Chapter 6
She had barely gotten the words out of her mouth before Cyrus was up on his feet, with her in his arms, and out the door.
Throwing open the front door with a bump of Magic, they were out the door, and her Mate had jogged halfway down the snow-covered sidewalk before Vanessa was able to get his attention.
“Cyrus, Cyrus, stop!”
“Wait… What? Why?” Head snapping to the left, to the right, and then down to her, his eyes opened wide as she yelled, “Holy shit! We’re naked!”
“Yeah, we are.”
“I’ll just…” Before he could get turned around and head back to the house, Celeste’s voice filled their minds.
“It’s a damn good thing you two have me.
” With a flash of warm Magic and an Enchanted hug, both Vanessa and her Mate were dressed, and the Polar Bear Princess laughed, “Now, get over to the Clinic.”
“But we need to call…”
“Already done,” Vanessa chimed in, tapping her temple and laughing at the frantic look on her Mate’s face. “Should I tell her to get a bed ready for you?”
“You might need to,” Cyrus panted as he ran so fast that the beautiful white landscape was nothing but a blur. “I’m about to be a dad.”
Filled with a love and happiness she truly hadn’t known was possible, Vanessa could only laugh, “And you will be great at it.”
Met at the door by a gorgeous woman who looked to be in her fifties but had the Magic of an Earthen Witch with centuries of wisdom in her soul, Vanessa got as far as, “Cy, do you…?” before her Mate breathed a sigh of relief and greeted, “Della? You’re here. Am I glad to see you? But how?”
“Did you think I was going to take a chance with my adopted grandchild? Three powerful Healers should make for a beautiful birth.” Carrick’s deep, baritone brogue came from in front of her.
Looking to the Ryder Pounce Healer, Ruby Wildwood, and her sister, Amethyst, their Spiritual Healer, he bowed his head and added, “Don’t you think? ”
Both ladies smiled brightly and nodded. Then Ruby made a sweeping motion with her right hand and directed, “Go to that room right there. We are all set up.”
“Thank you,” Vanessa called over Cyrus’s shoulder as once again, he moved so fast everything was a blur.
Into the room and on the bed in the blink of an eye, Vanessa scooted down on the bed towards the stirrups and wiggled to get comfortable as a massive contraction tightened the muscles of her stomach and her back.
Unable to stop the pained shout that flew from her lips, her eyes went to Cyrus’s as he grabbed her hand and soothed, “Give it to me. Give me all your…”
But that was as far as he got before, once again, they were covered in the beautiful red scales that had kept her safe before. Gone was the pain. Gone were the contractions. Gone was everything but the anticipation, joy, and more than a few nerves about becoming a mom.
From one second to the next, Della, Ruby, and Amethyst were in the room.
Flames atop the white, yellow, and green candles of every size and shape sitting on every free surface– something she hadn’t seen until that moment– burst to life, and the room filled with the scent of citrus, jasmine, lavender, and eucalyptus.
The very powerful Earthen Witch came to Vanessa’s side, smiled sweetly, and laid her hand on her shoulder. “As I am sure you have figured out, my name is Della St. Croix. My sister is…”
“Calysta, the Grand Priestess of all Earthen Witches,” Vanessa happily gasped. “And you are a phenomenon in your own right.”
“Oh, you’ve heard of me?”
“Of course, I am so happy to have you…. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.” Hit with another strong, longer contraction, the red scales pulsed in time with her heartbeat, pulling the pain away while pushing strong Healing Magic her way.
Della’s eyes lit up. “You have a Healer of your own on the way.” With a loving squeeze, her smile brightened as she said, “Now, if it’s okay with you, I’m gonna help Ruby deliver your sweet baby.”
“That is perfectly…ahhhhhhhhhhhh.”
Squeezing Cyrus’s hand for dear life, she looked deep into his eyes and whispered, “I love you, Cyrus MacDonald. I love you with all my heart.”
“And I love you, Vanessa….”
But that was all she heard as an especially strong contraction tightened what seemed like every muscle in her body. Breathing as Della had instructed, Vanessa felt another coming right behind and was ready to tell those helping her, but the Earthen Witch was on the ball.
Looking over the sheet draped over her raised knees, Della calmly said, “Cyrus, get behind your Mate and slide your arms under the pillow. You need to help her push.” Then to Vanessa she said, “When you feel the contraction start, pretend you are doing a sit up and bear down on your tailbone, and Cy will help you sit up. It shouldn’t take long. I can see the top of the baby’s head.”
And it didn’t. One push. A little pain. And the blessed sound of their baby crying.
Tears of joy streamed down Vanessa’s face. Looking up at her Mate, she saw the same in his deep brown eyes and couldn’t help but say, “He or she already has you wrapped around their little finger, don’t they?”
“Just like their momma.” Winking, he was about to say something else when Della appeared with the baby. Magically cleaned up and wrapped in a yellow blanket, she lay the precious bundle in Vanessa’s arms.
“Vanessa and Cyrus, meet your daughter.”
