Whelon: Dragons of Preor

by Kyle, Celia

  Others… had not done so well. Vende, for instance, wore dark gray suit pants with his katoth straps of office. He informed Dawn he wasn’t going anywhere without his badges of rank and honors he had earned. The overall effect was something like Spartacus getting lost in a modern department store.

  “Are we ready?” Sasha addressed her crew, a short girl with spiky black hair named Kerry and a tall skinny guy named Mark. They were both film students and completely stunned to be the camera crew for the famous Sasha Dane.

  She wore a long, fin-train dress of flawless black that glittered with tiny diamonds. The elegant, simple lines flattered her, and she knew she looked stunning. It was important that the ball went perfectly, and Sasha would be its public face.

  Across the room she spied Melissa sitting in a big armchair, her ever-present mate Jarek standing guard at her side. There was a wheelchair and ambulance standing by for her. All the Preor had protested her attending, but she had insisted that all mates were needed at the ball. It was true. Without her, they were missing the very first mate, the first to be affected by the Knowing. Sasha made a mental note to tell her to go home before the big dinner. Appearing for the main reception was enough.

  Jarek stood over her, his green wings held high. Dawn had managed to rouse him, and he took on his mate’s pain without succumbing to the agony. Once Dawn had shown him that the heavy, sharp feelings were coming from Melissa and that he alone had the power to help, he had taken hold of himself in a way Sasha thought was impossible.

  Whelon and Chashan had managed to find a compound that would slow the child’s birth and give Melissa time to prepare. Dawn had distilled the formula and agreed that it might be the only viable plan. No one wanted to open Melissa up unless they had to. Tonight she looked glowing and well, and the last Sasha heard, the child was in position but sleeping soundly and Melissa’s muscles were slowly relaxing in preparation for labor.

  Jarek had not eaten or slept since he had been roused from the sympathetic labor, his strength impressive for a Preor warrior. If the rumors were true, he had once shifted and flown with broken wings to save his mate.

  Across the other side of the room there was a sudden commotion as people in high heels and tightly tailored pants scurried to get out of the way and not ruin their outfits. Sasha grinned when she spied Lana reaching for Lorrasyh, who was making a toddler run for it, waddling across the floor in a purple gown with a fluffy skirt that matched her little wings and scales. When Lana got close, little Lorra spit a ball of fire at her.

  Lana stood quietly, hands on her hips, and when Lorra was done, the simple, straight-sided black dress was still intact.

  Lana tapped her chest. “Fireproof, you little weasel.” She reached down and grabbed Lorra who started up such a tantrum that Sasha saw embers flying around her scrunched up little face.

  “We’re out of here, Taulan!” Lana yelled and Taulan soon followed, chasing after his mate at a run with young Shanas in his arms.

  “Does the boy breathe fire, too?” Kerry asked, eyes opened wide in awe tinged with a hint of fear.

  “He can. He just doesn’t usually,” Sasha said absently. She gestured to her two helpers and started moving around the room, greeting people and asking questions. She didn’t hold anyone to account or ask difficult things. There’d be time for that later. She wanted the public to see the heads of the Preor mixing with the congressmen and trusted members of society to show that the new rules of the treaty were accepted by all.

  No other media crew had been granted entrance but many waited by the door. Sasha was pleased to see that they all reported from a neutral position and no one was trying to sway opinion either direction.

  She paused with her crew for a moment, cutting her live feed and interspersing some images of Whelon in his brand-new clinic near Farthing Street. To continue to administer to the poor, they had to file tons of official paperwork, which laid out what he intended to do and why. Before it could be implemented, human officials had to prepare an impact statement, and only then could construction truly begin.

  Then they had to get approval for the Preor to move freely through the suburb. This demanded far more extensive paperwork that was only granted on the condition that the Preor didn’t step out of the approved zone.

  In spite of all the red tape, Whelon had set up three clinics. The first thing he did was return to his original area and rebuild. Then he moved into surrounding spaces. There was free food, playgrounds, and toys as well as medical centers.

