Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4) novel Chapter 61

Natalia felt him lick her shoulder. Uri seemed to move in slow motion.

“You bite me, and you’ll be sleeping on the sofa for life,” she said.

Her words didn’t stop his hands. He slowly unbuttoned her shirt. While he slipped it off her, she felt irritation flow through her.

“Don’t touch my breasts. Don’t touch me anywhere,” she said, almost hissing the words. “Or I’ll bite you.”

“A little uncomfortable, are we?”

“I weight five hundred pounds. My belly is so huge you can hardly reach me.”

He smiled.

“You’re beautiful,” he said.

“Humph.”

“The doctor said you only gained forty pounds.”

“I wasn’t weighed until I was three months pregnant. I’ve gained a lot more than that.”

“You gained what you needed,” he said. “Do you want me to massage your feet?”

“Now you’re talking my language.”

“What’s Victoria saying?”

“She’s quiet for now, but she’s been complaining of being cramped.”

“I felt her kicking earlier,” he said while he finished undressing her.

“She’s a hard kicker, but she shifted so she’s not hitting the tender spots anymore.”

“On which side are you laying?”

“Left,” she said as she sat in bed and edged over. “It’s hard to move these forty pounds that feels like five hundred.”

“Victoria is more comfortable when you’re on your left side. She’ll let you rest.”

She sighed when she found the right position. He sat at her feet.

“It won’t be long now,” he said, putting his hands on one of her feet.

“The damn feet hurt more than anything,” she said. “I can hardly walk anywhere without them swelling.”

“I can make them better for now.”

“Tia has been talking to me, telling me what to expect and what I’ll feel and what Victoria may say to me.”

“Good.”

“It’s not fair that Mina already had her baby, and I’m still pregnant. You bred her after me.”

She felt like complaining even though his warm hands on her foot felt heavenly.

“She had a boy. Boys are only carried for nine and a half months,” he said.

“Times up for this girl.”

She moaned with pleasure when he changed to her other foot.

“Any day now,” he said in a soft voice.

“Was that Mina downstairs earlier?”

“Yes, she just stopped by to see how things were going.”

“How’s Umi doing?”

“He’s a fat, chunky boy who likes his breast milk.”

“Just like his father.”

Uri laughed.

“I’m pleased she’s letting me be part of his life even though she has a new man,” he said.

He moved a hand and was massaging both of her feet at the same time.

“Lafton is a good one. He seems to like having a Uri son around.”

“He’s just dreaming of another dart champion and quid pro quo.”

“He’ll have a run for his money with Grazon. I hear he’s already throwing darts, and he’s what? Four?”

“No one can beat a Uri son,” he said.

“What about a Uri daughter?”

“Daughters don’t do dart tournaments.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not fair to have women compete against men.”

“That’s not fair to the women,” she said.

“No, that’s not fair to the men,” he said. “If I ever had to compete against Mina, I’d lose. Most women are better than the men.”

“Oh. I thought darts were the man’s domain, and you guys were keeping the women out.”

“No, darts are to keep us men occupied and out of trouble.”

She smiled, but felt too comfortable to laugh.

“Are you going to sleep now?” he said.

“I think so.”

“Do you want a window open? It’s a nice evening.”

“Okay. You going to run amok?”

He laughed.

“No. Everyone is home on baby watch. Mag is sleeping on the sofa so if she hears us up, she’ll call Bonnie to get ready to go to the hospital. However, the moon’s going to be full tomorrow. That’s everyone’s bet on when Victoria will come.”

“I hope so.”

Uri pulled a light blanket over her before he opened a window and left. He didn’t shut the door all the way. A breeze blew in and billowed the curtains. The air felt fresh with hints of moist earth and mowed grass.

‘Time to come out Victoria,’ she said in a murmur. ‘You totally ruined my swimsuit season.’

She felt Victoria shift, then the warm breeze lulled her to sleep.

‘Out.’

Pain rippled up her spine, freezing her to the spot. Natalia found she couldn’t breathe for a moment. As soon as she could breathe, she was thinking that this wasn’t what Tia had said would happen.

‘Out.’ Victoria said, kicking hard.

Natalia gasped, opening her eyes wide. Moonlight was coming through the open window. She shifted. Uri was sleeping beside her. He was still fully dressed.

A contraction left her unable to talk or move. She had to wait until the contraction passed, then she had to resort to Viperian.

‘Uri.’

He woke in an instant.

‘Victoria?’ he said.

She nodded, then gasped for breath.

‘She wants out, now.’

He rose. She could tell he was trying to keep a calm demeanor about him. He helped her to sit up and to slip on a loose, long dress. Then he slid sandals onto her feet.

“Okay,” she said, feeling she was ready to stand up.

He pulled her gently to her feet. They made it halfway down the stairs before she had another contraction. He stopped to hold her up while she panted.

Mag appeared at the bottom of the stairs wearing a robe.

“I alerted Bonnie. The limo is ready.”

“Thanks, Mag,” he said.

He helped her down the rest of the stairs and to the limo.

Natalia took a deep breath while Bonnie backed out of the garage. She felt unusually calm.

“No more contractions?” he said after a while.

“Not, yet.”

She paused to take note of how her body was feeling.

“So far it hasn’t been anything like what Tia said.”

“You’re not Viperian,” he said. “It will be different.”

For the entire ride to Viperian, she felt fine.

“Maybe it was a false alarm,” she said, feeling bad that she had gotten everyone up.

The limo passed through the gates of Viperia.

Natalia stiffened and gasped when pain shot up her spine.

‘Out,’ Victoria said.

Just as soon as that contraction eased, another contraction ripped through her belly.

“The pain goes right up my back,” she said, breathing hard.

‘Easy, Victoria. Out soon,’ Uri said.

‘Out.’

“Ouch. She just kicked me on your side,” she said.

“Sassy girl. She doesn’t want to wait.”

“I have to go to the bathroom really bad,” she said.

The limo pulled into the parking lot of the hospital.

“Could be your water broke,” he said.

“I can’t hold it.”

She could feel a warm wet dampness to her dress.

“Your water broke,” he said.

His cool demeanor dropped and he now looked anxious.

The limo pulled up to the Emergency entrance.

“Dr. Esper and his nurse, Dilly, are already waiting for you,” he said.

Bonnie ran around and opened the door for them.

“Her water just broke,” Uri said to Dr. Esper.

They helped her out. She was dripping.

“Sorry, Bonnie,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it. You merely anointed the limo,” Bonnie said with a smile.

Natalia sat in the wheelchair and they wheeled her in.

‘Hospital. Come, Victoria,’ she said.

Another contraction hit her as if on command.

They wheeled her down a hall and into a room. There was a small pool. Uri took off her sandals. Dilly helped her take off her dress and put on a short shirt. Natalia knew it was just for modesty. The rest of her was bare. Uri stripped down to shorts. Together, they stepped into the pool.

“I’m giving birth in a pool?”

“It’s warm and soothing,” he said. “Tia talked about it.”

He sat on a ledge with her in front.

“Relax and flow with the contractions,” he said.

He put his hands on her belly and rubbed gently. She felt Victoria kick his hand.

“She is going to be a feisty girl,” he said. “Did she get that from me or you?”

She smiled, then grimaced when another contraction came.

“I thought contractions were regular.”

“They will be what they will be,” he said.

She grunted when another hit her. They seemed sporadic, then they started coming more frequently.

‘Breathe deep,’ Uri said.

She was having a hard time catching her breath.

‘Almost,’ Uri said.

Now all communication was Viperian.

Natalia could only pant and push.

Then he slid around to her side.