Protecting the Black Wolf's Mate
By: wizardtho
Chapter 26:
Bella's POV
I saw the unshed tears in all of their eyes as I looked around the room, but continued the retelling of my journey softly. “Soon, your song wasn’t an echo of theirs. They melded and became one, with your words weaving through both sides, Quil. I let the song take me but soon found out that I needed to let the energy come to me. If I tried to reach for it, it spent more energy, so what I was trying to grasp just slipped by me. I lost myself in the song, hearing Sam and Taha Aki closer than all of the other voices. Some time passed before the song came to an end. There was a short pause, then I heard Sam singing the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard. I touched me somewhere deep in my soul. I felt my energy rising even more as I floated along with it. When Sam’s voice stopped, a beautiful female voice took over. It guided me the rest of the way back. I don’t know if I will ever be able to properly thank you for that, Eva."
Sam stroked my cheek as Eva patted my leg, "I just helped bring you back to where you belong, Honey… with Sam. I’d never seen him so broken as when I walked into that bedroom this morning, Bella."
I nodded, “I could hear it in his voice when he spoke to me, but I couldn’t let him know that I heard him, let alone that I was trying to get back to him.”
Quil spoke softly, "Bella, you said that you were given energy from each element, and they would protect you and your loved ones in times of need. Does that mean you’ll be able to use the elements as protection?"
I shrugged, "I can’t be sure if I’ll be able to call them, but he said they would only be known when needed. Taha Aki said 'the elements wouldn’t gift me such power if I was not worthy’. That was before I knew the elements were going to give me energy, but he said it in a way that spoke of more than the original protective magics. It also could be that the elements are just a conduit for the past protectors to aide us when in need. It would take a lot of power, I assume, for the wolves of the past, as well as the imprints, to help us from the afterlife."
Quil nodded at my assumption, then Billy noted, "Having that type of power, whether you are able to wield it or not, is a great honor. You are linked to the wolves of old, not only by Sam and your twins, but by the elements themselves. The way he answered you about thanking the elements… it sounds like it will be an extra energy boost when you do those things. Eating the food after thanking the flame for cooking it, as opposed to just eating it... helping the earth by growing things and truly seeing the beauty in what’s grown, and so on."
I smiled, "That makes sense. He definitely had a way of saying things that had underlying meanings."
Quil laughed, giving me a beautiful smile as he said, “I remember you saying that about me when you were younger, Bella.”
I grinned, agreeing as I remembered, "I think I was 8 at the time, and all day you kept saying things that had underlying meanings. It was fun trying to figure them out, but I got frustrated when I couldn’t decipher some of them. That’s when I told you that. I was hoping you’d clue me into what I was missing, but you just laughed and said it was a Chief thing. I can definitely tell, it is indeed, a Chief thing."
Sam asked, “My Angel… with how well you sketched the bookcases in the study... do you think you could sketch Taha Aki?”
I thought for a moment with my eyes closed. I felt good about it, so I smiled, "Yes, that would be good. I think I can do that."
Quil, Billy, and Sue beamed at me, then Leah asked as she held Kim’s hand, “Little Mama, how are you feeling, really?”
I smiled, “I’m not where I need to be yet, by any means, but I feel better than I have for the last few days.”
I felt Sam nod, then Charlie smiled at me. Emily looked to Sue, "I need you and the girls to work out a meal plan for Bella. I want her eating full plates of food with a double shot shake every 4 hours, adding snacks in if possible. She’s off her feet until further notice."
Leah smiled, “Paul asked me to move with him into Sam’s old place, so I’ll be here to help Sam with the cooking throughout the day, as well as to help Bella with all of the restoration things.”
I smiled and thanked her, then Eva said, “And I’ll be in and out when Bella feels up for company, so I can get to know my future daughter-in-law.”
I choked out, "My goodness, Eva... he probably hasn’t even thought about asking me yet. We’ve only been together for a few days."
Sam laughed softly, “Oh, my little Beauty… if you only knew.”
I tried to hide the smile that came to my face, but I think Leah and Kim caught it. Leah winked at me, so I said quickly to change the subject, "Well, in any case, it would be nice to get to know you, Eva. You’re always welcome here." She smiled at me knowingly, then gave me a look that said ‘you aren’t fooling anyone’.
I was starting to get hungry again. I remembered the snack Leah had made yesterday. "Oooh, Leah. Can I have some of those peanut butter balls now, please? Pretty please… and a super-sized glass of milk?"