  Sasha spliced the pictures of Whelon’s clinics into the feed, doing a quick voiceover to remind people that the Preor did not have to do all this for the humans. They simply couldn’t stand to see the suffering of those less fortunate and they happily used their own resources to support the poorer areas of the city.

  Sasha very carefully did not mention that the city charged Whelon a fee for “renting” space in the suburb yet paid no money toward the restoration of the area or support for the poor. If human officials ever made trouble or got too greedy, she would be holding that piece as ammunition—ready to fire. She already had footage of city officials stating they wouldn’t use their own money.

  We need the Preor so badly, she thought. They could teach us to be better if we only let them.

  She swept through the crowd, graceful on her high heels. She’d recently heard her mother was locked in prison with no chance of bail or parole. A part of her was sorry, but mostly, she was simply sad. The saddest thing was that Sasha had spent most of her life believing her existence was normal.

  She had honestly believed all children lived in such a state with their parents—a condition of fear and desperation, needing approval and love but never being good enough to win those feelings. If Whelon had not come along, Sasha may have stayed locked in that destructive, abusive pattern forever.

  The crowd drifted toward the dining room and little silver bells above the doors chimed as they were being called to eat. The mixing of people before dinner was served was only for greeting and feeling each other out. Lots of powerful people were in the room and none of them could sit to negotiate without a bit of a threat display—warriors and politicians alike.

  After dinner is when it all goes down, she thought. They will talk over dinner, and then after, it will be all handshakes and brandy.

  And Sasha was going to capture every moment. Some of it would go out live and she’d keep some for a special occasion. All kinds of deals would be made tonight and she wanted to capture them all.

  As the crowd moved slowly toward the dining room doors, a sharp yelp cut through the noise. Sasha spied Dawn bolting through the gathering, long green skirts held up around her thighs as she tried to run in her high heels. She was the first to reach Melissa.

  “It’s happening!” Dawn yelled. “It’s for real this time!”

  The crowd pulled back, away from her and Melissa. Jarek stood with both hands on Melissa’s shoulders, breathing deeply as he lent strength to his mate.

  “Get the wheelchair!” Dawn demanded with authority. “You!” She pointed at a nearby usher. “Find me a spare room.”

  No one argued. Sasha edged into the space near Melissa and saw Whelon already there and ready to assist. She reached for his hand and they followed Dawn, Melissa and Jarek down a nearby hall.

  This is it, she thought anxiously. This is the moment when it all turns.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Melissa had been doing so well over the last week that Whelon had taken it for granted everything would be fine. Now he chased her down a narrow hallway, desperate to take her vitals and frantic that he had no equipment and no backup.

  He needed Chashan, but he had stayed behind to tend to Preor Tower with so many warriors being absent. Even with so many Preor and their mates out at the event, the tower was still filled with males, human, and Ujal, and patients were always in the clinic. It had made sense that Chashan remained at the tower.

  But I can’t move her now, he thou
ght in frustration. We’ll end up birthing a dragonlet in evening traffic.

  He took deep breaths to clear his mind and hurried into the room where they wheeled Melissa. It was someone’s office, a big mahogany desk taking up most of the room. The others quickly ran around finding pillows and blankets so they could get Melissa comfortable on the floor.

  Sasha instructed her crew to wait outside and gave them the camera before locking the door—keeping all others out and so that Jarek, Whelon, Dawn, and Sasha were the only ones in the small office.

  As Jarek set himself up behind Melissa for support, Whelon knelt between Melissa’s thighs to check how her body responded to labor. To his relief, her muscles were very loose, and even without fancy equipment for diagnostics, he had enough evidence that the birth canal had opened just as it should.

  He looked up as Dawn placed a hand on Melissa’s belly. She closed her eyes for a second and then tore Melissa’s pink dress right down the middle. Both Jarek and Whelon stared at her in alarm, but Melissa answered the unspoken question.

  “Thank you, Dawn,” Melissa breathed. “I was being strangled.”

