by T. S. Ryder
"It's late. I'll think on this for a few days and then discuss it with you." Shay leaned over her, giving her a deep kiss. "For now, it's time for you to sleep."
Gemma nearly groaned. Sleep. It was all she seemed to be doing lately. "I can't wait until the baby is born."
"Yes, I imagine it will be much more comfortable—"
"No, I mean I want to do something other than sleep." She raised her brows at him, but he still looked confused. "Something spicy."
Shay's confusion cleared. He laughed and kissed her again. "The baby will be born soon. Then we can see what shape your spine is in. With any luck, a simple healing will have you back in perfect condition a few days after the birth. But try not to think spicy thoughts yet, my dear."
Gemma nodded, wrinkling her nose. "I know. I need to sleep."
"Indeed." Shay slipped into the bed behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "Goodnight, my love."
Gemma snuggled deeper into his warmth, her eyes closing. "Goodnight."
Chapter Nine
Shay woke to Gemma shaking him. At first, he only pulled her closer, but then a hissed gasp of pain escaped from her. His eyes flew open. He jerked upright, feeling her stomach spasm beneath his hand. It felt like his own stomach was squeezing, and for a second he wasn't sure what to do. He'd had training and schooling, but the rush of both adrenaline and endorphins had scattered his mind.
"Shay, I think I’m going into labor."
Her stomach contracted under his hand again.
"You might be," he said, and was surprised by how calm he sounded. He cleared his throat, pushing aside his tumbling emotions. Now, of all times, was not the time to let emotion guide him. What to do first? "Let me check to see how much you're dilated."
Gemma's eyes were round, but she nodded and turned as best she could to accommodate him. As he removed her sweatpants and underwear, Shay was immensely grateful for his ability to see in the near-darkness that surrounded them. Somehow turning on the lights seemed like it would take too long. Something gushed over his fingers as he checked her–she was already ten centimeters dilated.
"Well?"
"You're in the final stages of labor already." Shay swallowed thickly. "It appears that whatever Wynon did is having some residual effects. Don't worry, I have done my time as a midwife, just like all biological scientists, and the ship doctor spent a round with maternity. We're going to be fine."
Gemma hunched over, half-groaning, half-screaming. Her stomach shrank, muscles bulging.
"Don't push yet," Shay told her. "We have to get you to the birthing stool."
"That thing you want me to crouch on?" Gemma's breath came out in a growl. Sweat beaded on her brow. "I can't, you know I can't. My legs—"
"I'll help you. Lying on your back is one of the worse positions to give birth in. It narrows the pelvis and—"
"Okay." She half-screamed again. "Let's just get this going, then!"
Shay called the ship's doctor on the comm unit and picked Gemma up, carrying her to the birthing stool that was set up in the corner of the room. Everything was prepared. He had made sure of it before they left the planet. There was no reason for his heart to be pounding so hard! He thought it might burst from his chest.
Everything was going to be fine.
The doctor arrived quickly. Everything was a blur after that, punctuated by clear images. Gemma squeezing his hand. The doctor assuring them everything was proceeding well. A fly landing on Gemma's nose and licking at the salty sweat there. He wanted to brush it off, but Gemma was leaning so heavily on him he didn't dare release her. And then Gemma let out an almighty wail that was suddenly echoed by a baby's cry.
The doctor placed the infant in Gemma's arms. She started laughing and crying. Shay felt a smile blossom over his own face.
"A little dragoness."
The baby had a scattering of soft scales over her body, tinged blue and green as most babies were. But the shape of her eyes and ears, even her little bow mouth, were all Gemma. The baby continued to cry, waving tiny little fists in the air.
"She's beautiful," Gemma whispered, while the doctor palpitated her stomach to dispel the afterbirth.
"She is." Shay kissed Gemma's temple, shifting her so he could touch the baby's tiny feet. "It's too cold in here."
