“She’s ready, Whelon,” Dawn whispered.
He sensed it, too, but this was the hard part. This was the time that, if it was going to go wrong, it would happen so fast he could do nothing to save her.
“Melissa.” He stared at her, his jaw firm. “Push.”
She tried. She gripped Jarek’s hand and tried to bear down, but then she shrieked in agony. Shaking overwhelmed her and Dawn met Whelon’s eyes with concern.
“I can’t! She’s too big!” Melissa sobbed.
Dawn put her hand over Whelon’s. “You can manage this baby. She knows you. She likes you. Just reach for her… She can reach you even if you don’t know how, but I honestly think you have a touch of heart master talent.” She moved up to Melissa’s head and gave Whelon a stern look before issuing her order. “Talk to the baby.”
Whelon had no idea what in all the skies he was doing, but he placed his large hand on Melissa’s belly. Sasha appeared beside him at that moment.
“I called them in,” she whispered. “They got stuck on a one-way street. They won’t be here for at least fifteen minutes.”
She doesn’t have fifteen minutes! She doesn’t even have five.
Dawn placed her hand on Melissa’s forehead and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. “You are well, Mellissa,” she spoke soothingly, crooning just a little as she gently rocked back and forth. Jarek began to rock too and Sasha grabbed Melissa’s hand and gave it a squeeze.
“We’re all here for you, Melissa,” Sasha added gently. She had tears running down her face and her eyes were filled with terror, but his mate kept it together.
I am here too. I am with you, Mother.
The vibration took Whelon by surprise and he jumped, quickly putting his hand back on Melissa’s belly.
We can do this together.
“Oh, my god,” Melissa cried. “I can hear her. I can hear my baby.”
We can do this together, Mother.
“You are well, Melissa,” Dawn crooned. “You are strong. You are invincible. You are the mate of a dragon and bearer of dragonlets. For this you were made.”
For this I was born.
For this I will be born.
It was the voice of Melissa joining with her daughter in a song of union. Whelon looked up and found Jarek still as a statue, his eyes closed as he focused on pouring strength into his mate. His face was twisted in pain and he appeared haggard, but Melissa glowed—her eyes bright and her cheeks stained rosy pink.
Whelon sensed the child turning within the womb.
“Now Melissa!” he ordered. “Push, push now!”
She gathered herself and scrunched up her body, gripping Sasha’s and Jarek’s hands as she pushed. Dawn took a deep breath and held tightly to Melissa, lending her strength as she struggled to give birth.
Whelon felt for the child again, sensing it moving within Melissa. He let her pant for four breaths before he roused her again. “Push, Melissa, now!”
She moaned, a horrible, drawn out wail.
“Push, Melissa!” Dawn snapped, and Melissa did as ordered. She kept bearing down, almost breaking Jarek’s and Sasha’s fingers.
She collapsed against her mate when she was done, panting desperately. He felt her sag from inside out and roused her immediately.
“One more, Melissa. One more just like that. Go, now!”
She moaned, shaking her head. “I can’t. I can’t.”
Jarek gripped her hand even tighter and wrapped himself around his mate. “You will push, now! You have more strength and courage than any soldier in the fleet! You are my mate. Show me your strength, shaa kouva. Show me! Push! Bring forth your daughter!”
Melissa screamed, bearing down. Whelon saw the baby’s head emerge and gasped in relief. As the end of the contractions passed, he was able to support the infant as she slipped gently into his waiting hands.
Melissa cried, shaking all over, and he didn’t wait or hesitate a moment. He placed the baby straight on her breast. The little girl grabbed her mother’s hand and nuzzled into her, searching for milk.
“Oh,” Melissa cried, tears pouring down her face. “She’s beautiful!”
Jarek was beyond words, staring down at his baby daughter, feeding for the first time. Sasha and Dawn moved away to give them a moment while Whelon quickly checked the mother for any injuries.
“I’d love a photo,” Sasha said quietly, “but I’ll wait.”
Whelon’s job done, he smiled and leaned in to kiss his mate gently. He was exhausted and his only hope left for the day was that they wouldn’t make him attend the damn party that was still going on outside the office door.
He felt like he could sleep for a hundred years.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Several weeks after Melissa’s daughter crashed the biggest Preor-human event ever to be held, Sasha stood in the main park in the center of Tampa. In front of her, Melissa lay on the thick grass under a tall tree, her daughter curled in her arm. Jarek sat nearby, alternating eating grapes out of a picnic basket and rubbing his daughter playfully on the tummy.
They had named her Nicoletta, for Melissa’s grandmother. Since her spectacular birth at the conference, little Nicoletta had become a minor celebrity of sorts. Everyone wanted to see the newest dragonlet who had been born under the flag of the new treaty.
Sasha had Kerry and Mark with her, filming random shots of Preor and humans mixing together, playing games and sharing food. They had set up a massive picnic area with jumping castles, games and tables spread with amazing food.
It was the first fundraiser for a charity that had been organized by both races. Sasha grinned as she recalled her conversation with the mayor. He had wanted them to pay several hundred thousand dollars to rent the park. Yeah, even though the Preor had the money, Sasha gently hinted that humanity was doing less for the unfortunate than the Preor and there could be bad press as a result. He immediately donated free use of the park and every carnival ride that belonged to the city.
Screaming, happy children were everywhere. The atmosphere was high
