Laura Jo Phillips (42 page)

“I have to push Suly,” Lariah gasped suddenly.  Suly knelt on the bed between Lariah’s knees and delicately examined her.

“All right then, go ahead and push sweetheart,” she said. 

Lariah took a long deep breath, squeezed Trey and Val’s hands, and pushed hard.  When she stopped she gasped for air, panting hard, sweat pouring down her face.  Garen reached for a damp cloth and leaned over to gently wipe Lariah’s face and push back a few strands of hair that had escaped her braid.

“Oh, that was so good,” Suly said.  “One more big one like that and we will have the head out.”

Lariah nodded, took another breath and pushed again.  She felt the baby push free and relaxed for a moment, panting again. 

“She is beautiful, like her mother,” Suly said softly as she gently turned the baby’s head just a bit and checked to be sure its mouth and nose were not blocked.  “Now the shoulders Lariah,” she said. 

Lariah panted some more, then took another deep breath.  She did not have to push nearly so hard this time before she felt the baby slide free from her body.  Lariah released her breath, laughing and crying at the same time as she tried to see her baby. 

Suly lifted the infant carefully in her hands, proud to be there at that moment, to catch the first child of the Dracons.  The baby girl’s golden eyes opened and she sucked in her first breath, screwed up her little face, and mewed like a kitten before yawning sleepily.

“Garen, get one of those soft blankets and spread it over your hands,” she said.  Garen hurried to do as Suly asked, reaching out with his covered hands so that Suly could lay the slippery, pink, little body across them.  She then hurried to tie off the umbilical cord and snip it with the scissors she had sterilized for that purpose.  That done, she folded the corners of the blanket around the baby and tucked them in, smiling at Garen who was staring down at the tiny infant in wonder.

“Is she perfect?” Lariah asked. 

“She is more than perfect,” Garen replied as he stepped closer to Lariah and lowered the precious bundle into her waiting arms. 

Lariah smiled down at her first daughter with tears of happiness in her eyes.  She began to loosen the blanket so she could get a better look at her when the urge to push came again.  She gasped and lifted the baby towards Garen.

Garen took the child and carefully placed her in the first bassinet set up nearby.  When he turned back, he saw the head of the second infant crowning, Suly’s hands patiently waiting to guide it into the world. 

Ten minutes later, all three babies were carefully wrapped in a soft blanket, waiting to be washed as soon as Suly was finished tending to Lariah.  Another ten minutes had the afterbirths delivered and removed and a very tired, but happy, Lariah, impatient to examine her daughters.

“We will get you and your daughters cleaned up first,” Suly said firmly.

While the guys gently cleansed Lariah and put her in a clean nightgown, Suly washed the new babies and checked them each carefully, finding that they were all perfectly formed little girls.  She wrapped them in clean blankets, then went back to finish tending to Lariah’s more personal needs.

Just as Garen was placing his eldest daughter into Lariah’s arms once more, there was a soft knock on the door.  Garen looked at Lariah, and she nodded.

“Enter,” he called.  The door opened slowly and Faron stuck his head in, smiling at the sight of the new family.

“All is well?” he asked.

“All is perfect,” Garen replied.  “We have three perfect daughters, and a perfect Mother.”

Faron bowed.  “Congratulations to you all,” he said.  When he looked up again, Garen saw the worry in his face.  He bent to kiss Lariah.  “I must go and help Saige,” he said.

“Yes, yes,” she said quickly.  “We are not going anywhere.”

Garen smiled once more at the sight of Lariah holding their daughter, then hurried out of the room with Faron.

“You were correct, that was the difficult part,” Faron said as they hurried once again across the house.  “One moment she was fine, the next her vital signs dropped so fast we were afraid she might die before we were able to inject her.  As soon as we finished with the injection I came for you.”

