A Grim Baby Read online

  “Adora Seren Vasteri,” Lisa whispered the full name for the first time.

  “Princess Adora Seren Vasteri,” Grim corrected, and the princess kicked again, causing Lisa to laugh.

  “Well, I guess that’s settled then.”

  “Then come.” Grim guided her away from the window. “It’s time for you to rest.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Lisa grimaced and tried to find a more comfortable position without disturbing Grim. If she attempted to move away from him, he’d be awake instantly, questioning if he needed to summon Rebecca. They would have to soon, but not just yet. They still had time. That was her last thought as she drifted off to sleep.

  Time.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  “Lisa. Lisa!”

  Lisa launched up off the couch, her gaze taking in all the readings on the monitors before she rushed to her husband’s side. “What is it, Mark? Are you in pain? Do I need to call Dr. James?”

  “No.” Her husband’s voice was a low and rough murmur.

  “Then what?” Her gaze traveled over the face of the man she loved. It wasn’t the same as the one she’d fallen in love with due to the disease ravaging his body, but that didn’t matter. He was the same. The same loving, caring man she’d married.

  He stared at her face as if wanting to memorize her features. “I just wanted more time.”

  “What?” Lisa caressed his hair, brushing the strands back from his pale forehead.

  “I just wanted more time with you, but it’s selfish of me.”

  “No. No, it isn’t. I want more time with you, too. And we’ll have it. You. Me. And the girls.”

  “But if we don’t, I want you to promise me that you’ll go and find someone else. Someone who’ll love you and the girls as much as I do.”

  Lisa swallowed passed the tears clogging her throat. “That’s not going to happen because I love you, Mark.”

  His smile trembled on the edges. “I know, and I love you too, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t love someone else one day.”

  “No.” She went to stand, but he gripped her arm with a strength that surprised her.

  “Yes. You and the girls are my three beautiful angels. There’s not a man in the world who wouldn’t consider himself blessed to be loved by the three of you.”

  “Stop talking like that, Mark. I’m not going to fall in love with someone else. There is no one else. Not for me.”

  “I need you to promise me, Lisa. I need to know that if I don’t beat this, you won’t be alone and grieving for the rest of your life. I can’t stand the thought of that. It would haunt me beyond the grave.”

  “Oh, Mark…” She couldn’t prevent the sob that rose up or her tears from escaping.

  “Come here, baby.” He opened his arms, and after lowering the railing, she climbed into the bed with him. Careful not to disturb any lines or tubes connecting him to the machines monitoring him, she lay down and tried to muffle a sniffle. “Shh, don’t cry. I’m going to fight with all my strength to beat this. But I need your promise that you’ll at least try, and know I’ll be fine with whoever it is as long you find him worthy of you and the girls.”

  “I can’t….”

  “You can. Promise me, Lisa.”

  Releasing a shuddering breath, she finally whispered, “I promise.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  “Thank you for keeping your promise, my love.”

  Lisa sat straight up to find Mark standing at the foot of her bed. He looked the way he had before cancer had ravished his body. “Mark?”

  “Hi, baby,” Mark said with the boyish smile that had first captured her heart all those years ago.

  Lisa’s gaze darted from Mark to Grim, lying beside her, sound asleep then back to Mark. What was going on?

  “I just wanted to see you one last time. To make sure the Goddess was telling the truth. That you truly were happy with the man she’d chosen for you.”

  “Male,” Lisa automatically corrected.

  “What?”

  “Tornians use the term ‘male’,” she told him.

  “I see. So, this male…”

  “Grim,” she supplied at his prompting look.

  “Grim.” Mark’s gaze went to her distended stomach. “And you are getting along as well as it seems?”

  Lisa couldn’t help but blush as she rubbed her stomach. She couldn’t believe she was discussing this with her dead husband.

