The Bear Project Page 15

  Sugar, I never lie. Our son is fine. You need to rest and get better. You fought to protect him, and I'm so damn fucking proud of you, but you lost a lot of blood. The tube is helping you breathe, so leave it in, and just let us take care of you. I love you.

  Emmi blinked back tears, but before she could respond darkness descended once more.

  Every time Emmi struggled back to consciousness Cole was there, a steady, reassuring presence in her mind, as were the kicks she felt in her belly.

  Other people came and went. Maria, Anastasia and her men, Doug, even Maria's parents paid a visit. She could hear them all, but try as she might she could not open her eyes, nor struggle to shake off the grogginess that held her in its tight grip.

  Time lost all meaning as she lay there, surrounded by tubes and machines, drifting in and out of a semi alert state.

  Sugar, are you with me?

  Cole's beloved voice came through much clearer than before.

  Yes, I'm here.

  Good, babe, they're going to remove the tube, to see if you keep on breathing on your own. Don't fight it, sugar. They've stopped the sedation. I know you can do this. Time to come back to us, sweetheart.

  ****

  Cole held his breath as the doctor switched off the ventilator and extubated her. Emmi struggled and gagged, but she kept on breathing. Unsteady at first, and then with increasing shallow breaths until she settled into a more normal pattern. Had it not been for their mind conversations Cole would have gone insane. Her body had lost so much blood after the incident, it had gone into shock. They'd rushed her off to theater, and their son had been born by c-section. Had he been human he never would have survived, but being the little fighter Gabe had proven himself to be, he hung on. Boosted by Anastasia's milk, which she'd insisted on donating, he thrived. In fact the entire shifter community had pulled together to give little Gabe the best chance of survival.

  Once Gabe had been strong enough Cole had insisted on placing him on top of Emmi. Each and every time they did that, both mother’s and baby's heart rates had settled down, and Gabe now spent most of his time tucked in next to his mum. Mindful of her wishes, and their many conversations on that subject, Cole had ensured that their son was given every opportunity to suckle on his mum, and against all the dire predictions that Emmi's body had gone through too much trauma she'd started to produce milk. Whether she would ever be able to feed him exclusively remained to be seen.

  He bent down to kiss Emmi, and her eyes fluttered open.

  "Welcome back, sugar."

  Her eyes widened when she caught sight of the tiny bundle he was cradling on one arm, and he pulled the blanket back so she could see her son.

  "I've called him Gabe for now. That was my father's name. If you don’t like it, we change it."

  Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them away.

  "No it's perfect, but I don’t understand. How can he be born already?"

  Cole sighed and helped her to sit up a little and then placed their son on her chest. He immediately started rooting, and it was Cole's turn to cry when Emmi pulled her hospital gown out of the way and the little guy latched on without a moment's hesitation.

  "Wow, oh wow. He's doing it, but how…" Emmi's voice trailed off, and she started crying in earnest, as Gabe filled his little tummy in stops and starts. He'd be on oxygen for a while and he'd need topping up later, but for now he was just enjoying his meal, and Cole didn't even try to wipe his own tears away.

  "I made sure he had the opportunity. I knew how important this was to you, and how much he needed your milk to survive. Everyone helped. He has a stash of donated milk in the hospital freezer, though if he starts meowing, I'm not taking any responsibility for that. Most of it is Anastasia's."

  His attempt at lightning the mood had the desired effect, because Emmi giggled, and the world righted itself again as they stared at each other.

  "I love you so much, Emmi. I was going nuts thinking I'd lose you. This little guy and I, we need you. My life is just not right without you in it."

  Emmi sobered and regarded him thoughtfully.

  "Who the hell was that bear, Cole? And please tell me you ripped her fucking throat out."

  He smiled grimly and nodded.

  "Good, because so help me, if that bitch was still alive, I'd pay her a visit the minute I get out of here, and kill her myself for daring to hurt what we have."

  "I'm sorry, Emmi. I did tell you about Lissa, but I never thought she'd go this far. She was the council's choice of mate for me, see, but like I said, it didn't work out. She wouldn't take no for an answer, decided that I was her true mate and we would make beautiful cubs together. I told her then she was insane and that's not the way it works. I'd thought she got the message, when I started travelling on council business. I hadn't seen her in years. It seems your pregnancy pushed her off that thin ledge of sanity. Forgive me, sugar."

  Emmi went pale and closed her eyes, and he kept a wary eye on the monitors she was still hooked up to, but all seemed well.

  She gestured to the water on the night stand, and he held the straw to her lips and watched her swallow.

  When she turned her head he put the water back. She was looking at him when he turned back round again, and something in her expression sent a cold fist squeezing his insides. Surely she would not reject him now?

  "Are there any other demented ex-lovers of yours that might pop up and try and kill me?"

  "No, sugar, I swear."

  He made the sign of the cross over his heart. Emmi's tired face creased into a smile, and he started breathing again.

  "Good, because I tell you now, Cole Jackson, if any other woman as much as looks at you from now on, human or shifter, I'll scratch her eyes out. You're my bear, no one else's."

  His bear roared, and Emmi's smile deepened.

  "I reckon I can live with that, sugar."

  Emmi's smile slipped when she caught sight of her arm, and he could almost see her thought processes. Her injuries had been grave, and had it not been for his bite and her enhanced shifter senses, she would never have survived. It seemed the ability to heal came with those senses. It had taken her longer than it would have a shifter, but heal she did. The bandages on her arm had come off, and only faint lines remained testament of the injuries she had sustained at Lissa's hands. She stared at those for the longest time, and then lifted her fingers to her face. Tension radiated off her, and Cole grasped her hand and pulled it away.

  "Don't, Emmi. You're still healing. The doctors tell me that will improve even more."

  Her eyes widened, and his heart broke for her. A myriad of emotions crossed her expressive face.

  "Will there be scars? Am I ugly now?"

  Even with his shifter hearing he had to strain to catch the whispered words, and his bear roared his anguish. He wanted to rip that Lissa to shreds all over again for what he read in Emmi's eyes.

  "Sugar, you could never be ugly. You fought to survive for our son, and that makes you the most courageous and beautiful woman I know."

  "That doesn't answer my question, Cole. My face … will I…?"

  Her voice broke, and her bottom lip wobbled. Gabe chose that moment to come off the boob and yawn. Their son looked up at his mum with one eye open, and then screwed up his face, and there was the unmistakable sound of his filling his nappy.

  It broke the tense moment, and a giggle escaped Emmi's lips.

  "So what you're saying is—"

  "I love you, Emmi. Scars or no scars, though your body is healing at a fast rate, and I'm told if you're left with any at all, they can be easily covered with make-up. You're alive. That's all that matters."

  He bent down to kiss the remaining marks on her face, and Emmi relaxed.

  "I guess you're right." She looked up at him, and the love in her eyes made his bear roll over in happiness. Gabe hiccupped, and Emmi dropped a kiss on his downy head. "Now kiss me again, and then change your son, before he leaks all over me. He's just pooped ag
ain."

  Their joined laughter filled the air, and Cole pulled the two most important people into a hug only a bear shifter could give, for always and forever.

  The End

  www.dorisoconnor.com

  Other Books by Doris O'Connor:

  http://www.evernightpublishing.com/doris-oconnor

  If you enjoyed this book, you may also like:

  The Claiming by Sam Crescent

  The Bear’s Reluctant Wolf by Jenika Snow

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  Evernight Publishing

  www.evernightpublishing.com