Dark Wolf Deleted Scenes, page 3
Tamara gasped and Francesca reached out to touch one of the ears on one of the wolves.
“They’re so beautiful,” Francesca said in awe.
“Moonglow and Frost ride with me,” Skyler explained.
“Who would have thought I’d be happy my daughter was covered in tattoos,” Gabriel asked, for the first time laughter in his voice.
“Right?” Skyler said, laughing. “But they do come in handy in forest. Let me signal them to come off.” She held her arms out and whispered to her wolves.
Moonglow made the leap first. She landed almost at Dimitri’s feet. Tamara clutched his head so hard Skyler was afraid she would jerk him backward.
“She’s beautiful. Her fur is so silver she almost glows,” Francesca marveled. “Will she let me pet her?”
Skyler nodded her permission and Moonglow moved close to the bed so Francesca could sink her fingers in the thick silvery pelt. Skyler would never get over the wonder of touching one of her wolves. She loved them, loved everything about them. She saw that same wonder in Francesca’s eyes.
“She’s beautiful, Skyler,” her mother said.
“Thanks, mom,” Skyler replied. “Let me introduce you to Frost. He’s my guardian. He’s silver as well, but you’ll see why we call him Frost.”
The second wolf, this one a male, landed beside Moonglow. He was larger, his pelt thick and every bit as silver as his sister’s, but the ends of each individual hair appeared to be dipped in white, so that he gave the impression of being covered in frost.
Skyler appreciated the gasps as both her mother and father reacted to the sight of the beautiful male.
“He’s gorgeous,” Francesca said.
“They’re both very fast and excellent at hunting,” Skyler said. “I’m really proud of them. The alpha pair rides on Dimitri. The female, Misty, is young and hasn’t been with us very long, but she’s coming along in her training nicely. Shadow is strong male leader and he keeps her on task.”
Dimitri made a slow turn, allowing Francesca and Gabriel to see the three wolves tattooed onto him. He kept a firm hand on Tamara so that she didn’t so much as wobble. She spread her arms out wide, laughing as he turned in a circle.
“Sonnet is our naughty one,” Skyler continued. “He likes to roam a bit. He loses himself when he runs and sometimes he just runs for the sake of it. I think he loves the forest so much he can’t help himself.”
Dimitri laughed as he held out his arms in the signal for the wolves to leap off. “She always makes excuses for Sonnet.”
“Of course she does,” Francesca was already looking toward the errant wolf. He was very large, nearly as big as the alpha. His eyes were intelligent and he pushed his nose into Francesca’s hand, immediately gaining an ally.”
“He actually is hard working,” Dimitri conceded, affection in his voice. “He works very well with Shadow coordinating the hunt and he brings down more game than any of the others. He’s a good boy, he just likes to roam a bit.”
“Why do you call him Sonnet?” Gabriel asked curiosity in his voice.
Dimitri and Skyler exchanged a small, amused look. Dimitri helped Tamara down off his shoulders so she could run her hands through wolf fur.
“He sings,” Dimitri explained. “And he has an unusual, beautiful voice. He’s not like other wolves. He’ll run for the fun of it, sing his heart out, and he also loves to swim. He might be our problem child, but he’s also impossible not to love.”
Francesca watched her youngest child wrap her arms around the body of Sonnet and hug him close. “He’s also especially good with children,” she pointed out.
“I’ve noticed they all seem to be,” Dimitri agreed. “Although Shadow is a little more aloof, he keeps his eye on them when we’re close.”
“Tamara and Sonnet seem to be fast friends,” Gabriel was pleased. “Francesca is tiring and we should all let her rest.”
Francesca looked as if she might protest, but one look from Gabriel and she subsided. Skyler could feel her exhaustion. She was holding the baby to her, a physically and mentally hard task. How long could one keep it up, especially when she wasn’t that far along? She had weeks—months—of trying to keep from losing her baby. If sheer force of will would accomplish the feat, then Francesca would succeed.
Dimitri reached once more for Tamara. “Come with me, little one. We’ll go show your friends the wolves.”
Tamara settled onto Dimitri’s broad shoulders happily, her hands clutching Dimitri’s forehead. She looked happy as she waved to her mother and father, ducking her head in the doorway and looking back to call the wolves after them. She laughed when they came, never realizing Dimitri had sent them a call telepathically.
“I’ll stay with Francesca a few more minutes,” Skyler declared, tightening her hold on her mother’s hand. Her eyes met Gabriel’s. She was Dragonseeker, and a child of Mother Earth, a powerful healer.
Gabriel nodded his assent, brushed a kiss over his lifemate’s temple and left them alone, closing the door softly behind him.
Skyler stretched out beside Francesca on the bed and placed her palm over her mother’s womb. She closed her eyes and let her physical body go, traveling into her Francesca’s body to observe the baby.
The baby wasn’t fully developed, although his mind was. A boy. A son for Gabriel and Francesca and a little brother for her and Tamara. Her heart leapt in joy.
