Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Concentrating on the sound of the animal in distress enabled Lexi to push away the disturbing connection, the odd closeness, the strange feeling of having known Jeros all her life.
That was ridiculous. How could she possibly feel like that?
Not when he claimed to be a nineteenth century fairy from Scotland’s Seventh Realm—whatever that was.
Of course, that would explain his slightly pointed ears.
She had tried not to stare when he’d raked his hands through his sleek, dark hair and revealed them.
But that did not explain the impossible-to-ignore sense that she knew him as well as she knew herself, even though they had just met.
“Unbelievable.” She skidded to a halt in the leaf mold covering the damp forest floor. “That can’t possibly be.”
Up ahead, in a mossy clearing lit by an eerie pale blue light, was a silvery white unicorn, its swollen sides shuddering with hard, heavy breathing. The reportedly mythical animal emitted a low, weary groan.
Without a thought as to how impossible this had to be, Lexi’s heart lurched.
If she didn’t help this poor beast, there would be one less unicorn in this world.
She eased forward, speaking low and calm.
“Hello, Mama. Don’t be afraid. I’m going to help you get baby into this world so you can meet him or her. ”
She glanced back at Jeros and gave Aylryd a pointed look. “Keep him back. He’ll frighten her.”
The tiger immediately took a non-threatening position, lounging at the base of the tree.
“See, lass? He obeys ye. Not me.” Jeros nodded at the unicorn. “Can ye help her? She is dying.”
“Don’t say that!” Lexi hated it when people assumed animals couldn’t understand what was said around them.
The unicorn must not think they had given up, because if she sensed that, then she would give up too.
Lexi moved closer until she could offer the unbelievably beautiful creature a sniff of her hand.
“I can help you, Mama. I’ve pulled many a foal when they were stubborn and decided to take the wrong position.
We’ll get your baby into this world. Don’t you worry. ”
Understanding, relief, and pleading shone in the unicorn’s great dark eyes. She agreed with a soft, breathless grumble.
“Relax, Mama. I know you are weary. We’ll meet your baby soon.
” Lexi ran her hands down the animal’s sides, smiling at the similarity in the feel of a unicorn’s supple coat with that of a well-brushed thoroughbred.
Removing her jacket, she rolled up her shirtsleeves until they were nearly to her armpits.
Depending on baby, she might have to reach inside clear to her shoulder.
From the size of the swollen mare, she wondered if she was dealing with twins.
If it were a horse, she’d bet on two without a doubt, but this was her first unicorn delivery, and damned if she wasn’t determined to make it a success.
“Okay, Mama. I know this is kind of up close and personal, but I need to feel around and find baby’s position.” Many a vet had made fun of her for talking to her animal patients as if they were human. Lexi ignored them. She firmly believed that animals understood and were better off for it.
“How can I help?” Jeros asked from where he had remained standing beside Aylryd.
“Not sure yet,” she said as she rested her cheek on the unicorn’s rump, closed her eyes, and visualized everything she felt.
The foal was turned the wrong way, and it was a good-sized baby.
She wouldn’t be able to tell for certain if there was another one until she got this one out.
With a firm grip on the tiny hooves, she gently pulled with a steadiness born of years of experience, working in tandem with the unicorn’s body and its contractions.
“That’s it, Mama. Next contraction, we’ll have this baby out, and then we’ll see if you have another.
I think you might have twins, Mama. What do you think? ”
The unicorn grumbled again, but it sounded weaker. The poor thing had to be delivered of these babies immediately. Lexi wished they were back in her barn, where she could administer an emergency cesarean section. Out here in the woods, Mama unicorn would never survive such a surgery.
With a mighty pull, the glistening foal slid out. It was as golden as if it were gilded with the finest gold. “Are they supposed to be that color?” she asked Jeros. “I’m not a unicorn expert.”
“Aye. The wee ones are born golden and hornless. After a few years, their colors change to the iridescent silver, and they get their horn.”
“Congratulations, Mama. You have a little boy,” she said to the mare as she carried the wiggling foal to the mare’s side, close to her udder. “But rest a moment while I see if there’s another.”
The unicorn found the strength to lift her head and nuzzle her baby, all the while making soft, little grunts.
