Chapter Thirteen
One morning as Carrie fixed breakfast for everyone, she jumped, accidentally dropping the spatula. All eyes looked her way, her face was a shade of red. Malcolm walked over to her quickly.
“What’s wrong love, what happened?” Carrie stood a minute to compose herself. “Um, the baby wants me to give Aldain and Tory a message.” Aldain and Tory looked worried.
Carrie quickly assured them the message was nothing to worry about. As they looked at her questioningly, waiting for her to give them the message, Carrie took a deep breath. “She said she isn’t sure what kind of game you two are playing but asked if you could not play so rough. Your thrashing around keeps waking her up. She’s tired of waking up with her head hitting her mother’s rib cage!”
Aldain’s face, as well as Tori’s, turned beacon red. Malcolm mumbled that he had to go outside to check on something. He got as far as the back of the house before everyone heard his deep, loud laughter. They looked out the window and saw him holding his sides, then he fell to his knees, howling with mirth. Tears streamed down his face as he struggled to catch his breath between bouts of laughter. He was losing the battle trying to get control of himself.
Aldain and Tori were at a loss as to what to say. “Um, tell her we are sorry and will try not to play so rough.”
Carrie snorted. “I’ll give her the message. Is there anything else you want me to tell her?” Tori told her if she thought of anything else she’d let her know. She made a hasty retreat to her room, telling everyone she was going to soak in the tub for a while.
Aldain stood, watching Malcolm turning purple from lack of oxygen. He went from a kneeling position to rolling on the ground. Aldain decided he should help his friend. He seemed to be in need of rescue. Before Carrie could stop him, he walked out the door, picked Malcolm off the ground by the scruff of his shirt, and started thumping him on the back, hard. This had the desired affect Aldain was hoping for.
Malcolm at once stopped laughing as Aldain beat on him. Malcolm knew he deserved it, but he hoped Aldain would stop beating on his back soon. It was starting to hurt.
Aldain finally stopped and dropped Malcolm to the ground. He scowled at him and before walking away said. “I’m glad you’re breathing again. I was afraid you might die for lack of oxygen. I don’t know how I would have explained that to your parents!” Aldain stomped away and slammed the back door. Malcolm wanted to apologize but Aldain never gave him the chance.
Malcolm walked to the back door where Carrie was waiting for him. She had a furious look on her face, Malcolm could tell from her expression he was in deep trouble. That night Carrie slept in one of the extra guest rooms.
The next morning, Aldain and Tory decided to go out for breakfast. Carrie was in the kitchen fixing breakfast. Malcolm had spent a lonely night in their room. He missed Carrie. She sat down with her bacon and eggs, not saying a word to him, staring daggers at him. She finished her breakfast, put her plate in the sink and left him there alone. She hadn’t fixed anything for him so he grabbed a box of cereal and milk. He hoped she wouldn’t stay mad long. He had to find a way to fix things—he just wasn’t sure how.
A few days went by, and Carrie still wasn’t talking to him. Aldain and Tori noticed the tension between them but stayed silent. Tori and Carrie decided they wanted to check out the baby shops again. Tori wanted to see if any new outfits came in.
When they left, Malcolm cleared his throat and looked at Aldain. “Hey, I just want to apologize for my behavior a few days ago. This is the first time we’ve been alone. You’ve been keeping yourself scarce or I would have apologized sooner. I was out of line. I’m sorry.”
Aldain looked at him. “You were howling so loud I wouldn’t have been surprised if someone mistook you for a wolf and shot your sorry ass.”
Malcolm smiled, “Yeah, but I would have preferred that instead of sleeping alone these past few days.”
Aldain started, he didn’t realize Malcolm had been sleeping alone.
Malcolm looked sadly at him. “I don’t know how to fix this. She hasn’t talked to me since. I miss her so much. I don’t know what to do.”
His look was so forlorn that Aldain felt sorry for him. “I will tell you how to fix this, but if you ever tell anyone I said any of this, I will banish you,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.
Malcolm listened to every word he said. When he was done, Aldain shook Malcolm’s hand and wished him luck.
The women arrived as the sun was setting. They had eaten supper in town. Tori had found more “adorable” outfits for the baby. She remarked how glad she was they were having a girl; there weren’t nearly as many outfits for little boys. As Tori brought her purchases upstairs, Carrie noticed there was no sign of Malcolm.
She asked Aldain, “Where’s Malcolm?”
Aldain shrugged, “I’m not really sure. He left here shortly after you did. He had packed some things. He said he was leaving—he didn’t say for how long. He said he had some things to take care of, so I didn’t question him.”
Carrie’s eyes widened, “He left with some of his things? He’s gone, and you don’t know where he went?”
