Masters of the Hunt: Fated and Forbidden

by Sarra Cannon

  “Well, they’re also very much demons. In fact, hybrids are much stronger because they have the traits of both demons so I’m not worried. Let’s not jump to any premature conclusions.” The Doc pushed his glasses more firmly into place. The motion struck him as weird only because it was unheard of for a demon to have any type of physical ailment. He’d have to ask the good doctor what was up with the whole glasses thing one day.

  “Hey, Phoenix.”

  He looked up and spotted the big human male that had punched him for hurting Gaby. It felt like that incident had taken place more than just a few weeks ago. A nurse blocked Jack’s path. He flashed her a grin followed by his badge. She giggled, blushed and stepped aside.

  “How’s Gaby?”

  “Doing well considering.” As much as it disgusted him, he found himself liking the human.

  “How are you holding up? Can I get you anything?”

  “We’re good, thanks.”

  “A couple of us from DCA are in the waiting room. Let us know how things are going and, Phoenix”—Jack gave him a quick tap on the arm—“let us know if we can help in any way...I have cigars...we’ll be waiting.” The human pulled out several wrapped cigars.

  “Yeah thanks, I’ll let you know.”

  The human turned and walked back out through the double doors to the reception area.

  — —

  Devlin attached a heart rate monitor on each side of her belly to monitor each of the babies’ hearts. A device was put onto Gaby’s finger to monitor her heart beats.

  “I’m still worried, Doc,” said Gaby.

  “Both heartbeats are strong. I assure you that the babies are fine.”

  “It’s rare to go this long without feeling any movement. It’s never happened before.”

  Devlin took hold of Gaby’s hand and Phoenix grit his teeth to keep from snarling. He realized he was feeling irrational and concentrated harder on controlling his demon.

  “You’ve never been in labor before either, so rare in this instance could be quite normal. If you find yourself getting concerned, look at the monitor over here...” He gestured to the top screen next to the bed. It had a dual face that showed a steady jumping green line on each one. “The babies are just fine. Your IV is all setup. I suggest that you get some rest while you still can.” He smiled warmly at her and turned to Phoenix.

  “I’ll be back soon to check in. Push that red button if you need me.” He pointed to the remote control device on the table next to the bed. As he left, he turned the dial located on the wall next to the door down and dimmed the lights.

  Phoenix pulled a chair next to the bed, making sure to choose the side opposite to the heart rate monitors and the IV stand. He took Gaby’s hand in both of his. “You heard the Doc. You need to try and rest.”

  “I’m feeling nervous as hell.”

  “You’re in good hands. You told me earlier that your body will instinctively know what to do. Doc’s not worried about any of you. I’m right here if you need anything.”

  “I’m worried about what kind of mother I’ll make. I never had much of an example growing up.” She took a plump bottom lip between her lips, but not before he noticed it quiver. “If you hadn’t put the nursery together and bought the rest of the things they needed, they’d have nothing.” She sniffed. Phoenix could tell that she wanted to cry. It felt like someone had kicked him in the gut. Hard.

  “Don’t say that. It’s not about possessions. There are only two things in this world that babies need, their mother and a truck load of diapers. Everything else is obsolete.”

  She laughed and he could breathe again. Then she took hold of his jaw and kissed him. Her soft lips meshed perfectly with his for a few perfect seconds. As soon as they parted she said, “That’s where you’re wrong, they also need their daddy.” Her eyes widened and her lips made an o-shape. “We don’t have any names. Our children will be born nameless.”

  “Relax, sweetheart. Its wolf tradition to name pups after they’re born. It’s not unheard of for a child to remain nameless for days, even weeks after birth.”

  “You’re just trying to make me feel better.” The smile that graced her face was a tonic to him.

  He pushed a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “No. I’m serious. It’s considered bad luck. It took my parents the better part of a month to name me.”

  Gaby laughed, clasping her hand to her mouth. “Oh my word. Are you serious?”