She laughed while making her way to the kitchen, then I asked the room in general, “Do we have an actual sketch pad and colored pencils here anywhere?”
Sue beamed at me before leaving the room for a minute, coming back with two brand new large sketch pads, a Cretacolor Monolith Graphite tin, as well as a large tin of artist quality Prismacolor Premier pencils. I gasped, but Sue said, "Charlie showed us the sketch you did of the bookcases for the study, Bella. We wanted you to have a proper place for your sketches, along with a way to really make them stand out. The ones you draw for the house can be used as examples, to show potential clients, as a sort of idea to reality type thing. This is our gift, from the elders to you."
I smiled as I hugged the pads and tins to me, knowing how expensive the items were, then whispered, “Thank you… so much.”
They smiled at me as I opened the Prismacolor tin carefully, to look at what was inside. I started memorizing all of the colors, noting that there was a good selection and looked easily blendable. I closed that tin, then opened the graphite set. I looked up at Emily, “Is it safe for me to use them?”
She smiled, “The amount of dust you’ll get from the pencils is minimal compared to what you’d get with the blocks or large sticks, right?”
I nodded, “I do get a small amount, but most of it’ll get blended into the picture with my fingers.”
She nodded, "Stick to the pencils, then. I think these are woodless, so you’ll have to test them out and make sure they don’t give off too much dust to blend. As long as you aren’t inhaling a bunch of excess, you’re fine."
I nodded, then as Leah set a huge plate of peanut butter balls down in front of me with a 32 oz cup of milk. "God, these look awesome, Leah. Thanks. Is this all of them?"
She shook her head, "No way. There’s ten times more out there in the fridge. I had to do something so I wouldn’t go crazy with worry, so there are two large containers of them in the fridge and 2 in the freezer."
I laughed, “Well then… I guess just maybe, possibly, we could let the boys into the open container now.”
Jared smiled before dashing off toward the kitchen, so I called out, “Only the container Leah took these out of… and you’ll share them with your imprints and the others, or I’ll string you up by your eyelids so you have to watch while they eat them without you.”
Everyone laughed as Jared and Paul called out, “Yes, Ma’am.”
Eva chuckled as Sam kissed my mark, "I like her, Sam. She knows how to keep these boys of yours in line."
I smiled, "They’ve already been warned about commenting on conversations they aren’t in the room for, picking up after themselves, and not dashing to the bar as soon as the food is laid out. It’s a miracle that none of the imprints or elders had been harmed before I came into the picture."
She gave me a disbelieving look, “You got them to listen… about food?”
I nodded, "I asked them how they would feel if it had been one of the other imprints that got caught in the middle when they were rushing… needless to say, the elders and other humans get their plates, the wolves tend to their imprints, then get their own food. They’ve been more attentive to ask if they need anything when they get back up, too. I’m very proud of their turn around."
Everyone smiled, then Jared came back in with paper plates and the large container. He asked who wanted some, and of course, everyone did. He handed out plates to everyone, then took the container around so everyone could put some of the peanut butter balls on their plates. I smiled when Jared sat on the floor in front of Kim, “Jared, you’ll make a good host when you and Kim get a house and have dinner get-togethers… and if you keep up those manners, you’ll be wooing the future in-laws off their feet.”
He looked down at his plate bashfully, then said, "Thanks, Bella. You really think so?"
I smiled, "I do, Jared. Nothing says respectable like manners, and when her parents see you continually making sure Kim is content before yourself, as well as being respectful to them, they’ll know you’re the right one for her… even though they can’t know about the imprinting. Think of it this way… If Dad wouldn’t have known about all this, Sam would have had to let Dad know, in a safe way, that he would always respect and love me. Can you think of a better way?"
He thought for a second then beamed at me, "Thanks, Bella. You always know how to explain things."
I chuckled, "No problem, Jared. I know it has to be tough with Kim’s parents not knowing, but you can tell them she’s it for you without revealing the secret. It doesn’t always have to be stressful around them."
He nodded, smiling up at Kim as I popped a peanut butter ball in my mouth.
I moaned as my eyes shot to Leah and widened, "Oh. My. God. Leah, these have to become like a staple in this house or something. Sam, taste this."
I placed one in Sam’s mouth as he opened it. He smiled widely as he chewed, then said, "They’re so good, Leah. She’s right."
Leah chuckled, "They’re super easy to make, too. We just need to keep the ingredients on hand, so when we get down to a certain amount, I can make more."