“Now, let’s see if there is another one waiting to meet us.” Lexi reached inside and smiled. “I knew it!” She caught hold of the tiny hooves and pulled again. “Come to me, baby number two. Your brother is out of the way now. Come on. You can do it.”
The foal slid out in a whoosh of placenta and fluids, but it didn’t wiggle. Lexi’s heart fell. This baby was dangerously still.
She ripped off her button-up shirt she’d worn over her t-shirt, and started rubbing the baby down, clearing the placenta away from its head and gently blowing into its nose after running her finger around its tiny mouth and cleaning out as much mucus as she could from its throat.
“Come on, little one. I never give up, and you shouldn’t either. Breathe for me. Come on.”
She paused in breathing air into the unicorn foal’s nostrils and turned to Jeros. “I need you to do compressions while I breathe into her. Get over here.”
Her heart lurched again, but this time because it was awe-inspiring to see a man the size of a mountain jump to follow her instructions without hesitation. He knelt beside the motionless foal and said, “Show me.”
She took his large hands and placed them on the tiny foal, over the widest portion of its chest, right behind its forelegs. “Gentle but firm. Remember, this is a fragile baby. What you’re doing is compressing her heart to achieve blood flow.”
He nodded, looking at her through the tendrils of black hair that had fallen into his face when he’d dropped to his knees. Never could she ever remember seeing a man so handsome. She pushed on his hands, showing him the exact amount of pressure she wanted. “Like this.”
“Aye. I have it.”
As he compressed, she blew hard into the little one’s nose.
After what felt like forever, the baby moved, feebly kicking its legs.
Lexi caught hold of Jeros’s wrist to stop him, and they both sat there, tensed beyond belief, watching the much smaller twin take in a few breaths on its own.
“She lives,” Jeros said in an awe-filled whisper.
“Yes, but she is weak, and so is Mama. Too weak to care for twins.” Desperation hit Lexi like a brick wall. “We can’t leave them, but I don’t know what else I can do to help them out here in the middle of nowhere. I need my barn. I need my stuff.”
“They need their stallion.” Jeros gently lifted the resuscitated foal and placed it closer to the mother so she might accept it as well. “Here is yer other wee one, blessed Lunaria. Call to yer mate. He can heal all of ye now. Call to him, great one.”
“What are you telling her?” A chill swept across Lexi, leaving her covered in gooseflesh. The only unicorn lore she knew was from an Irish song that said the mythical beasts had missed their chance to get on Noah’s ark, and that’s why there weren’t unicorns anymore.
“Her mate can heal her,” Jeros said. “Call yer mate,” he urged the unicorn mare once again. “Afore it be too late to save yerself and yer precious bairns.”
The unicorn lifted her head, and the tip of her horn took on an eerie glow so blindingly bright that Lexi had to turn away to shield her eyes.
“He comes.” Jeros took hold of Lexi’s hand, pulled her closer, and locked eyes with her.
“Dinna be surprised if it is the mighty Pegasus himself. Alpha of all the unicorns. He is the only one known to sire twins, even though the last pair were born many an age ago. That is why I called her Lunaria. She is his eternal mate.”
“Pegasus, the winged horse from Greek mythology?” Lexi struggled to understand and believe. What or where had this strange rabbit hole come from that she had fallen into?
Jeros shook his head. “Mortals made up that tale. Pegasus has no wings, but his mighty leaps make it seem as if he has taken flight.”
The pale blue light illuminating the clearing brightened even more. The air seemed to glisten, as if filled with the dust of precious metals and jewels. Then a mighty unicorn, even larger and more magnificent than the mare, his long silver horn aglow, stepped into the clearing.
“He’s twice the size of a Clydesdale,” Lexi whispered. She felt as though she had been granted an audience with either royalty or an angel—or both.
The mare knickered softly and stretched her neck, angling her head toward her mate.
As silently as nightfall, Pegasus stepped forward and touched his horn to hers.
A golden aura surrounded the two of them and the twin foals, brightening then dimming with a heartbeat all its own.
Their horns still touching, the mare rose from the ground, fully rejuvenated.
The weakest foal, the tiny mare, pranced forward and nuzzled her father’s muscular foreleg.
The baby stallion did the same, then stomped and kicked as if determined to make his father proud.