Cornering Carmen

by S. E. Smith

  There was still much to do. His uncle was still in hiding but he had no doubts that he would reappear. Ha’ven said that three more rebel bases had been found. Jazar and Adalard were taking care of them. Vox was going through his own star system. One of the bases had several Sarafin warriors who refused to name who they were supporting. With the might of the three royal houses working together instead of at war with each other, it was only a matter of time before they discovered who else was behind the rise of the rebellion.

  Creon helped Carmen into Harvey, making sure she was comfortable before he ordered Harvey to take them to the Horizon which was orbiting on the other side of the moon. Carmen didn’t look back as they rose up in the air. She looked up into the sky with a smile and held out her hand to him.

  “Take us home, Creon,” she said.

  EpilogueCarmen groaned as she finally rolled out of the bed. In the past almost eight weeks she had blossomed until she looked like she had swallowed a couple of watermelons, a few cantaloupes, and maybe a few honeydews. They had arrived on Valdier late or should she say early this morning. She felt like she had just gotten to bed when she woke up full of energy.

  Oh hell, she thought as she waddled over to the dresser in the master bedroom of their living quarters at the palace. Let’s just add a couple of pumpkins as well.

  You think you have it bad, her dragon complained. No room for me in here! I pressed into little ball.

  I know, Carmen said as she rubbed her back. Right against my kidneys with those two little devils who think it is their personal punching bag!

  “Where are you going?” Creon asked anxiously as he walked out of the bathroom.

  Carmen let her eyes roam up and down his tall muscular form with a sigh of envy. “I wish I looked as good as you do,” she groaned.

  He hurried over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “You are the most beautiful thing in all the star systems,” he said huskily. “The rounder you grow the more your beauty shines through. There is not a warrior on all of Valdier that does not envy me.”

  Carmen snorted. “You obviously haven’t been listening to what they are saying!” She retorted.

  His face darkened dangerously. “Who has insulted you? I will gut them and roast their corpses over an open pit,” he demanded.

  “Oh no you don’t!” She snapped back with a chuckle as she imagined Cree and Calo slowly turning on a spit. Not that she had seen both of them at the same time lately. “I get that privilege when I’m not the size of a compact car,” she said with a gleam of mischief in her eyes.

  “Who has insulted you?” He asked in a deceptively persuasive voice.

  “I’ve got in under control. The Bobbsey-twins know the only way they can beat me right now is because I am too big to toss their asses around. So far, they owe us two weeks’ worth of babysitting!” She giggled huskily. “Trust me that is more than payback when they have to change a few diapers!”

  He picked her up gently and walked back toward the bed, determined to make her lay back down and get more rest but she tightened her arms around his neck. “No! I have a hard enough time getting up from a sitting position, there is no way I want to struggle from laying down again,” she said desperately, looking at the bed with a look of horror.

  “You need to rest. You have only had a couple of hours,” he said stubbornly and he needed to go kick two of his warriors’ asses.

  “So have you,” she pointed out. “I’m fine. You finish getting dressed then I’ll get a quick shower. I want to go see Abby’s little boy, Cara and Trelon’s twins, and Trisha’s baby too. Oh my god, can you believe all of us are having kids at the same time? Well, except for Ariel,” Carmen said with a sad smile.

  “Do not be so sure of that,” Creon said as he gently set her back on her feet. “Mandra had a huge grin on his face and it wasn’t from beating any of the warriors’ asses.”

  “Really?” Carmen said excitedly. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” Creon laughed. “He let on that they are expecting a boy. But don’t say anything yet. He said Ariel swore him to secrecy until she was sure. She refused to believe him when he told her he had planted his seed in her.”

  Carmen rolled her eyes and started to say something sarcastic when her face twisted in pain. She grabbed her stomach and drew in a deep breath as she felt a sharp kick followed by a popping. Warm water began flowing down her legs and pooling around her.

  “Are you well?” Creon asked, looking at her carefully when she drew in a shuddering breath. “Maybe I should call Tandor to come take a look at you.”