Between the large plate Leah made for me and the large glass of milk, my tummy was pleasantly full by the time Sam and I finished it. The problem was, I was starting to get sleepy again. I had just woken up, so I didn’t really want to go back to sleep, but Sam looked at me while saying, "You need to, Angel. You said yourself, you aren’t where you should be, yet."
I nodded, then said, "Emily, my prenatal vitamin. Am I still taking it while I have the hookup?"
She nodded, "Yes. Your results should be done, so let me check to see if we can unhook you. You can take your vitamin the next time you eat."
She left the room, then came back in a few minutes later, "Well, it looks like you’re going to be hooked up still. Your levels are still too low to unhook you, but you are ten times better than your original numbers across the board. Let’s give it another 24 hours on the fluids. We'll check you again around lunch tomorrow. If your levels are high enough tomorrow, we’ll cap off the PICC line, then go for 24 hours off the fluids, to make sure you don’t drop significantly. If you’re still good with that test, we’ll take the line out completely."
I nodded, then said, "Alright. Do I have time for a nap before I eat again?"
She nodded, "Sam will wake you when it’s time. The rest will make it easier on your body to finish healing."
I nodded and said goodnight to everyone, then Sam carried me and my IV stand up to bed.
I knew my fluids would need to be changed while I slept, so I climbed up on the bed, then asked Sam to make sure the line was closer to the bathroom. He looked at me questioningly, so I said, "I want you to hold me while I sleep… please. I need to feel your arms around me."
He nodded, placed the IV stand, then crawled onto the bed to lean back against the mound of pillows. I crawled up to straddle his lap, laying my head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around my hips as he stroked my back with his other hand. I melted into him.
After only a minute or two, Sam breathed, “Do you think it’s too soon?”
I lifted my head to look at him questioningly, so he whispered, “Do you think it’s too soon for me to ask you?”
I shook my head, “I don’t feel like it is, but I didn’t think you had thought about it yet.”
He nodded, "I love you so completely, Isabella. Of course, I’ve thought about it."
He kissed my lips softly before I hummed against his lips, "I love you, too, my Sam. I want to tie myself to you in every possible way."
He nodded as he smiled softly, “Then give me just a little bit of time, My Sweet Mate.”
I nodded and laid back down on his chest, then he stroked my spine softly as I drifted off to sleep.
Sam's POV
The smile and wink I saw Leah give Bella after my Mama mentioned us marrying... I knew Bella must have been smiling or blushing then. What didn’t make sense was her comment.
Does she not realize I would ask her in a heartbeat if I had a ring? Does she think it's too soon?
That’s why when we settled in bed for her nap, I took the opportunity to ask her. She told me that she didn’t think it was too soon, but that she thought I would think so. I had to reassure her that I had definitely thought about it, and I loved her so completely. My wolf wanted to howl with joy when she said she wanted to be tied to me in every possible way, but I settled for stroking her spine as she fell asleep on my chest.
I loved holding her like this. When I kissed her shoulder softly, I heard my Mama coming up the stairs. I whispered for her to come in when her light knock sounded on the door, then she smiled as she walked in. She pulled the chair up next to the bed after placing a stray piece of hair behind My Angel’s ear, saying, "She’s beautiful, Sam… and so caring. She sure knows how to keep those boys of yours in line, too."
I nodded as I kissed her shoulder again, then said, "Thank you for coming, Mama. I really did want to bring her to meet you, but it’s been so crazy since we met. Did they tell you how I met her?"
Mama smiled sadly, "Yes. I’ve been filled in by the others on what happened. Don’t you worry yourself about not bringing her to meet me. I just got worried when you didn’t show up like normal. When you still didn’t show up all night, I called Paul to see if everything was okay. He told me I should get here quickly, that he would explain when I showed up. Of course, I was out the door before my shoes were tied. When they explained everything, I thought my heart would break. I knew I had to let you know I was here for you, so that’s when I came up to the room."
I nodded, "I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you."
She smiled, then eyed Isabella’s stomach area as her smile widened, "So a Daddy, huh? You’re finally going to make me a Grandma?"
I chuckled softly, “Yeah, and you get two at once for waiting so long.”
She chuckled, "Quite the present, Sam. I’m glad you finally found your forever. Just tell me you’ve got a plan about proposing to this beauty."
I beamed and nodded, "I’ve already gotten Charlie’s permission and blessing. I’m just waiting for the girls to put their plan in order, to find out what style of ring she likes. I know she won’t want traditional, but other than that, I’m clueless. I already talked to Paul, too. He still wants to buy my place for him and Leah. I just need to get the realtor on the sale of the place. After it goes through, I’ll go pick out her ring from the tips Leah and Kim are able to give me."