"I already adjusted the temperature," the doctor interrupted, rolling his eyes. "It's not too cold."
Shay hesitated but nodded. Soon the baby was cleaned up and wrapped in a warm blanket. The bed was soiled from when Gemma's water broke, so they took the luxurious room for visiting Board members. Once he was sure that Gemma and the baby were settled, Shay slipped in beside them. How could anything be so tiny, so beautiful, so precious?
"Do Stlozyn have any naming traditions?"
"One… but you'll laugh."
Gemma's lips quirked. "Why would I laugh?"
"It's a superstition. Not based on any sort of scientific fact."
"Tell me."
Shay sighed. This tradition meant a lot to him. If Gemma laughed… "It was believed by our ancestors that Stlozyn are reborn every fifth generation, and so it's tradition to look back five generations to name a child after one of our ancestors. We give the child that name, and when she's ten she chooses her true name, a name she'll only share with those that mean the most to her."
Shay braced himself for Gemma's laughter, but she nodded instead, her expression serious.
"I like that. It's beautiful. Do you know of a name from five generations back in your family?"
"My grandfather always wanted me to name my first daughter Ishoel, after his great-grandmother. It means beautiful star."
"Ishoel." Gemma smiled up at him. "I like it."
Shay let out a breath of relief. He'd always liked the name as well, and was grateful Gemma did, too. He kissed her forehead. "We should sleep."
"I don't want to sleep." She stroked Ishoel's tiny nose. "We need to decide what to do now. Are you hesitant to accept the position on the Science Board because you're afraid I'll want to go back to Earth?"
"Have I ever told you that I greatly admire your directness, Gemma?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't change the subject."
Shay chuckled softly but quickly sobered. He didn't want to put any undue pressure on her. He had thought that they would have several years before having to make this choice, but everything had happened more quickly than he anticipated.
"I promised you that we would return to Earth, that I would live there with you to continue my research." He stroked her hand.
"If you took the position, would you have to give up your research?"
Shay ran a hand over her beautiful, soft hair. He marveled at the silky texture for a moment. "No. But I won't be able to do it the same way I am now. I would be expected to send others in my place with the research parameters. I would have many duties on Bronæl that would mean I couldn't be away for long periods of time."
"So if you took it, we'd have to stay on Bronæl and could only return to Earth for visits?"
"Yes."
Gemma frowned. Her lips tightened and her nose wrinkled like it always did when she was deep in thought. After a moment, she let out a pent-up sigh. "I don't have any family there. I don't have many friends. And I just got fired from my job. I don't think there's a lot that's holding me to Earth. And two very big draws to Bronæl."
Shay held his breath.
"Ishoel wouldn't exactly blend in, either."
"We could use a shimmering cloak once she's a little older. It's completely harmless. But are you sure? After everything that happened here—"
"It's not going to happen again, is it?" Gemma raised a brow, indicating it was more of a statement than a question.
Shay shook his head. "No."
Gemma blew out a breath and looked down at Ishoel. "Then it's settled. We'll stay. Take vacations to Earth once Izzy is old enough to understand why she can't tell people we're visiting from another planet."
"Izzy?"
Shay made a face–he would never understand the human tendency to make perfectly good names shorter. But if that was what Gemma wanted, he could learn to accept the short name. "Are you certain that you'll be happy here? Earth is your home."
Gemma shook her head. "Earth is the place I lived. For a long time now, it hasn't been my home. You have been. And now you and Ishoel both are my home. Wherever you are, I’ll be there too."
"That sounds familiar… Where did you get it from?"
Gemma laughed. "I love you. I love you so much."
The fires burned bright and happy inside Shay. He kissed his human hard, twirling his tongue around hers. "And I love you, Gemma. I love you."
Chapter Ten
Time would tell if her back would fully recover, but with Stlozyn healing techniques, Gemma was healed from the birth within a matter of days. Shay still wanted her to stay on bed rest, but she felt good enough to get up and moving. Just lying in bed was boring. And her desire for something spicy had returned.