  Carmen nodded her head. “Yes, I think that might be a good idea,” she panted as waves of pain started coursing through her.

  Creon swallowed hard and paled as he followed Carmen’s hands which were wrapped around her stomach. “Carmen, you are leaking,” he said hoarsely. “Are you supposed to leak?”

  Carmen glared at him but couldn’t say anything as another contraction gripped her. She let out a long moan of pain and bent over. Creon reached for her, wrapping his arms back around her again.

  “What is it?” He asked frantically. “What is happening?”

  “Babies,” she moaned out as she struggled to turn and make it back to the bed. “Now!” As another contraction, harder than the one before swept through her.

  “Ouch!” Creon yelped as she squeezed his hand. “That hurt!”

  “Yeah,” she panted. “It does.”

  Creon thought it in his best interest not to correct her on what he meant. He helped her into bed before he turned to rush out of the room. He stopped only because of her desperate cry.

  “Creon!” Carmen called out hoarsely.

  “What?” He asked in a panic, his eyes darting back and forth between the door and Carmen, who lay panting on their bed.

  “Put some pants on before you bring everyone in here,” she instructed before she moaned long and loud. “I need you! Now, the babies, now.”

  “What?” He asked again, falling over face first as he got tangled up trying to pull his pants on. He grabbed his comlink and fumbled with it, trying to activate it. “Help! Carmen, babies, now, help!” He yelled hoarsely into it as he climbed back to his feet, jumping up and down to get his pants the rest of the way up.

  He barely got them partially fastened before Carmen let out a guttural cry of pain. He reached for her, pulling her damp nightgown up to see if there was anything he could do. He saw the head of one of his daughters cresting just before his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor. Carmen looked down on the floor and let out a loud scream as their first daughter pushed through. Within moments, Morian was next to her as well as Tandor and several of the other healers. Three of them and Morian tended to Carmen as she delivered first one then their second daughter within five minutes of each other. The other healer ordered two warriors who were looking very pale to help him carry Creon out into the living quarters where they quickly deposited his unconscious body on the couch before they disappeared out the door again.

  “What? Where? Carmen?” Creon muttered as he slowly came to several minutes later. He lay on the couch for a few seconds before he remembered. Rolling, he grunted when he hit the floor again before cursing when he hit his head on the low table in front of it. “CARMEN!” He yelled in a panic trying to get up.

  The healer reached out and gripped his arm. “CARMEN!” He yelled again as he jerked away unsteadily. “CARMEN!” He called out frantically when he didn’t get a response.

  He rushed back to their bedroom. Carmen lay propped up against the headboard of the bed. A tiny, bundled figure in her arms nestled against one breast. He moved forward only to stop when his mother stood up and turned with another small bundle in her arms. He stepped forward, entranced by the small gurgling sounds. His mother held out the small bundle she was holding. Instinctively, his hands reached out and he carefully pulled it toward him. His eyes widened when he saw the thick black hair covering the tiny head. Brilliant brown ey
es stared up at him and a tiny fist waved in the air as if searching for something. He raised his hand and held out his smallest finger. The tiny hand gripped it eagerly, pulling it into her tiny mouth and sucking on it.

  “She’s beautiful,” he whispered in amazement.

  His eyes lifted to Carmen’s. Tears glistened in his eyes as he looked at his beautiful mate. He slowly walked over to her and sat down next to her. She gently pulled the tiny mouth away from her breast and burped her before holding her out for Creon. He pulled his finger away from his daughter’s tiny mouth, frowning with worry when she whimpered.

  “Let me feed her as well,” Carmen said softly, holding out the tiny bundle now full and sleeping.

  Creon carefully laid his fussy daughter down against Carmen before carefully lifting the soft, sleeping infant. She had hair as white as Carmen’s. She opened her golden eyes briefly to stare at him. She opened her mouth and yawned, smacking her tiny mouth several times before she closed her eyes again in contentment.