Aldain replied, “He is my second in command, Carrie. I don’t usually question him if he says he has something to do. I can always reach him in case of an emergency, and since I’m here, he is free to leave and take care of any business he may have. Is there some kind of emergency I need to contact him about?” Carrie shook her head. She went upstairs to the room they shared. Many of his belongings were gone.
She sat on the bed and cried. She should have told him she forgave him after the first night. God, had he left her for good? She wouldn’t blame him if he had. She had to find him and tell him how very much she loved him and how sorry she was for acting the way she had. She hoped he would forgive her. She prayed if she spread her energy out toward him, she could find him.
She put on her boots and coat, as the nights sometimes got cold on the island, and headed out the back door. She told Aldain and Tori she was going for a walk. She reached out to Malcolm, trying to feel him. She couldn’t feel anything. It was like he had shut himself off from her. She spent hours looking for him, trying to feel his energy force. She wasn’t even sure he was still on the island. She finally gave up when the moon was high in the sky. Dejectedly, she headed home, knowing the man she loved wasn’t going to be there.
Carrie went on her nightly walks for a week—each night hoping that she would find Malcolm. Aldain knew what she was doing, but Tori couldn’t help wondering why she’d suddenly decided to start walking at night. She knew that Malcolm was gone on business, according to Aldain.
One day Carrie and Tori came back from another baby clothes run to find Malcolm sitting in the house. Carrie’s eyes widened at the sight of him. He stood up and she ran into his arms, tears streaming down her face, kissing him all over.
“Malcolm, I’m so glad you’re back. I love you so much! I’m so sorry for the way I acted. Please forgive me.” She started sobbing as he held her in his arms.
Aldain quickly had Tori go with him to put the baby things in the nursery. Tori had no idea what was going on. She thought Malcolm was away on business.
Aldain would let her know when they got upstairs. Malcolm and Carrie needed to be alone. He looked over his shoulder as they headed for the stairs and winked at Malcolm. Malcolm winked back.
Malcolm was so happy to feel Carrie in his arms again. He had missed her so much. It seemed she’d also missed him. “Shh, love, I’m back, and of course I forgive you. I have missed you so very much. You were so mad at me, I didn’t bother telling you I was leaving for a while. I didn’t think you’d care.”
Carrie cupped his face with her hands. “Not a day of my life will pass where I won’t care or love you, Malcolm. I would rather die than not have you in my life. While you were gone, I felt like I was dying. Please don’t ever leave like that again. I promise to never leave you alone again, no matter how mad I might get.”
Malcolm kissed her lovingly on her lips. He never wanted to be parted from her again. “Let’s make a promise when we’re mad or upset with each other that we’ll always make up the same day and that you’ll never again go all day without speaking to me no matter how mad you are.” Carrie promised she would never again spend one night upset with him.
Malcolm kissed her like a man dying of thirst. He was glad Aldain’s plan had worked; he couldn’t stay away another day.
As they stood there hugging each other, they heard a scream from upstairs. Aldain rushed down the stairs with Tori in his arms.
“Her water broke! We’re heading to the hospital.”
Malcolm ran so fast he was a blur as he brought the car around. Aldain got in the back, holding Tori as Carrie jumped in the front. As they sped toward the hospital, Tori started to moan and broke out in a sweat. “Please hurry. I can feel the baby coming!”
Malcolm floored the car and arrived at the hospital in minutes. Aldain had let the doctor know they were on their way and that Tori was in labor. They met the car with a stretcher ready and quickly wheeled Tori into the birthing room, Aldain following behind them.
Carrie and Malcolm waited in the waiting room. They had contacted Heather, Aldain’s mother, and Dimitra and Stavros, who had insisted upon being there for the birth. Malcolm’s parents also showed up. The waiting room was full when everyone arrived.
Aldain came out every so often to let them know Tori and the baby were fine—the baby was just taking her time making an entrance. Malcolm went to get everyone coffee; he had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
Carrie was just putting the cup to her lips when she heard total mayhem coming from the birthing room. She was assailed with emotions and thoughts. “Help, my baby, she is dying!” yelled Tori.
“Do something. Why aren’t you helping her?” came Aldain’s voice.
“We are losing her!” said the doctor.
And then a tiny voice reached out to Carrie. “Aunt Carrie, I need you!”
Carrie burst into the birthing room with everyone in the waiting room right behind her. She grabbed the baby, a beautiful tiny baby girl, her eyes closed and barely breathing.
Carrie screamed, “No, you will not die on us! We love you, and we need you! You must fight!”
Carrie concentrated on the energy in the room. The dragon shifters gave off a lot of energy. She pulled it all in, and as she massaged the baby’s chest, she released it into the baby, making sure to keep it coming and going at an even pace. This was a small baby, not a grown adult, so she had to be careful with the energy she was using.
