Page 276 of Claim Me
A few seconds after the wave subsides, I let out a shuddery breath, unsure if the absence of pain is going to hold, but as long as he presses his hand to my back, it’s good.
Wow, does thetouchthing work on me too? I remember it helped soothe Gabriel’s pain after he was shot, and it seems to have the same effect. Perfect.
"Jaw," he says quietly, leaning over me from behind, still kneading my back. "Unclench your jaw. Shoulders too."
I try to follow, but another contraction builds and I worry the pain will be back, but… it’s not. I let out another shaky breath, still not fully trusting how long it will last, checking, slightly tensing. My inner teenager coils a bit in stress deep inside my fortress.
"Hey," Gabriel whispers, reacting immediately, "Breathe calmly. In. Hold. Out."
I do, because there is something in his tone that makes it easy to surrender to it. His own breathing sets the rhythm, and I find myself matching it despite everything pulling at me from the inside.
His hand stays on my back throughout the contraction, applying steady pressure, making small adjustments as needed. It feels like he’s anchoring me to something solid.
As the contraction starts to fade, I feel his fingers briefly ease, then return, as if checking whether I’m still holding together.
"You’re doing fine, Blue," he says after a moment. "So very well."
And for some reason, I believe him, as his soft, caring energy embraces me and… my inner teenager too, who’s still a bit unsure of what’s going on but is finally beginning to relax. As his energy stabilizes, a soft sense of calm spreads with surprising force through my whole system.
Wow, it’s incredible how much comfort Gabriel’s tender hands bring.
I actually start to believe it will be easy, and the teenager believes it too, basking in Gabriel’s soothing aura.
I’m grateful that he’s caring for both of us… and…
I open my mouth to tell himI love him.
I’ve tested it many times, standing in front of a mirror, tuning into the energy of those words and analyzing my state of mind whenever I felt inclined to try. I waited for the moment when they would resonate with me in the most natural way possible. Eventually, they did; my body was saturated with that warm feeling every time my gaze landed on Gabriel.
But I… I still keep holding myself back.
Maybe I’m saving it for that one perfectcheesymoment?
But just now, I’m afraid of how the words would sound, maybe artificial, maybe he’d think it’s only because of the emotions and tension of the moment.
So instead I just reach out and gently run my fingers through his rust-colored hair.
"This is the day our two become three," I whisper.
Gabriel breaks into a smile. "Yeah, and I’m absolutely ready. I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life."
Gerard stops the limousine. We step out in front of the hospital.
Gabriel immediately gets a wheelchair for me, and I’m taken upstairs to the room where the doctors and nurses are already waiting.
The entire time I keep expecting this labor to take forever. It’s my first birth after all, and technically considered a geriatric pregnancy on top of that, but apparently I underestimated the strength of True Mate magic. And the uniqueness of my body.
Doctor Jovan approaches and examines me under Gabriel’s watchful gaze, his brows slightly furrowed as he watches the doctor’s hand checking cervical dilation. I can almost sense a growl arising in his chest, but he reins it in.
"We’re already past seven centimeters," Dr. Jovan says with a smile.
"Wow… that’s a lot."
Apparently the labor is progressing quickly. Dr. Jovan nods while pressing the ultrasound probe against my stomach.
"Everything looks good. The baby’s heartbeat is normal, so now we wait."
I glance at Gabriel and notice him typing rapidly on his phone.
