Alexander: A Seventh Son Novel (McClains Book 1) Read online

  He groaned. “I thought they would just come for one week to make you better . . .”

  She laughed. “I’m still alive and so is the babe. Mother won’t leave until she knows that’s going to continue.”

  Leaning down, he kissed her softly. “I love you, wife. I love you so much.”

  “And I love you!”

  Three nights later in the middle of the night, Madelina woke with a cramp in her side. She lay there for a while and realized that the cramp was coming and going . . . every few minutes.

  She reached over and woke Alex. “You need to get my mother. We’re going to have a baby.” She felt the excitement and dread run through her in equal measures. With as difficult as her pregnancy had been, surely the birthing would be even harder.

  He sat up straight, his eyes wild by the light of the moon streaming in through the only window in the room. “Baby?”

  “Yes, baby! Now get my mama!” The man could move so fast when he wanted to, but now that she needed him to, he sat there dazed.

  After all the trouble she’d had with her pregnancy, she’d expected a long and difficult labor, but truly it was short and easy. She was sure the easy was her mother’s constant healing of her, and the short . . . well, maybe the short was God’s way of trying to make up for how difficult her early pregnancy had been.

  It was six short hours later when Marina led Alex and Charles into the room to meet the babe in Madelina’s arms. “This is Thomas,” Madelina said, a smile bright on her face.

  Alex sat carefully beside her on the bed, reaching down a finger to trace the baby’s cheek. “Thomas.”

  They all stood and stared at him for a minute as if they expected him to do something miraculous, and then Madelina laughed. “It’s not like he’s going to jump up and run about the room! Give him time!”

  That night, Alex and Madelina lay together in bed, and Alex pulled her close. “It’s nice to hold only you again and not the huge lump that was my son.”

  “It’s nice to only be me again. I was starting to think I would be the size of a house forever.” It felt strange to not have her child living inside her any longer, but not so strange that she wasn’t happy to breathe only for herself.

  “You were still one of the smallest pregnant women I’d ever seen.” He sighed contentedly. “Do you think we can go through this six more times?”

  “I really don’t see that we have a choice!” She smiled at him. “The babe makes it all worth it, though, doesn’t he?”

  “He does. My firstborn son.”

  “I will be so relieved when it’s our seventh born.”

  “Do you regret marrying into a family where you’d be required to have seven sons?” he asked, concerned.

  “Not at all. I’m just glad I have my mother so she can keep me healthy as I give birth . . .” Madelina snuggled close to him, closing her eyes. “I love you, Alex.”

  “And I love you, Lina.”

  Epilogue

  Madelina pulled the baby from her breast and laid him in the middle of her bed. Her seventh son, Robert, was her easiest child so far. He slept through the night. He was content to not be held. He waited while she dealt with his siblings when necessary. The child was practically perfect.

  She set her gown to rights and walked across the room to pick up his blanket that had somehow ended up on a table instead of in bed with him. Somehow meant that Letice had brought him to her. She was the big sister they’d known she would be. Already she was learning to be a good healer, and she was only thirteen.

  Just as she bent down to pick up the blanket, it flew through the air to the baby and covered him up perfectly.

  Madelina sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at the baby. “Did you do that?” They had once joked that mayhap the boys would get some of her power, but they had never actually expected it!

  She pulled the blanket off of him, put it on the foot of the bed, and looked at the baby again. Sure enough, he gave one little kick, and the blanket flew to cover him up.

  She ran to the door. “Letice! Get your father! Now!” Then she returned to the baby and took his blanket away again.

  Once again, he gave a little kick and grinned at her, the blanket landing on him just how he liked it. “You, my son, are going to surprise everyone. I had no idea you could do that!”

  Robert just grinned at her, obviously proud of what he’d done.

  Alex threw open the door, looking at her. “Letice said something was wrong!”

  Madelina shook her head. “No, not wrong, but close the door. I want you to see something.” She felt a little thrill run through her as she thought about his reaction to what the baby would do.

  He closed the door and stood next to her, looking down at the baby. “What do you want me to see? He looks just as he did an hour ago.”

  “He does. But an hour ago he wasn’t doing this.” She took the blanket off Robert and put it at the foot of the bed.

  Robert didn’t hesitate. He kicked and gave a little smirk, and the blanket settled over him again.

  Alex stared down at him for a moment, and then he sat down, too. “Did you do that?” he asked Madelina.

  “You know I don’t have that power. This is a power I’ve never seen!” She tugged the blanket to the foot of the bed once more, and this time the baby giggled as he kicked and the blanket fell onto him again.

  “We joked that the seventh son might inherit powers like your family, but . . . I never thought it could happen.” Alex shook his head. “Did you think it could happen?”

  “I didn’t. I just hoped my granddaughters would have powers.” She smiled at her husband. “At least we know he’ll never be cold.”

  “I hope he doesn’t get hungry in the night and try to bring you to him!”

  She laughed. “I don’t know how that would go over . . .” She turned to him. “We must ride out and tell Aunt Christiana. The whole family will be so excited! There’s never been a male with powers!”

  “It’s time then. Maybe he’ll be able to get his wife to behave.”

  She giggled. “I certainly wouldn’t count on it!”

  About the Author

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  Also by Kirsten Osbourne

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