Zacarias splayed his fingers across his lifemate's very large bely. Samia was six and a half months pregnant with their son. After nearly three full years together, since the time Samia was sixteen years old, she was now the perfect lifemate to him. Her ninteen years of age betrayed the strength and knowledge she held.
Samia laid her hand on top of Zacarias's. The sadness overwhelmed her. All De La Cruz men were born with darkness already very strong within them. She could feel it in the baby she now carried. Already all their brothers, even their lifemates, were tied to the baby, hoping to hold him to this world.
Zacarias kept her on bedrest now. He knew how badly Sam had wanted a child, even since the time of their mating. She had agreed with Zacarias's demands that she wait until she was older and had experienced a fuller childhood – by human standards. Now that they were so far along, after getting to see the personality of his own flesh and blood, Zacarias had come to love the thought of coming home to Samia and his son.
'Son…' Zacarias thought. He liked how the word made him feel.
Samia's laughter flooded his mind. They were always merged, so intoxicted with each other, they couldn't bear to be apart. 'You will be an excellent father, my love.'
A smile spread across the male's lips. Scooting lower on the bed, Zacarias laid a kiss on the round of her belly, sliding her shirt over the mound to expose the flesh beneath.
"I am ready for you son. You will always be loved. Come out and reinforce my dictations to your stubborn mother." He whispered, his lips against her belly.
Samia laughed. Just yesterday her son had refused to quit kicking, demanding Samia drink milk. Finally, Samia had caved. When she explained what happened to Zacarias after he returned from his patrol, he searched her body and had found that due to being bedridden, her calcium count had depleted.
It was then that Samia knew their son would be exactly like her lifemate, and she was so grateful for that. There was no force greater in the world than that which was Zacarias De La Cruz. Even amongst the treat lurking on the borders of the ranch, she knew they were safe with Zacarias as their protector.
"It is not time for our son to be born yet, silly man." Her spirits felt lifted, seeing the sparkle of genuine happiness in her mate's eyes.
"I am ready for him to be here, Sammie, in our arms, safe and loved for all his days." There was a note of disappointment that hung on Zacarias's words.
Samia couldn't keep herself from smiling. Everyone always accused her mate of being rude and bossy, but he was so much more than that. She had come to learn he knew what he was doing and would not demand obedience unless he was sure his way was the best. No, Zacarias was truly a family man. "why don't you tell our son one of your stories before yo leave to patrol?"
Zacarias nestled his face into the side of Samia's belly. Searching his memories, he selected a particular one of when he was a child. His father was teaching him how to push out his senses when a vampire attacked his household. They rushed to the rescue of the women. It was the first time Zacarias had ever killed a vampire. Samia knew this story inside-out.
The two lay in silence after the story. "How long will you be gone tonight?"
"Not very long. Manolito is nearby. Should you have any need of me for any reason, he will take over my patrol."
Zacarias climbed from the bed. He gathered his hair in a thong and draped the length over one of his shoulders. He growled when Samia sat up in the bed.
Samia raised an eyebrow, a smirk on the corner of her lips. "Don't you growl at me, you beast. I'm not getting out of bed, just sitting up to kiss you goodbye." She tugged on his hair, pulling him closer to her.
As their lips met, Samia cringed, her hand darting to cover her belly. "I'm sorry, it felt like a cramp."
Zacarias's eyebrows stitched together, definite concern in his eyes. "We may need Gregori here sooner than we expected." He rubbed the palm of his hand over her tummy. "Do not worry little songbird. Our son will be just fine." He placed his worries aside for the will to be strong for his lifemate. He could survive the death of their son – should it happen. He would not survive the death of his woman.
"Rafael is here, and Nicolas is on his way with Gregori. They will be here in time. Now hurry up, warrior man. I want you back quickly." Samia kissed him, this time feeling her body melt into the kiss.
Pressing her back down into the bed, Zacarias whispered, "Rest love. I will be home soon. Stay in bed." Zacarias desintegrated to vapor, hearing his lifemate laugh at his final dictation. Outside the property, he could already feel his body groaning unhappily at the distance between himself and his family. After he searched Samia's mind one las time to ensure she had not snuck out of bed, Zacarias contented himself to his sweep.
