A Mate for Kai (The Program Book 6) (26 page)

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Authors: Charlene Hartnady

BOOK: A Mate for Kai (The Program Book 6)

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Chapter 23

Nine and a half weeks later…

There was another knock on the door.

“Please excuse me, my lady.” Kai dipped his head in the queen’s direction as he rose to his feet.

Tanya nodded. “No problem. I’m quite comfortable.” She closed her arms more firmly around the swaddled baby in her arms. His baby. Only five days old. Pride swelled inside him.

He glanced at his mate. Ruby gave him the sweetest smile and for a moment he could hardly breathe. He was the luckiest male on the whole damned planet. Another knock sounded, it was harder this time.

“I’m coming.” He yelled…softly. It was amazing how even noisy things could be done quietly when there was a sleeping baby in the suite

“At long last.” It was the human doctor, Becky. “How is my favorite patient?” Her gaze was already somewhere over his shoulder. The healer smiled. “I hope you don’t mind me being here. I heard Tanya was visiting so—”

“Hey you skanky cow.” The queen smiled broadly.

“I don’t give a damn if you’re the queen. It doesn’t mean you get special privileges, you’ve had her long enough…” Becky held her hands out. “Hand over my little sugar plum.”

Skanky cow? What the? Kai gave Ruby a shrug when she looked at him with wide eyes. Kai ignored the strange human banter. It didn’t make sense. The two females seemed completely at ease with one another.

“Forget it.” Tanya raised her brows. “You can have little Tinder in a while…I only just got here.”

His baby daughter began to squirm.

“It is her feeding time.” Ruby blushed. “You’d better give her to me before she starts crying. We’ve already lost a couch and a side table.”

Tanya handed the little one to Ruby. His daughter. So small. So perfect. There had been zero warning. One minute their watches were silent and then the next, the alarm screamed. They got to the room four minutes later to find little Tinder…fast asleep on a pile of shell. The room was scorched. The ceiling, the floor as well as all the walls were black. The window was shattered. The egg was blown to bits. Their little daughter had arrived to this world with flourish.

Ruby took the squirming, fussing baby. She pulled down her top and the little one latched on right away, making eager suckling noises.

“I’m holding her when she’s done.” Becky put her hands on her hips before turning to face Ruby. “How is the nursing going? How many times does she wake up at night?” The little human looked…worried.

“Is something wrong?” He kept his gaze on her. “Should we be worried?”

Becky looked down at the floor. She was blushing. The feisty human was blushing. What the?

“Yeah and since when do you want to hold a baby this much?” Tanya asked. “What’s going on with you? Are you…”

“I’m pregnant,” Becky blurted. “I’m pregnant and nervous as hell. I don’t relish the idea of…”

Tanya squealed and threw her arms around Becky. “How far along are you? I thought I scented pregnancy on you the other day but I assumed it was from all the pregnant females you are treating. Do you know if…well…if it’s a vamp or a wolf baby?” Tanya squealed again. “This is so exciting.”

Becky’s eyes were wide. “I’m crapping myself. I’m already three months and not showing at all so I think it is a vamp baby. Why did he do this to me?” She looked up at the ceiling and gestured upwards. “You could’ve given me a smaller baby to push out first, God. I should’ve planned this better. I have no idea how to be a mom. No idea what to do.” She swallowed thickly.

“You’ll be a great mom. You’re honest, and caring and tenacious.” Ruby said as she adjusted Tinder into a better position.

“I pushed out a vampire kid.” Tanya shrugged. “I’m not going to lie to you. It hurt like a bitch.”

Becky put a hand over her face. “Not helping right now. As much as I’m freaking out.” She put a hand to her belly. “I want this baby. I would be devastated if anything…”

“Don’t think like that.” Tanya wagged a finger.

“You need to stay positive. Remember?” Ruby raised her brows.

“Don’t use my own advice on me. I know all the things that can go wrong. Oh god!” She huffed out a breath. “Maybe once he is born…I’ll relax a bit then. I just need to get through the pregnancy.”

“No, you won’t.” Kai laughed. “You will worry about your baby until the day you die. Even when, to everyone else, he isn’t a baby anymore, he will still be your baby and you will still worry about him. It doesn’t get better. That’s something I’ve come to realize.” He kept his gaze on the precious girl in his mate’s arms.

“What have I done to myself?” Becky sat down and leaned back. “I must be nuts. I am nuts. Why did I agree to this?”

Ruby laughed. “Here…” She handed little Tinder to Becky. “Please, can you burp her for me.”

Becky looked down at the tiny baby in her hands. “Hello, little one.” She cooed. “You are a cutie.” When she looked up, she was smiling. “I can do this. I can.”

“Yeah you can. I’m so excited for you.” The queen gushed. “How do Ross and Rushe feel about it? They must be so excited.”

Becky tapped Tinder lightly on the back while supporting her neck. “Well, they—”

There was a knock at the door.

“I’ll get it,” Kai said.

“They’re both thrilled.” Becky said, her gaze still on his beautiful daughter. Her eyes were open. They were a bright, vivid green. Just like her uncle and her grandmother after whom she had been named.

Another knock. More timid this time.

“On my way.” Kai said as he opened the door.

Unexpected.

“Um…hi!” Jordy waved her hand. “I hope I’m not interrupting.” Her cheeks were bright red.

Jenson was standing next to her. “Congratulations. A female child. Wow.” Jenson gave him a tap on the side of the arm. “I hear that her flame throwing capabilities are astounding.”

