Soul of the Dragon (12 page)

She and Kurt spent another half an hour soothing Marilee and helping her through the constant contractions. Finally, after Marilee had marched to the nurse’s station three times, demanding the doctor, he showed up.
 

“Well, I understand you’re quite the demanding patient,” he teased Marilee, who was unfortunately in the midst of another painful contraction and not in the mood for joviality. She grabbed the doctor by the lapel of his lab coat and yanked him to his toes—no mean feat, since he was six inches taller than her.
 

“Look,
doctor
, I have been in transition for over an
hour
! My body is ripping in half, the first baby has a head the size of Cleveland, and I
can’t have a fucking glass of water
! Don’t you dare tell me I’m being a demanding patient!”
 

The physician, obviously a veteran of the labor wars, chuckled. “Lie down, Marilee, and let’s see where we are.”
 

Marilee mumbled something about being in two different places, but she let Alexa and Kurt help her into bed and gripped their hands tightly while the doctor did his examination.
 

“Well, Marilee, I’d say you’re about nine centimeters, plus a little bit. You stay right where you are, do your deep breathing, and let me know when you feel like you need to push. We’ll get set up out here.”
 

Alexa reached back with her foot and waggled it, looking for the chair. Marilee still clutched her hand and had Alexa hunched over, and though she knew her friend won the discomfort battle without a doubt, Alexa’s back was killing her. Her toe snagged the leg of the chair and she pulled it closer so she could perch on the edge of the seat.
 

Marilee arched. “Oh, God. It’s time. I have to push.”
 

“Hold on, Marilee.” The doctor and two nurses moved faster, stripping covers off instruments, changing gloves, and moving the end of the bed away.
 

The doctor positioned himself at Marilee’s knees. “Okay, Marilee, we’re ready.”
 

Marilee breathed between contractions. The doctor nodded at Alexa and Kurt. “You two be ready to brace her legs. Marilee, when you feel the contraction building, take a deep breath, hold it, and push while I count to ten. Push as long as you can, but at least until ten. Ready?”
 

Marilee nodded. Alexa could see the monitor showing the rise of her contraction, and Marilee’s grip tightened correspondingly. Alexa rested Marilee’s foot in the bend of her elbow and braced.
 

“Here we go.”
 

Marilee sucked in a breath and bore down. Alexa was impressed with the superhuman effort. Her friend usually projected an air of physical fragility despite her forceful personality, and coaxed people into doing things for her so she didn’t have to exert herself unnecessarily. Apparently, she saved her exertion for the important stuff.
 

They went through the procedure about ten times, with Kurt feeding Marilee ice chips between contractions, and Alexa wiping her brow with a damp cloth.
 

“Oh, that feels so good.” Marilee smiled up at Alexa. “I can’t wait for you to have a baby so I can return the favor.”
 

Alexa chuckled. “We have a long time before that happens, sweetie. But I’m glad I could be here for this.”
 

“Me, too. Here comes the next one.”
 

“It’s crowning,” the doctor said. “You’re doing great, Marilee. Just a couple more pushes.” He looked up at Kurt. “You want to take your first peek at your child?”
 

Kurt leaned so he could see, and a look of wonder spread over his face.
 

“I wish you could see your face,” Alexa told him. “Mr. Tough Guy—vulnerable.”
 

He looked up, unaffected by her teasing. “Alexa, this is incredible. Watch.”
 

She glanced at Marilee, who was resting. “Go ahead,” she said without opening her eyes. “Everyone else looks. Why not you?”
 

Alexa leaned to her right and saw the top of a dark head. The sight jarred her, zinged her in a place nothing had touched before. She understood why people called birth a miracle.
 

“Wow,” she said, repositioning herself for Marilee’s next push. “That kid has a lot of hair.”
 

Marilee laughed, interrupting her effort. Alexa apologized and kept quiet. Marilee cried out and the doctor called, “We’ve got the head! Relax, now, Marilee, don’t push.”
 

