A few minutes later, she returned with a tray of food and the rest of our family in tow.
Jet, Jasper, Mica, Amber, Edgar, Raven, Susannah, Flint, and Di all came barreling through the door. Lena led the way, carrying a tray of food. Luke hung back and leaned against the wall. He still looked unspeakably tired, but I also knew he would let my family say their hellos before he took his place at my side.
I gave him a knowing, thankful look. His caramel-colored eyes gleamed in response. Love shone in them before he crossed his massive arms over his chest and waited for everyone to finish greeting me.
“You’re awake!” Mica squealed. She raced to my side. In her free hand was a piece of half-eaten toast.
I laughed when a few crumbs fell on the bedspread.
The twins were right behind her. Jet and Jasper both looked tired, but relieved. With curly dark hair and blue eyes, they were hard to tell apart. Usually, only our immediate family could tell one from the other.
“You sure like to cause trouble.” Jet sat on the other side of the bed and kicked up his feet. The mattress sank in his direction. “I’m going to have words with that little bugger when he comes out. I missed out on my beauty rest last night.”
“I don’t think any amount of rest could make you beautiful,” Jasper retorted. He stood by his brother and crossed his arms.
Jet raised an eyebrow. “Your ugly mug looks identical to mine, bro, so I don’t know why you’d be knocking it.”
“Are they already at it?” Amber asked. The youngest in our family pushed past the brothers to sit on the bed’s edge. She reached for my hand. Worry filled her doe-like brown eyes, and her dark hair was in its usual pixie style. “How are you feeling?”
“Surprisingly, okay.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luke relax more. He’d been through so much. Once again, I felt horrible about all I’d put him through.
“You sure know how to cause a party!” Mica said cheerfully before taking another bite of her toast. “It’s been nonstop excitement around here since about three this morning.”
I winced, but she just patted my hand before taking the tray that Lena still held.
“Here ya go.” Mica placed it in front of me. “Hope you’re hungry! And if you’re not, I’ll eat that bacon. Jet hogged most of it out there.”
“I have to or you’ll take it all, Mica.” Jet winked at me.
“Thank you,” I replied and picked up a fork. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, toast, and fruit filled the plate. It was easily twice as much as I would usually eat. My gaze fell on the sausage, and I speared a link.
“Luke said you’ve been craving meat lately.” Edgar pushed his hands in his pockets. “So Amber and I pulled everything we had that you may like ou’ of the freezer last night.” His strange Cockney accent had faded considerably since we’d met him, but a few words still came out every now and then.
“Mm.” Grease coated the link. Normally, that would have made my nose wrinkle, but Edgar was right. I’d been craving meat lately.
I glanced over at Di, Raven, and Flint. The only full-blooded siblings in our family stood side by side near the window. All of them were tall and lean, with olive skin and dark eyes. Well, when Raven wore his contacts, they all had dark eyes. Other times, like today, his irises blazed in orange embers. Their hair colors varied, though. Di and Raven had midnight-black hair. Flint’s was a chestnut brown. But despite those subtle differences, they had similar mannerisms, bone structure, and personalities. Those traits made it glaringly obvious they came from the same genetic stock.
“Did you manage to sleep?” Di asked.
I nodded and picked up a piece of bacon. I’d already finished the sausage. “Honestly, I don’t remember much.” My gaze fell on a speck of blood on Flint’s pants, causing my heartbeat to quicken. “Thanks for . . . um . . . cleaning up the medical room.”
Flint shrugged. “We’re all here to help you. You know that.”
Raven crossed one foot over the other. “Are you still hurting?”
I shook my head and picked up a piece of ham. “I’m feeling surprisingly fine, given what happened.”
I could tell that Luke was getting antsy. He again fidgeted by the wall, and his eyes were beginning to glow.
I beckoned him closer and asked Di, “Where’s Father?”
She crossed her arms. “He went into work to grab more supplies.”