  “Yes. Grim treats me very well. He loves the girls, and would die for them, and they love him too. They call him ‘manno.’ The Tornian word for ‘father’ or ‘daddy.’“ She saw the faintest flicker of hurt pass through his eyes and quickly continued. “But that doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten you. They keep a picture of you on a table beside their bed. We talk about you all the time.”

  Gaze somber, he said, “It’s good that they love him. It’s what I wanted.”

  “It doesn’t mean they love you any less.”

  His smile was gentle, the sad expression fading. “I know, and it’s okay. What about you?”

  “Me?”

  “I know you, baby. You will do whatever it takes to protect your family, even if it means sacrificing yourself. Is that what you’ve done here?”

  “No!” she immediately denied then amended. “Well, it may have started out that way, initially, but it quickly changed. I love him, Mark. Not the way I loved you, but I do love him. He’s an honorable male, a worthy one who is as loving and caring as he is strong and powerful. The girls and I are the centers of his world, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure we’re safe and happy.”

  “That’s all I ever wanted. Which means it’s time.”

  “Time?”

  “For me to leave for good, and for you to begin the rest of your life with your new family.”

  No! She couldn’t lose him again. Lisa lunged for his hand only to cry out as a sharp pain ripped through her stomach.

  ‘Remember,’ Mark’s voice grew fainter as he faded away. ‘I will always love my three angels. Be happy, my love.’

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  “Lisa!” Grim woke instantly, his gaze searching for her. He didn’t need to reach for the energy crystals this time, as he always left them on low since his nightmare. He quickly found Lisa curled up over her protruding stomach, pale and trembling. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s time,” she panted as another contraction hit. “Get Rebecca.”

  Grim jumped out of bed and sprinted to the doors of their resting chamber. Tearing them open, he roared, “Rebecca!”

  Racing back to Lisa’s side, he dropped to his knees, gripping the hand she held out to him. “What can I do?”

  She panted as the contraction eased, and she could breathe again. “Just stay with me.”

  “Where else would I be?” he asked, kissing the knuckles of the small hand that tightly gripped his. “You are my world, my Lisa. My only love, my life, the one that owns my heart.”

  Reaching up with her other hand, she caressed his scarred cheek. “And you are mine, Grim.”

  Wearing loose sleeping pants and a short-sleeved tank, Rebecca hurried into the chamber carrying a bag and calmly took in the scene. “So, this baby has decided it’s time, has she?”

  “In a big way,” Lisa gritted through her teeth as another contraction started. “I don’t think she’s going to wait long.”

  Keeping his grip on her hand, Grim slipped behind her trembling body to support her as Rebecca pulled out the handheld scanner. “Help her!”

  “I will, Grim, but first, I need to scan her.” Rebecca moved to Lisa’s other side, lifting the scanner, and frowned at the readout.

  “What’s wrong?” Grim demanded, worried he was reliving his nightmare.

  “Nothing,” Rebecca told him, her gaze never leaving the scanner. “Lisa’s right. Your daughter is impatient to be born.”

  “Tell me about it.” Lisa leaned back against Grim, her brow and gown soaked. br />
  “You’re not fully dilated yet, Lisa. It’s going to be a little while yet.”

  “Damn.”

  “Mommy?” Three pairs of eyes shot to the door to find Carly and Miki standing there with fear-filled eyes.

  “Mommy’s okay, babies.” Lisa tried to keep her voice level and give them the reassurance they needed as another contraction started. “Your little sister has just decided she’s ready to be born. We talked about this. Remember?”

  “Uh-huh,” they whispered, hugging the door.

  “So what are you going to do?” Lisa asked.

  “Go to the kitchen with the guards where Cook has a surprise for us.”

  Just then, the guards, who had been stationed at the outer doors of the Royal Wing, appeared behind the girls, and Rebecca quickly rose to block their view of their queen.

  Both Grim’s and Lisa’s entire guard came rapidly behind them. Apparently, Grim’s roar had been heard throughout the House.

  Taking charge of the situation, Rebecca spoke. “Queen Lisa is in labor. Ion and Nairn, the girls need escorted to the kitchen. Now.”

