Outside of me, they could be taken. They could be hurt. They’d survived so long against all the odds because my body and my magic shielded them.
Those were the fears I couldn’t hide from my mates, couldn’t make myself escape. But I told myself there was nothing to worry about. Not with my mates around me. Not when I had them.
“That’s it,”Elias cooed, sitting behind me on the bed. “You’re doing well, Angel. You’re almost there.”
Adrian smoothed a hand down my calf from where he held my leg so I could brace against him. My other foot was in the hands of Xerxes. I could ignore the slight discomfort of my mates watching my vagina be torn apart by their children, especially with the dulled waves of pain coursing through me.
Who needed the good drugs when you had mates who could absorb your pain for you?
Arthur kneeled beside me, my hand trapped between his, allowing me to squeeze the absolute hell out of his fingers as another contraction ripped me apart.
“Okay,” the demon midwife said. “I see baby number one’s head. You’re going to need to push on the next contraction, Ivy. Then let your body do the rest.”
I was fucking exhausted. I was terrified. My heart raced with every ounce of fear I felt. But I also couldn’t help the flood of warmth over knowing that soon, I was going to finally meet my babies.
Even if they were coming one at a time.
Oh, Goddess, why hadn’t I said yes to the c-section?Because you wanted to be the one to hold them first, I reminded myself.
Right. Fear won that battle, and now I was suffering the consequences. I just hoped I wouldn’t tear.
“You’ve got this,” Thea murmured from my other side as she wiped my brow with a wet cloth. “Okay? Just give the others all your pain. They can handle that. Focus on bringing my babies into the world.”
I snorted, breaths shaky. “Yours?”
“Absolutely.” She grinned, wagging her brows. “Come on. I’m your best friend.”
She had no idea how much I appreciated her being here. Having her by my side meant more than anything. I knew I would always have my mates—we were stuck together now, firmly bound by our history and our marks. But my best friend?
That was a link I couldn’t lose, a power no one could take from me.
And I so badly needed her strength, her confidence right now as I almost lost myself to the pain.
Another wave of agony hit me, and as soon as it did, I felt it slip away. In the back of my mind, I heard the midwife tell me to push, and with Elias as my strength, I pushed.
Everything in me went fuzzy for that moment; the sound of encouragement from my mates dulled, my vision blurring. There was only me and the pain and the feeling of literally being ripped open.
Then sharp clarity and wailing.
Baby wailing.
I slumped into Elias and sobbed as the midwife clamped the umbilical cord and cut it, handing my baby off to Maeve. Through bleary, tear-filled eyes, I watched as she took the wailing, grey baby from the midwife, a blanket quick to go around it.
My vampire mate met my stare with a soft smile as she brought the crying infant to me, her hesitance and worry so heavy through the bond. But with it was love. So much of it. “Here,a mhuirnín. Your son.”
A boy. The sobs grew more painful as she passed me my little boy. Over the smell of blood and other bodily fluids, I could tell my boy was Adrian’s. Eventually, according to my mates, his scent would shift to be his own, but right now as I breathed him in, I could smell the faintest hint of peppermint and a small mix of coconut.
The pain became non-existent as Maeve and Thea helped me move him onto my bare chest. The moment our skin touched, he quietened, his cries softening.
Adrian released my foot, passing off the job to Rowan, and crawled onto the bed to sit with Thea. “Is he…”
I met Adrian’s stare with a smile. “Our son.”
My mate ran a trembling hand over the baby’s back, the touch light. “He’s beautiful. You’re beautiful. I’m so proud of you.”
Our bond turned a bright, burning gold as he watched our boy settle, his little fingers kneading my chest. Around me, all my mates seemed to brighten with an intense dose of love.
I could get drunk off their adoration and pride. Could drown in how much they loved not just me, but the baby in my arms.
