“It was perfect, but I think I speak for us all when I say we’ve had enough chocolate during our travels here,” she laughed, as everyone nodded in agreement.
“Good enough. I hope you sleep well,” he told them before disappearing into the kitchen.
The days that followed were enlightening for all of them, not only learning about the history of Kara’s ancestors in India, but also about her abilities as a hybrid shifter. Though not everyone in the family welcomed them with open arms, those that were disapproving merely kept their distance rather than being any sort of threat. Of course, Omar was the leader of their pride, and so he saw to that. Finally, it was time to go home, and though they had enjoyed their stay past the initial problems, they were eager to get back to the village.
Chapter Thirteen
“Well, first things first,” Thomas said as the foursome stepped off the plane in Dublin.
“What is that?” Barb asked.
“We have to get Kara to a doctor and see if our feline family is correct about her condition,” he replied.
“Ah, yes. You’re going to have your hands full with that little project if it pans out, brother,” Josh laughed.
“Tell me about it. Kara can’t do anything like a normal woman. She can’t have a baby, she has to have two, and they can’t just be regular babies, they have to be super-mutant, shifter kids,” Thomas laughed.
“I’m an overachiever like that,” she replied, sticking her tongue out at him.
“You certainly are,” he laughed, kissing her on the cheek as they made their way through immigration and out to the luggage carousel. An hour later they were on their way back to the Mournes and back to a life that promised to be very different for many reasons.
Back at their house, Thomas sat down with her and reached for her hands. Whatever was on his mind was very serious.
“What is it?” she said, looking into his eyes.
“I’m going to call the doctor and have him come out here to examine you, but you need to be prepared for what happens next if he says you are expecting.”
“What do you mean?”
“The children. Their abilities aren’t going to be well accepted here. You see what Amy and Barb go through here. While many people are okay with them being human, there are still plenty that won’t speak to them, or speak down to them as if they are lesser beings. Then, there is you. We’ve been mostly able to hide what you truly are because you’ve not known about the other abilities yourself. Do we just do the same with our children? Now that we know they can change into anything, do we only teach them to be dragon shifters to save them the grief?”
“Absolutely not. This is an incredible gift. I don’t know that I can explain to you how it felt to suddenly find that I had such a fantastic ability. It’s like a whole new world opening up to me.”
“I know it must be, but you aren’t the only one affected by it, Kara. How are the other children going to treat them? How are the elders going to see them? I don’t want our children mistreated, or worse.”
“I guess it is something we will have to think about if we find that I actually am pregnant. If I’m not pregnant, it will be something we need to consider before we decide to have children, but is it that different from what we already knew about a potential son being a tiger shifter?” she asked sadly.
“I don’t know. I think it is. Dragon shifters wouldn’t perceive a tiger shifter as much of a threat as a multi-shifter, I don’t think. I’ll have to talk to Aaron as well. This could affect my position on the Dragon Council.”
“What? Why? He’s already accepted that I’m part tiger shifter, and he’s opened the village up to having humans here. This is only one more instance of diversity.”
“The rules haven’t changed that much, Kara. He made an exception for me and indicated that he wanted the village to be more open, but this is different.”
“How is it different? Either you accept all varieties of other beings under your umbrella, or you leave them out in the rain.”
“It’s just like asking for something and then continuing to ask for a little more each time until you reach the point where you are turned away. Human? Okay. Tigers? Okay. Then you go in and present something that no one here has ever heard of, and the unknown creates unnatural fear. At what point does someone put their foot down?
“I don’t know. What I know is that this is what I am and I’m not going to hide it from anyone. Likewise, I won’t deny my children the knowledge of their full potential. If we have to leave this village to give them freedom, then that is what we will have to do, Thomas!”
“I guess we will see soon enough. Let me call the physician,” Thomas said wearily, getting up and retrieving his phone from a nearby counter. Kara listened as he asked if he could make a house call today, followed by a few acknowledgments of whatever was being said from the other end. “Thank you,” he said finally.
“Is he coming over?” she asked.
“Yes. He will be here in about an hour,” Thomas told her.
“I guess we’ll have the moment of truth very soon then, won’t we?” she replied.
“Certainly will,” he replied, obviously still very much concerned with what they might learn in just a short while.
In the end, it turned out that Omar was exactly right. While the doctor couldn’t confirm twins without an ultrasound at his office, he did tell them that she was definitely pregnant, an estimated six weeks by his calculations. He scheduled an appointment for the next day for her to come in for further exams.
“It you are expecting twins, then you will want to take precautions very soon, as the extra weight of two babies on the uterus, and on your nutrition, is considerably greater than in a normal pregnancy. We will want to address your special needs immediately.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Kara told him as he left.
“Well, that’s that, then. If he was right about you being pregnant, then he’s probably right about it being twins,” Thomas said.
“I guess we will know more tomorrow. I wish you were more excited about this, Thomas,” she told him.
“I don’t know how I can be, Kara. We hadn’t planned children for a while, and now, not only are you pregnant, but we have all sorts of issues to go along with it.”