  “Don’t mention it.” She smiled and put both hands on Melissa’s bare stomach.

  “The dragonlet is well,” Dawn murmured. “She remembers you, Whelon.”

  “She?” Jarek’s voice was high, his face tense.

  “Yes, Jarek, definitely a daughter. Most of the time, we can’t tell the sex throughout pregnancy by listening from the heart. A fetus doesn’t know what male or female even is. This close to term, though, they know enough to tell me.” Dawn closed her eyes again, a soft smile on her face. “She says you are content now, Whelon. You are where you are supposed to be and that you can show her how to do the same.”

  “I will do my very best,” he rumbled as he pulled the remnants of Melissa’s skirts out of the way. Sasha moved to Melissa’s other side so she and Jarek each held one of her hands.

  Dawn stayed by her side, both hands on her tight belly as she spoke to the child. “She’s ready, Whelon.”

  Whelon took a deep breath and carefully felt around to make sure Melissa was, indeed, ready to push. He was outside of a med bay with nothing he could support her with—no medication for pain. If she had a simple hemorrhage, all he would be able to do was watch her die. He tried to push away his frustration, knowing it would only affect the mood of everyone in the room.

  “Try and relax, Melissa,” he murmured gently. “I just need to check things at the baby’s head.”

  She nodded and gulped, closing her eyes tightly as he felt around. Whelon inserted his fingers as gently as possible, listening for any signs of distress from Melissa. He was terrified he would find the birth canal closed and he was without equipment to perform a Caesarion.

  A successful one, anyway. His mind shied away from the dark thought. He knew the ambulance waited nearby, and its attendants would be on their way, but they wouldn’t have anything that would support Melissa through surgery.

  Melissa gasped in pain as his hand finally reached her cervix. He felt around as quickly as possible before carefully withdrawing his hand.

  “You’re open,” he breathed in relief. “You’re okay, Melissa.”

  “I don’t feel fucking okay!” she screamed at him, her face bright red and sweat peppering her brow. “Nothing about this is okay!”

  Whelon looked to his mate. “Go and get the ambulance attendants. We can at least give her something for the pain if they have anything.”

  Sasha nodded, dashing away. Dawn had her eyes closed and crooned something under her breath. The lilting melody throbbed through him, as calming as a physical drug. It relaxed him but kept his mind sharp, and Whelon noticed Dawn’s magic working on everyone in the room.

  Whelon peered down and saw Melissa’s body blushing deep rose and the outer lips turning a deep red. He only guessed but he assumed her body prepared to push. He placed his hands over Dawn’s.

  The sensation hit him in the chest so hard it stole his breath. For a split-second, he was the baby, caught in a dark world where he was being compressed and squeezed. The warm, safe home that he had enjoyed for months had now become a claustrophobic prison and the child was desperate to get out.

  Whelon pulled back his consciousness and felt his mind move away from the baby girl’s, but she reached out for him with her young mind. Through Dawn, they could feel each other and sense each other’s thoughts.

  “She’s ready, Whelon,” Dawn whispered.

  He sensed it, too, but this was the hard part. This was the time that, if it was going to go wrong, it would happen so fast he could do nothing to save her.

  “Melissa.” He stared at her, his jaw firm. “Push.”

  She tried. She gripped Jarek’s hand and tried to bear down, but then she shrieked in agony. Shaking overwhelmed her and Dawn met Whelon’s eyes with concern.

  “I can’t! She’s too big!” Melissa sobbed.

  Dawn put her hand over Whelon’s. “You can manage this baby. She knows you. She likes you. Just reach for her… She can reach you even if you don’t know how, but I honestly think you have a touch of heart master talent.” She moved up to Melissa’s head and gave Whelon a stern look before issuing her order. “Talk to the baby.”

  Whelon had no idea what in all the skies he was doing, but he placed his large hand on Melissa’s belly. Sasha appeared beside him at that moment.

  “I called them in,” she whispered. “They got stuck on a one-way street. They won’t be here for at least fifteen minutes.”

