Chapter 5
Between the Healing Magic Nessy performed and the news that he was going to be a father, Cyrus didn’t feel like a guy who had almost died less than an hour ago–he felt like he could fly without Dom’s wings.
“Never thought you were gonna get Vanessa back, let alone be lucky enough to be dad, did ya’, Lad?” Dom’s voice was filled with the thick brogue of their homelands, and his happiness gave the Guardsman even more of a lift.
“You got that right,” Cyrus readily agreed. “I was sure I’d lost Nessy forever.”
“Nope, you’ll never lose me, Dragon Man,” she chuckled. Then, before he had time to be surprised, she tapped her temple. “I can hear everything. Happened during the Healing Ritual.”
Reaching down, Cyrus carefully wrapped his arms around her waist. Stopping before his hands touched her back, he blurted out, “Can I do this without hurting you or the baby?”
Rolling her eyes and laughing out loud, Vanessa laid her hands on his shoulders and chuckled, “Dude, please. I just kicked a giant She-Wolf’s ass…”
“Well, that’s not…” the Polar Bear Princess with whom Vanessa shared her soul chimed in.
“Shut up, Celeste!”
“He’s gonna….”
“Can we not talk about the Dragon like he’s not here?” Cyrus snickered.
“Oops,” Nessy gasped aloud, her cheeks turning such a beautiful color of pink that he couldn’t help but lay a sweet kiss on both of them. “I wasn’t tryin’…”
“I know,” Cyrus chuckled. “And I don’t care how you got out of that hellhole, I’m just glad you did.” Pausing for a split second, he hurried on before he lost his nerve. “Nessy, honey, I’m so sorry. I was such a…”
“No-no-no! It’s my fault. You have nothin’…”
“If I had just….”
“No way.” She shook her head frantically. “I shouldn’t have…”
Needing to show her how very sorry he was, how much he’d missed her, and most of all, that he loved her with all his heart.
Cyrus laid his lips to hers, giving her a kiss filled with heat and passion.
Raising his head, he looked his beautiful Polar Bear Princess right in the eye and earnestly promised, “From this moment forward, we never walk away mad, and we always and forever fight side by side. No more runnin’ off and gettin’ held up by a pain in the ass… .”
“Well, he’s done.” With a single nod, she quickly went on, “But how did you…?
Tapping his temple, Cy winked. “The same way you knew what I’d done. It all came flowing through when I got a whole new set of scales.” A quick kiss to the tip of her nose, and he added, “And absolutely, without a doubt, never ever never will either of us go on solo missions, got it?”
“Oh, I got it, Dragon Man.” Smiling so sweetly, Cyrus felt her joy on the outside just as much as he felt it flowing through their Mating Bond. “And I totally agree.”
Lovingly placing his hand on her tummy, he smiled and whispered, “And that goes for you, too, Miss…? Mr…?”
Shaking her head, Nessy shrugged. “I don’t want to know until he or she is born. Is that okay?”
There was no way he could deny her anything. Picking her up and turning a complete circle, Cyrus beamed, “Anything you want, M'eudail. I just can’t wait to meet him or her.” Another wink and he chuckled, “After all, we already know he or she’s got the spirit of a Dragon.”
“And the heart of a Polar Bear,” Nessy added, crinkling her nose in the cute way he could never resist.
“Oh, yeah, Mo ghràdh, oh hell yeah.”
No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the babe gave a kick that he felt where his stomach met Nessy. Quickly setting her feet on the ground, he put his hand back on her belly and damn near cried when the scales still covering Nessy flashed as the baby gave another resounding kick.
“Wow! Nessy breathed, her left hand going to her back. “I think we have an NFL kicker in there.”
Shooting up to his full height, Cyrus scooped Nessy into his arms. Making across the garden in four long strides, he lovingly sat her on a stone bench and got to his knees on the grass in front of her. “Are you okay? DO you need anything? Is the baby okay? What can I do? Should we…?”
“How about you get her back to the Pride,” Tamsyn chuckled. As his hand fell onto his shoulder and she gave him a friendly squeeze, the Bobcat Queen held out the other and, while shaking with Nessy, smiled brightly, “Just to make it formal, I’m Tamsyn.”
Letting go of Nessy’s hand and Cyrus’s shoulder at the same time, she turned to the side, wrapped her hand around the Enforcer’s waist, and continued, “And this is Ruairí, my Mate.” Pointing the thumb of her freehand the other way, she added, “The one who looks like me but with light hair is my sister, Peaches, and the big guy with the beard is…”
“Hey, Luke,” Nessy smiled. Then to Tamsyn, she chuckled, “We met. It’s a Bear thing.”
As the group erupted in laughter, Carrick appeared.
Looking more tired than he’d ever seen his friend and mentor, the Legendary Guardsman stood beside Ruairí and smiled, “I assume you are Vanessa.” His voice was filled with a calm, friendly warmth.
