by Sky Winters
“Well, you can go home now,” she told him nonchalantly, reaching for what was left of her dress and pulling it around her.
Sebastian looked shocked and almost offended, until she broke out in a wide grin and kissed him on the cheek.
“You know I’m kidding. How about we get some sleep?”
“I can’t believe you got me like that. You sure it is okay for me to stay? What about Katie?”
“Won’t be back until tomorrow night.”
“Oh, I should be tired of you by then anyway.”
“Ya think? We’ll see about that.”
Climbing into bed, Sebastian wrapped himself around her as she pressed her back against him. They fell asleep quickly, but awoke right as dawn was breaking for another round of amazing sex that left her both exhausted and wanting more. His effect on her was absolutely amazing.
After a shower, they made their way to the kitchen for a quick breakfast of bagels and eggs. Laura didn’t usually eat breakfast, but found that she was ravenous after the long night and morning of sex. It wasn’t all she was ravenous for, as the breakfast quickly ended in a return to bed to fuck like bunnies the rest of the morning and half of the afternoon, with short breaks to nap here and there.
“I’m going to have to get going soon. I have to run some errands and then pick up Katie at six. Can I take you home?”
“That would be great. I actually don’t live far, a little over a mile over in Crestview Estates.”
“Wow, that is really close.”
“Yes. I would ordinarily just walk it, but I seem to be a bit weak from the excessive loss of fluids recently.”
“You and me both. I’m still a bit weak. I actually feel a bit fuzzy headed still.”
“I must have done something right then. How about this time you give me your number so I can call you? Otherwise, I have to look like a stalker by just showing up here or wander to clubs until I run into you again.”
“Far enough. Let me grab you one of my cards from the studio. It has my number and email address on it.”
“Perfect, just like you.”
After a very heated parting kiss in my car as I pulled up to the curb of his house, I was ready to just go inside with him and forget all the errands. Spending more of our day naked in bed sounded like a better option in that moment, but as he got out of the car, a slight pain hit me and I struggled to recoup before he noticed my grimace. I didn’t want him to think I was some sort of medical disaster waiting to happen.
“I have a twenty-four-hour shift tomorrow, so I won’t be able to see you, but I will text you here and there to let you know I’m thinking about you.”
“I’m looking forward to it already.”
He smiled and blew me a fake kiss before turning and making his way up the walkway to the house. I pulled away just as another pain surged through my center. Perhaps it was just some sort of muscle spasm from the strenuous sexual workout over the weekend. I went about my errands and then to pick up Katie, just bearing the intermittent pains as they hit. Maybe I even pulled something. Despite the pain, the thought almost made me smile at the fact that it was completely worth the injury. Even if I never saw him again, I don’t think I would regret what a fantastic time I had experienced with him.
By the following morning, the pain had subsided a bit, but was replaced with an overwhelming sense of nausea. A virus was the last thing that I needed. I did my best to steer clear of kissing or hugging Katie as I got her ready for school. Bad enough that I had whatever this was without her getting it. I managed to drop her off at school and then rushed back home to lay down, feeling a bit like death warmed over. Not even the sweet messages from Sebastian could make me feel better. By noon, I was in agony and called my mother to pick up Katie from school so I could go to the doctor.
I sat looking at him with my mouth open once he had finished his examination and sat down to talk with me. The news was the last thing I expected and didn’t make sense.
“How can you even tell so soon?”
“Well, it’s really not that soon. From the looks of it, I’d say that you are at least three weeks along.”
“No. That is impossible. I can’t be three weeks pregnant.”
“Sometimes the tests can be unreliable, but even from the physical exam, I’d say that is an accurate estimate. I’ve been doing this a very long time, Laura. Still, I’m a general practitioner. Make an appointment with an obstetrician and let them confirm everything. They’ll do an ultrasound and give you a more accurate due date than I can.”
“Okay, Dr. Townsend. Thank you.”
She walked out of the office, stunned. No way could she be three weeks pregnant. Sebastian was the only one she had slept with in years and that was just yesterday. She dialed her OB/GYN’s office and made an appointment. Their first available was in a week. It would have to do. When Sebastian messaged again, she ignored it. Being lighthearted just wasn’t on the agenda for her right now. She asked her Mom to keep Katie for the night, dropping off some clothes for school tomorrow, turned off her cell phone and went to bed.
“What’s wrong?”
Laura had barely turned her phone back on when she received the text message from Sebastian. It wasn’t his fault that she didn’t feel well or was it? Could she really be pregnant and sick so fast? This was all just crazy.
“I’m just not feeling well. Some sort of virus, I’m sure.”
The phone rang and she looked at it, noting his number. She took a deep sigh and answered it. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk to him, she just wasn’t sure what she should say or not say right now. She answered it and tried to sound much more cheerful than she felt.
“I’m coming over. I’ll bring you some juice and some soup for later. What else do you need? Do you need me to take Katie to school for you? I just got off work, but I can be there in less than a half hour.”