“A girl?” Vanessa was overjoyed. Looking up at Cyrus, she laughed out loud to see the color had drained from his face, and his eyes were so wide they were more white than brown. “It’s a girl, Cy. It’s a girl. Are you okay?”
“I-I h-have a d-daughter.”
“You do,” Della chuckled.
Looking up as Carrick entered the room, Cyrus puffed out his chest, and the color returned to his face as he turned to the renowned Guardsman and stated, “I’m gonna need a gun and a shovel.”
“A gun and a shovel?” Vanessa gasped. “Why would you…?”
Head snapping toward her and his body following suit, Cyrus leaned down and laid his hand over hers as he explained, “Yes, a gun and a shovel, because no boys are getting near my daughter until she’s at least a hundred years old.”
The room erupted in laughter. It was one of the most joyous sounds in the world, and then the baby joined in with a loud cry, and Vanessa was filled with absolute happiness and knew what she needed to do.
Quieting the baby by rocking side to side, she looked into her Mate’s eyes and quietly said, “I want to name her Joy. What do you think?”
Smiling with so much love that Vanessa thought she might start crying again, Cyrus nodded. “That is perfect. Joy Elizabeth Anne MacDonald has a beautiful ring.”
Hearing the name her Mate proposed, Vanessa started crying even happier tears as she whispered, “Your mom and my mom?” Sniffing, she added with a watery smile, “That really is perfect.”
“Yes, it is,” Carrick quietly agreed. Then, pointing at Joy’s arm, a knowing look in his eye, he smiled. “Look at that. She’s already making her mark on the world.”
Gaze following where the Elder pointed, Vanessa gasped. Could it be true? It had to be. She could see it with her own eyes.
Speaking before she had the words, Cyrus wondered aloud, “Is that a Polar Bear paw surrounded by Dragon Fire?”
“It sure is,” Carrick confirmed. “She is the absolute combination of ice and fire. She, in a word, is perfection.”
“Yeah, she is,” Cy breathed.
Looking deep into the eyes of her Mate, Vanessa didn’t even realize everyone had left, and they were alone until the door clicked shut. Smiling so much that her cheeks literally hurt, scooted over on the bed and motioned with a nod of her head for Cyrus to climb in.
“Are you sure?”
“Oh, yes, I’m sure,” she assured. “It’s all clean and changed thanks to Della.”
Sliding in beside her, Cyrus chuckled, “Oh, my love, I wasn’t worried about the mess. I just didn’t want to cause you anymore pain.”
“Oh, hush,” she teased. “I’m fine.” Gaze going to her beautiful daughter, a head full of chestnut curls, a perfect button nose, and eyes the deep brown of her daddy’s, she beamed, “Between Joy and Della, I am already healing.” Then, looking back to Cyrus, she said, “Now, let’s feed this hungry girl– together.
I want to do everything we can together as a family. ”
“Hell, yes,” Cyrus quietly whooped. “And that includes opening presents on Christmas Day.”
“You didn’t?”
“Oh, my love, I did.” Silently laughing, his shoulders bouncing against hers, he added, “It is done– including this.”
Pulling out a black velvet box, he opened the lid and took out the most gorgeous princess cut diamond surrounded by rubies that she had ever seen.
Stunned, Vanessa could do nothing as Cyrus placed the platinum band on her ring finger and said, “To my girls, to forever, to making me the happiest man in the whole wide world.”
Finally regained her senses, Vanessa giggled like a schoolgirl as she looked from the man she loved with all heart and soul to her daughter who held both their hearts and souls in the palm of her tiny little hands, all the Polar Bear Princess could say was, “To our family, those right in this room and those all over the world, Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years. May our Joy also be yours.”
“Amen,” Cy seconded. Then, laying his lips to hers, he whispered directly into her mind as they kissed, “Does this mean you’ll marry me?”
“Of course, you’re never gettin’ rid of me now.”
“Oh, thank the Heavens!” He mentally cheered, deepening their kiss for just a moment before baby Joy cried out, letting them know she was hungry.
Ending their kiss, Vanessa instantly burst out laughing when Cyrus happily cheered, “That’s right, little girl, you’re stuck with us forever.”
And with that, a beautiful sheen of sparkling red Dragon scales lay over them like a blanket, and as Vanessa looked closer, she saw tufts of baby Polar Bear fur between every scale.
Unable and unwilling to stop smiling, knowing that her world was complete in every way possible, she lifted her breast to her baby, slightly gasped when Joy latched on, then settled into the cradle of Cyrus’s arms.
Looking around the room bathed in candlelight and red Dragon scales, the Polar Bear Princess let her eyes slide close, and whispered directly into the mind of her Mate, “Merry Christmas, Dragon Man.”
“Merry Christmas, mo Bhana-Phrionnsa Phathain. I love you forever and always.”
“Forever and always…”
Until we meet again…
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
May the Joy of the Holidays be with you all year–
And if you’re up for babysittin’, just holler.
XOXO, Vanessa