Forbidden Dragon (The Bride Hunt Book 5)

by Charlene Hartnady

  “How long have you been in labor?” Louise grabbed Breeze’s wrist. She held it using two fingers.

  “It started with back pain earlier this afternoon. The pain got worse and worse until it started coming and going. I knew something was up but didn’t want to jump to conclusions. I guess I was hoping it would go away. I’m sorry,” she turned to Volcano.

  The male gripped her hand tighter. “It’s not your fault, sweetheart.”

  “They obviously didn’t go away,” she whimpered. “It keeps getting worse and worse. I feel like the birth pains are coming one after the other. I keep telling myself that I’m not in labor. I keep trying to pretend … but they’re so bad I feel like can’t breathe or think.”

  She shook her head. “It got worse and worse until … Oh god!” Her grimace was back. “Until, I told Volcano who called Granite.” She sucked in air.

  “That’s it. Breathe deeply.” The little doctor also took in deep lungfuls of air. She did so in a rhythmic fashion which Breeze emulated.

  There was a knock. Granite went to the door. It was Rock with the supplies. “Stay out here.” He noticed that the healer had arrived along with another male. “You must all stay in case you are needed,” he spoke under his breath, quickly closing the door. Granite placed the supplies on the table next to the bed.

  He could hear Breeze’s breathing slowly even out. Granite moved away. His sister-in-law must be in a really bad way; it seemed like she still hadn’t even noticed his presence.

  “This is all happening so quickly, too quickly.” Breeze wiped a hand across her sweaty brow. “I’m so afraid. This shouldn’t be happening. This can’t be happening.”

  “It’s going to be okay. I’m here for you.” Volcano cupped her cheek. “It is normal for an Earth birth to be quick.”

  “Not this early though.” When Volcano didn’t reply Breeze continued, sounding way more panicked. “Don’t leave me.” It hurt to watch the two of them suffering like this. “It’s too soon. I couldn’t bear it if …”

  “We need to stay positive,” the doctor spoke up. “This baby is coming. There is nothing we can do at this point to stop it. I spent six months in the emergency room and a year in Ethiopia with very few supplies. I’ve delivered a lot of babies. I’ve witnessed miracles.” She took Breeze’s free hand. “You need to try to stay calm. We’re going to take this one step at a time. Let’s try not to get ahead of ourselves. I’m going to do everything in my power to bring a healthy child into this world. I need to know that you’re with me.”

  “Yes,” Volcano’s voice cracked. “Thank you,” he added, his eyes were misted.

  The human’s gaze locked with Breeze’s who shook her head.

  “One step at a time.” Louise seemed so incredibly calm. Like she had this. “I’ll talk you through it.”

  Breeze nodded. “Yeah, okay,” her voice was small and hoarse. “I’m scared.”

  “It’s okay to be afraid. You need to stay positive though. I’m here for you. Volcano is here. We are going to get you through this. The baby too.”

  Granite was proud of the human. If she was still feeling fearful, there was no sign of it.

  “You need to drink.” Volcano handed an open bottle of water to Breeze and she drank deeply from it. His brother grabbed the bottle as another birthing pain hit and she dropped it. His mate made a groaning noise and gripped her belly. Granite inched further back. He shouldn’t be here, yet he couldn’t leave. He felt like Louise needed him. She kept glancing his way.

  The human began her rhythmic breathing and Breeze followed suit. “The contractions are close together, they’re strong and go on for close to a minute.”

  “What does that mean?” Volcano frowned deeply.

  “Breeze is already in active labor.”

  Breeze groaned, she continued to breathe heavily for a time before slumping back onto her pillows, her eyes were closed. Her face was a bright red.

  “I need to check your cervix, Breeze. I need to find out how dilated you are.” Breeze didn’t respond. Volcano was whispering words of encouragement to his mate. “I need to do an internal check.” Instead of waiting for a reply, Louise opened her bag and pulled out a pair of latex gloves which she pulled on. Next, she grabbed a tube of clear-looking gel which she squirted liberally onto one of her hands.