I guessed she meant medical supplies. Father’s work would definitely have them. Since we’d settled in Colorado—in the open and out in public—following our battle with O’Brien Pharmaceuticals, Father had opened a business. He was building his own corporate pharmaceutical company, and most days, he was working.
“Do you know when—”
Father appeared in the doorway.
I smiled brightly. “Speak of the devil. I was just going to ask when you’d be home.”
Father’s wispy hair was mussed, and his hazel eyes were alight, as if he’d been hurrying to get back to us. “You’re awake.” His gaze softened, and relief crossed his features.
“And hungry. I’ve been polishing off the breakfast Edgar and Amber were kind enough to make.”
He came to my side. “May I?” Father asked, his hands over my stomach.
I nodded and moved the food tray away. He felt along my belly, and his shoulders relaxed. “He’s in a good position. Still head down. I’d like to do another ultrasound this morning just to assess things better.”
“Of course.” My appetite left me at the reminder that my pregnancy was so complicated.
Lena whisked away the tray, giving me more room to move. “How do you want me to get there?” I asked Father.
In Father’s sprawling mansion, the medical unit was clear on the other end of the house.
“Luke?” Father said, eyeing him. “Would you carry her?”
Luke pulled the covers back.
My gaze fell on the unfamiliar ensemble I wore. I’d been changed at some point during the night. Loose-fitting cotton pants covered my lower half, and a plain shirt covered my top. Neither were designer apparel.
I guessed it was Di or Luke who had changed me. Father might have been involved in my obstetric care, but when it came to seeing me with my clothes off, only Di and Luke helped in that department. Despite our family being close, we weren’t that close.
Luke gently cupped his arms under my knees and around my back before lifting me from the bed. He didn’t struggle despite my long legs and huge belly. Like Flint, he possessed the strength of a dozen men.
“This way,” Father called over his shoulder. Our entire family parted so Luke could carry me from the room.
“Do you want privacy for this?” Amber gazed at me with worry as she nibbled her bottom lip.
“As long as none of you mind seeing a pregnant woman’s belly, you’re welcome to come along, but when I actually deliver, I’d prefer it if only Di, Lena, and Luke were in the room.”
Jet made a horrified face as Luke reached the doorway. “I’m guessing that’s fine by all of us.” Jet ran a hand through his hair. “As much as we want to meet the little troublemaker, I’m more than happy to miss his actual entrance into the world.”
I stifled a laugh. Even though we’d all grown up together, and even though most of us weren’t technically related, we all still felt like brothers and sisters. And having my brothers in the delivery room was definitely not part of my birth plan.
I gave him a cheeky smile. “The feeling’s mutual.”
“Thank goodness for that,” Jasper said as we all trailed down the hallway. “For a moment there, you had me worried.”
Lena patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’re not invited.”
Mica laughed.
Father led the way through the house with me and Luke directly behind him. The rest of our family walked in our wakes.
We moved from wing to wing, passing large rooms filled with expensive furniture and beautiful artwork. Since leaving the Forbidde
n Hills, Father had returned to living as he’d grown up: huge houses, hired help, and expensive everything.
The extravagance wasn’t necessary, but I heartily approved of it since I had a penchant for that lifestyle. Still, only Father, Edgar, and Amber occupied the huge home. It was a lot of space for three people.
Scents of breakfast filled the air when we passed the kitchen. The kitchen was my favorite room in the house. The six-burner stove, large granite island, and industrial-sized fridge would have made any executive chef feel envious.
“Here we are.” Father stopped at the doorway to his home medical unit. The strong smell of antiseptic hung in the air.
My advanced hearing caught a few words whispered quietly from the back of the group.
“. . . so clean now . . .”
“. . .was covered in blood. Flint and Di cleaned it . . .”
I turned my hearing down. My hands shook when I thought of how close I’d come to dying or losing my baby.