Samia kept herself propped up in bed. The pain in her abdomen had continued to increase in occurrence as well as intensity since her mate had left a while ago. The pain was growing severe almost by the minute. "Rafael?" She called out mentally as well to him. "I need you!"
Very quickly, Rafael was at her bedside. Worry etched itself into his features. "You are in pain, little sister." He made it a statement. "Call to Zacarias and tell him to return immediately. It will take him a while to return, as he has been gone nearly two hours."
Power flooded Samia's mind in answer to her call for her mate. 'You have need of me.'
'Yes, I'm sorry. The pain is too terrible. I need you here.'
Reassurance flooded her mind. 'Do not apologize, beautiful songbird. You were correct to call to me. I am glad you did. I will be there soon. Gregori is a little over two hours away. I will be there before then. Will you be fine until our arrival?'
'I can hold in that long.'
'That's my girl.' He let his pride flower in her mind.
"Do you think I could soak in a hot bath" She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Rafael helped her to her feet. "That would feel like heaven on my muscles."
Rafael nodded. "That will be fine. I will have Colby assist you getting into the tub." He disappeared from the room.
Samia waddled her way into the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the closet on her way there. As she bent over the tub to run the water, she suddenly felt as if she were wetting herself. Liquid ran down her legs, a thick trickle pooling at her feet.
"Rafael! Colby! Help me!" Samia began to cry. She had no idea what was happening, and a million thoughts ran through her mind.
Colby was first to the doorway, followed directly by Rafael. Colby gave a small laugh of joy. "Samia, your water broke!"
"My what? Why?" Samia picked her foot up and shook it, much like a dog drying itself.
Rafael squeezed between Colby and the dorway. Taking the towel from his little sister's hand, he set it on the counter, then assisted Samia as she sat on the edge of the tub. "It means you are bringing, for the first time in fifteen hundred years, a De La Cruz child into the world." He smiled.
Samia wasn't sure if she should be excited or scared. It wasn't time for her son to be born, but her body was sending her to delivery anyway.
Colby shoved herself in front of her lifemate. "Go, Rafael. Let her get in the bath."
Rafael gave one last glance at the girl, smiling to reassure her all would be ok, before disappearing once more.
The water felt like heaven to Samia's sore body, easing the tension from her muscles in ways on water could. She didn't know if Carpathian's bodies could prune from being in water too long, but she determined now was the time to find out.
Within a half hour from her water breaking, Zacarias appeared in the doorway, taking up all space with his large frame. His heart swelled instantly at the scene before him. His lifemate looked so strong, adamently refusing to allow Colby to help her bathe. Her little hands swatted at Colby's every now and then as Colby refused to let Samia do a thing by herself.
"I thank you with every bit of gratefulness in my heart, Colby, for your assistance with my lifemate. Had I realized how close to delivery her body was, I would have stayed home tonight."
"It's not a problem." Colby waved an indifferent hand at him. "I'm just so excited to see my nephew!"
Samia smiled at Colby. "It's gonna be a while still. I'm sure if he's anything like my lifemate, he'll arrive on his own time and we won't get a say."
Colby gave a very unlady-like snort, showing her agreeance of Samia's statement. "Call if you need anything." She said as she left the two lifemates to themselves.
Zacarias sat on the edge of the tub, reaching a hand out to Samia's stomach. "So our son decided to spring a surprise on us. I suppose he learned that little trick from you, always keeping everyone on their toes."
"It wasn't me. I still think you two have been plotting this little coups-de-Samia for a while now, and he initiated the plan to action." Samia gave him an accusing glare.
Zacarias let out a rumbling laugh, filling the house with a happiness it had long been missing. "A coups-de-Samia? Clever little lifemate. You always think of the silliest things to say."
"It's not silly!" Samia splashed water onto Zacarias who did not flinch from the attack. "It's rational, if you think about it."
Zacarias looked at his now-soaked sleeve. "I could dump this whole bathtub of water onto you if I chose."
"But you won't, caveman." Samia sat up in the tub. Extending her arm so that her hand cradled her mate's head, she drew him to her for a very real, very loving kiss. "I am so glad I have you. I'll never stop loving you, and who you are."
"Believe me you, little songbird, I love you with all that I am."