  She doesn’t have fifteen minutes! She doesn’t even have five.

  Dawn placed her hand on Melissa’s forehead and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. “You are well, Mellissa,” she spoke soothingly, crooning just a little as she gently rocked back and forth. Jarek began to rock too and Sasha grabbed Melissa’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

  “We’re all here for you, Melissa,” Sasha added gently. She had tears running down her face and her eyes were filled with terror, but his mate kept it together.

  I am here too. I am with you, Mother.

  The vibration took Whelon by surprise and he jumped, quickly putting his hand back on Melissa’s belly.

  We can do this together.

  “Oh, my god,” Melissa cried. “I can hear her. I can hear my baby.”

  We can do this together, Mother.

  “You are well, Melissa,” Dawn crooned. “You are strong. You are invincible. You are the mate of a dragon and bearer of dragonlets. For this you were made.”

  For this I was born.

  For this I will be born.

  It was the voice of Melissa joining with her daughter in a song of union. Whelon looked up and found Jarek still as a statue, his eyes closed as he focused on pouring strength into his mate. His face was twisted in pain and he appeared haggard, but Melissa glowed—her eyes bright and her cheeks stained rosy pink.

  Whelon sensed the child turning within the womb.

  “Now Melissa!” he ordered. “Push, push now!”

  She gathered herself and scrunched up her body, gripping Sasha’s and Jarek’s hands as she pushed. Dawn took a deep breath and held tightly to Melissa, lending her strength as she struggled to give birth.

  Whelon felt for the child again, sensing it moving within Melissa. He let her pant for four breaths before he roused her again. “Push, Melissa, now!”

  She moaned, a horrible, drawn out wail.

  “Push, Melissa!” Dawn snapped, and Melissa did as ordered. She kept bearing down, almost breaking Jarek’s and Sasha’s fingers.

  She collapsed against her mate when she was done, panting desperately. He felt her sag from inside out and roused her immediately.

  “One more, Melissa. One more just like that. Go, now!”

  She moaned, shaking her head. “I can’t. I can’t.”

  Jarek gripped her hand even tighter and wrapped himself around his mate. “You will push, now! You have more strength and courage than any sol
dier in the fleet! You are my mate. Show me your strength, shaa kouva. Show me! Push! Bring forth your daughter!”

  Melissa screamed, bearing down. Whelon saw the baby’s head emerge and gasped in relief. As the end of the contractions passed, he was able to support the infant as she slipped gently into his waiting hands.

  Melissa cried, shaking all over, and he didn’t wait or hesitate a moment. He placed the baby straight on her breast. The little girl grabbed her mother’s hand and nuzzled into her, searching for milk.

  “Oh,” Melissa cried, tears pouring down her face. “She’s beautiful!”

  Jarek was beyond words, staring down at his baby daughter, feeding for the first time. Sasha and Dawn moved away to give them a moment while Whelon quickly checked the mother for any injuries.

  “I’d love a photo,” Sasha said quietly, “but I’ll wait.”

  Whelon’s job done, he smiled and leaned in to kiss his mate gently. He was exhausted and his only hope left for the day was that they wouldn’t make him attend the damn party that was still going on outside the office door.

  He felt like he could sleep for a hundred years.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Several weeks after Melissa’s daughter crashed the biggest Preor-human event ever to be held, Sasha stood in the main park in the center of Tampa. In front of her, Melissa lay on the thick grass under a tall tree, her daughter curled in her arm. Jarek sat nearby, alternating eating grapes out of a picnic basket and rubbing his daughter playfully on the tummy.

  They had named her Nicoletta, for Melissa’s grandmother. Since her spectacular birth at the conference, little Nicoletta had become a minor celebrity of sorts. Everyone wanted to see the newest dragonlet who had been born under the flag of the new treaty.

  Sasha had Kerry and Mark with her, filming random shots of Preor and humans mixing together, playing games and sharing food. They had set up a massive picnic area with jumping castles, games and tables spread with amazing food.