Chapter 22

Since I can't fly, we drive. I speed through the country roads that separate my house from Naomi's, not caring if one of the Sudbury cops clocks me. Let them turn on their sirens and chase me back to Axil's. A house full of stressed-out dragons awaits them.

We get inside the house and head straight for the basement, where Harper and Ryan have set up a makeshift delivery room. Vanessa is hooked up to multiple machines, her forehead creased with worry as she watches the monitors, her hand in Axil's.

"Naomi, thank god," Harper says, relieved.

Naomi is clearly taken aback by Harper's tone, as it's a drastic shift from the way she was treated before. When Harper determined that the baby was sideways, she was terrified she wouldn't be able to deliver Vanessa's baby successfully as she had planned. Relaying Naomi's extensive experience in Seattle, Harper instantly set aside her mistrust and begged me to go retrieve her.

"She's in the transverse position. I tried shifting her position with my hands, but it didn't work. You can scrub up over there," Harper says, pointing to the sink against the far wall.

On the opposite side of the room from Vanessa, couches and chairs are placed in a line, and every seat is occupied by a member of my family, all anxiously looking on.

"Did you administer the epidural?" Naomi asks.

"Yes," Ryan replies. "Ten minutes ago."

Harper and Ryan don their gloves, gowns, and masks, and once Naomi's hands are clean, I help her into the spare gown.

I can tell she's nervous as she approaches the foot of the hospital bed and surveys the tray of surgical tools.

Axil leans toward Naomi. I've never seen him look so afraid. "You're certain you can do this?"

She sighs, then nods. "Yes."

Sam gets to her feet and crosses the room, reaching Naomi's left side. "Look, I'm pulling for you, and not just because you're a vampire. Sure, I had no idea your kind existed beyond Stephanie Meyers's sparkly version of Forks, Washington, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm a little starstruck." She lowers her voice, "But if you fuck this up and hurt my best friend or my niece, I'm taking you down."

Naomi's back straightens, and the unshakable confidence that I've only seen Naomi have in the bedroom washes over her. "Understood," she says to Sam. "But you're not human. Not anymore."

Sam jerks back, not expecting that response. "What?"

Naomi assembles the surgical tools in her preferred order, no longer paying much attention to Sam and her threats. "The only humans in this room are Ryan and Nia. The rest of you smell like dragons."

Chatter arises among the group, the women discussing their newfound dragon abilities. I knew this strange biological shift had occurred, but I didn't realize it would make them smell nonhuman to vampires. It's a relief. As long as Charlie, Vanessa, Harper, and Sam are alive, they'll be protected from predatory monsters by the change in their scent.

Naomi lifts her gloved hands in front of her chest, takes a slow inhale, and then says, "Let's begin."

I stand in awe about two feet behind Naomi as I watch her cut a horizontal line just beneath Vanessa's stomach, amazed by her focus. She's working so quickly, it's hard to tell each step of her process. Ryan and Harper hand her the tools as she asks for them, offering support as the procedure progresses.

Forty minutes pass, and I have to remind myself to breathe. I'm anxious to meet my niece, and even more to see Naomi do what she was meant to do. To complete this procedure and know her skills have not been lost. She was a good enough assistant, but it's clear by her commanding presence and calming aura that this is her destiny.

I seethe at the thought of her maker ripping her from such a promising future, taking from her the thing she loves most. Xavier needs to pay for his crimes.

A high-pitched wail breaks me from my murderous thoughts as Naomi lifts the goo-covered newborn in her hands. "Here she is. A healthy baby girl."

Being present for the birth of Hudson and Cooper, I knew Axil's baby girl wouldn't have any obvious draxilio traits, apart from a pale blue tint to her skin. The rest will come later. She also has a full head of dark brown hair, and ten perfect fingers and toes.

Vanessa's smile is so big, I can see almost all her teeth. Her euphoric laughter quickly transforms into a steady weep as she reaches for her child.

Tears of pride run down Axil's cheeks as his eyes are locked on the baby, and then his mate, as Naomi wraps a towel around the newborn and places her in Vanessa's arms. His mate continues to cry as he presses soft kisses along her sweat-covered forehead.

"She's incredible," he says to Vanessa.

Vanessa nods as the baby wraps her impossibly tiny fingers around Vanessa's pointer finger. "I'll always protect you," she whispers to her daughter.

"Me too, sweet girl," Axil adds. "For the rest of time."

