All three of the boys are identical with blond hair and bright blue eyes. They are also all definitely wolves since they shifted in unison almost immediately following their birth. Jeremy and I decided to name two of them after all my lost pride members Toby and Joe and the last one we named Noah.
Then when I thought I couldn’t possible do it again Leona said I had to give birth to another one in cat form. Thank god she wasn’t as big as Lucas. I had a hard time but Natalie pushed her way into the world at just over nine pounds. She is one of the most beautiful black panthers I’ve ever seen. I had to force her and Lucas to shift so I could feed them and I was so surprised to see both of them have jet black hair with the most beautiful green eyes.”
Mamma put me on hold and I could hear her telling my uncle Nik the news
“We have six new grandchildren! Four boys and two girls. It sounds like they are really a mix. Two Bastet, three wolves and a hybrid. The first and last babies were both Bastet. The boy is a tiger she called him Lucas Nathan after her dad and brother. The last is a girl, she’s a black panther she called her Natalie after her sister.
The second born was a girl. They thinks she’s a hybrid with red hair like me they named her Nina Marie for my mom and Jeremy’s mom. The wolf triplets were in the middle. She named one Noah after her brother and the other two are Toby and Joe after the pride members that died.”
By the time mamma finished telling my uncle Nik it was time for us to hang up since at least two of the babies were awake and demanding to be fed. I heard Jeremy doing his best to keep them happy while I put the phone down and got ready to feed them. I was a little surprise when he brought in Lucas and Nina; they were the last to get fed earlier today. Jeremy smiled as he handed Nina to me and said
“I know you wanted to breast feed but Bastet cubs need to eat every two hours. Keeping the supply to their demand is going to get very hard. That’s why our females generally stay in cat form for the first several months. I think under the circumstances everyone would understand if we got a wet nurse or used formula.”
I knew Jeremy was right. I had five demanding infants, two of them ravenous and constantly reverting to their animal form. Trying to breast feed them all was impossibility. I looked up at him with a small smile on my face and a twinkle in my eye and said
“I hate that you are right but I have to agree. No way can I keep up with the demand of all five of them. I don’t want a wet nurse though, so I think it will have to be formula and bottles. The good news is I have a feeling in the next few hours we will have more willing arms than babies.”
Then I smiled again and motioned for him to move in and give me a kiss on my lips. The moment we finished the kiss he said
“I love you Laura, you are my heart and soul. I am so glad that you are my soul mate. My life with you is more than I could have ever imagined.”
I felt my soul brushed up against his sending shivers down my spine before I said
“I love you too Jeremy. If I had to I would do every bit of it again just to be here with you right now.”
Epilogue
(Laura’s POV)
I had tears in my eyes as I waved goodbye to my kids and grand kids. Jeremy and I had finally decided it was our turn to see the world. We were starting with a world cruise on the Queen Elizabeth. The kids all come to see off. I looked out from the deck and spotted the triplets and several of my grand kids first. I smiled and waved. The triplets were lucky and all three found their mates in their late twenties.
The oldest of the triplets Toby started the first wolf pack in the Amazon. All three boys and their wolf spouses are still in residence there. The entire pack with the exception of six members is kin from either my side of the family or their mate’s sides. When they had been born wolves I was scared to death they would age and die young like Leona’s children. Thankfully, despite the fact that they shift into wolves they seem to have inherited their lifespan from their fathers Bastet DNA. At this point they are all well over sixty years old and don’t look a day past eighteen. They share blood with their wolf mates who also seem to be keeping a youthful appearance.
I craned my neck around and finally spotted Natalie and Lucas’s broods. Oddly enough they are mated to twins from a Bastet pride in Africa. They weren’t on a post college world trip and were shocked when they both fell in love simultaneously. Lucas came home and immediately challenged for Leo. I still get knots in my stomach remembering what it looked like to watch him and his father fighting in their tiger forms. It was so scary and I almost jumped in several times. In the end it was Lucas' mate Yolanda that kept me at bay by shouting that she was already with child in the middle of the fight. All together I have over thirty one grand children to date and the number is still growing. I swung my head from side to side searching for Nina but didn’t see her. Finally I turned to Jeremy and said
“Did you spot Nina in the crowd?”
Jeremy smile dimmed just a little then he pulled my hand into his and said
“Nina’s not coming. She called last night. You know that it’s hard for her to see her siblings with their mates and kids. It causes Nina so much pain to know that she’s never going to have what they have.”
I heard my husband’s words and a small tear escaped my eyes. I hated that my poor Nina would never have a mate or babies of her own. I understood the pain she was facing because I had once believed that would be my life. For Nina however we knew it wasn’t just a possibility it was most likely the reality. Nina wasn’t like anyone else on earth. She drank blood like a vampire, but was capable of shifting into both a cat and a wolf. Leona did extensive research and determined that Nina is invincible like me and my other siblings.
Then Leona found out the things that we would have been better off not knowing. Like the fact that Nina is unfortunately sterile. She cannot give birth or even convert children. It turns out Nina doesn’t carry the gene that would allow her to make another vampire. The worst part of the test results is the part that shattered Nina’s hopes and dreams. It appears Nina was born with a complete soul meaning that there is no true love since she isn’t missing part of her soul. Jeremy reached out and wiped the tear from my face and placed a small but passionate kiss on my lips before saying
“Leona and Kenyan are not soul mates but they are in love. Just because it is unlikely that Nina will have a soul mate doesn’t mean that she can’t have love.”
I smiled back and said
“I know it just hurts to think that she will have to spend eternity alone. I just wish that there was someone out there waiting just for her. I hate to think that she will never know the kind of love that you and I share. I still think you and I need to try to help her move past this pain.”
We heard the whistle blow and I knew we were going to be pulling out of the dock. I turned in Jeremy’s arms and leaned over the railing and shouted goodbye. I knew all of my kids and even my grandchildren could hear me with their excellent hearing. Then I turned back into Jeremy’s arms and kissed him with all the passion I had inside of me. I felt his body quiver with pleasure before he said
“Damn it woman, my heart still beats only for you. Give
me the next three years of just you and I then, I promise to do anything you want for Nina.”
THE END
Did you enjoy this book? Try one of my others
The Blood Ties Series
Mated & Blooded
Beyond Bonded
Forever Mine
Shredded Bonds
Mine Eternally
Beloved Mine
Sample of
Mine Eternally
A Blood Ties Novel
Book 5
PROLOGUE
(Ramona's POV)
I was running out of places to hide. I could honestly say it was becoming apparently clear that I had many more enemies than allies. I had spent thousands of years making sure almost every race on earth feared or hated me.
“I am so sorry little one. You are soul mated to a crazy woman. I don't know what the heck is wrong with me. Every time I think of our future together I do something entirely insane and you suffer the consequences. God was too cruel to match us together. I am so sorry my beloved.”
Shredded Bonds, a Blood Ties Novel, Book 4 Page 17