She looked confused, then asked, “How are Leah and Kim going to help?”
I smiled, thinking about what Leah and I had talked about, then said, "Leah is going to tell Bella that she thinks Paul is going to ask her soon, as a way to look online at rings. Then they can feel around to see what Isabella likes while they look."
Mama chuckled, but I asked, “Would you go with me to find the right one?”
She gave me a watery smile, "Of course, My Son. It would be my honor to help you."
I nodded, kissed Isabella’s shoulder again as I continued to stroke her spine, then she said, "I can see the difference in her sleep from the last time. She looks so peaceful on your chest like that… almost like it’s keeping her grounded."
I nodded, "We both sleep better when she’s in my arms. We’re still in the first week, too, so it’s hard to be away from her at all. Thank God Charlie already knew about imprinting, because I don’t know what I would have done otherwise. We haven’t been apart since that night, and I’ve treasured every second of our time. The only times she's been out of my line of sight, I've still been within hearing distance."
Mama nodded, "Good. You take care of her, Sam. Don’t ever let her forget how much you love her."
I agreed, then Mama said, "I’m going to go home to get a few things for myself. I’ll be back in a little while if the offer is still open for me to take a guest room."
I smiled, "Of course, Mama. You’re more than welcome to stay. Have Paul or Jared drive you, please. You look too tired to stand on your own, let alone drive."
Mama nodded, kissed both Isabella and me on the top of the head, then ducked out of the room before closing the door quietly.
I closed my eyes, resting with My Angel in my arms until I heard Emily coming up the stairs. She whispered, "Sam? I need to change Bella’s IV fluids."
I whispered in reply, “Come in, Emily.”
She smiled at the sight of Bella sleeping on my chest, "She looks a lot pinker. The fluids are doing their job. It just might take a little while for the results to show."
I nodded as Emily started injecting the different nutrients into the new bag. Then she said, "Sam, I really want to see her put on weight. As she is now, as soon as those little ones start gaining weight, we may run into problems. That’s one of the main reasons I want her on bed rest. The more she eats and doesn’t burn off, the better it will be for her in the end. I want to see the weight difference on her physically. There are also different things I want her to do as soon as I see her gain a bit. She’ll need to start doing some things on a birthing ball, designed to help open her hips and pelvic area. The reason why is because she is so very tiny. As the babies gain weight, they will need more room. I don’t want them putting too much pressure on Bella. It’ll help with not only making more room during pregnancy, but making the labor and birth easier on her as well as the twins."
I nodded, “Sounds like her being so small could be a complication later in the pregnancy.”
She smiled sadly, but said seriously, "I don’t want to go there yet, but depending on how she does, we may need to limit her movement towards the latter part of her pregnancy. I’m hoping to get her to 36 weeks."
I frowned, asking, “Can they be delivered safely before then?”
She nodded as she hung up the new bag, then opened the new tube to change Bella's out, "Yes. It's not easy to tell when the earliest safe delivery could be made, though. The average human twin pregnancy lasts 35 to 37 weeks of 40, so if we can get her to week 34 of 38 in a wolf pregnancy, I think we’ll be doing well. I’d really like to get her to 36, though, so the babies can have a better chance to gain weight and lower the risk of complications for them. I'll be able to run heart and lung function tests closer to her due date, so if need be, she can be given booster shots that will help."
I thought through everything, then nodded, "So that gives us hopefully 30 to 32 weeks to get as much done on the house as we can -and get the nursery ready- all while keeping Isabella calm. I haven’t even shown her the study, yet. They did excellent work on it. The only thing Isabella needs to do is make the final pick on the stone for the fireplace and the beams for the ceiling, so they can be ordered. Then we wait for the furniture to get here."
She smiled widely, "Yes, it really looks stunning. All they had to do was strip the paint, right?"
I beamed at her, "Yeah. The speed heater didn’t take off the original varnish like they were fearing, and the paint came off without any problems. Let’s hope we have the same luck with the rest of the house. Did you see how beautiful the mantel was after the paint was all off?"
She smiled, "I just glanced into the room, but yes, it caught my eye immediately. It looks totally different, Sam."
I felt Isabella stir slightly, which caused Emily to look down at her watch. She nodded to me, whispering softly, “It's almost time.”
I smiled and thanked her, then she ducked out the door, closing it quietly behind her.