  “Totally and you would think that after all that time they could’ve come up with something better. Who in their right mind names a wolf pup after a bird? You have no idea how much I was teased.”

  She laughed some more and he could feel the tension ease. She turned her green tinged, hazel eyes on him. “I happen to really love your name.” Her cheeks flushed but she kept looking him straight in the eyes and carried on anyway. He loved that about her. “The Phoenix is not just a bird but a majestic fire spirit which can never die since it regenerates itself. It is said that the name Phoenix can only be given to an exceptional man.” She smiled.

  ‘Sheesh, no pressure. Exceptional...” he rolled his eyes.

  “You are exceptional. Let’s see,” she counted out on her fingers. “You turned into a big bad wolf and saved my ass. You’re one of the best defense attorneys in the country, oh and best of all you managed to get me pregnant with just one shag.”

  A laugh found its way out of him. “Hardly just one. More like four or five...”

  “Try six.”

  They both laughed.

  He turned her hand palm up and kissed her there. “I need you to know that I love you, Gaby.”

  Her eyes darkened. Why was she struggling so much with this? Did she really think he’d change his mind once her demon came back?

  “Please wait until the babies are born.”

  “I hate to break this to you, but they’re on the way.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  He pulled in a deep breath. “I had to tell you now and I’ll say it again”—he paused and even though she shook her head, he continued—“I love you. I’m sure I’ll love your kick-ass demon just as much.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Stop saying that. I really…appreciate it, but you need to stop.”

  He put up his hands. “Okay...you win, I’ll stop but only if you promise to believe me in a day or two? Even better, do you promise to show me how much you appreciate my love sometime in the very near future?”

  She smiled. Phoenix noticed that dark rings had formed under her eyes. “You need to rest.”

  She tried to argue so he stood and kissed each of her eyes and ended on her mouth. A brief brush of the lips. “Sleep, my love.”

  — —

  Phoenix woke to the sound of panting, his hand was in a vice like grip. “They’re coming. Push the button. Push the damned button.”

  Although he felt like jumping across her hospital bed, he refrained. Only just. Instead, he carefully pried his hand from her grip and strode to the side table on the other side. He pushed the button twice. Gaby’s back bowed off the bed and she screamed, fisting the sheets. Adrenaline surged. He roared Devlin’s name. Phoenix didn’t need to look at the monitors to know that all of their heartbeats were elevated. Especially Gaby’s. Just when he was about to run to fetch help, the tension gradually began to ease from her body.

  “What can I do?”

  “Nothing.” Her lips squeezed into a thin white line for a few seconds before she hissed loudly. She grabbed for his hand and squeezed. “They’re coming. Oh my god, they’re coming...” Gaby threw her head back and moaned. Her fangs erupted into two deadly rows. Claws replaced her neat manicured nails, which she dug into him until the blood trickled from the puncture wounds. He was glad for the pain. It grounded him. Made him feel useful.

  Devlin rushed in just as Gaby spread her legs. The doctor’s white coat was unbuttoned and his hair was mussed. With a sweep of the hand he turned the lighting up and moved to Gaby
where he took up position between her legs. This time Phoenix couldn’t stop himself. A low rumble resonated from deep within his chest and his lip curled. He felt his canines elongate.

  The doctor ignored him, or he was too busy to have heard. “Oh good lord dragon master,” his face paled. He turned big, shocked eyes on Phoenix. “You stay on that side. Talk your mate through this.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Just stay there,” he gestured frantically with his hand.

  Gaby licked her lips and spread her legs even wider. The hospital gown blocked his view completely. “They don’t want you to see me split myself in right down the middle.”

  “What do you mean split yourself?”

  She looked sleepy. He’d even go so far as to say that someone might’ve drugged her.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine. Just uses”—she swallowed hard, her eyes drooped shut for a second or two before opening up again—“uses so much energy.”

  “What does?” He tried to move down to see what was happening. He needed to get some answers for himself, but her hold on his hand tightened as he tried to move.

  “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it. I’m a skin, silly.” She smiled, her eyelashes meshed as she slow blinked. “I can change my whole skin, so why not just a part of my body?”