“You can set her right here, Luke.” Father waved a hand at the examination table.
Luke set me down as Father pulled the ultrasound machine closer. Di joined him. Together, as usual, they worked in perfect synchronization.
After smearing a large glob of ultrasound gel on my tummy, Father turned on the machine and placed the wand on my stomach. Black-and-white images appeared on the screen. My heart rate increased.
Everybody crowded around the table. Even though I didn’t have Lena’s powers, I still felt the energy in the room. Excitement, fear, and anticipation lingered on the faces of my family.
Nobody said a word as Father moved the wand. A second passed before the beginnings of a frown grew on Father’s face. Another second passed. He moved the wand again. His frown deepened.
Di stepped closer to the machine and put her hands on her hips. Her brow furrowed before she gave Father a concerned look.
His jaw tightened before he nodded subtly at her.
“What is it?” I asked.
I stared at the screen, trying to see whatever they were seeing. And then slowly, the image came into view. Even I could tell what it was.
I gasped.
My baby, my perfect human baby, now had ears on the top of his head and a tail.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Am I seeing things?” I tried to sit up more on the table, but Luke gently pushed me down.
“Shh, my love. It doesn’t mean it’s anything to worry about. I can transform into a wolf. It only makes sense that our baby can too.”
As usual, his soothing words helped slow my pounding heart. “Do you think that’s what it is? Do you think he’s just shifting in my belly but he’ll be able to turn back into a human?”
Di and Father still studied the image, both frowning. “Father and I noticed a few subtle changes in your blood work last week, but this . . .”
“Is he still okay?” My voice rose. The rest of my family was uncharacteristically quiet.
“His heartbeat is steady, and his movements are normal,” Father replied readily. “Yes. He’s still fine.”
“But he’s a wolf now?” My fingers curled into my palms.
The image on the screen shifted. The blood drained from my face. “Did the ears just . . . move to a different position on his head?”
Di’s eyebrows drew together as she peered closer at the screen.
Lena came to my free side and touched my shoulder. Beside Luke, Lena looked so tiny, barely coming to his collarbone. Her worried green eyes met mine.
Di’s mouth dropped just as Father’s gasp filled the room.
I jerked upright. A sharp pain in my abdomen followed, but thankfully, it abated. “What is it now?”
“But how . . .” Father moved the ultrasound wand back and forth over my swollen stomach.
Luke guided me down onto my back again so Father could continue working. Di brought a hand to her mouth as her eyes grew as wide as saucers.
“Is that what I think it is?” she asked.
“Yes.” Father nodded. “It is.”
“What are you seeing?” Luke growled. His grip on me tightened.
I grabbed his hand and held on as I waited for them to explain. The rest of our family was as quiet as a mouse. It seemed everybody was holding their breaths.
“There are two heartbeats now,” Father said quietly.
“Two heartbeats?” Luke repeated. “So our baby now has two hearts?”
Di shook her head. “No. No, that’s not it at all.” The smile on her face quickly became a grin. “Look here and look here. Do you see this?” She pointed to various spots on the screen. “There are now two heads and two sets of legs.”
“And two tails?” Jet joked from the back.
Nervous laughter erupted. I knew Jet was trying to defuse the tension, but I was still close to tears.
Biting my trembling lip, I said, “Tell me exactly what you’re seeing. I still don’t understand.”
Father continued to move the wand around my belly. The look of wonder on his face increased, then he turned to me, his eyes soft. “It appears that you’re now having twins.”
~ ~ ~
“I don’t understand how any of this is possible!” I was back in the guest room, once again on strict bed rest. After spending over two hours in his medical unit, Father and Di had confirmed the impossible.
Luke and I were having twins, as miraculous as that was.
“So my baby split into another being, and the second one is a wolf?” A headache brewed in the back of my mind. I didn’t know if I should be overjoyed or terrified.
“That appears to be what happened.” Di sat on one side of me, Lena on the other. Each of them held one of my hands.