Bella's POV
I saw the unshed tears in all of their eyes as I looked around the room, but continued the retelling of my journey softly. “Soon, your song wasn’t an echo of theirs. They melded and became one, with your words weaving through both sides, Quil. I let the song take me but soon found out that I needed to let the energy come to me. If I tried to reach for it, it spent more energy, so what I was trying to grasp just slipped by me. I lost myself in the song, hearing Sam and Taha Aki closer than all of the other voices. Some time passed before the song came to an end. There was a short pause, then I heard Sam singing the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard. I touched me somewhere deep in my soul. I felt my energy rising even more as I floated along with it. When Sam’s voice stopped, a beautiful female voice took over. It guided me the rest of the way back. I don’t know if I will ever be able to properly thank you for that, Eva."
Sam stroked my cheek as Eva patted my leg, "I just helped bring you back to where you belong, Honey… with Sam. I’d never seen him so broken as when I walked into that bedroom this morning, Bella."
I nodded, “I could hear it in his voice when he spoke to me, but I couldn’t let him know that I heard him, let alone that I was trying to get back to him.”
Quil spoke softly, "Bella, you said that you were given energy from each element, and they would protect you and your loved ones in times of need. Does that mean you’ll be able to use the elements as protection?"
I shrugged, "I can’t be sure if I’ll be able to call them, but he said they would only be known when needed. Taha Aki said 'the elements wouldn’t gift me such power if I was not worthy’. That was before I knew the elements were going to give me energy, but he said it in a way that spoke of more than the original protective magics. It also could be that the elements are just a conduit for the past protectors to aide us when in need. It would take a lot of power, I assume, for the wolves of the past, as well as the imprints, to help us from the afterlife."
Quil nodded at my assumption, then Billy noted, "Having that type of power, whether you are able to wield it or not, is a great honor. You are linked to the wolves of old, not only by Sam and your twins, but by the elements themselves. The way he answered you about thanking the elements… it sounds like it will be an extra energy boost when you do those things. Eating the food after thanking the flame for cooking it, as opposed to just eating it... helping the earth by growing things and truly seeing the beauty in what’s grown, and so on."
I smiled, "That makes sense. He definitely had a way of saying things that had underlying meanings."
Quil laughed, giving me a beautiful smile as he said, “I remember you saying that about me when you were younger, Bella.”
I grinned, agreeing as I remembered, "I think I was 8 at the time, and all day you kept saying things that had underlying meanings. It was fun trying to figure them out, but I got frustrated when I couldn’t decipher some of them. That’s when I told you that. I was hoping you’d clue me into what I was missing, but you just laughed and said it was a Chief thing. I can definitely tell, it is indeed, a Chief thing."
Sam asked, “My Angel… with how well you sketched the bookcases in the study... do you think you could sketch Taha Aki?”
I thought for a moment with my eyes closed. I felt good about it, so I smiled, "Yes, that would be good. I think I can do that."
Quil, Billy, and Sue beamed at me, then Leah asked as she held Kim’s hand, “Little Mama, how are you feeling, really?”
I smiled, “I’m not where I need to be yet, by any means, but I feel better than I have for the last few days.”
I felt Sam nod, then Charlie smiled at me. Emily looked to Sue, "I need you and the girls to work out a meal plan for Bella. I want her eating full plates of food with a double shot shake every 4 hours, adding snacks in if possible. She’s off her feet until further notice."
Leah smiled, “Paul asked me to move with him into Sam’s old place, so I’ll be here to help Sam with the cooking throughout the day, as well as to help Bella with all of the restoration things.”
I smiled and thanked her, then Eva said, “And I’ll be in and out when Bella feels up for company, so I can get to know my future daughter-in-law.”
I choked out, "My goodness, Eva... he probably hasn’t even thought about asking me yet. We’ve only been together for a few days."
Sam laughed softly, “Oh, my little Beauty… if you only knew.”
I tried to hide the smile that came to my face, but I think Leah and Kim caught it. Leah winked at me, so I said quickly to change the subject, "Well, in any case, it would be nice to get to know you, Eva. You’re always welcome here." She smiled at me knowingly, then gave me a look that said ‘you aren’t fooling anyone’.
I was starting to get hungry again. I remembered the snack Leah had made yesterday. "Oooh, Leah. Can I have some of those peanut butter balls now, please? Pretty please… and a super-sized glass of milk?"
She laughed while making her way to the kitchen, then I asked the room in general, “Do we have an actual sketch pad and colored pencils here anywhere?”