Hello, little brother, she whispered into the baby’s mind. Do you know me? I’m Skyler, your big sister. I can’t wait to hold you in my arms. What seems to be the problem? While she talked in her most soothing voice, she examined the structure of the placenta and the walls of the womb.
The baby moved slightly, his awareness in her mind. There was no pain that she could detect, but something wasn’t right. He wasn’t getting the nutrients he needed. He seemed faded, his spirit already seeking another realm.
Do you know how lucky you are to have Francesca for a mother and Gabriel for a father. They will cherish you always. Tamara and I can’t wait for you to be born. We already love you and want you to stay here with us.
She knew Gregori had tried to find the problem, but he hadn’t been able to. He was a very powerful healer, one of the best they had. How could she even begin to think she might be able to do what he could not? Still, this was her brother. Her family. She had to try.
Can you try to tell me what’s wrong? You should be snug here, comforted here, surrounded by our mother’s love. Can you feel her? She’s all around you, holding you to her. Can you feel our father’s love? He has a great love for you. I can help if I know what the problem is. Trust me, little brother. Feel my kinship with you.
She doubted if he understood too many of the words, but she knew he could feel her love and her need to help him.
The stirring in her mind was tentative—so light she barely realized the boy responded to her query. Had she not been focused wholly on him, she might have missed that soft brush against the walls of her own mind. The brush lifted and then fell again. He did it twice.
Skyler tried to interpret the message. Clearly he was conveying something important. It was an effort for him, yet she felt it not once, but twice. He’d chosen to make the movement against the inside of her mind, the wall itself. Instantly she began another examination of the walls of Francesca’s womb, particularly where the placenta was attached.
If he wasn’t getting enough nutrients, the problem had to be with where those nutrients came from. The cord appeared intact and perfect. She studied the wall of the womb again, taking her time, allow her spirit to curve around the attachment in an effort to see how it was placed.
Her light seemed to slide beneath one corner of the cord, between the cord and the wall. Is this the problem, little brother? Is the cord not attached all the way? It appears to be, but if the light slips through, then perhaps there is a problem.
As he got bigger and gained more weight, the cord would detach early if part of it wasn’t sealed. She looked closely until she found the problem. There was the slightest bump on the wall and the cord had attacked (ATTACHED?) with the edge on the rise of the bump, leaving the very rim of the cord unattached. She couldn’t see how the baby would be losing so much in the way of nutrients from that small leak. Later, when he grew, it would become a problem, but right now, it shouldn’t have been.
I can fix this, little one, no problem, but can you tell me why you aren’t getting enough to eat?
Skyler took her time smoothing the bump, keeping every movement slow and easy, ensuring the bright light of her spirit never went near the child’s eyes. It didn’t take long to reattach the cord firmly and make certain it was sealed properly. To her astonishment, the boy performed a somersault. She was so delighted with his actions, thinking it was his way to tell her was happy, that she nearly missed what he was trying to show her.
As he rolled, blood seeped out of the cord into the amniotic fluid. With it came all the nutrients the boy needed to sustain his life.
I see it, she assured him. Thank you. You’re such a clever, intelligent boy. I can’t wait to show you the wolves and teach you so many things about our life. Give me a moment and I’ll repair that hole. Our father will come in and give our mother blood. It is ancient and pure and will help to give you the boost you need to survive.
She was babbling and she knew it, overjoyed that she had discovered that tiny pinhole that was slowly taking her brother’s life. He probably didn’t understand a third of what she was trying to convey, but it didn’t matter. He could feel her joy and happiness.
She repaired the hole quickly. Roll again and make certain everything is right.
To her astonishment, her baby brother, not yet fully formed, did another somersault. There was no stream of blood escaping from the cord into the fluid protecting the baby. Elated she brushed a kiss over the boy’s head, although it was with her mind, not her body.
Stay warm and safe, little brother. Grow strong. I’ll come see you from time to time and we’ll talk. Right now, our father will make certain you have what you need to grow stronger and then you need to rest. And don’t kick mom so hard!
She wrapped him in a cocoon of love one last time before she left him to return to her own body. Francesca had tears running down her face and she hastily wiped them away.
“Am I going to lose him?” She asked, her voice unsteady. “Tell me the truth, Skyler, so I’m prepared.”
“You need to call Gabriel in to feed you. The placenta wasn’t quite sealed all the way and there was a tiny hole in the cord. He wasn’t getting enough nutrients to sustain life, but he will now. He helped me, showing me the problem. He wants to live, mom, and I think everything will be fine. He needs food now though. He’s been starving.”
“That’s why I’ve been so tired and hungry,” Francesca said, wiping at the tears and hugging Skyler. “You’re so pale, honey. Gabriel will have to give you blood as well.”
Skyler shook her head. “No, he needs to save every drop for the two of you, and mom, you’ll need to rest. Dimitri will see to me. I’m so excited to have a brother. I can’t wait to hold him in my arms.” She would be forever close to the little boy and she knew it. “I’m so happy, mother. In spite of the war and the death sentence hanging over all of us, I feel so happy knowing there’s a baby coming and he’s going to live.”
Christine Feehan, Dark Wolf Deleted Scenes
