Chapter 7 #2
“I would bet it was.” She sat up now and looked around at where they were.
“It’s so lovely here. We’ll have to put us up a fence when we get the house finished.
I’d love to be able to go in the back yard and be able to shift like this.
Even if I can’t fly for a while, I would imagine that it takes some trial and error to learn, I’d be content to be another self. ”
“You should shift. It’s quite easy.” She said that she didn’t have anything to change into.
While she was speaking, Sherman changed back into his other form and helped her stand.
“You can change at will, remember. And after shifting, you can just think of the clothing you had on, and they’ll appear. Close your eyes.”
She did. She wanted to shift so badly that she almost couldn’t contain her excitement. As soon as she was told to wait for her dragon, she was able to see her right in front of her. She was beautiful, Serenity told Sherman.
“She’s red, like you. And big.” When she ran toward her, just jumping as she got to her, Serenity felt like she’d been hit with a pillow.
Nothing harsh happened to her, but she could feel that she was different.
Opening her eyes, she could see that her body was different.
“What do you think? Is she as pretty as you are?”
“She’s magnificent.” Sherman walked around her as carefully as she had him.
Putting her tail beneath her when it got away from her, she sat down on the grass and tried very hard not to knock anything over while she was her great dragon.
“She is red like I am. That means that our children will be red dragons, I’m betting.
I can’t wait to see you heavy with our child. ”
“We never talked about children. Is that something that you want?” He said that if she did, he was ready anytime she was. “Good. I want to have babies with you. Will they all be dragons?”
“They will. Even if you didn’t have the ability to shift, they’d still be dragons because I’m more powerful than you are.
” She brought her clawed hand out to show him, and he stood on her hand.
“I’ve never been this close to another dragon when I’ve been in this form. I never realized how big I was before.”
“I think you’re bigger than I am.” He nodded and walked around on her hand. “Did you want to exchange blood the way we did? I can bite my hand like you did and have you lick it clean.”
They exchanged blood, and she felt the power of it roll over her.
There was no pain in being her dragon, but she did feel powerful.
Shifting back to herself, she was dressed in the same clothing as before.
She’d forgotten how she could change at will and put something more comfortable on while waiting for Ace to come home.
She couldn’t wait to tell him that she was a red dragon like Tucker and Sherman.
“I’m going to have the fence put up right away.
I want to be able to shift with you when you want.
I know it makes me feel like a new person when I shift back and forth.
” She said that she felt cleaner. “Yes, that’s it.
That’s just the way that I feel. Even the air feels cleaner when I have taken on my other form. ”
“I love being my other self.” He pulled her into his arms and held her.
She could tell that he was happy; she was as well.
Just the little bit of time she’d been her dragon, she felt like she could take on the world.
It saddened her that she was going to deal with Beth, but knowing that she could come back here and shift herself into her dragon was something she knew would make her feel better.
“I don’t even mind going to see Beth right now.
She will make me feel bad, but I also feel like I can take it. ”
“Good for you. I’m so glad that I was able to convince you to shift.” He kissed her again, and she held tightly to him. “I love you so much, Serenity. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
They made their way home, but not before seeing Ace.
He’d hurried home so that he could see her shift, and he’d missed it.
She promised him that tonight she’d shift just for him, and he seemed happy.
She was so ready to tackle her sister that she didn’t even mind that she was going to be mean to her.
At least right now. She knew things would be different when she saw her, and that would change everything. But for now, she was happy.
~*~
Things had changed for her sister. Beth wasn’t just no longer combative, but she wasn’t talking all that much either.
They had uncuffed her hands just this morning, and she wasn’t trying to get out of bed.
Nor did she reach for Serenity when she entered the room.
He knew that the end was near, and she was willing herself to die.
Her words confirmed it when she looked up and saw the two of them in the room.
“Just go away. I want to die in peace.” She lay her head back down and closed her eyes. “I’m in so much pain right now that I’d beg for something to end my life, but they won’t give it to me.”
“You can’t end your life, Beth. That’s not right.” She didn’t say anything when Serenity spoke, but did watch her. “You have months to live. You should be trying to get yourself out of here and doing something outside. I did it today, and I feel so much better.”
“Good for you. I’m dying, and I want to be left alone.” Sherman could see the tears as they streamed down Serenity’s face, and it broke his heart. “Get out of here. I don’t care about you or anything going on with you. Just leave me alone.”
“I can’t do that.” She sat in the chair and reached for her hand. When she tried to jerk it away, he realized how weak she was. “I’m sorry you’re in pain. I can get them to give you more medications if you want.”
“Yes, that would be kind of you.” He went into the hallway and asked the staff there if there was a possibility for Beth to get more medications.
When he was told no, he was ready to beg when one of the nurses told him that she’d just had a shot and that was all they could give her for the next hour.
He told Serenity when he entered the room.
Beth had gone back to sleep by then, and he didn’t want to bother either of them.
Going into the hallway again, the nurse was going in to check on Beth.
He sat in one of the waiting room chairs and tried to wrap his head around the fact that not only was Beth dying, but it looked to him like she’d given up.
He didn’t know what to make of the young woman and decided that he needed to talk to his brother.
“I’m here for you.” He said that he appreciated that.
“I’ve been preparing things for dinner tonight.
I thought that we’d just grill out. The weather has been so nice it might be all right to go outdoors tonight and have some fun.
” He told him what he’d encountered when they got back to the hospital.
“I think she’s given up. But she said that she was in a great deal of pain. I don’t know if that’s the truth or not. The nursing staff said that they’d given her some meds about ten minutes before we got there. Maybe it’s just not kicked in yet when we got here.”
“That could be it. There is no point in trying to figure her out, Sherm. She’s going to do what she wants, no matter if she’s dying or not.
I’d just let Serenity do the talking, and the two of you talk when she wants to.
I know that it’s hard on our Serenity, but she’ll get through this.
She’s very strong.” He knew that too and told his brother that.
“I don’t know what I’d do if something like this were to happen to you.
I’m glad that you’re immortal so that I don’t have to worry about that.
But to have two sisters die like they have would be something that I don’t know that I could get over. ”
“She’s hanging on really well. I think her being able to shift today helped a great deal.
Like I told you the other day, it’s like getting a better outlook on life and even like the slate has been washed clean.
” Ace said that he felt the same way. “It’s like being given a cleaning shower, and you have washed away all the trouble you had before. ”
They talked a bit more about how Serenity was handling things.
He wasn’t in the room with her right now, but he knew that if she needed him, she’d not hesitate to call for him.
As he stretched out his long legs, he thought of his life just a few months ago.
He’d been looking for a house for himself, and not only did he have a mate, but he was in love with her as well.
Getting up to stretch out more, he walked the halls of the hospital quietly.
There were others on the floor who were going through the same thing, and he didn’t want to be a disturbance to them and their families.
As he was rounding the corner again, he saw Serenity at the nurse’s desk. He went to her immediately.
“She’s just sleeping. I’ve tried to talk to her, but she’s ignoring me right now, over me telling her that I don’t want her to die just yet.
” He held her tightly while she cried. “I’m going to stay and try to talk to her.
She might not care, but I’m going to be here for her when she takes her last breath. ”
“All right. I’ll be here for you.” She looked up at him, and he could see the determination in her eyes. “I’m going to be here for you.”