Fang Baby: Dr. Gabriella Van Court Book 2

By Tanya Goodwin

When Gabriella Van Court, covert vampire emergency room doctor, fell in love with and married mortal colleague, Max Cade, she broke all vampire rules. Or so she thought...until she discovers she is pregnant with their hybrid baby.

When her pregnancy progresses at an unprecedented pace, Gabriella and Max are stunned, not to mention having difficulty explaining this to mortals, especially to her obstetrician.

But Gabriella and Max and their vampire family can't wait for baby Maxine's debut.

Gabriella's labor and Maxine's birth are well...unique. However, the instant Maxine arrives, Gabriella and Max are "over the moon" with their daughter.

Discovery of the hybrid child"s birth sparks interest among the Old World European vampires, including their evil ruler, who has his own plans for the special child.

That Gabriella is the child's mother is a win-win for him. After Gabriella had killed his predecessor, he has an axe to grind with her.

When Gabriella and Max discover the malevolent king has taken hostage not only their precious daughter, but also their dear friend and babysitter, they rush to rescue both. Gabriella and Max will risk anything and everything to have Maxine in their arms again, hoping upon hope they're not too late.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tanya Goodwin
• Release date: Jan 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370774388

Tanya Goodwin

Tanya Goodwin writes romantic suspense with a twist of medicine, medical romance, and mystery. Her experiences as a physician are reflected in her characters and in her stories. Tanya is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Medicine and completed her specialty training as an obstetrician and gynecologist in Tampa, Florida. A former New Yorker, she now resides in St. Petersburg, Fl. Her present life as a traveling doctor allows her to switch from stethoscope to keyboard. Tanya is a member of Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.

Book preview

FANG BABY - DR.GABRIELLA VAN COURT BOOK 2

by

TANYA GOODWIN

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2018 by Tanya Goodwin

DEDICATION

I’d like to to thank my family, including my pet children: Callie the cat, and paw keyboard typist, Tom and Jerry, my rescue beagles who slept a lot during the course of this book, and my dearest, late Nicky, who I miss immensely and who was my steady companion and canine editor. A shout out to my awesome cover artist, Rae Monet, and the best editor on the planet Earth, Faith Freewoman. And equally important, thank you to my reader fans who have enjoyed the Dr. Gabriella Van Court series, and all the new fans of my vampire doctor!

CHAPTER ONE

GABRIELLA picked up the gift-wrapped box and shook it. The baby rattle design wrapping paper crinkled as loud as rocket fire in her vamp-sensitive ears, and she winced.

Ooh, stop it! Barbara cried out while wiggling her red-polished, talon-length fingernails next to her ears.

Gabriella had reluctantly turned Barbara from a depressed, mortal waitress into a vampire, albeit at Barbara’s soulful behest. But the moment Barbara married her Uncle Claude, Gabriella stepped down as Barbara’s progenitor and hence mistress. Since then, they’d become not only vamp relatives, but also the best of vamp friends.

Annabelle, the only other vamp and guest present at the baby shower, wrinkled her nose, pressed her hands to her ears, and shook her head.

Gabriella carefully steadied the package on her lap to avoid further excessive rustling.

That one’s from me, Barbara said, proudly pointing to the gift Gabriella was poised to open.

Barbara, being only two vampire months old, was the youngest vampire among them, but she was also the closer to mortal ways than everyone else. Hosting this baby shower was her idea. No one else but Gabriella’s mortal husband, Max, knew a thing about baby showers.

As an ER doc, Gabriella took care of mortal patients—and occasionally secret vamp ones. However she didn’t socialize with mortals. And since she was one hundred eighty years old, and from southern France, she hadn’t a clue of what went on at these events called baby showers, and had been extremely unwilling to find out until thankfully, Barbara informed her there was no water involved.

Barbara clapped. Open it! Open it!

Okay.

Gabriella arched her brows and slid the pink satin ribbon off the gift and then, gently, and quietly, peeled away the wrapping paper. Barbara, and most importantly Max, already told her pink was the traditional for girls.

Gabriella and all the other vamps, with their penetrating eyes, already knew she and Max were having a girl—a hybrid girl. Gabriella kept track of her special daughter-to-be, stealing away every chance she got during her night shift to peek at an ultrasound view of her baby. In spite of the odd circumstances surrounding the conception, so far her bundle of joy growing exponentially inside of her looked like any other fetus. At least that was reassuring.

Gabriella opened the box and stared at the strange, assorted pastel mini-suits none in standard vampire black.

Uh…thank you, Barbara.

They’re called onesies.

Ah.

Barbara elaborated, You slip the baby inside of it and snap her in. They’re six-to-nine-months size. The saleslady suggested I get them a bit larger, just in case.

Gabriella widened her eyes at Barbara and Annabelle, while all three of them busily read each others’ speculations about the big question—what was Gabriella and Max’s special baby going to look like once she made her debut in not only the vamp world, but in the mortal one as well?