  He looked down at Devlin who was far under her gown and then back at Gaby. “Are you saying you’re reforming down there...?”

  She nodded.

  “I can see the babies.”

  “Both babies at the same time?” he could hear the shock in his voice.

  Devlin made a sound of confirmation. “Just a little bit more if you can Gaby and I’ll be able to reach in.”

  “Reach in.” He fumbled for the chair, his legs suddenly felt shaky beneath him.

  “Stay there. For dragon’s sake just stay on that side.” He raised his head. “There are some things a mate should never see.” He looked back down. “That’s it, Gaby. I’m going to get baby one. Doctor Lisa, standby please.”

  Gaby made a strange noise as Devlin reached in. He pulled out a tiny...baby. His pup. Pink, so perfect he hardly noticed that the little one was covered in mucus and blood.

  Gaby moved up onto her elbows. “What’s happening? Is the baby okay? Devlin? Phoenix?”

  A tiny wail.

  A gasp for air.

  A louder wail.

  Phoenix could hear Gaby crying, but he couldn’t take his eyes off his precious pup.

  “Congratulations, it’s a healthy baby girl.”

  “A girl,” he mumbled. Too dumb struck by what was taking place. Devlin handed his squirming daughter to Doctor Lisa who wrapped her in a blanket. Something tickled his cheek so he swiped a hand across his face. It came away wet. Damn, he was crying. A grown ass wolf drizzing, but there was nothing he could do about it.

  “Ready, Gaby,” said Doc Devlin.

  She nodded, tears still streaming down her face.

  “Doctor Lisa will perform the required tests on baby one while baby two is born. Please don’t be concerned, all looks great at this stage.”

  As if in answer, his daughter let out a loud wail. Gaby laughed. She sounded relieved but also a little panicked.

  Phoenix kissed her forehead. “You’re doing great.”

  “I need you to open up again for me, Gaby.”

  He couldn’t help it, Phoenix growled. An all out loud, deep warning that had Devlin darting his eyes up at him. “Relax, big guy. You’ve got another daughter that still needs to be born.”

  He gave Devlin a hard stare but managed to gain control of his rampant emotions.

  “I don’t know if I can do it again.” Gaby slumped back down on the bed. Her eyes were shut.

  “Look at me, sweetheart,” Phoenix leaned in close. “Gaby...,” he prompted a second time.

  Her eyes fluttered open for the briefest second. She made a sound of denial.

  “You need to do this. You can do this.”

  Their daughter wailed in the background.

  “You’ve done so well already. I’m so very proud of you, but it’s not over please, Gaby.” He squeezed her hand. “If I could do this for you I would but I can’t, sweetheart.”

  She cussed. Hissed. Cussed some more but she at last seemed to have snapped out of the sleepy haze. Then out popped her teeth. Sharp. Deadly. Scary as Hades during a slice and dice convention.

  “That’s it, Gabs. Good girl.” Devlin talked from behind the hospital gown curtain from between Gaby’s legs.

  She hissed. A sound so loud and deafening that he had to stop himself from covering his ears.

  “Here we go.”

  His second daughter was squirming in Devlin’s hands. She let out a loud yell as she was handed to the panther.

  Gaby sagged back into the mattress. She was slightly out of breath.

  “Can I get you anything? Water? Pain killers?” Phoenix had never felt more like a third wheel in his whole life.

  “Water would be good,” she spoke with her eyes still closed. “It didn’t and doesn’t hurt. Very tired...it uses enerrrrgy...,” she slurred the last word. “Need...rreeest.”

  “I have to warn you guys.” It was the panther. “They’re extremely small but fully developed so I’m going to assume this is normal for skins given that twin pregnancies are par for the course.”

  Gaby opened her eyes.

  The panther continued. “I have them in preemie clothes which are a bit too big, but I have to say congrats on becoming parents of two healthy, little girls.”

  The female handed one of the babies to Gaby while Devlin handed Phoenix the other. “Baby two. Congratulations on becoming a father.”