  He lifted his eyes when he felt his mate’s hand brushing along his cheek. He felt the cool, dampness from his tears. He had so much to live for. He would do everything in his power to protect his mate and his daughters from harm.

  “I know,” Carmen whispered tiredly. “Together. We will protect them together.”

  “What would you like to name them,” he asked quietly.

  “Spring and Phoenix,” Carmen said looking at their daughters. “Both mean new beginnings, rebirth, hope, life.”

  He looked at the pale figure laying in his arms. “Spring,” he murmured softly. “I like that. Phoenix looks like she is enjoying her meal.”

  Carmen blushed as her eyes moved to Morian who was cleaning up the room. Morian chuckled as she looked at Creon and Carmen with their new daughters. She had made the right decision when she decided it was not her time to leave this world. Her sons would need help and her daughters would need to band together when the men became too protective. She felt a blush rise as she thought of the dark eyes of a certain human who had returned with Kelan and Trisha. His look had been…. Morian shook her head. She was too old for such fanciful thoughts. She must have misunderstood. She had only met him briefly. But still, he…. She released a soft sigh.

  “I will be close should you need me,” Morian said as she quietly laid the last of the clean linens in the small crib set up near the bed.

  “Thank you, Morian,” Carmen said tiredly as the after effects of too little sleep combined with having the babies pulled on her.

  Morian came over and took Phoenix out of her arms. “Sleep child,” she said softly. “They will wake you when they are hungry again.”

  Creon held Spring against him tightly for a moment before he stood up and laid her gently down next to her sister. They turned almost immediately toward each other, touching just a little before settling down again. Creon stood over them gazing at them in awe. Everything about them was perfect. He looked back at Carmen who was asleep still sitting up.

  “Go to your mate, Creon. She needs you now more than your daughters,” Morian encouraged.

  Creon looked down at his mother. He bent down and brushed a kiss across her forehead. His throat was tight but he felt he needed to tell her how much her help meant to him.

  “Thank you, Dola, for everything,” he said quietly. “You saw the pain and grief inside my mate before I did. Without your guidance I don’t know if I would have seen it in time. Your guidance and love has made me a stronger, better warrior,” he said with quiet conviction. “Her love fills my life to overflowing.”

  Morian brushed a kiss against her youngest son’s cheek. “Just as your father and you and your brothers have filled mine.”

  Carmen’s soft sigh caressed the air. “Go to her,” Morian encouraged again.

  Creon didn’t need any more encouragement. He gently lifted his mate and laid her back down until she was lying comfortably before he crawled in next to her. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and pressed a kiss to her silky hair.

  “You are not the only one to rise from the ashes, my beautiful Phoenix,” Creon whispered tenderly. “I have risen alongside you. Together, with our daughters, we will begin a new life.”

  To be continued….. Paul’s Pursuit…

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Susan Smith has always been a romantic and a dreamer. An avid writer, she has spent years writing, although it has usually been technical papers for college. Now, she spends her evenings and weekends writing and her nights dreaming up new stories. An affirmed “geek,” she spends her days working on computers and other peripherals. She enjoys camping and traveling when she is not out on a date with her favorite romantic guy. Fans can reach her at SESmithFL@gmail.com or visit her web site at http://sesmithfl.com.

  Additional Books:

  Abducting Abby (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 1)

  Capturing Cara (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 2)

  Tracking Trisha (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 3)

  Ambushing Ariel (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 4)

  Cornering Carmen (Dragon Lords of Valdier: Book 5)

  Choosing Riley (Sarafin Warriors: Book 1) Coming Soon

  River’s Run (Lords of Kassis: Book 1)

  Star’s Storm (Lords of Kassis: Book 2) Coming Soon

  Tink’s Neverland (Cosmos’ Gateway: Book 1)

  Hannah’s Warrior (Cosmos’ Gateway: Book 2)

  Tansy’s Titan (Cosmos’ Gateway: Book 3)

  Gracie’s Touch (Zion Warriors: Book 1)

  Lily’s Cowboys (Heaven Sent)

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