He would have heard from Lazarus who was there yesterday when his daughter burned the couch. Ruby was in the bathroom when Tinder had woken up demanding food and the couch had been ruined as a direct result. Kai almost laughed as he recalled how big Lazarus’ eyes had been. The male had quickly ushered his female out. It wasn’t lost on Kai how he had put his own big frame in front of his mate.

Kai shrugged. “She is half dragon shifter so it is to be expected. Would you like to come in?”

Jenson went inside but Jordan stayed at the door, her eyes on the carpet at her feet. It took about ten seconds for her to meet his gaze. Jordy cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. I’m such an idiot. I guess, I was really afraid of losing you. I never had to share you before. I…” She paused and licked her lips. “You were right about everything…we would’ve regretted it. I only wish I had realized that sooner. I’m so sorry…I’m the worst friend in the world. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Of course, yes.” He held his arms open and Jordy grabbed ahold of him and hugged him right back. Their relationship wasn’t going to be the same as it was but Jordan was his friend. The history they shared would never change no matter what.

“And?” he asked.

“And what?” Her voice was muffled. “Anything new?” Kai used his eyes to signal behind him.

Jordy’s gaze moved over his shoulder and instantly softened. Her lashes dropped and her stare morphed into something that told him everything he needed to know.

Kai made a sound in his throat. “So the two of you finally got it together? It’s about damn time.” When he glanced at Jenson, the male had a smile plastered on his face that was, at least, a mile wide.

Kai chuckled. Ruby smiled as she caught sight of their guests. “I’m so glad you both came.”

Jordy nodded and the two females exchanged a look. “Thanks for the invite,” Jordan said.

Fuck! Kai felt his heart melt and his love for his female grew even more. Ruby knew what his friendship to Jordan had meant.

“You are welcome any time. I feel like I almost know you. Kai has spoken of you often,” Ruby said. “It’s good to see you again, Jenson” she quickly added.

“I really hope this baby takes more after its mother than its ugly mug father. Tinder…” Jenson frowned. “Is she named after the internet dat—”

“Our daughter is named after her great grandmother,” Kai growled.

“Yeah, my gram would have loved this little angel.” Ruby looked down lovingly at their little one, who was still nestled in Becky’s arms. “I need to take her before she falls asleep. She needs a diaper change and then I have to finish her feeding.” Ruby gave her other breast a squeeze. The one that Tinder hadn’t fed from yet.

Kai turned to Jenson. “You need to leave.” It came out as a growl. No male was going to see his female naked. Not if he had anything to say about it. It didn’t matter that she didn’t have any qualms about it. It didn’t matter that she was a shifter and shifters ended up naked in public from time to time. The need to pull out other males’ eyeballs, namely Jenson’s, still rode him hard.

“Honey,” Ruby used her please-be-reasonable voice on him. “I can use a blanket to cover up.”

Jordy looked highly amused. Jenson looked worried…no he looked afraid. Good! The male had better be afraid. “No,” he snarled. Then he sucked in a deep breath. He needed to try and control these base instincts. “Fine…but if you so much as look in my female’s direction I swear to fucking god…”

“I’m too busy looking at my own female.” Jenson shook his head. He pulled Jordy onto his lap.

Becky pulled a face. “Are they all this bad?” She glanced at Tanya. “What am I saying? Of course they’re all this bad.”

The queen rolled her eyes. “Worse. You should’ve seen Brant and Zane…oh my gosh.”

“So this is what I have to look forward to?”

“It’s quite sweet, actually.” Ruby said, as she took Tinder from Becky. “I don’t mind.”

He fucking loved this female.

“I hope you guys don’t mind but once I put Tinder down, I think I might take a nap as well. I’m bushed.”

“Are you up half the night?” Becky held a hand to her chest. “Is that why you’re so tired?”

“She slept really badly those first few nights. We could hardly think clearly but last night wasn’t too bad. She only woke up once, but…” Ruby’s eyes widened. “I’m still really tired. Must be accumulated sleep deprivation or something.”

“Oh yeah.” Kai fake yawned.

“I hope he’s a good sleeper,” Becky rubbed her belly.

“I’m sure he will be.” Ruby smiled. “Um…Kai also looks really tired so if you guys don’t mind too much…”

Becky laughed. “Oh my god…the little one is here, she’s kept you really busy the last few days, but let me guess, things have settled and you’re both ready to get back into the saddle?” She gestured to Ruby. “You can’t wait to have at each other. Afternoon nap?…Yeah right.”

Jenson choked out a laugh. “Come on, Jords. Let’s get out of here.”

Ruby blushed so hard he thought he might see smoke at any moment. Her stunning amethyst eyes met his and her blush deepened. “Out,” he growled. “You heard my female.” He couldn’t wait to be alone with her. Their little girl would be fast asleep very soon. The things he was about to do to this female. His female. His mate. It didn’t matter that they were oil and water. Ying and yang. All that mattered was that they belonged together. They were soul mates.

Book 1 of my new series, The Bride Hunt, is available for pre-order
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Author’s Note

Thank-you for reading A Mate for Kai. There will be more books in this series at some point in the future.

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I live on an acre in the country with my gorgeous husband and three sons and an array of pets including a ball python.

In my spare time you can usually find me typing frantically on the computer completely lost in worlds of my making. I believe that it is the small things that truly matter like that feeling you get when you start a new book or a particularly beautiful sunset.

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