When I look over at the seating area, everyone is crying, except for Hudson and Cooper. They're young and seem more astonished than anything that they just watched Naomi pull a baby from the hole she cut in Vanessa's stomach.

Naomi, Harper, and Ryan clean the baby, then complete the procedure by removing Vanessa's placenta and stitching her incision closed.

I take a turn holding the baby as the three of them dispose of the bloody medical pads and sheets. Ryan cleans the surgical tools in the sink as Harper pulls Naomi aside.

"Thank you so much. I don't even want to think about what could've happened if you weren't here."

Naomi's cheeks turn pink. "Oh, my pleasure. It felt good to get back on the horse. I'm surprised it all came back to me so easily."

"You're a fantastic surgeon, and if you ever want to start a practice with me and Ryan, let me know. I think there are others like us, who exist between the human and monster worlds, who need quality care."

My mate's lips part, stunned by the offer. "Wow. Um, yeah. I'll think about it."

I take her hand as we go back upstairs, leading her outside. "I want to show you something."

Turning left out of Axil's driveway, we talk to the next house. It's a smaller cottage painted dark green with white shutters. There's a short, paved driveway, and a fenced-in yard.

"What do you think?" I ask.

She stares at the house, puzzled, then back at me.

"It's ours."

Her hand goes in front of her mouth as she gazes at the cottage in disbelief. "Ours? You and me?"

"Well, and Felix too, I assume."

"Oh my god."

"It's a little small," I add, "but the primary bedroom has its own attached bathroom. We might need to expand the kitchen. I don't know if it's big enough." I cross my arms over my chest as I envision the layout and recall the changes I plan to make. "Or we can knock it down and build our own. Whatever you want."

She jumps on my back unexpectedly like a woodland creature, wrapping her legs around my waist and gripping my shoulders tight.

"Thank you, Kyan."

I try spinning my head around for a kiss, but I can't reach, so I end up spinning both of us in place as I seek her lips. Eventually ,she hops down and comes around to my front. I pull her into my arms and moan against her sweet, plush mouth.

I guide us into a small copse of trees between the two properties and press Naomi's back against the white bark of a thick birch as I push her coat off her arms and tug her shirt over her head.

She moans into my mouth as I unhook her bra and pinch her hardening nipples.

Her pants and shoes require more focus for me to remove, but once they're gone, I push her already soaked panties down her legs.

My pants remain on, but Naomi pushes them down past my knees before wrapping her fingers around my cock and stroking me just the way I like.

This is my opportunity to officially make her mine, and I have no patience for foreplay.

I lift her into my arms and push her against the tree, her legs wrapping around my waist and her arms tight around my neck. "Hold on tight, sweetheart."

Her breath catches as I sink into her channel, her walls gripping my cock as our hips meet.

A tingling builds in the depths of my stomach after only three thrusts, letting me know I won't be able to last very long. "You feel so good," I tell her, hoping she won't make me hold out for too long. "I'm close, Naomi."

Her eyes are already rolling to the back of her head as I pound into her. It's clear she's close too. "Ss'ok, same," she says through heavy pants. "Fuck me hard."

I give her everything I've got, to the point where the tree shakes so violently that I worry we're about to snap it in half.

My sac tightens against my body, and I whimper, "Can I bite you?" against her neck.

She pulls back to look at me. "Huh?"

"Once I bite you, you're mine forever. It seals the mate bond."

Mate, my draxilio purrs. Our mate. Perfect mate.

Her eyes widen as she realizes why I used the safe word previously.

"Last chance to back out," I warn.

She gives me a predatory smirk as she runs her tongue along my throat. "Never."

I resume my thrusts, my gaze drifting to her long, elegant neck and the spot just beneath her ear that I plan to sink my teeth into.

"Oh fuck," she cries as her thighs shake against me. "Bite me, boss."

I feel her fangs sink into my neck as the walls of her cunt flutter around me, milking my cock until I can't see straight. Just as I'm about to come, I bite her neck, the taste of copper flooding my tongue, and it's enough to send me soaring over the edge. My vision blurs as I hold on to my mate's soft body, my head filled with the triumphant roar of my draxilio.

Our mouths find each other as we start to come down, the taste of our blood mixing as her tongue slides against mine.

When our lips part, she gazes up at me with those captivating eyes. Those wide set, trusting eyes that make me forget where I am, and she whispers, "Moonavi."

Nodding, I repeat the word that perfectly captures the way my little vampire has forever changed me, making me a better man. "Moonavi." The ice to my fire.