Sue beamed at me before leaving the room for a minute, coming back with two brand new large sketch pads, a Cretacolor Monolith Graphite tin, as well as a large tin of artist quality Prismacolor Premier pencils. I gasped, but Sue said, "Charlie showed us the sketch you did of the bookcases for the study, Bella. We wanted you to have a proper place for your sketches, along with a way to really make them stand out. The ones you draw for the house can be used as examples, to show potential clients, as a sort of idea to reality type thing. This is our gift, from the elders to you."
I smiled as I hugged the pads and tins to me, knowing how expensive the items were, then whispered, “Thank you… so much.”
They smiled at me as I opened the Prismacolor tin carefully, to look at what was inside. I started memorizing all of the colors, noting that there was a good selection and looked easily blendable. I closed that tin, then opened the graphite set. I looked up at Emily, “Is it safe for me to use them?”
She smiled, “The amount of dust you’ll get from the pencils is minimal compared to what you’d get with the blocks or large sticks, right?”
I nodded, “I do get a small amount, but most of it’ll get blended into the picture with my fingers.”
She nodded, "Stick to the pencils, then. I think these are woodless, so you’ll have to test them out and make sure they don’t give off too much dust to blend. As long as you aren’t inhaling a bunch of excess, you’re fine."
I nodded, then as Leah set a huge plate of peanut butter balls down in front of me with a 32 oz cup of milk. "God, these look awesome, Leah. Thanks. Is this all of them?"
She shook her head, "No way. There’s ten times more out there in the fridge. I had to do something so I wouldn’t go crazy with worry, so there are two large containers of them in the fridge and 2 in the freezer."
I laughed, “Well then… I guess just maybe, possibly, we could let the boys into the open container now.”
Jared smiled before dashing off toward the kitchen, so I called out, “Only the container Leah took these out of… and you’ll share them with your imprints and the others, or I’ll string you up by your eyelids so you have to watch while they eat them without you.”
Everyone laughed as Jared and Paul called out, “Yes, Ma’am.”
Eva chuckled as Sam kissed my mark, "I like her, Sam. She knows how to keep these boys of yours in line."
I smiled, "They’ve already been warned about commenting on conversations they aren’t in the room for, picking up after themselves, and not dashing to the bar as soon as the food is laid out. It’s a miracle that none of the imprints or elders had been harmed before I came into the picture."
She gave me a disbelieving look, “You got them to listen… about food?”
I nodded, "I asked them how they would feel if it had been one of the other imprints that got caught in the middle when they were rushing… needless to say, the elders and other humans get their plates, the wolves tend to their imprints, then get their own food. They’ve been more attentive to ask if they need anything when they get back up, too. I’m very proud of their turn around."
Everyone smiled, then Jared came back in with paper plates and the large container. He asked who wanted some, and of course, everyone did. He handed out plates to everyone, then took the container around so everyone could put some of the peanut butter balls on their plates. I smiled when Jared sat on the floor in front of Kim, “Jared, you’ll make a good host when you and Kim get a house and have dinner get-togethers… and if you keep up those manners, you’ll be wooing the future in-laws off their feet.”
He looked down at his plate bashfully, then said, "Thanks, Bella. You really think so?"
I smiled, "I do, Jared. Nothing says respectable like manners, and when her parents see you continually making sure Kim is content before yourself, as well as being respectful to them, they’ll know you’re the right one for her… even though they can’t know about the imprinting. Think of it this way… If Dad wouldn’t have known about all this, Sam would have had to let Dad know, in a safe way, that he would always respect and love me. Can you think of a better way?"
He thought for a second then beamed at me, "Thanks, Bella. You always know how to explain things."
I chuckled, "No problem, Jared. I know it has to be tough with Kim’s parents not knowing, but you can tell them she’s it for you without revealing the secret. It doesn’t always have to be stressful around them."
He nodded, smiling up at Kim as I popped a peanut butter ball in my mouth.
I moaned as my eyes shot to Leah and widened, "Oh. My. God. Leah, these have to become like a staple in this house or something. Sam, taste this."
I placed one in Sam’s mouth as he opened it. He smiled widely as he chewed, then said, "They’re so good, Leah. She’s right."
Leah chuckled, "They’re super easy to make, too. We just need to keep the ingredients on hand, so when we get down to a certain amount, I can make more."