As they opened the door and entered the room Garen saw Saige’s body arch up off the bed as she screamed hoarsely in pain.  Ban and Dav were trying to hold her down to prevent her from injuring herself while her body convulsed and they were barely able to manage it.  Garen hurried to her side, remembering Lariah’s small body going through this, and a fine sweat broke out on his forehead at the memory. 

He reached out with his magic, ready to push as hard as he could to make her sleep, remembering at the last moment that his magic was much stronger than it had been when they went through this with Lariah.  He pushed gently first, then harder when Saige still seemed to be in pain.  The second small push worked and Saige went into a deep, painless sleep.  Her body continued to thrash and convulse, but at least they knew she could not feel the pain.

“How will long will this stage last?” Faron asked as he held Saige’s ankles as gently as he could.

“Forever,” Garen said as he watched sadly.  He shook his head.  ‘I am sorry, it just brings back memories.  For Lariah, it lasted several hours.  I hope that it does not take as long for Saige.”

Faron nodded.  “Then what?”

“When the convulsions slow, come and get me,” he said.  “I will bring her out of the sleep.  When she wakes up, she will likely already be deep into the mating fever.  We had minutes only to complete the ritual with Lariah.  So far Saige seems to be following the same pattern, so try to be as ready as you can because she will be in distress when she awakens.  You will need to get into position for the soul-link triad quickly.  The longer you take, the more she will suffer.”

“We will prepare for it ahead of time,” Faron said.  “If she suffers one minute more than necessary, I think we will go mad.”

“How is Lariah doing?” Dav asked as he gently held Saige’s shoulders to keep them on the bed, Ban doing the same with her abdomen as her body tried to arch violently off the bed.

“Lariah is fine,” Garen said with a smile. “And we now have three beautiful daughters.  They are tiny, but perfect in every way.” 

Ban and Dav smiled.  In spite of how difficult it was for them to see Saige’s body in such pain, they were comforted by the knowledge that, because of Garen, she was unaware.  And someday, if they were very lucky, they too would have children.

“We cannot wait to meet the new Princesses,” Dav said. “Are they as beautiful as their mother?”

 “Yes, they are,” Garen said with a grin.  “They each have a head of red gold hair just like Lariah, and tiny red gold freckles on their noses.”

“You are very blessed, High Prince Garen Dracon,” Faron said.  “You and your brothers.”

“Yes, we are, and I promise you, not a day goes by that we do not give thanks for it,” Garen replied solemnly.  He looked over at Saige and reached out with his magic, nudging her deeper into sleep.  “You Lobos are blessed as well,” he said.  “Let me know when the convulsions begin to taper off.  I will need to bring her out of her sleep before you can proceed with the third injection, and the soul-link triad.”

Faron was torn between smiling with joy at what was to come, and worry for Saige and the trauma her body was experiencing.  Garen clapped him on the shoulder and looked at him knowingly.  “This will soon end,” he said.  “When it does, she will not remember it, and your future will be bright before you.”

“Thank you, my Prince, my friend,” Faron said tightly, emotion clogging his throat. 

Garen nodded, checked Saige one last time, and quietly left the room.

Chapter
33

Faron, Dav and Ban agreed that the experience of watching Saige go through the physical transformation from human to Jasani was worse than any torture they could have imagined.  By the time her body’s painful contortions began to slow, they were all three exhausted both emotionally and physically.  Saige was small compared to them, but she was strong and it required effort to hold her body on the bed without causing her harm in the process.

“Ban, if you will get some damp cloths and begin cleansing Saige, I will go and get Garen,” Faron said tiredly.

“It is almost finished,” Dav said.  “When Ban returns I will begin preparations for the soul-link triad.”

Faron felt a thrill rush through his body at the reminder.  Yes, this had been a very difficult experience, but the next step was one he’d rarely dared dreamed of.  He had dreamed, but never really believed they would be blessed enough to experience it.  He met his brothers’ gazes and they smiled at each other in anticipation.  When the moment passed, Ban hurried to the bathroom and Faron went in search of his Prince.

