Page 10 of Winter at Stonefire

Once they arrived at the surgery and to an examination room, he put Jane down and Dr. Sid immediately pointed toward the door. "Leave us. I'll call you when I'm done."

He grunted. "I won't leave my mate."

Dr. Sid didn't blink an eye. "Kai Sutherland, I will call in other Protectors to drag your arse out of the room, if needed. Don't be stubborn and just go. It won't be for long."

He debated whether to test the doctor's threats—Sid rarely made them unless she planned to carry them through—when Jane's voice garnered his attention. "It's okay, Kai. Let Dr. Sid do her job. The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back."

Kai searched his mate's gaze and finally sighed. "The steel in your eyes tells me I won't win." He kissed her cheek. "But as soon as the doctor says she's done, I'm coming back in."

Jane squeezed his hand in hers. "I love you, Kai. Now, go."

He smiled, released his mate's hand, and went into the hallway, where Dr. Innes stood. He gestured down the hallway. "Come, lad. Let's get out of the way and let Cassidy do her work. And whilst we wait, you can ask me any questions you might have."

Even though every step away from Jane felt wrong, Kai followed Dr. Innes into a small, private waiting room.

As the minutes ticked by, he only hoped it meant Dr. Sid was doing a thorough job and would have more ways to help them, if needed. Because Jane conceiving had been difficult, but he suspected it was only the beginning.

But regardless of what happened, he just wanted to hold Jane in his arms and take care of her.

ChapterSeven

Jane somehow managed to keep herself together as Dr. Sid drew blood and ran some tests. While a few of the results wouldn't be back until tomorrow, there were some they'd get right away.

Although the brief wait was bloody torture. So many scenarios ran through her head and most of them weren't good. After all, if she was barely pregnant and already fainting, what did that say about the rest of her pregnancy? If she could keep the baby, that was.

She missed Kai's calm, rational presence. While her dragonman felt things deeply and shared it with her, he always had a way of easing her runaway brain.

After nearly thirty minutes, Dr. Sid entered with Dr. McFarland from Lochguard. The two dragon women stood at the foot of her bed, and Jane blurted, "What did you find out?"

Dr. Sid spoke first. "You are indeed pregnant and most of your levels are normal. However, your body's white blood cell count is high, as if fighting against an infection. Probably because of your incompatibility with dragon-shifters."

Jane placed her hands on her stomach as tears pricked her eyes. "I'll lose the baby, won't I?"

It was crazy, as she'd only just learned of her pregnancy. And yet, after so many months of waiting and wanting, to have it snatched away so quickly made her want to hide under the covers and cry.

Dr. McFarland shook her head. "Not necessarily. Just like other humans who conceive dragon-shifter children, we're going to administer small doses of dragon's blood. More specifically, Kai's. The hope is that it will help your body accept the bairn, as well as protect you from complications."

Dr. Sid added, "You'll also need to take the fertility drugs you've been on as well. However, those things will be the easy part. The last recommendation will be the hardest for you."

Jane looked between the two doctors. "Which is?"

Dr. Sid replied, "You'll need to be on bedrest, maybe even for the entirety of your pregnancy."

"What?"

Dr. McFarland moved to sit beside her. "Aye, I know it's not anything someone wants to hear, let alone experience. But I had to endure many months of bedrest myself for my twin lads, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat to have my bairns."

Jane tried to process everything the doctors had said—more treatments, staying on the fertility drugs that often gave her headaches, and then nearly nine months of staying in bed.

And yet, just imagining Kai's face when he held their baby for the first time made everything else pale in comparison. Not just for him, either, but for her, too. She wanted a little Kai running around, giving them trouble but also being as honorable as his or her father.

Although one thing did make her blurt, "Kai's going to drive me crazy with this news, won't he?"

Layla chuckled. "Aye, he will. My Chase isn't even a Protector, and he still hovered and worried over me constantly. But there are perks to it—you can ask for anything and your mate will get it, no matter how ridiculous it might be."

Worries still bounced around inside her head, so Jane looked at Dr. Sid and asked, "If I do all this, what's your best guess at me carrying to term?"

Dr. Sid's face softened. "I can't guarantee anything, as much as I want to. But if you give your permission to discuss your case with all the doctors gathered here, we can increase your chances of success, I'm sure of it. There are bound to be other things we can do to ensure you get to have your baby." Dr. Sid paused, and then added, "Although this will likely be your only one, Jane. Your body will go through a lot and try to fight against the pregnancy, and I wouldn't recommend going through it a second time."

---