Gemma slipped a negligee over her head, checking out her reflection in the mirror to make sure it fit right. It felt strange to have lost so much weight so quickly, like she no longer fit in her own skin. She had to say, she didn't like it. She preferred being a little curvier. To hell with people telling her she weighed too much, she had felt like herself before.
She slipped from the bedroom into the living room of her and Shay's apartment. Ishoel was down for a nap, giving them a couple of hours for a spicy dessert.
Her dragon sat on the sofa, watching a holographic simulation of something that looked like DNA. Now that Ishoel had been born, Gemma felt comfortable giving small amounts of blood to him for his research. It was really helping him out.
Shay suddenly jumped from the sofa and clapped his hands. The holographic projection flickered off. The dragon began doing some weird sort of jig. Gemma had to stifle a giggle. He looked so ridiculous with his robes flapping around him.
"Good news?"
"Great news!" He turned, scooping her into his arms. He swung her around before setting her back on the floor and looking at her ensemble. "Wow."
Gemma pushed back her shoulders, making her chest pop. "What's the good news?"
"Ummm…" Shay looked back at her eyes. "I've been working on an infusion of human DNA into Stlozyn DNA to try to vaccinate against the disease."
"And it works?"
"Better. It's actually reversing the effects of the disease. Simulated DNA works just as well, so it's not like we have to go and harvest human DNA from Earth."
A grin blossomed over Gemma's face. "I knew you'd do it. You cured your people."
"I'm going to accept the position on the Science Board. I've earned it now." Shay seized her and pulled her to his lips. He kissed her hard, making sparks erupt in her brain. "And I never could have done it without you."
Gemma moaned and slung her arms around her dragon's neck, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. Shay responded with the same fervor, hands sliding down her back to grip her buttocks. With one quick motion, she tugged on the ties of his robe, loosening it, and pushed it off his shoulders. His flesh was so warm, so perfect. The tiny scales that glittered over his body were as smooth as skin but had a slightly different texture, a little harder. They didn't give under her touch.
"You are so beautiful," she whispered, exploring the contours of his chest and abs with her hands. He was so strong, so solid. What had life been before they were together? It seemed a distant dream, too far away to be bothered with.
"You are beautiful." Shay ran his fingers through her hair, moaning.
"Are you ready for something spicy?"
In response, Shay lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist. He moved her to the wall, propping her up in their favorite position. Gemma's whole body felt warm, almost as if the fire inside of her dragon was moving from him to her. She gripped his short hair, using her legs around his waist as leverage. Their mouths met, tongues clashed. Gemma giggled when Shay ground against her.
"I love how ready we both are right now." She moaned as he ground harder.
"Me too. I love you. More than you can know."
"And I love you more than you can know," Gemma shot back, not about to be beaten.
She kissed her dragon's neck, suckling gently on the sensitive patch right at the base of his throat. That undid him, and somehow without releasing her, he removed the barriers between them and was inside her. He fit so perfectly, just like he had before Ishoel was born. Gemma groaned in pleasure, arching her back to his movement, her eyes sliding closed in bliss.
This was all she wanted, all she needed. She was home in his arms, it was where she belonged. And right now, with his strength filling her, she couldn't imagine why she had ever wanted anything else.
***
"Gemma."
Gemma opened a sleepy eye. She propped herself up on an elbow, suppressing a yawn. "Did I fall asleep?"
Shay brushed her hair from her face, smiling. "It's been a while since we did this, it's no surprise that it wore you out a little. I promise to be less… enthusiastic next time."
"No!" Gemma shook her head, glaring at him. "You will do no such thing, you hear me? That was amazing."
Shay laughed. "I only meant that I'll try not to wear you out so badly."
"I'm not worn out. I'm ready for round three. Or four."