As Carrie continued to work on the baby, she noticed her breathing getting stronger. The color was returning to her cheeks, but something else was happening, something odd. At times, you could see scales on the baby’s skin. Small purple scales on her arms, her face. They were coming and going.
Aldain looked over Carrie’s shoulders. If anyone could save his daughter, Carrie could. When he saw the scales on his daughter’s skin, he had a look of incredulity on his face.
Carrie continued to feed energy into the baby. After several minutes, she noticed the room was exceptionally quiet. She looked at everyone and noticed they were all on their knees, bowing while facing the corner of the room.
There, standing in the corner, was the most beautiful woman Carrie had ever seen. She was also glowing. Carrie knew right away it was the goddess Athena. She would have gone to her knees herself, but she was still working on the baby. The baby seemed much stronger, but Carrie wasn’t willing to stop yet. She had to be sure everything was going to be all right.
Athena heard Carrie’s thoughts. She looked at her and smiled, “Sweet Carrie, you continue what you are doing to the baby. You, as the last Chosen One, are the only one who can save her. While you are doing that, I am going to explain why certain things have happened the way they have. Some of you have already figured out. My sweet dragons, I have waited so very long for this day. As you know, Zeus found what I had done, keeping Paragon alive instead of letting him die. He locked the gene that would allow the female offspring to shift. They were supposed to be able to shift like the males. I had picked Chosen Ones hoping one would have the gift to unlock the shifting gene. Occasionally there were humans born with gifts that catalyst from dragon shifters. All of them were human females. For some reason, the abilities were the strongest in them.”
Athena shone like the sun.
“He knew eventually one would find a way to unlock that shifting gene. This was when he commanded the snakes of Medusa’s head to kill all the chosen ones. The snakes turned their eyes white. They didn’t want to turn people into stone or their secret of what they truly were would be unmasked. They turned into old hags. When each one arrived at a clan, she killed the Chosen One and put a memory spell on the clan. They had a vague memory of having a Chosen One, but it was more like a dream. Soon all the clans remembered were the Cailleaches—they thought the Chosen Ones were a myth. They never questioned how long they were there or why they never aged. No Cailleach had ever died. That was how powerful their memory spell was.”
Athena lifted her arms.
“If there was no one to become a Chosen One, the Cailleaches were comfortable continuing to play their parts. Carrie changed all that. There was finally another true Chosen One born, one who would have the power to unlock the locked shifting gene. That is also why I accepted Carrie at your mock ceremony. I had to accept her for her to be able to do what she was meant to do. I was forbidden to step in and warn you. I had done something forbidden so it was decreed by the fates that you had to try and find the answers on your own. Once you did, I would be allowed to help you. You came close enough that the fates have allowed me to tell you the rest of the story. The Cailleaches needed to kill her to keep Zeus’s order. That is why they were all at the ceremony. That is why they were going to kill her, but the Paragon Dragons killed them instead. I have never been prouder of all of you.”
Athena looked at Aldain on his knees.
“Your daughter, Aldain, is going to be the first female shifter. Once the gene has been broken, all the genes have been broken. After today, any female child born to a dragon shifter will also be able to shift. Carrie unlocking the gene means there is no need for another Chosen One. There are thousands of people out there with abilities who could help the dragon kind. Now is the time to let the world know you exist— to let them know you were created to be their protectors. That choice, of course, will be yours. I must go now. I doubt there will be a time when you will see me again. Know how proud I am of you. You have served me well, my children.”
Athena faded away.
Everyone stood and looked at the baby. The things Athena had told them explained so much. The baby slept soundly. Carrie gently put her in her mother’s arms. While she was still asleep, the doctor checked her the best he could. Her heart sounded strong, and her breathing was normal. He told Tori he would give her a thorough checkup when she was awake. He had seen what Carrie could do and didn’t feel the baby was in any danger
After the visitors left, the only people remaining were Aldain, Tori, and the baby. They were trying to decide what to call her. Tori looked at Aldain like she just had an epiphany.
“I have the perfect name for her. I want to call her Eve. It’s been said that was the name of the first human woman, and our daughter is going to be the first female shifter. I think the name fits. She even looks like an Eve.”
Aldain smiled. “I love it. Eve she shall be.”
Back at the manor, Carrie and Malcolm sat back on the couch, trying to relax after such a hectic day. Carrie could barely move—she felt so weak after working with all that energy. She kept dozing off. Malcolm smiled down at her as he stood up. He gently picked her up and put her in their bed. She never stirred. This wasn’t what he had in mind for the night of his homecoming, but it had certainly been an interesting one. He undressed and gathered his mate into his arms. They had thousands of nights to spend together. Tonight, he would just hold her in his arms, knowing no jewel on earth was as precious as her.
The End of book 2