Alexa glanced down and saw a mushed face turning toward her. Though Marilee didn’t move, her body seemed to gather itself up and shove the baby into the doctor’s hands.
 

“It’s a girl!”
 

Kurt laughed through his tears as they laid his daughter on Marilee’s chest. Marilee cooed to the baby and Alexa stepped back, not wanting to intrude on their moment of bonding but unable to take her eyes off the sight. She watched while the doctor clamped the umbilical cord and Kurt cut it with scissors the nurse handed him.
 

“Marilee, you’re looking good. No tears yet. We’ll be ready for the next one.” The doctor turned and murmured something to the nurse, who nodded and grabbed a tray of instruments.
 

Suddenly Marilee gasped. “Here we go again!” she called, and the nurse quickly took the baby from her while another nurse took her position next to the doctor. They went through the procedure again, and five minutes later the baby girl had a brother.
 

Alexa stayed only a few minutes after the birth. Once she was sure Marilee didn’t need her, she left the room to give the family their privacy.
 

Spent, she wandered down the hall to the waiting area. It was empty, and she sank into a plastic seat and closed her eyes.
 

She’d never expected to feel this way. All her life she’d known where she was going, what she was going to do. Envy had rarely burrowed into her heart. Even after her mother died, she’d rarely even been jealous of kids with two parents. She loved and missed her mother, of course, but had accepted her situation as the way things had to be.
 

So she was surprised to be feeling envious of Kurt and Marilee right now. Surprised she even recognized the emotion welling up when she watched Marilee unsnap her hospital gown to try nursing Savannah. When Kurt held his son, examining him intently while he told him to be good to his sister.
 

She felt so alone. She wanted to live that scene. Wanted a partner who understood her as well as Kurt understood Marilee. She wanted children, something she’d always said she’d never have, because she didn’t want to risk leaving them motherless.
 

God, she wanted.
 

She leaned forward and rubbed her face with her hands, leaving them in place because hiding was quite appealing for the moment. She thought of Cyrgyn, and determined that
somehow, she
would
get him free of that fucking curse. She was tired of being alone.
 

“Are you okay?”
 

Alexa jerked her hands away. A dark-haired man stood over her. He looked dangerous in a black leather jacket and black t-shirt that echoed his gleaming dark hair, but the look on his face was kind.
 

Alexa inhaled to ease her tension and rubbed her palms on her jeans. “Yes, thank you. Just tired.”
 

The man tilted his head toward the double doors. “You got family in there?”
 

“A friend. She just had twins. I needed a break. I mean,” she corrected, feeling ridiculous, “They needed some time alone.”
 

Something flickered in his eyes before he nodded.
 

“Is your wife here?” she asked him.
 

“No. I’m not married.”
 

A spark of interest had Alexa looking more closely. He was definitely attractive. The kind of guy jeans were made for. Cowboy boots under the jeans, enough wear in those and in the jacket to tell Alexa they weren’t for show. Lines worn into his face said his life had been interesting, though she couldn’t tell if he was thirty or fifty. He looked familiar but she couldn’t pinpoint why.
 

“So why are you here then?” she asked, motioning for him to sit. He did, and studied her for several seconds. “Trying to decide if you should tell me?”
 

He smiled and she had the urge to test the firmness of his lips.
 

“Trying to decide how you’ll react,” he told her, then held out his hand. “Ryc Dreugan.”
 

Alexa shook it. “Alexa Ranger.”
 

“I know.”
 

Attraction abruptly became suspicion, and she pulled her hand away. “Oh?”
 

“I came to find you.”
 

Alexa glanced around. The waiting area was still deserted. Kurt and Marilee had fifteen more minutes or so with the babies before they took them to the nursery and brought her to a room. She turned back to Ryc.
 

“Why?”
 

He sighed and sat back. “It’s kind of a long story.”
 

“Shorten it.”
 