She tried to think how many times they had made love, but couldn't. They had had to stop a couple of times to take care of the baby, but other than that they had been going at it for hours. Those hours felt good. Gemma couldn't even remember the last time she had felt so relaxed, so at peace. And so satisfied.
"You always went easy on me back when we were on Earth," she accused. "Why?"
"The shimmer cloak is only good if it isn't overtaxed. But I want to tell you something."
Gemma pressed herself to her elbows, stretching her lips to his. "What's that?"
Shay indulged her kisses for a moment before he pulled back, laughing. "Stop that. This is important to me."
"I'll behave," Gemma promised, folding her hands into her lap to prove it.
Her eyes went to Shay's lips, wanting even more of the taste he left on her lips. He was delicious. Like Applewood smoked bacon. Only even better. Like chocolate ice cream. Bacon and ice-cream together. Delicious. Utter perfection.
"Stop," Shay warned.
Gemma pulled her eyes to his with difficulty. The blood-red ruby eyes twinkled and a smile played about his lips. From the way he moved closer to her, she wasn't the only one fighting some serious hunger pangs.
"I told you once that Stlozyn have real names and then public names."
"Ummm…" She vaguely remembered something about that, so nodded.
"Well… I have been waiting a very long time to find somebody I could share this with." His smile actually became a little nervous as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not to be used, not even in private. Real names are only spoken when one individual tells another, and then at their funeral. It's one of those silly superstitions—"
"It's not silly." Gemma forced herself to remain still, though her heart was pounding. She could tell by her dragon's nervousness that this meant a great deal to him. It touched her that he would trust her with this, even if she didn't understand the full importance–or perhaps because of that.
"My true name is Isthæshlyn."
"That's beautiful." Gemma stroked his face, repeating it in her mind. Isthæshlyn. "What does it mean?"
"It's the name of a hero in an old folk tale. I always admired him, and when it was time to find my true name, that is what came to me." Shay pulled her closer.
Gemma hummed as she snuggled into his arms. "Thank you."
"I should be thanking you. You don't know how long I've waited to be able to tell somebody that… I love you."
"I love you, too."
They held each other, eyes closed, revelling in the warmth of being together. Of being home.
****
*
THE END
Paranormal Shifter Romance Collection
The Wolf's Mate
Description
What do you do when your mate isn’t looking for a mate?
Bear shifter and virgin Iduna Hudson doesn’t want a mate. But she wants a baby. So she has herself artificially inseminated and is ready for life as a single mom. Who needs a man anyway?
Werewolf Stephen Jackson knows his one chance to have a family is to track down the woman who received his sperm. His wolf knows he’s found his mate the moment he sees her.
But love isn’t an option. Iduna is much younger than Stephen, and the relationship between wolves and bears is strained at the best of times. And these aren't the best of times.
Things turn deadly when Stephan and Iduna come face-to-face with anti-shifter zealots who are out to kill every shifter that crosses their path.
But Stephen has been searching for his mate for decades and isn’t going to give up when he’s finally found her. Even if it means fighting the fight of his life.
Can Stephan and Iduna escape their enemies? Can they save themselves and their baby? Will love conquer hate?
Chapter One – Iduna
It was a beautiful day in the southern interior of British Columbia. The mountains were dappled green-and-yellow, the contrast between the deciduous and coniferous trees painting a picture of the transition between summer and winter. Iduna Hudson sat on a bench just outside the library in a rare moment of enjoying the beauty around her, rather than keeping her nose in a book
It helped that there wasn't anyone around to try to draw her into conversation and then act like they didn't want to talk just as she was explaining why leaves turned color in the fall.
Her baby kicked her, making her wince, and the Bear put a hand over her belly. At eight months pregnant, she couldn't wait for the next month to pass by. She was tired of being pregnant. As much as she enjoyed the sensation of being a little person move inside her, the backaches and swollen feet and her body's refusal to get comfortable at night was wearing on her nerves.