Saige awoke slowly, her senses returning to her one at a time, and with effort.  First, she heard the familiar voices of Faron, Dav and Ban, as they murmured somewhere nearby.  The sound was instantly relaxing to her.  She knew that if they were close, she was safe.  Next she felt the bed beneath her, soft and warm.  Her eyes opened slowly to the dim guest room she’d used at the Dracon’s house. 

“
Amada
, you are awake,” Faron said, his face swimming into view as he bent over her.  “How do you feel?”

Saige thought about that for a moment, uncertain how she should answer.  She felt...odd.  She tried to swallow and realized that her mouth was dry and she was incredibly thirsty.  Faron moved out of her sight for a moment, then returned, placing a straw between her lips.  As she drank the cool water, she became more aware of her body and her mind, quickly remembering the events of the day.  When she released the straw she smiled up at Faron.

“So, how’s it going so far?” she asked softly. 

“As it should,” he replied.  Saige thought about his answer for a moment and opened her mouth to respond when a sudden wave of intense arousal flooded her entire body all at once.

She sat straight up in the bed, gasping for air as she fought to breathe through the overwhelming need.  Her skin was so sensitive that the cloth of her silk nightgown irritated.  Her breasts swelled, her nipples so hard they ached, her pussy gushing fluid down her thighs as it spasmed emptily. 

“What?” she asked, unable to say more than that single word as her entire body shuddered uncontrollably.

“It is the mating fever,” Faron explained as he rapidly began removing his clothes, relieved that Dav and Ban were doing the same.  “We are hurrying,
amada
,” he said.  “Hang on just a moment.”

“Please,” Saige gasped as a shudder wracked her body.  She had never imagined that arousal could become so intense that it hurt.  She clenched her hands into fists, unable to prevent the low whimpers from escaping.

Faron tossed his clothes aside and reached for Saige, lifting her nightgown over her head in one smooth motion.  Saige could only gasp in relief that the irritant was gone, though now the very air caressing her skin caused her to moan helplessly. 

“Hurry up Ban,” Faron said as he lifted Saige carefully from the bed.  Wrap your legs around my waist, beloved,” he told Saige.  She complied immediately, the feel of her hot swollen vulva pressing against his stomach forcing a shiver of desire from him.  Saige whimpered with such desperate need that Faron began to worry. 

“Ban?” he asked, his voice tight with his own rising arousal.

“Just another few seconds,” Ban said, his voice strained.  “I have to make sure she’s prepared or we might hurt her.” 

Saige whimpered again and Faron was horrified to see tears running down her cheeks.  “Easy baby,” he said soothingly as he shifted her weight to one arm in order to free a hand.  He reached between them and found her hard, throbbing clit, slippery with fluids.  He grasped it firmly between his fingers and began milking it, gently at first.  Saige whimpered again as her body fought to press harder against him.  Faron increased the pressure, tightening his fingers and pulling harder, understanding that her body needed more intense stimulation at the moment.  He milked harder, faster, until suddenly Saige’s entire body arched into a tight bow, every muscle rigid with tension as she climaxed hard.  Faron continued milking her clit for long moments until finally her body began to relax against him, twitching with release.  He gently released her and bent to kiss her, the love in his heart for this woman more vast and deep, more encompassing than he ever imagined possible. 

“I love you,
amada
,” he whispered softly to her when he lifted his mouth from hers.  

“As I love you,” she whispered back.  “I love all of you, so much.”

Faron smiled even as he felt her body begin to tense again, the desire building in her so rapidly it was frightening.  “Ban?” he asked.

“Ready,” Ban replied.  Faron felt Ban shift Saige’s body just a bit and he quickly wrapped his other arm back around her to hold her in the position Ban needed.  He watched Saige’s face as it relaxed into pleasure as Ban pressed his thick cock into her tight rear opening.  Saige’s body began straining back towards Ban, hungry for more of what he was giving her, wanting all of it hot and fast.  Faron held her still, knowing that if they did not control her, she could easily cause injury to herself in her desperate need.