“I didn’t plan this either, Thomas,” she barked at him.
“I know you didn’t. I’m not going to point my finger at you and say you weren’t careful enough or made a mistake. We were both a part of this and, in all honesty, if not for the other concerns, I might even be elated in a way. I’m just scared of all this and what it means.”
“Then you are just like those people out there who fear the unknown. Did you not see me change into several different animals and back to myself when we were in India? Did any of the creatures I turned into change the person I am? No, they are just different forms, but all of them are me–the same woman you met and fell in love with.”
“Of course. Yes, I know that,” Thomas replied, looking downward.
“Then what is it? What is the problem?” she asked angrily.
“I don’t know. I can’t understand my fear, but it’s there, and it’s powerful. I feel a certain foreboding, like a warning of what is to come.”
“And what is that?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s dark, and it frightens me.”
“Well, when you stop worrying about the darkness that might unfold, perhaps you could remember that they are just babies. Our babies. They will be what we raise them to be, perhaps even greater. They will have an opportunity that I didn’t. They will know their full potential and perhaps be able to do something with such a gift that I never even considered.”
“Like what?” he asked.
“I don’t know, but I can’t see not giving them an opportunity to find out by denying them the truth of who they really are, Thomas.”
Thomas sighed. He wasn’t a bad man, and she understood that, deep down, he knew that she was right. This wasn�
�t the end of the world for them or their children. It was merely the dawn of a new day, one that might lead to places he or she could have never even dreamed about.
Chapter Fourteen
“How does it look?” Kara asked the doctor the next day in his office.
She was reclined atop the examination table, her shirt pushed upward. The cold gel he had smeared across her abdomen had warmed beneath the overhead lights. He carefully manipulated the instrument he wielded in his hand as he looked over at a monitor beside the table.
“Well, it is definitely twins. They are too small to pick up a heartbeat yet, but if you look here and here, you will two very separate embryos forming,” he told her, pointing to two small blips on the screen that looked more like jelly beans than babies.
“That’s them? That’s all they are right now?” Thomas marveled.
“Yep. For now, but they will grow fast, and you’re going to need to be careful. Once they began to weigh on the uterine wall, it is in danger of rupture, so we’ll need to keep a close eye on you and put you on bed rest if there are any signs that it might not withstand the pressure. Of course, you still have a while before that becomes a problem. As you can see right now, there isn’t much danger of overload.”
“Thank you, doctor. When do we need to come back?” Kara asked.
“For now, you can just make an appointment to come back in a few months for a checkup. I’m going to go ahead and prescribe some prenatal vitamins to make sure that both you and the kiddos are getting everything you need.”
“Sounds good,” Kara replied as he wiped the remainder of the ultrasound goo from her belly and she pulled her shirt down, sitting up on the side of the table.
“Very good. Just step back out to the lobby, and Hannah will make you an appointment to come back. Congratulations, by the way.”
Kara thanked him again, though she caught the hint of disapproval in his tone. There was no way he could possibly tell about the difference in these babies and normal ones based on a physical exam, she didn’t think. Instead, she suspected that his lack of enthusiasm was related to them being unmarried. The doctor was older and most likely didn’t approve of unmarried pregnancies in general.
Chapter Fifteen
Returning to their house, Kara and Thomas found that they couldn’t resist one another. The knowledge that they were going to be parents both enthralled and terrified them.
“Isn’t this incredible?” she said, looking out the window of their bedroom later that evening.
“Wherever you are is beautiful,” he said, walking over to kiss her, his arms wrapping around her waist so that his hand was resting on her soon-to-be growing belly.
“How can you possibly be so sweet all the time?” she asked.
“I’m not sweet all the time,” he replied, brushing her hair to one side and kissing her neck.
“Yes, you are.”
“Yeah? How about this? Does this feel like sweetness?” he asked, biting her shoulder.
“Mmm, no. You’re right. That’s not sweet at all. It’s incredibly harsh.”
“You like it when I’m harsh, too.”
“I like a mixture of the two.”
“Yeah? So, you like it when I kiss you and then bite your breasts?”
“I more than like it. It feels like ecstasy to me.”
“Ecstasy, huh? Let’s just see how that sounds,” he said, reaching between her legs and slipping his fingers inside of her.
She moaned as he explored her wet folds, looking down at her with a wicked grin. She noted how his eyes seemed to get even darker when he was excited. It was a turn on, just like everything else about him. If there had ever been a perfect man, he was certainly that man. Each day, she found that she fell in love with him a bit more. Her thoughts were interrupted by her own passion, a gasp escaping her lips.
“That’s my girl. Let me feel you drip across my fingers,” he said, slipping in and out of her softly with two digits until she was nothing more than weak putty in his hands. It was the effect he always had on her, which was perfectly fine with her.
