stomach. “I didn’t realize he was scared of losing me in childbirth until today.”
Doc sat on his stool and clicked a few buttons on his keyboard. “Dian was born in a time when death during childbirth was common. Seth’s story doesn’t help. I admit, I learned a lot more about fae pregnancies than I wish I had while caring for him. Knowing there was a good possibility he would die affected us all. Me included. If you’d seen Ra that day…”
“Is there any way we can keep Dian out of the delivery room?” Kee wasn’t sure his poor mate could take it.
“It might be for the best.” Doc appeared to be thinking. “Ra was there with Seth obviously, and Darwin actually delivered his twins because Simon shifted at home and gave birth that way. Beau, he had to have his mates with him because his birth was magic centered, and he gained strength from his mates. Joe handled my birth with a lot of poise and calmness, which was really handy at the time because there was no one else around. But I had Ra, Joe, Liam, Rocky and Mal here for when Fergus gave birth. They literally dragged Cam out of here kicking and cursing up a storm, so I could perform the surgery. You do not want to see a honey badger when his mate’s bleeding.”
Kee peered at Dian again as he pulled down his shirt. “Good point. I don’t think Dian would get violent, but then I don’t know for sure. He turned all hulky and leathery when that fae was stalking me.”
“I’ll have the men on standby.” Doc nodded. “Come in again in two days. We’ll do another scan. From there I’ll know how fast at least one of your little ones is growing, and we’ll pick a date for a c-section from there. How does that sound?”
“Sounds like a good plan.” Kee edged his way off the bed. He waved at Dian. “Have you got any ideas on how to wake him up so we can get out of here?”
“That’s easy.” Doc smirked as he stood and stepped over to his desk, pulling a couple of pieces of paper from his printer. “Here’s your photos. I took two – the second one highlighting the second foot.” He handed them over.
“Oh, my gosh, they’re adorable.” Kee traced the spine of his gargoyle babe with his finger. “Thank you. And for Dian?”
“Stand back.” Doc picked up a jug of water and tipped it over Dian’s head. Dian spluttered, and shot up, fists swinging. Doc laughed. “Happens every time.”
“Yeah, I can see why you told me to stand back. Are you ready to go home babe?”
Dian looked down at the huge wet spot covering his shirt. “I’m glad I remembered a coat,” he muttered as he strode out the door.
Doc chuckled, Kee giggled, although he slapped a hand over his mouth as Dian’s head appeared back in the doorway. “Are you coming?”
“Yes, sir.” Kee was still giggling as he went to find his coat.
Chapter Thirty-One
Doc was right about Mrs. Hooper. By the time Kee had had his second scan, and the decision was made for him to have surgery the following Monday, the nursery was already underway. Eagle hadn’t been seen or heard from for a few weeks, but Dian wasn’t worried. Eagle had plenty of experience looking after himself. The last spare room, next to the master, was being converted into the nursery with a new doorway put through between the two rooms so that Eagle didn’t have to be disturbed when he was home.
Dian tried to mention his lists to Mrs. Hooper. He’d spent days on the internet learning all the bits and pieces that went into raising children - from newborn to five years old - safely. He had the lists broken down into sub-categories ranging from foods to clothing and everything else required to keep little ones happy. Confident he’d covered everything, he printed the lists out and stomped through the snow to the store.
“You’ve forgotten diapers,” Mrs. Hooper had snorted, handing the list to Marybelle who laughed.
“Don’t you think if your little one has wings, it might be better to order cloaks instead of coats?” She asked, pointing to the item on the list. “Infants have enough trouble staying still at the best of times, and with wings…”
Heaving a sigh, Dian stomped back out of the store and across the road, sure his face was as red as a beetroot. At least the