Page 56 of Bradi

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Bradi sat with his head down, afraid to move. His life had changed so much in less than a year. He was a father now, of a healthy baby boy, who was nearly a week old. While his son was thriving, his wife was not.

Upon getting Marisa back to the compound, she’d gone into labor. He’d been terrified and he’d thought for sure that the babe was too young to arrive, but he’d been born healthy and full term.

Marisa had not faired as well. She had been in and out of consciousness during the delivery, needing the aid of Lorelei and Christian’s magiks. And she’d barely moved at all in the week since the birth of their son. All she did was lie in a deep sleep.

The rustling of a chair moving behind him caught his attention. He turned and smiled as Christian sat.

“How’s she doing?” Christian asked.

“You tell me. She doesn’t seem to have changed a bit in the last week. How can that be?” Bradi looked down at Marisa and touched her cheek gently.

“She’s only at rest because I keep her that way.” Christian exhaled. It was clear to see the Shaman cared for Marisa. As it should be. “She requires healing rest. Her body needs it. Whatever the witch did, your mate funneled her resources and protected your son. It was at a great cost to her.”

“I know.” Bradi’s chest tightened.

“She’ll live and be able to have more children. But she will require more time to heal. Time to gather her strength. In the meantime, your son needs you. Go and spend time with him. I will sit with Marisa.”

Marisa’s eyes popped open suddenly, and she looked from Bradi to Christian.

Bradi stood quickly and touched her forehead. He looked at Christian with wide eyes, relieved she was awake but scared something else might be wrong. “I thought you were willing her to rest?”

“I was,” Christian said, seeming as shocked by Marisa’s awakening as Bradi. It was rare for Christian to be caught off guard with anything relating to medicine or healing. He was an expert. A man born to the art.

Marisa’s gaze went to her stomach and Bradi saw the pain in her eyes. Her breath caught. “Oh gods, no. Bradi, no.”

“Shh, Doc, it’s all right. Everything is all right.”

Her head shook violently. “No, it’s not all right. The baby?”

“Nina!” Bradi called out, needing to see his wife at peace but wanting to yank her up from the bed and hold her close. Gods, how he’d missed her.

The door to the room opened and he heard his sister there before she even spoke. “Bring in my son, Nina. It is time he met his mommy.”

Confusion covered her face. “I had him? He’s here? Already? Is he okay?”

“You did, Doc,” he said, taking her hand in his. “He’s healthy and he’s perfect.”

Nina came back into the room and Bradi turned to see her carrying the baby wrapped up tightly in a blue blanket. Pride welled in him, just as it had every moment he looked upon his son.

“Here you go,” she said, handing the child to Bradi.

He took his son gently and looked down into his eyes. “He has your eyes and my hair. Hope he has my temper. It’s way better than yours.”

Marisa choked out a half laugh, half sob. “Right. Your temper is crap, Janelle.”

Bradi sat on the edge of the bed and held the baby so that she could see him.

Marisa let out a half sob and reached for the baby. “I didn’t think I was far enough along for him. And he was under so much stress.”

Christian cleared his throat. “Your healing power surged once we brought you back with us. At first we thought that you were dying, but once the light cleared, we realized that you were not only alive, but had saved the baby. He is part shifter, so he is naturally stronger than a normal human baby, but Marisa, whatever you did brought about a perfectly healthy baby boy. I was just telling Bradi that you should be able to have many more children. Now that the hag is dead, they will not be drained of their life forces.”

Bradi watched his wife’s eyes light up as she held their child and he wrapped them both tightly in his embrace. “You scared the shit out of me.”

Marisa pressed her lips to his and he felt them trembling. “Nice. Romantic.”

“Well, you did.” He kissed her back.

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