“Wait, whoa. Slow down. I’m fine. I don’t need you to rush over or anything.”
“I want to, Laura. If you are sick, I’m coming to check on you. I’m an EMT. You might need mouth to mouth or something.”
“Tempting, but I’m afraid you wouldn’t want to do that today.”
“We’ll see. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”
He didn’t give her a chance to argue further before he said goodbye. She sighed heavily. What was she going to say to him about this? Probably best just not to say anything beyond thinking she had a virus. She would wait to see what the OBGYN had to say before she decided what to do.
Another child. What was she going to do with another child? Josh’s life insurance had paid off the house and left her a bit of savings. She had a good job, but would obviously have some down time after the birth of another child. There wasn’t even a consideration to ask Sebastian to support the child. She barely knew him. How could she ask him to take care of a child he had fathered with a one-night stand?
When the doorbell rang, she was reluctant to open it. She still felt and, no doubt, looked horrible and had what felt like the weight of the world on her shoulders. Pulling it open, she found Sebastian smiling down at her, two large brown sacks in his arms.
“Oh, babe. You look horrible.”
“Thanks. That is what every woman wants to hear.”
“I’m sorry. That did come out sounding a bit bad, didn’t it? You’re beautiful even when you are sweaty and pale. That should be a comfort.”
“Yeah, that is much better,” she said sarcastically.
“I brought you some different kinds of juices, some ice cream, some fresh soup from the deli and a variety of over the counter meds for stomach ailments. I didn’t want to get too personal and ask what your exact symptoms were, so I picked a little of everything up.”
“Thank you. You really didn’t have to do all that.”
“I wanted to help. Where is Katie? Do I need to take her to school?”
“No. I took her to my Mom’s house yesterday and she took her to school this morning.”
“Good. It doesn’t seem that you’re in any condition for it.”
As the day progressed, Sebastian didn’t show any sign of letting her stay by herself. He waited on her hand and foot, keeping a close eye on her throughout the day. Falling asleep for a while, she felt relieved to just get some rest. When she awoke, she found Sebastian pacing back and forth, looking very concerned. Glancing downward, she could see that her stomach was very distended.
“Have you been to the doctor?” Sebastian asked.
“Yes,” she said, deciding not to lie.
“What did he tell you?”
“He said that I’m pregnant.”
“That would be an accurate assessment. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t believe him. I wanted to wait until a regular obstetrician confirmed it next week.”
“You don’t need a regular obstetrician. I’m going to take you to my family doctor.”
“Sebastian, it’s okay. It’s probably just a false positive or something. No way could I give a positive pregnancy reading the very next day and I haven’t been with anyone else for a very long time. The crazy family practice doctor told me I was at least three weeks along.”
“You are thinking about this as if this baby is human. He’s not. He’s a dragon shifter.”
“What? What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that shifter babies develop at an alarming rate compared to human babies. He would appear, you would appear, to be much farther along based on human criteria.”
“So, what then. I’m three weeks along in one day, so that means that I’ll be full term in what? About thirteen or fourteen weeks?”
“No. Dragon babies develop faster, but they have about a six-month gestation period. So, you’ll appear fairly normal in the pregnancy itself. People will just think you have been pregnant for longer than you actually have.”
“I don’t know if I want to go through with this. I had no intention of having another child, especially not one with a relative stranger.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Of course I do. This is a nightmare.”
“It’s not a nightmare, and I don’t think you really believe that. You are just scared. I won’t leave you, Laura. This is my baby too. Dragon shifters can only procreate once and then, only with the one they are meant to spend their lives with. Do you understand what I’m saying to you?”
“Yes. You are saying that you can’t have another child and that you will stay with me in order to make sure I have this one.”
“No, Laura. I’m saying we were destined for one another. Perhaps it will take you longer to believe that, but I felt it when I met you. I just didn’t want to accept it. I was frightened by it, but now this. I know now that it is all true. We belong together. Tell me that you at least feel enough for me to give us a chance, to give our child a chance.”
“I do feel something for you. I can’t explain it, but I’m drawn to you like I’ve not been drawn to anyone for a long time.”
“Then we are going to my family doctor to make sure you get the proper care for such a special child and we will handle this as it comes. Okay?”
“Okay.”
A part of her felt relief. Perhaps this was how things were meant to be, after all. She dressed and went to the doctor with Sebastian. It turned out to be a secluded cabin like office in the middle of nowhere, the doctor looking more like an old shaman of some sort than a certified doctor.
“Where did you go to school?” she asked as he examined her, eliciting a smile.
“Harvard, Received my diploma in 1917.”
“I’m sorry. I must have misunderstood. 1977?”
“No. 1917.”
Laura looked at Sebastian quizzically and he nodded his head with a slow smile. How old was this doctor she wondered.
“Dr. Bledsoe has been practicing medicine for a very long time. He probably even has a few instruments that aren’t rusty. He’s old as shit.”
