Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Lizabeth nodded.
“He is. He should be in the law library on the Mother Ship. Can…could you have the driver call him and ask him to meet us in the Docking Bay? I’m trying to use our link but the pain seems to be interfering—it’s kind of making the mental signal go fuzzy or something.”
“Of course, I will!” Kat leaned forward and spoke to the Blood Kindred who was piloting the ship. He was very young—probably only in his early twenties—but he seemed to take his duties seriously. Maybe because Deep, Kat’s Dark Twin hubby, had impressed upon him how very important it was to be careful when flying her and Lizabeth back and forth to Earth.
“I’ll fly as though I was taking my own bride there—if I had one,” the young warrior had promised.
“That’s good,” Deep had growled. “You do that.”
The young warrior had gone a little pale and nodded again. Now when he turned his head and saw Kat looking back at him from the rear seat with panic in her eyes, he clearly took it seriously.
“What is it, my Lady Kat?” he asked anxiously. “What can I do for you? Is something wrong?”
“Yes—it looks like my friend Lizabeth is going into labor,” Kat told him. “I want you to put in a call to the Mother Ship and tell her husband, Lone, to meet her at the Med Center. I’m going to bespeak my own hubbies and have them send Commander Sylvan there as well. Got it?”
The Blood Kindred pilot nodded and swallowed hard.
“Got it—don’t worry, Lady Kat—I’ll get you both safely back to the Mother Ship.”
“You do that,” Kat said. “And step on it, will you?”
He nodded again and as he started putting in the call to the Mother Ship, Lizabeth groaned loudly again.
“Oh God, Kat—it hurts! The pains…they’re coming faster now!”
Her eyes were wide and frightened and Kat struggled to keep her calm.
“Hang in there, doll!” she said, gripping Lizabeth’s hand. “Just let me get my guys on the line. We’ll get you taken care of in no time.”
She closed her eyes and began mentally reaching for Deep and Lock. She got Lock first and then, after a second, Deep came into the mental connection as well.
“What is it, sweetheart?” Lock could clearly feel her panic through their link. And no wonder, Kat thought. Poor Lizabeth was moaning continuously now and her belly was rippling under the pretty blue maternity dress she was wearing.
“What’s wrong, little Kat?” Deep asked, also sounding concerned. “Are you in danger? Did that Blood Kindred pilot get you into a crash? If he did, so help me—”
“No, it’s nothing like that,” Kat sent back hastily. “Guys, it looks like Lizabeth is going into labor! And I’m not really any judge of this kind of thing but it seems to be going really fast. As in, I’m afraid I’ll be doing the delivery myself if we don’t get back to the Mother Ship right away!”
“Stay calm,” Lock instructed her. “I studied natural birthing methods for your labor, Kat. If it comes to that, I can talk you through it.”
“Well, I’d rather you didn’t have to!” Kat thought at them. “What I need is for one of you to go grab Sylvan and drag him over to the Med Center as soon as possible. No—better yet, have him meet us in the Docking Bay,” she corrected herself. “Better tell Lone to meet us there too, just in case. I had the pilot send him to the Med Center but who knows what might happen?”
“I’ll get Sylvan and Lock will get Lone,” Deep assured her.
“We’ll be waiting in the Docking Bay with an emergency med team,” Lock promised.
“Okay, thank you.” Kat felt a surge of gratitude for her men. I’d better let you go now—I need to concentrate on poor Lizabeth.”
“You do that, little Kat,” Deep told her. “Just be safe and tell that damn pilot to be careful!”
Kat promised she would and then broke the connection to give her friend her full attention.
Lizabeth was crying out in pain and when Kat took her other hand, she clutched it with panicky tightness.
“Oh Kat, it hurts! I knew it was going to be painful but it feels like someone is ripping me apart!”
“That’s just because Kindred babies are so big, doll.” Kat tried to keep her voice cheerful and light as she squeezed Lizabeth’s hand. “Don’t you worry—we’re going to be back to the Mother Ship in no time and Sylvan is going to meet us there with a great big shot of pain killer, I promise!”
“I hope…hope you’re right,” Lizabeth panted. “I thought I wanted to go natural but now…all I can think of is getting something to stop the pain.”
“You’ll get it,” Kat promised her. “I swear you will.”
She just hoped they would get to the Mother Ship in time for her to keep her word. Unfortunately, she knew from experience that giving birth to a Kindred baby—which could be five to even ten pounds bigger than a regular human one—could be an arduous process.