Page 71 of The Dragon's Perfect Omega
Holy shit, what was going on? If it wasn't for my ability to see auras, it would have been impossible for me to grab him in the dark.
"Zim!" I tried, but there was no response. My mate was unconscious, all his colors dulled. Damn it. I knew I shouldn't have taken him out of the house—that it might exhaust him. He'd promised that he was going to be okay, that I was worrying too much. I'd believed him, because I'dwantedto believe him. I'd wanted him to be in better health than he was.
And now he'd fainted, nearly killing himself when he let go of me.
No more flights for you in the near future.
I roared, changing my course. I had to get my mate to the hospital—and quickly!—so they could figure out what was wrong with him. So they couldfixhim. They had to.
Calm down, Lowen. Everything is going to be fine.
"Lowen?" I heard a weak voice in the wind that whooshed by my ears. My eyes darted to Zim. He'd woken up. Thank the Gods.
"I'm taking you to the hospital," I told him, and seeing the look of confusion on his face, I added, "You fainted."
"I'm sorry!" he called up, but I was already landing on the roof of the hospital. On this island, nothing was very far away when you had wings. Gently, I set Zim down, and then I changed back to my more human form.
"We need to get you checked out," I said, studying him. I was glad that he'd woken up on his own, but he was deadly pale. Almost as pale as he was in my visions.
They can't be coming true.
I wouldn't allow it.
"I'm sorry," Zim said again. "I don't know what happened. One moment I was fine, and then I just... blanked out."
"You fell." Even just saying it made my pulse speed up at the memory. He could have died! NowIwas feeling faint. "C'mon, let's get you inside so the doctors can have a look at you."
"Okay," he agreed, though I got the feeling it was more for my sake than anything.
* * *
Fortunately, we didn't have to wait long until a doctor had time for us. They told us that Zim had likely passed out from exhaustion, and that they were going to keep him overnight for observation. He was going to be put on bedrest for the rest of his pregnancy too.
"I'm sorry for scaring you," he apologized again when we were in his room by ourselves.
"It's fine." I took his hand and kissed it. I'd pulled a chair up beside his bed and I wasn't going to leave it for the rest of the night. "Just go to sleep. It's clear you need to rest."
He glanced me up and down, and I read the unspoken question on his face.
"I'm going to stay here," I said.
"You really don't have to. I'm not the only one who needs sleep."
"We can fight over this, but it's not going to lead anywhere."
He gave me a weak smile. "You're too stubborn."
I shrugged. "Dragon trait. Get used to it." When I had my mind set on a goal, and especially when my inner dragon was in agreement with that goal, it was near impossible to steer me away from it.
"Okay." He exhaled and closed his eyes. Within seconds, he drifted off, not even caring that the light was still on. He seemed so at peace when he was asleep. Like nothing was wrong with the world.
For an hour or so, I simply sat and watched him sleep. He was probably right that I should have gone home and rested up. There was nothing I could really do for him by being here while I was asleep. At the same time, though, I knew I could never get myself to move away from here even if I tried. It was as if some part of me was scared that something might happen to Zim the moment I let him out of my sight. The shock of seeing him fall earlier still sat deep in my bones. I could have lost him, just like that. And it would have been entirely my fault too. For taking him out when I knew he was tired. For getting him pregnant in the first place. Watching my friends should have taught meneverto have unprotected sex with a human. STD immunity or not.
I glanced at Zim's belly, covered by the sheets of the hospital bed. For the first one or two weeks after we'd learned about the twins, I’d wondered if going ahead with the pregnancy was the right decision—if I might have chosen different if not for Zim's insistence.
But now I'd felt the babies kick my hand. I'd heard their heartbeats. Seen them on ultrasound pictures. They were my children, growing inside of my mate. I couldn't imagine losing themorZim. It was too much to fathom. I wanted, Ineeded, all three of them to be alive and happy.
With a sigh, I closed my eyes, wishing the solution to my troubles would come to me.