Luke paced on the far side of the room. I could tell that he felt similar to how I did, scared and happy at the same time. Because if one thing was apparent—now more than ever—it was that nothing about my pregnancy was normal.
“But they’re both okay, right?” I was still close to tears. My emotions lay just below the surface, ready to explode at any second. I didn’t know how many more surprises I could take.
Di just nodded. “Yes. As far as we can tell, they’re both healthy.”
“See, sis? Nothing to worry about.” Lena brushed a long strand of red hair behind her ear.
“Do you think the labor contractions last night were due to our second baby appearing? That it wasn’t my body trying to give birth?”
Di tapped her chin. “You know, I was wondering the same thing. It would definitely explain the pain and blood loss you had.”
I lay back and looked at the ceiling. And to think that horrific waking I’d had during the night may not have been early labor. Instead, it could be explained by the emergence of a second fetus. But how is that possible? And will there be more? Logically, if a second baby could appear, then more could too. I gulped.
“So are they both boys?” I asked.
Di frowned. “I don’t know. We know your first baby is definitely a boy, but since we still don’t have a clear picture of the other . . . baby’s . . . genitals, we can’t confirm the gender.”
I frowned heavily. I knew what she really wanted to say was wolf’s genitals. Granted I wasn’t a medical wizard, but it seemed like our second baby would have to be a boy too even if he was a wolf. If our baby truly split into a second baby, the second baby had an identical set of genes as the first—therefore, he was a boy.
But logic hadn’t been a factor in any of my pregnancy. I bit my lip. Unless the second baby was there all along, and we’re only just now seeing him . . . or her.
“Is it possible this baby was always there?” I asked Di. “Maybe last night wasn’t about him splitting into a second baby. Maybe it was about the second baby having explosive growth?”
A curious expression grew on Di’s face. “That’s an interesting theory. I hadn’t thought of it, but now that you say that, I suppose that’s possible.”
Lena scooted closer to me, her small hand s
queezing mine. “Honestly, Jacinda, at this point, anything’s possible. Perhaps the second baby was there all along, and Father and Di just didn’t see it. Either way, we now have two new babies to love!”
~ ~ ~
The next week went by agonizingly slowly. Even though my family tried valiantly to keep my thoughts occupied and my spirits up, being on bed rest made the days pass at a snail’s pace.
Lena was at my side through it all. I took comfort in her cheerful chatter and wry jokes. She helped break up the time between ultrasounds and the endless minutes that refused to go faster. But the bed rest days were still boring. The only comfort I took was that the ultrasounds stayed consistent. Only two babies were growing—no litters for me.
“Your move, Jacinda.” Lena sat across from me in the living room. Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows. Forest was visible at the edge of the property, and beyond that were the Rockies.
I moved my pawn. “Checkmate.”
She rolled her eyes. “Again?”
I laughed as a passing cloud dimmed the summer sunshine.
It was nice to be out of my room for a change. Luke had carried me into the living room so Lena and I could enjoy a game of chess. Although, from Lena’s grumbles and impatient chess moves, I guessed she wasn’t happy that I’d beat her three times in a row.
I’d told Luke to go out for a run. He hadn’t transformed in a while, and I knew he had wanted to work off some steam. Di and Father were in the house somewhere—probably the library or medical unit—but everyone else had retreated to their homes. After all, they still had jobs to attend to. Only Lena had stayed.
“I’ve had enough.” Lena began to clear the board. “What do you want to do now? Watch a movie? Play a different game?”
“A movie might be—” A sharp stab of pain in my abdomen cut off my words. I brought my hand to my stomach. The babies had been strangely quiet all day, not kicking like they normally did.
“A movie sounds good!” Lena had already bounced up and was at the TV controls. She pulled up the streaming option.
Another round of pain shot through me, making my breath catch.
The Complete Lost Children Series Page 92