  The doctor moved to the foot of the bed. From this angle, Granite couldn’t see a thing but he averted his eyes anyway. He was tempted to leave the room. He glanced back to the bed and caught her looking at him. Her eyes wide and far too big for her face. Her skin seemed paler than normal. She was putting on a brave face but he could still see the underlying tension. He gave a small nod and kept his eyes on her until she got back to work. Granite looked down at his feet.

  “I need you to open your legs for me,” Louise said.

  He could hear the rustling of the sheets as Breeze complied.

  “My hands are a bit cold,” the doctor warned. “This will be a bit uncomfortable but it shouldn’t hurt.”

  He could hear a squelching nose as the doctor’s fingers entered the other female’s body. Breeze made a small sound at the back of her throat. Her heart-rate picked up, as did her breathing.

  “Sorry!” Louise said. “All done.” He heard her remove her hand and take a step back.

  Granite could scent blood. He looked up, his eyes drawn to the gloves the doctor was removing. Her fingers were smeared red.

  “Your mucous plug has already come away and you’re already seven centimeters dilated.”

  “What does that mean?” Volcano asked. “Please, healer, we do not understand the way that you speak.”

  “No, not again,” Breeze moaned, doubled over in pain. She grit her teeth for a few beats and began to breathe harder. It felt like an age before she finally sagged back.

  “It doesn’t sound like you’ve been in labor for very long, yet you are already far along.” Louise sighed, sounding frustrated. “You see,” she looked from Volcano to Breeze and back, “human women who give birth for the first time usually take anything from eleven to twenty hours. It can go quicker, of course, no two births are ever the same, but that is the general time-frame.”

  Volcano shook his head. “A handful of hours at most. Sometimes as little as one or two.”

  The human gave a deep nod. “That’s good. It means that we are right on track. Your contractions … birthing pains will be severe.” She looked at Volcano. “Hold her hand. Breeze is going to need every ounce of support. The good news is that it’ll be over soon. If your labor keeps progressing in this way, this won’t take long.”

  There was a popping noise followed by a gushing sound. Breeze gave a soft cry.

  “It’s nothing to be alarmed about,” Louise leaned forward, looking Breeze in the eyes. “Your water just broke.”

  The birthing pains continued to come, one after the other. Fifteen minutes later and Breeze began to shake violently. Her teeth clattered. “I don’t feel well,” she managed to grit out. “I’m sick.” Then she leaned over the side of the bed and vomited. Right onto Volcano’s feet. If it weren’t for the direness of the situation, he would’ve found it funny. There was not a stitch of humor to be found though.

  The human handed Breeze a towel. “You’re in the transitional stage. You might feel pressure below. The baby is moving into the birth canal. You will start to feel the urge to push soon.”

  “Now,” Breeze croaked. “It’s coming. My baby …” she moaned.

  Louise frowned, pulled on another pair of gloves and leaned in between Breeze’s splayed thighs. “You aren’t fully dilated just yet, you—” Her eyes widened.

  Breeze groaned.

  “What is it?” Volcano yelled.

  “Scrap that … you are fully dilated.” The doctor removed the gloves and threw them into the nearby trash. “This baby is coming and it’s coming fast.”

  “Get out!” Breeze screamed. “Out!” Her instincts had begun to kick in. Granite was shocked i
t had taken this long.

  “Breeze honey, take a deep breath,” Volcano spoke slowly and gently. “I’ll leave if you want, it’s—”

  “No!” Breeze sniffed, Granite realized that she was crying. “Stay, I’m sorry.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry about.” His brother soothed the damp hair from her brow.

  The human walked to him. “I need you to help me set up. I need warm blankets. This room will need to be kept very warm so prepare a fire. A heater would be better …”

  Granite shook his head. “I’ll prepare a fire,” he spoke under his breath, not wanting to alarm Breeze.

  “I will need towels and warm water.” The doctor licked her lips, he could see that her mind was going at a mile a minute.

  “No, problem.”

  Breeze had started to moan. The sound was deeper, more of a growl. “I need to get up. Help me up.”

  Louise swallowed hard. Her eyes flashed to Breeze and then back to him. “This baby is coming fast,” she whispered, taking a step towards the bed.