“It is wonderful to meet you in person.” Winking, he gave her a sly smile, “Suffice it to say, I have heard a lot about you.”
“Well, crap,” Nessy huffed. “I sure hope it wasn’t all bad.”
Moving forward, Cyrus was happy to move a little to the side as Carrick stopped in front of Nessy, smiled brightly, and took her hand.
Laying his free hand over hers, he reassured, “Everything Cyrus said was the honest truth. He spoke of your beautiful heart, your capacity for compassion, and the wonderful way that you accept him for exactly who he is…” Another wink and leaned in close before loudly whispering, “…warts and all.”
“Hey!” Cyrus pretended to object as Vanessa’s glorious laughter filled the garden.
As the laughter died down, Tamsyn suggested, “Hey Cy, why don’t you get Vanessa back to the Pride while we finish cleaning this mess up?”
“That sounds like a wonderful plan!”
Getting to his feet, Cyrus stopped short when Carrick cleared his throat and asked Vanessa, “May I ask a question first?”
“Of course,” Nessy readily agreed.
“I am only asking because I do not want to cause you any stress by reliving your capture…”
“Sure,” Nessy nodded. “Go for it.”
“But how do you…?” Carrick looked puzzled.
“How do I know what you were going to ask?”
“Indeed.”
Patting her belly, she chuckled, “I didn’t. The baby did.”
For one of the only times in all the years he’d known the legendary Guardsman, Cyrus witnessed true shock and awe on Carrick’s face.
Slowly nodding, the Elder scratched the stubble on his jaw before smiling, “Ah, yes, your babe is indeed strong.” When Nessy gasped, he added, “Yes, I can now feel your unborn child, and not only is the baby a powerhouse, but they have the heart and soul of a true Warrior of the Light.”
With his expression brightening, his eyes twinkled as he added, “What a blessing for this holiday season and for Bear and Dragonkin. Congratulations to you both.”
“Thank you,” Cyrus quickly responded, smiling brightly when Nessy joined in before adding, “Go ahead, Carrick. Pull whatever information you need from my mind. The sooner you find Angelique and Angeline, and those loyal to them, the better off the world will be.”
“Isn’t there a third sister?” The legendary Guardsman asked.
“Oh, yes, Angelica,” Nessy quickly confirmed. “But she’s a good egg. She helped me escape.”
“She did?” Everyone asked in unison.
Nodding, Vanessa confirmed, “Oh yeah, she let me hit her over the head with a marble top table then pretended to be unconscious.”
Pausing to shift from one hip to the other, Cyrus could see that his Mate was tired and uncomfortable but could feel that she wanted to finish speaking to the Elder. Reaching forward, he touched the top of her thigh and let cool, calm, soothing Magic through their Mating Bond.
Feeling as if he could walk on water when Nessy looked at him and whispered directly into his mind, “Thank you,” Cyrus kept the Enchantment flowing as she continued, “And I’m pretty sure she took out some of the Blackwood Pack, too.”
“Understood,” Carrick nodded. “And she is the… the…”
“The mountain of a woman with enough muscles to be a wrestler?’
“Well, yes,” Carrick nodded, looking relieved that Nessy had given the description.
“Yep, Vanessa chuckled. “Until I knew her name, I called her Big Lady.”
“Indeed,” Carrick grinned. Then to Cyrus, he matter-of-factly stated, “Now, Lad, get your Mate to the Ryder Pride. She needs rest, and you need to grovel as you’ve never groveled before.”
“Oh, no, I was the one…”
Shaking his head with a solemn look that Cyrus could tell was put on, Carrick corrected, “No, nighean ghràdhach. Smiling and giving her a wink, he added with a mischievous gleam in his eye, “It is my young Brethren who needs to make amends.” Leaning in, he whispered, “Take the pampering. You deserve it. That’s an order.”
“Yes, sir,” Nessy giggled, and the sound made Cyrus’s heart skip a beat. Then she happily whispered directly into his mind, “Carrick, the real Carrick called me dear daughter.”
“Yes, Mo ghràdh,” Cyrus chuckled. “He did, and he truly meant it.”
Before he could say anything else, Carrick clapped his hands and once again said, “Okay, Cyrus, get Vanessa back to the Pride. We will follow when we can.”
“Yes,” Tamsyn and Peaches agreed in unison. Then the Bobcat Queen added, “The cottage you’ve been using is all cleaned up and ready for a couple.” Laughing, she added, “Vanessa, your man there doesn’t know what a laundry hamper is.”
As everyone laughed, Nessy lovingly placed her hand on his cheek and winked, and she made a show of nodding and teased, “Don’t I know it, Girl!”
Raising his hands in mock surrender, Cy laughed out loud. “I’ll do better. I’ll do better.”
“You had better,” Peaches teased. “Won’t be long before you’re changin’ diapers, my friend.”
Once again lifting Nessy into his arms, the Guardsman called over his shoulder, “See y’all later.”