Page 97 of Dragon Unhinged

“Okay,Brianna, it’s time to push. Are you ready to meet your daughter?”

I grimace and squeeze Donna’s hand, even though I know she’s doing her best to just keep me on track, to keep me and my daughter healthy through this. “No.”

I’m not ready.

I’m not sure there is such a thing as “ready” when you’ve only had a short bit of time to process being pregnant, and a vampire has every intention of taking your baby away from you and leaving you to be eaten by something else.

“You’re going to have to figure out how to be, because she’s coming, whether you’re ready or not.” Donna looks up at me from her position between my knees, a kind expression on her face, trying to encourage me. “I’m going to talk you through this, okay? And then we’re getting out of here.”

I still don’t know how we’re going to manage to walk out the front door, how Grey’s going to just let us go, when he doesn’t seem to care about what happens to either me or Donna.

But I can’t really think about anything right now, other than getting through this, bringing my daughter into the world. The pain won’t let me think of anything else.

I grip the sheets in both hands, screaming again as I try to listen to Donna’s coaching. Wishing I’d had even one pregnancy and birthing book in this room to read, anything to prepare, beyond movies and TV shows that don’t even begin to cover the agony that is natural childbirth.

“You’re almost there. I see the head. Keep breathing, Brianna. Stay with me.” Donna’s focused, but her voice has a soothing quality, something that seems entirely out of place with everything going on, with all the pain I’m in.

If this is only the head, how much worse is it going to get before it’s better?

Push the baby out. You’re almost done.Grey’s voice echoes in my skull with a commanding tone, one that makes me want to weep.

How is he still in my head, still demanding things of me? How is there any room left for anything beyond the pain, beyond the pressure, the stretching, the bone-breaking agony of labor?

If there’s any voice I want to hear right now, it’s the one voice I can’t seem to connect with.

Declan, where are you? I need you.

Tears and sweat are running down my face as I bear down, giving every last bit of energy I have in me.

I can’t even tell if the sound of my screaming is in my head or echoing around the room.

“You’re almost there, Brianna. One more big push!”

The sound of a baby crying is the last thing I hear as I slump back against the pillows and my vision blurs and goes black.

Chapter

Forty-One

MALCOLM

Syrena, whatever you’re up to out there, I need you to make it happen fast. Declan’s getting worse, and I don’t know how long I can keep him from steering toward civilization. He’s blasting out fire, roaring into the skies. Screaming in his head over and over, just two words. “Mate” and “Mine”.

I don’t even know if the witch is listening. The last I heard, she was flying in a plane to Montreal, which means no mortal tech, but it shouldn’t interfere with her hearing any of our thoughts. Assuming she’s listening.

I haven’t felt this alone, this on my own, in my entire life. Syrena’s not answering, none of my brothers are, and all I can do talk to is Declan, who’s only speaking two words.

I can’t even get him to send me any more images. It’s like he’s got a one-track mind.

It would almost be sweet, if I wasn’t losing my brother to it.

Declan, we’re going to find her. Just hold on a little while longer.

PAIN!He screams it in my head, and quickly veers west.

Back toward land. Toward civilization.

I hate that part of me is glad. We haven’t stopped since we left Miami, and even though he seems singularly focused, even with bad wings and zero food fueling him, maybe he’ll stop for a minute.

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