The birth of a vamp/human hybrid child was unprecedented—that they were aware of, at least—and based on the way Gabriella’s belly bulged ahead of schedule, an infant size six-to- nine months might be too small.

I’ve saved the receipt, so…uh…I can always exchange the onesies for a different size, or perhaps something different altogether, Barbara quickly interjected, stumbling over what she clearly intended to be reassuring.

Absolutely, Annabelle agreed.

Gabriella smiled past her fangs at Barbara. I think they’ll be perfect! Thank you so much for everything.

Barbara nodded and winked. You’re welcome.

Gabriella set aside the box of onesies.

Mine next, Annabelle caroled.

It was the only present left, but Gabrielle lifted up the wicker basket, and with a broad smile, showed it off. Wow! What could this be?

Annabelle was half of Gabriella’s vampire years, and her gift reflected that. She was a bakery owner before she was turned, so the kind of basket which she used to use to transport baked goodies made perfect and whimsical sense.

Very creative packaging, Barbara said.

Thank you, Annabelle replied.

Gabriella removed the linen cloth covering the basket and peered inside.

Oh, my! She pulled out a red satin bib with bats embroidered across it, a stuffed doll with black yarn hair and tiny fangs peeking between its red lips, and a patchwork baby quilt with appliqués of stars and moons stitched into the squares. These are exquisite. You made all these by yourself?

Yes. I found the material and my embroidery hoops in a chest in my attic. Since I’ve moved so often for so many years, I had forgotten they were there. Annabelle shook her head and smiled. I had to keep cutting my fingernails so I could maneuver the needle.

Barbara pouted. They are, indeed, lovely.

Gabriella cocked her head toward Barbara. Barbara, the onesies are wonderful, too. She picked up the onesies and showed them off again.

But they’re not handmade.

You went to the store, probably near closing time, sought the opinion of a human, and wrapped your gift beautifully.

Barbara quirked her mouth. The saleslady wrapped it.

But you chose them. And you’ve thrown this lovely party for me.

Baby shower.

Yes, baby shower. And I’m very grateful to you, and to Annabelle for the gifts.

Gabriella set the gifts on the living room table and lifted her hands. What’s next for our baby shower?

Max and Uncle Claude walked into the house, along with her dearest friend KL, plus Marcus…now a vamp nurse…and little Michael, who was perpetually eleven years-old. The men had escaped to the porch to avoid being contaminated by the frilly goings-on.

KL looked at Barbara. What’s with the pout? And dearest…your hair?

I’m not in the mood for you to criticize my hair. What’s wrong with how I’m wearing it?

KL put his hands on his hips and rolled his translucent blue eyes. Nothing.

KL had been the co-parent to Barbara since her feral days. He shot right over when Gabriella needed him to help her handle her first debacle at turning a human, ditching his fling with his prince of radiology mortal donor, and he’d become very protective of Barbara, as any parent would.

And the hair thing? That was just KL. He was as colorful as his chosen name, King Louis. After all, he couldn’t work in the hospital lab with King Louis on his ID badge, so everyone just got used to calling him KL.

Gabriella shook her head at him, admonishing him for picking on Barbara, who was already teetering on the verge of an outburst of self-pity.

All right, all right, KL sent his vamp telepathic apology to Gabriella.

Tell it to our Barbara, Gabriella pinged back.

KL scooted next to Barbara and stroked her blond tresses. On second thought, I do like it worn down this way.

Barbara grinned, her fangs protruding past her frosted pink lips, a shade KL had taught her was very becoming.

Michael sat at Annabella’s knees. Forever stuck in boyhood, with his whole family dead decades ago, he clung to the only adopted parent he knew.

Gabriella smiled at the two of them. But then her smile melted and she pressed her lips tight, panic consuming her. What if her baby became frozen in infancy?

Uncle Claude interrupted her runaway thoughts. He licked his fangs and looked around hopefully. Now that you ladies have wrapped up this shower thing, can we eat? I’m starved.

Baby shower, Barbara corrected him.

All right, baby shower. But before we grab a bite, we better get Max warmed up. His teeth have been chattering for the past half hour.

Max stood in the corner of the living room rubbing his arms, his chattering teeth echoing in Gabriella’s ears.

Since he was the only mortal, while the vamp men remained unfazed by the late November cold of Dedham, Massachusetts, he was nearly frozen.

How could she have forgotten about him, out there and vulnerable?

Gabriella grabbed the throw blanket from the sofa and raced toward Max, her feet floating above the floor. She tossed the blanket across his shoulders and wrapped it around him, hugging him to her.

Honey, I’m sorry you’ve been out in the cold all this time. You should have stayed inside with us.

Max leaned away from her, looking jokingly aghast, while he pulled off the blanket and insisted, I’m fine.

Men, whether mortal or vampire, never checked their egos at the door.

She let it go. That he continued to be the only mortal at their vamp get-togethers had to be hard on him. But despite his ongoing pleas for her