He swallows his fear an
d nods.
“Ready?” Dr. Hathaway asks.
At his nod, the doctor starts to make an incision, causing Lizzie’s blood to spurt out and for her to howl like a wolf.
“Now,” Dr. Hathaway says urgently. Devon gulps and takes the handle of the blade, Vamping out as he does so. His sire’s blood leaking out everywhere makes his stomach growl loudly, but the doctor’s disgusted look at him makes him push it aside, instead of sinking his head into the opening and lapping up every drop he can reach like a feral beast.
“She’s starting to heal,” Dr. Hathaway warns with only a tinge of fear in his voice.
Devon grits his teeth and wiggles the blade, careful not to get in the doctor’s way. Lizzie whimpers in agony but he tunes it out. He holds the blade with his left hand and then infiltrates her body cavity with his right hand, pulling at her flesh with his claws. He wants to vomit all over the place, but then he would be letting his sire down and that is something that he will never, ever do intentionally. He needs to suck it up and stop being such a “fucking pussy.”
“Give me the blade again,” Dr. Hathaway says calmly. Devon hands it back to him as he makes the incision across her womb. Devon cannot help the retch that escapes him, but he holds onto the flesh with both of his hands now, keeping it apart as the doctor lets go of the blade and reaches in to pull the baby out carefully.
Devon uses his shoulder to wipe away the sweat that has formed on his brow, hoping this isn’t going to go on much longer. He watches as the doctor cuts the umbilical cord with the blade and then reaches back in to pull out whatever the Hell else that is. His arms are straining with the effort of forcing her flesh not to knit together.
“Okay, you can let go,” Dr. Hathaway finally says, and Devon slowly releases her and lets his claws retract. He will think twice about maiming a body after this horrifying episode, that’s for damn sure. He resists the urge to lick his hands clean of Lizzie’s blood and looks up at her. She has passed out and he doesn’t blame her. That must be the worst thing she has ever had to endure.
Except for what Lance did. That quiet thought gets pushed from his mind immediately as he wipes his hands on the towel the doctor handed to him. “Lizzie,” he whispers to her, stroking her face. “Lizzie, it’s over.”
She mumbles something and rouses herself. Blinking her eyes several times. “Over?” she asks.
“Your daughter is here,” Dr. Hathaway says proudly, presenting the wiggling, tiny baby to her mother.
“Oh!” Lizzie exclaims in delight and struggles to sit up. She hasn’t fully healed yet and blood oozes out of her wound, but she ignores it now to take her child in her arms with a look of such awe and love that Devon feels a stab of jealousy. She will never look at him that way.
“Thank you,” she says to the doctor and then aims her tired beam at him. “Thank you,” she says to him sincerely.
He twists his fingers into her sweaty hair and gives her his most dazzling smile. He needs some of her attention back on him now. “You are quite welcome,” he says to her and gives her a lingering kiss.
Dr. Hathaway gasps in shock and clears his throat, turning away as he sees this “clandestine” kiss between them.
Devon gives her a wink and a saucy smile, and she chuckles, but then her attention goes back to her child and he is left out in the cold.
“We should get you out of here,” he says shortly to cover up his pain. “Can you walk?”
Lizzie gives him a fierce frown at his attitude, but then she gets it and smiles at him. “Give me a fucking minute, would you?” she says with a giggle.
“You need to rest,” Dr. Hathaway says at once. “I need to examine the girl.”
“Sorry, but not going to happen,” Lizzie says, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She holds out her baby and Devon gulps as he realizes she wants him to take her. He has never held a baby in his life before. He takes her hesitantly and holds her protectively as Lizzie, unashamedly, strips off her bloody clothes and Astrals on some loose sweats and a hoodie. Good choice.
“I thank you for everything that you have done,” she says, picking up the blade and shoving it into the back of her sweats. “But there is no way in Hell I am going to let you ‘examine’ my daughter.” She takes her baby back and Devon suddenly doesn’t know what to do with his hands. He shoves them in his jean’s pockets awkwardly. “Please stick around and make sure that my husband sees to your recompense and departure.”
Dr. Hathaway nods slowly, disappointment etched onto his features. He can’t help but slide his eyes over to the bloody mess that has been left, but then quickly averts his gaze.
“Allow me,” Devon says to Lizzie before she can take an angry breath. He holds out his hands and casts the inferno spell that Xyla taught him. All the bloody clothes, cloths and sheets, along with all the other gory bits that came out of Lizzie are set on fire and burn out of existence before their eyes.
“The vial of blood as well,” she says to him shortly.
Devon nods and fixes the doctor with a menacing stare. Dr. Hathaway gulps and grabs it off the work unit. Devon sets it aflame and the doctor sighs with regret that he couldn’t use any of her blood, for whatever purpose he was concocting up.
Lizzie drops the ward a fraction, just enough for them to get out without being sensed by the Vampires, and Devon Astraports the three of them off to L.A.
Chapter 10
Los Angeles, November 2014 - Aefre