  Granite caught her hand. “You’ve got this.”

  She nodded once. “Stay close in case I need you, please.” Her eyes were pleading.

  Something in him seized up for a second or two. “I need to stay out of the way but I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Granite realized that he was still holding her hand. He gave a nod and let her go.

  He watched as Breeze moved onto her haunches. Volcano had her gown bunched around her hips. Granite sucked in a deep breath. He stuck his head out the door.

  “How is she?” the healer asked.

  “Doing as well as can be expected,” Granite answered. He turned to Rock and rattled off a list of supplies. “Knock once and leave them outside the door.”

  Next, Granite got to work preparing a fire. Breeze was pushing. Both Volcano and the doctor were saying words of encouragement. Volcano was behind Breeze, holding her up, supporting her every step of the way. He envied the love they had for one another. It had been that way since the day they met. Not that they accepted it initially. Sometimes people didn’t see what was right in front of them.

  The human had her head between Breeze’s thighs. “The baby’s head is crowning,” her voice was animated. “He or she has a mop of black hair.”

  Breeze choked out a sob. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “Shhhh. Lean back on me.” Volcano held onto his mate.

  All too soon, the next birth pains hit. Breeze pushed again.

  “You need to stop pushing while the head crowns.”

  Breeze growled loudly.

  “Stop pushing,” the human urged.

  “Can’t,” Breeze growled loudly. “Ohhhh …. Argghhh …” Her voice was so deep. Her skin became scaly for a second and smoke drifted from her mouth and nostrils.

  Breeze gave a euphoric yell.

  “Oh god!” Louise shouted. When Granite looked again, the doctor was holding a tiny baby. His niece or nephew. Granite felt his eyes sting. Emotion filled him. His throat felt clogged.

  “My baby,” Breeze said, her voice hoarse. “Give me my whelp.”

  “What’s happening? Our child …” Volcano held onto his weeping mate. “Please …” his voice cracked.

  Louise grabbed one of the towels he had put on the bed. She dipped into her bag and removed some kind of suction device which she used on the little one’s mouth and nose. She rubbed the baby with the towel.

  The whelp was tiny. So damn small. Fuck!

  “What’s happening?” Volcano yelled.

  “Volcano! Please! My baby … Give me my baby …” Breeze’s voice was so weak, she was trying to tear herself from his arms.

  “I just need to—” the doctor muttered as she kept working.

  Granite could hear the tiny heart flutter, could hear the small intake of breath. There was a barely audible cry followed by another intake of breath. “You have a little girl. Congratulations.” He could hear the emotion in Louise’s voice. The baby gave another cry, stronger this time.

  Breeze began to laugh through her tears. “She sounds healthy.” Volcano moved, allowing his mate to sit down on the bed.

  “I need to check her over. Give me a minute.” The doctor continued to fuss over the whelp. “She’s pink and breathing well. She’s active, these are all good signs.”

  Granite inched closer. He could see his niece’s legs kicking. Louise looked his way, she gave him a broad smile before looking back down at the whelp. He couldn’t help but smile as well. The whelp looked like she was going to be fine.

  “The good news is that she’s not caked in vernix; it’s that white waxy stuff on her skin. The more premature the baby the more vernix. Also, she isn’t covered in much body hair. She’s way smaller than I expected but she looks healthy. Here,” Louise wrapped the baby in one of the cotton blankets. “Skin to skin would be best.” Volcano helped his mate take off her gown and the doctor handed the little one to Breeze. “Lay her on your chest. I’m going to give her some oxygen just as a precaution.”

  Breeze had tears streaming down her face. His brother did too. Granite swallowed down a lump. If he wasn’t careful he’d be next. The human turned on the oxygen. She checked to make sure that the bag was inflating and handed the mask to Volcano. “Put it in front of her face like this.” She lay the mask an inch or two in front of the squirming whelp.

  Granite was about to go and stoke the fire when Louise stood up and turned to him.

  “Congratulations!” She walked over and gripped him in a hug. So small and soft. The scent of peaches and cream surrounded him. He circled her tiny waist and hugged her back. “You’re an uncle,” she said the words against his chest. His heart gave a squeeze.