Between the large plate Leah made for me and the large glass of milk, my tummy was pleasantly full by the time Sam and I finished it. The problem was, I was starting to get sleepy again. I had just woken up, so I didn’t really want to go back to sleep, but Sam looked at me while saying, "You need to, Angel. You said yourself, you aren’t where you should be, yet."
I nodded, then said, "Emily, my prenatal vitamin. Am I still taking it while I have the hookup?"
She nodded, "Yes. Your results should be done, so let me check to see if we can unhook you. You can take your vitamin the next time you eat."
She left the room, then came back in a few minutes later, "Well, it looks like you’re going to be hooked up still. Your levels are still too low to unhook you, but you are ten times better than your original numbers across the board. Let’s give it another 24 hours on the fluids. We'll check you again around lunch tomorrow. If your levels are high enough tomorrow, we’ll cap off the PICC line, then go for 24 hours off the fluids, to make sure you don’t drop significantly. If you’re still good with that test, we’ll take the line out completely."
I nodded, then said, "Alright. Do I have time for a nap before I eat again?"
She nodded, "Sam will wake you when it’s time. The rest will make it easier on your body to finish healing."
I nodded and said goodnight to everyone, then Sam carried me and my IV stand up to bed.
I knew my fluids would need to be changed while I slept, so I climbed up on the bed, then asked Sam to make sure the line was closer to the bathroom. He looked at me questioningly, so I said, "I want you to hold me while I sleep… please. I need to feel your arms around me."
He nodded, placed the IV stand, then crawled onto the bed to lean back against the mound of pillows. I crawled up to straddle his lap, laying my head on his chest. He wrapped an arm around my hips as he stroked my back with his other hand. I melted into him.
After only a minute or two, Sam breathed, “Do you think it’s too soon?”
I lifted my head to look at him questioningly, so he whispered, “Do you think it’s too soon for me to ask you?”
I shook my head, “I don’t feel like it is, but I didn’t think you had thought about it yet.”
He nodded, "I love you so completely, Isabella. Of course, I’ve thought about it."
He kissed my lips softly before I hummed against his lips, "I love you, too, my Sam. I want to tie myself to you in every possible way."
He nodded as he smiled softly, “Then give me just a little bit of time, My Sweet Mate.”
I nodded and laid back down on his chest, then he stroked my spine softly as I drifted off to sleep.
Sam's POV
The smile and wink I saw Leah give Bella after my Mama mentioned us marrying... I knew Bella must have been smiling or blushing then. What didn’t make sense was her comment.
Does she not realize I would ask her in a heartbeat if I had a ring? Does she think it's too soon?
That’s why when we settled in bed for her nap, I took the opportunity to ask her. She told me that she didn’t think it was too soon, but that she thought I would think so. I had to reassure her that I had definitely thought about it, and I loved her so completely. My wolf wanted to howl with joy when she said she wanted to be tied to me in every possible way, but I settled for stroking her spine as she fell asleep on my chest.
I loved holding her like this. When I kissed her shoulder softly, I heard my Mama coming up the stairs. I whispered for her to come in when her light knock sounded on the door, then she smiled as she walked in. She pulled the chair up next to the bed after placing a stray piece of hair behind My Angel’s ear, saying, "She’s beautiful, Sam… and so caring. She sure knows how to keep those boys of yours in line, too."
I nodded as I kissed her shoulder again, then said, "Thank you for coming, Mama. I really did want to bring her to meet you, but it’s been so crazy since we met. Did they tell you how I met her?"
Mama smiled sadly, "Yes. I’ve been filled in by the others on what happened. Don’t you worry yourself about not bringing her to meet me. I just got worried when you didn’t show up like normal. When you still didn’t show up all night, I called Paul to see if everything was okay. He told me I should get here quickly, that he would explain when I showed up. Of course, I was out the door before my shoes were tied. When they explained everything, I thought my heart would break. I knew I had to let you know I was here for you, so that’s when I came up to the room."
I nodded, "I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you."
She smiled, then eyed Isabella’s stomach area as her smile widened, "So a Daddy, huh? You’re finally going to make me a Grandma?"
I chuckled softly, “Yeah, and you get two at once for waiting so long.”
She chuckled, "Quite the present, Sam. I’m glad you finally found your forever. Just tell me you’ve got a plan about proposing to this beauty."
I beamed and nodded, "I’ve already gotten Charlie’s permission and blessing. I’m just waiting for the girls to put their plan in order, to find out what style of ring she likes. I know she won’t want traditional, but other than that, I’m clueless. I already talked to Paul, too. He still wants to buy my place for him and Leah. I just need to get the realtor on the sale of the place. After it goes through, I’ll go pick out her ring from the tips Leah and Kim are able to give me."