Stripping her of her clothes, he removed his own before laying her across the bed. Leaning over her, he held her wrists down with his hands, taking his time to kiss his way up one side of her neck and then down the other before letting go of her arms and moving downward to kiss her legs from toe to thigh. She drew in her breath as his lips found their way to her center, lapping softly at her pink folds as she tangled her fingers in his hair.
He took his time with her, touring her body slowly and gently. His kisses were soft and warm as he planted them on her thighs, teasing her clit and pussy as he passed from one leg to the other. Then, he focused on her core, dipping his tongue inside of her, sucking at her clit and probing her with his tongue. Her hips arched up toward him, aching for more of him as he teased her.
“Please, I want you. Make love to me, Thomas,” she begged.
“Not yet. I want to make you squirm. I love watching what you let me do to you,” he breathed against her skin.
“I love the way you make me yours over and over, each and every time,” she moaned, barely able to get the words out as he stroked her clit with his thumb.
“You are mine. Just like I am yours,” he told her, stroking her pussy in all the right places until she couldn’t hold back. Her body contorted as her need built up inside her, her legs shaking wildly as she exploded against his tongue. He lapped at her swollen folds, the effects of her pregnancy already showing in subtle ways.
“Please, Thomas. I want you so much. Please,” she begged.
Moving upward, Thomas came face to face with her, looking deeply into her eyes. His fingers traced across her lips, her own scent floating behind it as he drew it lightly against them. It was intoxicating.
“I love you, Kara. You are everything I have ever wanted in this world,” he told her.
“I love you, too,” she replied, feeling like the luckiest woman alive.
Burying his hands in her hair, he leaned in to kiss her, his mouth hungry against hers. She moaned as he entered her, his cock throbbing heavily against her aching folds. Wrapping her legs around his back, she met each thrust with reckless abandon, pulling him further and further into her with each stroke. Their bodies bounced back and forth against one another in the throes of passion.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he said, driving into her until he couldn’t hold back anymore.
His body convulsed as he exploded inside of her and then lay lightly atop her, his cock still filling her as their passion faded into peaceful silence. Kara lay in the darkness with her head on Thomas’ chest, listening to him breathe quietly as he slept.
They both knew that this was only the beginning of something that was bigger than both of them. Twins were almost unheard of in their village, only one pair having been born here in over a thousand years, according to the doctor. People here were superstitious, and twins were a sign to them. It could either be of great good or greater evil, something that would reveal itself in time.
What would they all think if they knew just how incredibly special these twins would be? Kara feared the pain that might come to all of them if their fellow villagers couldn’t find it within themselves to accept what their children could do. It was something she didn’t want to consider, but couldn’t help but to do so. Eventually, she faded into a restless sleep.
Chapter Sixteen
“I don’t know what to say,” Aaron replied, sitting behind his desk and looking from Kara to Thomas.
Aaron was the dragon leader of their clan and Thomas’ boss, as he was a member of the Dragon Council. Josh was also employed by Aaron, but as a member of the Dragon Guard that operated as his bodyguards, and also as the long arm of the law in their village. It was rare that there were any scuffles in the tight-knit town, but sometimes they were a very necessary part of the community and were especially so in recent years.
“I just thought it would be best to talk to you up front
. Kara and I have discussed this. As you know, it was only recently that it came to light that Kara herself was related to tiger shifters outside this village.”
“Yes, the reason for your trip to India. I can certainly understand wanting to explore your roots.”
“We were not expecting quite as much as we learned. The idea that Kara can–actually, always could–shift into any animal she wishes was quite a revelation to both of us.”
“I imagine so, especially coupled with learning she is expecting.”
“Yes. We have discussed what is best for both us and the children. It is our opinion that we should not shield them from their abilities, but embrace them and allow them to make what they will of their gifts.”
“I see,” Aaron replied, looking down at his hands for a moment without further comment.
“I asked you before to allow me to resign my position in lieu of learning of Kara’s heritage. I am asking you again to allow me to do so if this is something you feel the Council will not accept. I do not want to reveal our situation and be forced out of my village as you once were. I’d rather resign and we leave of our own accord.”
“I admit that this puts me in a difficult situation. I suppose it was always one that would come to light eventually, given the fact that I’ve allowed Kara to remain as your mate. Even without the hybrid shifting situation, there was always the chance that she would have a son, who would be a tiger shifter. While I understand he wouldn’t be the first, I know that it is something the two of you would have not had him hide, just as you don’t want your unborn children to hide their abilities.”
“You are correct,” Kara said evenly. Thomas sensed that she was losing her cool. She didn’t appreciate being treated like a freak, which was exactly how she must be feeling in a discussion such as this.
“We are caught between two worlds. One is that in which people still hold our ancient customs and rules dear. The other is a more modern world where we don’t exist. People like myself and Thomas are forced to hide who we are from the outside, but people such as yourself and your children are forced to hide themselves from both worlds. It isn’t fair, I know that, but I fear what will happen if the truth of who and what you are is known throughout the village. I am afraid that there are too many that remain here who will react out of fear, the same fear that prevents us from flying in the daylight and feeling the sun upon our wings as we were once able to do.”
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