“Cyrgyn sent me to back you up.”
 

Alexa didn’t know what to react to first. Habit had her hackles up about Cyrgyn’s drive to protect her. Suspicion made her think this guy was on Tars’ payroll. And underneath was hurt that Cyrgyn had contacted the associate he’d been adamant they didn’t need—that he did it because he didn’t trust her.
 

Outwardly, though, she revealed nothing. She waited, watching him. When he only watched her back, a hint of a smile on those sexy lips, she twisted her chair to face him.
 

“I’m listening.” She folded her arms.
 

“O-kaaayy.” He tilted his head toward her, as if waiting for her to elaborate.
 

Alexa growled. “You know what I want to know. If you don’t stop playing games, I’m walking.”
 

“All right.” Ryc stretched his legs out. “I’ve been acting as kind of a liaison for Cyrgyn for
a few years.”
 

“Doing what?”
 

“Gophering, mostly. Intelligence gathering. He couldn’t always get close to you. I helped him keep track. Got things he couldn’t get.”
 

“Like what?”
 

He raised his eyebrows. “How do you think he knew what a P to E ratio was?”
 

Nice touch, she had to admit. Cyrgyn wouldn’t have revealed that to an enemy, and unless the hangar was bugged—which it wasn’t—this guy was the real deal.
 

“So you’re the associate he mentioned?”
 

Ryc nodded.
 

“Why didn’t you show up sooner?”
 

“Cyrgyn didn’t want me involved. He didn’t want me at risk.” His expression showed what he thought of that. “More, I think, he didn’t want to step on your toes.”
 

Yeah, right. Cyrgyn had been struggling against Alexa’s independence since the first minute. She didn’t buy that one.
 

“And you met him how?”
 

Ryc seemed a bit less confident, shifting in his seat and avoiding her gaze. “I can’t tell you that.”
 

“Why?”
 

“I just can’t.”
 

“What is he?”
 

Ryc didn’t answer, and a second later Alexa heard footsteps in the hall. A nurse came around the corner.
 

“Miss Ranger?”
 

Alexa stood. “Yes.”
 

“Mrs. Tucker is asking for you. She’s about to be transferred to her room.”
 

“I’ll be right there.”
 

Alexa waited until the nurse disappeared, then said, “Well?”
 

“Alexa…”
 

“Give me a break. If you’re Cyrgyn’s lackey, you know what he is. And acting all covert is dumb, because even if someone overhears you, they’ll think you’re talking about a movie or something. So…”
 

Ryc pulled himself to his feet and ambled over to her. Though she was five ten he towered over her, especially because he didn’t stop a reasonable distance away. His boots touched hers and his face paused two inches away.
 

“Alexa, I am a friend. I know you won’t trust me so easily, but I ask you to give me a chance. I know things you need to know. I can help you.”
 

Alexa swallowed against her suddenly dry throat. He smelled of leather and musk, her weakness. “And?”
 

One corner of his mouth went up. “And he’s a dragon,” he murmured. “Go to your friend. I’ll see you when you’re done.”
 

For a second Alexa couldn’t move. His mouth quirked higher, and she whirled away, irked that she’d demonstrated any vulnerability, however minor.
 

She was more irked at her reaction to the man. Besides the fact that she didn’t know if he
was friend or foe, she wasn’t free anymore. She realized she never had been, but at least at the time she hadn’t known her early dalliances were betraying her soulmate. Now, she was honor-bound to wait for him.
 

* * *
 

Ryc watched Alexa stride down the hall. When she disappeared through a door, he let his breath out. The impact of being so near was bigger than he’d expected. Her mahogany ponytail twitched at him, and he’d almost pulled it free to see what it looked like long. Stepping close, it had been all he could do not to kiss her.
 

She didn’t believe he knew Cyrgyn. He coughed a humorless laugh. Yeah, he knew Cyrgyn. He knew the damn dragon better than anyone alive.