She looked confused, then asked, “How are Leah and Kim going to help?”
I smiled, thinking about what Leah and I had talked about, then said, "Leah is going to tell Bella that she thinks Paul is going to ask her soon, as a way to look online at rings. Then they can feel around to see what Isabella likes while they look."
Mama chuckled, but I asked, “Would you go with me to find the right one?”
She gave me a watery smile, "Of course, My Son. It would be my honor to help you."
I nodded, kissed Isabella’s shoulder again as I continued to stroke her spine, then she said, "I can see the difference in her sleep from the last time. She looks so peaceful on your chest like that… almost like it’s keeping her grounded."
I nodded, "We both sleep better when she’s in my arms. We’re still in the first week, too, so it’s hard to be away from her at all. Thank God Charlie already knew about imprinting, because I don’t know what I would have done otherwise. We haven’t been apart since that night, and I’ve treasured every second of our time. The only times she's been out of my line of sight, I've still been within hearing distance."
Mama nodded, "Good. You take care of her, Sam. Don’t ever let her forget how much you love her."
I agreed, then Mama said, "I’m going to go home to get a few things for myself. I’ll be back in a little while if the offer is still open for me to take a guest room."
I smiled, "Of course, Mama. You’re more than welcome to stay. Have Paul or Jared drive you, please. You look too tired to stand on your own, let alone drive."
Mama nodded, kissed both Isabella and me on the top of the head, then ducked out of the room before closing the door quietly.
I closed my eyes, resting with My Angel in my arms until I heard Emily coming up the stairs. She whispered, "Sam? I need to change Bella’s IV fluids."
I whispered in reply, “Come in, Emily.”
She smiled at the sight of Bella sleeping on my chest, "She looks a lot pinker. The fluids are doing their job. It just might take a little while for the results to show."
I nodded as Emily started injecting the different nutrients into the new bag. Then she said, "Sam, I really want to see her put on weight. As she is now, as soon as those little ones start gaining weight, we may run into problems. That’s one of the main reasons I want her on bed rest. The more she eats and doesn’t burn off, the better it will be for her in the end. I want to see the weight difference on her physically. There are also different things I want her to do as soon as I see her gain a bit. She’ll need to start doing some things on a birthing ball, designed to help open her hips and pelvic area. The reason why is because she is so very tiny. As the babies gain weight, they will need more room. I don’t want them putting too much pressure on Bella. It’ll help with not only making more room during pregnancy, but making the labor and birth easier on her as well as the twins."
I nodded, “Sounds like her being so small could be a complication later in the pregnancy.”
She smiled sadly, but said seriously, "I don’t want to go there yet, but depending on how she does, we may need to limit her movement towards the latter part of her pregnancy. I’m hoping to get her to 36 weeks."
I frowned, asking, “Can they be delivered safely before then?”
She nodded as she hung up the new bag, then opened the new tube to change Bella's out, "Yes. It's not easy to tell when the earliest safe delivery could be made, though. The average human twin pregnancy lasts 35 to 37 weeks of 40, so if we can get her to week 34 of 38 in a wolf pregnancy, I think we’ll be doing well. I’d really like to get her to 36, though, so the babies can have a better chance to gain weight and lower the risk of complications for them. I'll be able to run heart and lung function tests closer to her due date, so if need be, she can be given booster shots that will help."
I thought through everything, then nodded, "So that gives us hopefully 30 to 32 weeks to get as much done on the house as we can -and get the nursery ready- all while keeping Isabella calm. I haven’t even shown her the study, yet. They did excellent work on it. The only thing Isabella needs to do is make the final pick on the stone for the fireplace and the beams for the ceiling, so they can be ordered. Then we wait for the furniture to get here."
She smiled widely, "Yes, it really looks stunning. All they had to do was strip the paint, right?"
I beamed at her, "Yeah. The speed heater didn’t take off the original varnish like they were fearing, and the paint came off without any problems. Let’s hope we have the same luck with the rest of the house. Did you see how beautiful the mantel was after the paint was all off?"
She smiled, "I just glanced into the room, but yes, it caught my eye immediately. It looks totally different, Sam."
I felt Isabella stir slightly, which caused Emily to look down at her watch. She nodded to me, whispering softly, “It's almost time.”
I smiled and thanked her, then she ducked out the door, closing it quietly behind her.