“I think—oh!” Her voice snuffed out, eyes widening. A splash of water hit the floor between her feet.
Sick dread struck his brain stem. No! No, no, no! “Selma?—”
“It’s only her water breaking. Your mate’s in labor.”
Only when Kirigan’s voice cut through his terror like a beacon of light did Kain realize his father had also come running at Selma’s pained cry.
“Labor?” he echoed, the word taking a second to thread through his riled nervous system. He looked back to Selma. “You’re in labor? Our son… He’s coming?”
She gave him a small smile, slowly straightening. “It would seem so.”
“Take your mate to your room. I’ll call the doctor for you.” Apparently losing interest once he realized Selma wasn’t in immediate danger, Kirigan turned away and walked back toward the library.
Kain pushed any thoughts of his father from his mind, his focus zeroing in on Selma. Gently, he grabbed her by the elbow. “Can you walk, my love?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. That contraction hurt like a bitch, though.” She looked down herself, grimacing at the wetness covering her legs and feet. “I need a shower.”
Kain frowned. “A shower? You’re in labor. You need to lie down.”
Selma rolled her eyes. “Yes, and I’m likely going to be for hours, as you’ll remember from the five books you bought on human pregnancy. I’ve got plenty time to shower.”
He remembered the frankly nonchalant attitude all five authors had displayed regarding the miracle of childbirth. He’d been dubious when he’d read it, and now, after hearing Selma cry out in pain? Yeah, hard pass.
He tugged gently on her elbow. “You need to conserve your energy, my love. Come, I’ll get you settled in bed while we wait for the doctor.”
“Kain!” Selma jerked her elbow from his grasp and gave him a scowl. “Stop it. I’m having a shower!”
She wasn’t thinking straight. Pregnancy hormones had made her increasingly temperamental over the past few months—it was only natural that labor would impair her ability to make rational decisions. It was his job as her mate to be her strength and guiding hand during the birth of their son.
Gently, he wrapped his arm around her round body, taking some of her weight and turning her toward the bedroom. “Shh, don’t worry, little one. I’ve got you. You’ll feel better once you lie down.”
Selma was still in the shower when the doctor arrived some twenty minutes later.
Reluctantly, Kain exited the bathroom where he’d been anxiously hovering while she cleaned herself, doing his very best not to pick her up and carry her to the bedroom where a laboring woman clearly fucking belonged. Her light might be burnt out from nourishing their son for the moment, but she’d made it abundantly clear what she’d do to him—and his balls—once it recovered if he tried to tell her how to be in labor one more time. He’d have taken the testicular pain if it’d meant getting her to see reason, but the risk of causing her any more stress if he forced the issue kept him from revolting.
The doctor was waiting in the hall.
Kain stopped at the top of the stairs, wound too tight to attempt the pomp and circumstance required of his newly acquired royal title. “What the fuck took you so long? My mate’s in labor!”
“My apologies, Your Majesty. I came as soon as your father called me. How far between her contractions?” The doctor sounded infuriatingly calm. He climbed the stairs, seeming in no rush.
“She’s only had the one.” Anxiety gripped his esophagus. “Does that mean something’s wrong? Stars, you have to help her!” Kain gripped the man by his upper arm and hauled him toward the bathroom.
“Not at all, Your Majesty. Early contractions are often sporadic and far apart?—”
A pained whine from the bathroom interrupted the doctor, and Kain stopped listening.
“Selma!” He barged through the door, still dragging the other man along, and found his beloved mate leaning against the shower stall wall, one hand clutching her bulging belly.
“It’s just a contraction, Your Majesty.” The doctor carefully extracted himself from Kain’s grip as Kain rushed to his mate’s side. “It’ll be over in a moment.”
Kain hovered anxiously over Selma, fighting the urge to scoop her into his arms. “Tell me what to do. How can I absorb her pain?”
“You can’t.” The doctor’s voice turned sharp. “She is in the process of creating life. Interfering with demonic magic risks catastrophic consequences for both your mate and son. We have to late the wonder of female nature run its course.”
“You want me to just watch her be in excruciating pain? And do nothing?” On some level, Kain knew the doctor wasn’t to blame for the destructive darkness of his magic. But seeing Selma keeled over, face screwed up in agony, and knowing he was the reason? There wan’t enough room inside him for logic.
“If she wishes, there are human measures of pain relief we can employ. But they are up to the queen to decide on.” The doctor smiled comfortingly as Selma straightened again, her breathing slowly settling down as the contraction seemed to have finally eased off. “That was the second?”