“Listen here, boy. I brought you into this world. I won’t be bothered about taking you back out of it,” the doctor replied dryly.
“Don’t worry, Laura. I assure you that he is a very good doctor and the only one you will find that can provide for your special needs.”
“Here drink this,” the doctor told her, handing her some vile smelling chalky liquid. She did as he said and felt an immediate relief from the nausea and cramps. Perhaps he knew his stuff after all. She would have to trust him, whether she wanted to or not.
A few days later, life seemed almost normal again. The doctor had sent a bottle of the medicine he had given her home and told her to keep taking it as needed until the sickness and pain subsided. She had begun to wear loose clothing to cover up her growing bump, but would have to begin to tell people soon about the baby. Sebastian was by her side constantly except for when he had to work. Today he was on another twenty-four-hour shift, and she was taking Katie to the park. It was time to break the news to her that she was going to be a sister and, to her surprise, her daughter was incredibly excited about it. She felt pretty good about things.
Then, the next day, everything fell apart in a matter of moments. She was making dinner and watching the news. A report came on that there was a major fire in the downtown area. A high rise that had been condemned and was set ablaze by someone unknown had collapsed, trapping several local firefighters in the blaze. Her heart pounded, practically exiting her chest as her phone began to ring.
“Laura? Laura Stewart?”
“Yes. Is he okay?”
She didn’t have time for formalities, she felt exactly like she had on a similar day a few years prior. There was no doubt that this call concerned Sebastian and she needed to know the worst right now, no matter what it might be.
“This is Chief Isaacs. You are listed as a contact in case of emergency. We don’t know Sebastian’s condition at present, but we are notifying family members that we are doing everything we can to bring him and the others out safely. We’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you, Chief,” she replied, her voice shaky and almost inaudible.
Hours passed during which she had no updates except for the news that unfolded on the television as she watched with increasing horror. Could she really lose him so quickly? Why was this happening to her again? Was there some sort of curse that would cost her every man she ever loved? The thought startled her as she realized that she did, in fact love him. Already, he had become someone she didn’t want to live without. Tears fell down her face as she imagined the worse.
The news tore away from the collapsed, smoking building while a reporter spoke about the situation at hand and Laura just wanted to scream at the screen. She needed to see what was going on. Her nerves were completely on edge as her phone rang again, a raspy, rough voice on the other end.
“I’m okay, Laura. I’m okay.”
“Sebastian? Where are you? I can hardly hear you?”
“I’m under the building, but I’m fine.”
“Sebastian! Oh my God!”
“Just trust me. Remember what I am. Remember who I am. I’m safe. I’ll be safe until they can get to me. I have to go.”
Laura felt like she was talking to a ghost from beyond. Hours passed during which she continued to watch the news as they kept following unfolding events. A crane was brought in and large sections of the building began to be pulled carefully away, digging deep into the center of the building until a large section could be seen apparently heaving upward, something pushing it out from within. It took a moment, but she suddenly realized what it was.
“Sebastian,” she breathed into the living room around her, a sudden calm coming over her.
She watched as the large wings emerged, pushing the rubble away and shielding the men beneath the huge dragon wings. A smile crossed her face. Of course. During all this time, she had forgotten the most notable thing about the man she had fallen in love with. He was a dragon shifter. She watched as he stood, la
rger than life, above the men who now climbed from the debris that surrounded them and made their way toward the waiting ambulances sent to their aid.
The reporter chatted excitedly as the large beast waited for the last of them to clear it’s wing span and then rose up, pushing the last of the crushed building up and away from its huge frame. Then it rose into the air, taking flight rather than shifting back to human form. There was speculation as to whether the dragon had caused the fire, but then one of the fireman was lucid enough to speak to the reporter.
“No. He saved us. He saved us all. The beams were falling. One fell on him, across his back, across his head and we thought he was dead. The next thing we knew he was shifting and pushing everything up and away from us. It was too heavy for him to lift, all the levels down on top of us, but he kept enough of it up to make sure we were sheltered from it until crews could make it down there. He’s a true hero.”
The report died out as she heard a loud thud in the front yard and ran to the door, just in time to see the huge creature standing on her front lawn. It was surreal watching as he changed back into a man, not any man, but the one that she would spend the rest of her life with. Running out the door, she threw her arms around him, tossing the throw from her sofa around his naked form as she helped him into the house. He was weak, that was obvious.
“Sebastian, why did you come here? Why didn’t you stay and get medical attention?”
“I’m fine. They can’t help me. I just need to rest.”
“The man, the other firefighter. He said you were crushed by beams. That they thought you were dead.”
“I was.”
“What? What do you mean you were? I was so afraid I had lost you!”
“You’ll never lose me, Laura. I may have forgotten to mention that, like a cat, I have nine lives. I still have seven left. Oh, and my kind lives to be well over a hundred years old. You’re stuck with me for a very long time to come.”