  Phoenix felt his eyes prick but refused to give in to tears a second time. Not going to damn well happen. He looked down at the tiny human looking pup that had been placed in his arms.

  She stared back at him with big, round eyes. The little one had a tiny button nose and dimpled hands. She yawned and his mouth fell open.

  “Oh yes, I forgot to mention,” Doctor Lisa took a small step back. “The infants have a single row of sharp, little teeth already fully formed and ready to go. They look to be a cross between canine”—she said the word like it offended her. She glanced at Gaby—“and demon skin. I might skip breastfeeding if I were you.” The panther’s eyebrows knitted together in concern.

  Phoenix ignored the female and glanced at Gaby who was crying again. “I think I’ll manage.” She hiccupped. His female stared up at him over long wet lashes. “Damn it. Demon skins don’t cry.” She sniffed, wiping her eyes with her free hand. “They’re perfect. They’re absolutely amazing, I can’t believe this.”

  Phoenix slid his arms, as best he could, around his future mate and looked her straight in her tear-filled eyes. Her nose was red and running, her eyes were red rimmed and her skin was blotchy. In this very moment, she had never looked more beautiful. He felt complete. “Thank you for this gift. We are officially a family.” A tear tracked down her cheek. He didn’t have hands so he kissed it away. “I know I’ve been banned from saying this, but I have to anyway...” Her eyes became stern. “I love you, Gaby.”

  She sniffled, “You promised you wouldn’t.”

  “I guess I lied.”

  “Stop.” The side of her mouth had pulled into what had to be the start of a smile.

  Devlin cleared his throat. “I need to check that...well...check that everything is back to normal down there.” He gestured with his eyes to Gaby’s nether regions.

  “It’s all back to normal, Doc.” Gaby was slow blinking again. “I need to feed the little ones and we all need to rest.” She pushed a button on the remote and the bed lifted. With one arm firmly around the pup in her arms, she reached behind her and pulled the string that bound the gown pulling the garment from her shoulder.

  “Leave.” His eyes were firmly on Devlin and the panther and his voice came out in a gruff bark, it held warning. If
Devlin so much as caught the tiniest flash of breast, Phoenix would be forced to gouge his eyes out with his bare claws. “Now.” The second word was delivered much softer but with more deadly precision than a venom tipped arrow.

  Both doctors turned and left.

  When he turned back to the bed, Gaby had removed the gown from her chest. Her breasts were swollen, her dark, wine stained nipples were tight. He swallowed hard.

  — —

  Her breasts ached with the need to be emptied. Gaby pulled her baby up and placed her perfect, little mouth to her nipple. The little one’s eyes were open, they focused instantly on her nub. Drops of milk formed at the tip as her daughter’s lips rubbed against her.

  The little one’s mouth opened and she took the entire nipple into her mouth. There was first a sucking sensation and then a sting as the child sank its teeth into her breast. The pain lasted for a beat or two before being replaced with a feeling of calm and contentment. Alrighty, so the milk blood combination was obviously a thing for baby skins. That would explain the teeth. Her eyes felt heavy. The need for sleep beat on her like a ten pound hammer.

  She gestured for Phoenix to bring her the remaining baby. The little one would also need to feed before Gaby passed out, which surprisingly hadn’t happened yet. At this point, Gaby was running on pure adrenaline and it wouldn’t last much longer.

  A knock sounded at the door.

  “Stay there,” Phoenix growled in the general direction. His eyes turned dark. They softened the moment they landed on her as he handed the baby to her.

  Phoenix disappeared. There was a muffled exchange. He returned, pushing a crib on wheels. It was not unlike a miniature version of the hospital bed complete with fully enclosed see through sides.

  Gaby winced as her daughter bit down on her breast.

  “Going okay?” he asked, his eyes darting between the babies and her face.

  “They’re biters.”

  “Oh good, so they do take after me after all.” He bobbed his eyebrows at her and she laughed, ending on a yawn.