  The two warriors quickly scooped the girls up in their arms and carried them out of the area as Hadar rushed in. Rebecca let him slip into the resting chamber before addressing those that remained.

  “The rest of you know what to do. So do it. Once the princess has been presented, you will be notified.”

  With that, she firmly shut the door on all their worried faces and went back to her patient.

  Chapter Nine

  Returning to Lisa’s side, Rebecca found Grim wiping the sweat from her brow with a damp cloth Hadar had brought him. The other healer set out all the supplies they’d stored in this chamber, and in every other room in House Luanda, so they’d be prepared wherever Lisa went into labor. “How are you doing?”

  “I need to push, Rebecca,” Lisa huffed out.

  “Let me check you one more time first. Can you hold out that long?”

  “If you hurry.”

  Instead of using the scanner, Rebecca pulled the covers off the bed and lifted Lisa’s gown up and over her bent knees to physically check her. Looking up, her gaze met Lisa’s. “You’re fully dilated, Lisa, and your water’s broken. On the next contraction, go ahead and push.”

  “Oh, God!” Closing her eyes, Lisa leaned forward and pushed, squeezing Grim’s hand for all she was worth. She dimly noted Grim’s grunt at her strength.

  “Do something!” Grim demanded. “She is in pain!”

  “It’s normal,” Rebecca told him calmly before Hadar could.

  “No!” Grim roared. He couldn’t stand seeing his Lisa in pain.

  “We discussed this, Grim,” Rebecca stared him down. “Having a baby is painful and messy. You vowed you could handle it. So handle it!”

  Grim glared at Rebecca, but his voice was gentle when he spoke to Lisa. “You’re doing good, my Lisa.”

  “God, I’d forgotten how much this hurt,” she groaned.

  “I know it does, but it won’t be much longer. I can see the head. Grip your knees during the next contraction, Lisa. Grim, help her push.” They both followed her instructions without question. Then the contraction hit.

  “That’s it, Lisa,” Rebecca encouraged as Lisa’s face turned bright red. “Keep pushing.”

  “Oh… my… God!” Lisa pushed until the unbearable pressure building suddenly released. Closing her eyes, she fell back into Grim’s arms, totally spent. The angry wail of her daughter had her struggling to sit back up. With Grim’s help, she did.

  “Rebecca?” she asked.

  “Congratulations, Mommy. Manno. She’s perfect.” Smiling, Rebecca quickly cleaned the baby, laid her on Lisa’s belly and looked to Grim. “Ready to sever her lifeline, Manno?”

  Lisa watched as Grim, unusually pale, his strong hands trembling, cut where Rebecca indicated, giving their daughter a life of her own.

  “Nicely done.” Rebecca wrapped the baby in a blanket and placed her in Grim’s arms. “Your daughter, Grim.”

  Tears freely ran down Grim’s cheeks as he gazed at the small, precious bundle. Turning slowly, he placed her in Lisa’s outstretched arms.

  “Goddess, she’s beautiful, Lisa,” Grim murmured, completely in awe of the two females before him.

  While mother and father got to know their newest daughter, checking all her little toes and little fingers, Rebecca quickly and efficiently cleaned Lisa up.

  “Thank you, Rebecca.” Lisa didn’t try to hide the tears that ran down her cheeks. “Thank you so much.”

  “Yes, Rebecca.” Grim’s normally gravelly voice sounded deeper and filled with emotion. “I will forever be in your debt.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Rebecca and Hadar stepped out of the room. She still needed to do a scan of the baby to get the usual vital statistics, but that could wait a little. Right now, the new family needed some time alone.

  Hadar cleared his throat and interrupted her thoughts about what needed to be done. “I wish to say something to you but am afraid I will offend you.”

  “I think we’re past that point, Hadar. Don’t you? Just say what you want to say.”