  “Thank you,” his voice was husky with emotion. His eyes still pricked. Fuck!

  She released him. Granite kept his hands on her hips. A whole lot more of her curls had escaped. Her eyes glinted with excitement, her lips were a darker shade of pink from all the chewing on them. The fire flickered against her bright tendrils. The air seemed to seize in his lungs. Louise’s pupils dilated.

  Breeze groaned, the sound laced with pain.

  “I’m needed,” Louise said, under her breath.

  Granite released her.

  “It’s only the afterbirth, the placenta. I’m not sure what it’s called in dragon speak,” she spoke as she walked back to the bed.

  Breeze shook her head. “No!” she groaned again, louder this time.

  “My mate is having twins,” Volcano announced.

  “Twins?” Louise shrieked. “Why didn’t I know about this?” Much calmer although he could hear the underlying emotion. “Why didn’t anyone bother to tell me?” Her pissed gaze landed on him. Her eyes narrowed.

  Chapter 13

  Twins.

  Oh god!

  Don’t panic! Stay calm. Baby 1 was doing really well. She was pink and active and breathing.

  Baby 1! “Granite!” she tried not to yell. “You could have told me,” she struggled to sound normal, which was difficult when her teeth were clenched tight.

  He moved towards the bed, taking big strides. “We are Earth.”

  “Get out!” Breeze screamed. “Out!” Her eyes were wide. Scales appeared beneath her skin and her pupils became reptile like for a moment. It was weird.

  “I need you to take the baby.” She gestured to the infant on Breeze’s chest.

  “No!” Breeze snapped.

  “Let Granite take her,” Volcano spoke in a soothing voice.

  “No!” Breeze’s body folded as her next contraction took her. She grit her teeth. The infant began to slide off of her chest. Volcano picked up the tiny baby and handed her to Granite.

  “Go and sit by the fire. Not too close though,” Louise instructed.

  The infant looked minute in his big hands. He seemed awkward as he cradled her against his chest.

  “Take the oxygen with you.
Keep the mask—”

  “I saw,” he grunted.

  “Skin to skin. She needs to stay warm. Call me if her breathing changes or if her color changes. Any change … you call me.”

  He gave a deep nod. “I will take care of the whelp. You look after Breeze.”

  The shifter female was still in the grips of the contraction. Louise could hear as she breathed through it.

  Twins. Oh lord! Twin pregnancies were much higher risk. No wonder she’d gone into labor a bit early. It was normal for a multiple gestation. Vaginal births were also not without their risk. Baby 2 was normally the higher risk of the two.

  Breeze fell back as her contraction subsided. Volcano was whispering words of encouragement. The guy was phenomenal. It was clear to see that the two of them loved one another.

  “Do you know if the babies are fraternal or identical?” She saw their blank stares. “Identical twins don’t always have their own sac. Never mind.”

  Volcano gave Breeze some water. She was shaking again. “I feel that same pushing feeling.”

  “It looks like we won’t have to wait long.” It was a good thing. The longer it took to birth the second baby, the higher the risk. Particularly for a twin birth where the twins were identical. There was a possibility they had shared the same amniotic sac and placenta.

  Louise checked for bleeding. Aside from some amniotic fluid, there was nothing. When there was placenta abruption, there was normally a ton of fresh blood. Everything looked normal.

  “I need to push,” Breeze tried to get up. She was very weak.

  “You can do this,” Louise looked her in the eyes.

  Breeze gave a nod. Volcano was there, supporting his wife with his own body. She pushed her chin into her chest and pushed. The baby crowned immediately.

  “The little one has a head of black hair as well,” Louise said.

  Breeze kept on pushing but the infant’s head sucked back. It was normal. She slumped onto Volcano while they waited for the next contraction.

  It was on the third one that the baby spilled out in a gush of fluid. Baby 2 was a bit bigger than Baby 1. “Another girl.” She grabbed a towel and began to massage. Then she suctioned the infant’s airways. The baby gave a solid yell. A carbon copy of her sister.