  Hadar nodded, then took a deep breath and spoke. “I wish to apologize for what my people did to you. Stealing females is not honorable, no matter the reason, and it should never have been allowed. It is a stain on all Tornians that can never be removed.”

  Confused, her brows drew together. “Why would I….”

  “But,” Hadar continued, “I am also grateful that you are here. For I know, after watching what you just did, that I could never have done it. For Lisa, for our empress, and the other females you have helped, both Tornian and from Earth. Because of that, I thank the Goddess you are here. Our universe is a better place because of it. Even knowing everything that happened to you, I thank the Goddess. Making me an unfit male.”

  Rebecca’s emotions ran the gambit from confused, to furious, then finally to acceptance and understanding. She’d never have reached those final emotions when she’d first been taken. Or after she was injured. But now, after living on Luda, getting to know the males here, and on the other planets she’d visited, she found she could.

  Oh, she would forever believe what the Tornians did was wrong, completely wrong. But somehow, God, or the Goddess, had put her exactly where she was most needed, which was what she’d always wanted.

  She doubted they’d ever know how many Tornian females had suffered or died because they didn’t receive proper care during the pregnancy. They refused to allow male healers near them once they’d conceived. Instead, they secluded themselves, and another older female, sometimes her own mother, assisted with the presentation.

  Well, she was going to put a stop to that. She was nothing special on Earth, just another OB/GYN, albeit a young one. But here, here she was, but more importantly, she was needed. If that made her shallow, then so be it. It was all she had left.

  “I appreciate you saying that, Hadar, and I don’t think you are an unfit male. I actually have the greatest respect for you and how seriously you take your responsibility toward your warriors. Only a fit and worthy male could admit what happened was wrong. So, thank you, but you had nothing to do with it. Emperor Wray ordered it, and King Grim did it.”

  “Thank you, Healer Rebecca.”

  “As for not being able to do what I do, you will. We’ve been working on it, and if I hadn’t been available, you could have handled it.”

  “Not the way you did. You remained calm even with the king growling at you.”

  “That’s because I’ve dealt with more expectant fathers than you. They all pretty much react the same the first time. Thinking they’ll have no problem handling it. I’ve even had a few pass out and others removed from the room.”

  “I doubt even the Goddess could have separated Grim from his queen.”

  “I agree, which is why I talked to him repeatedly about what to expect, then made him vow he could handle it. I
knew he’d never break that vow.”

  “You have learned a great deal about our males.”

  “I didn’t have a choice.”

  “Truth,” Hadar agreed before looking back at Grim’s and Lisa’s resting chamber door. “Is there anything else we need to do?”

  “Well, we need to get the baby’s weight and length, and I want to use the portable repair unit on Lisa so she’s more comfortable until we can get her in the deep repair one.”

  “You feel she needs it? That the presentation has injured her somehow?”

  “No, but she did just present a Tornian-sized baby, and her body will be sore. There isn’t much we can do about that on Earth except prescribe pain-relieving drugs. But you have the repair unit, which will vastly accelerate her healing.”

  He nodded in understanding. “Shall I meet you back in the room in thirty minutes?”

  “Perfect. That will give me time to shower and change into something more appropriate.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  “She is beyond beautiful, my Lisa, as are you.” Grim rested his forehead against his queen’s as they lay side-by-side in their bed, Adora greedily nursing at her mother’s breast. She held his finger captive in her tiny hand even though her fingers didn’t wrap halfway around it.

  There was no doubting his daughter was a Vasteri, not with her bronze skin tone, but the rest of her features were all Lisa. She had perfectly arched eyebrows and a narrow little nose. He’d only caught a glimpse of her dark eyes, but Lisa told him they would most likely change as she got older. He hoped they would be the same beautiful golden brown of his Lisa’s.

  “It amazes me every time,” Lisa murmured.

  “What does?” he asked just as quietly.

  “One moment, your arms are empty, and the next, you’re holding an amazing, living, breathing being. A being you had a hand in creating.”