“What does a heart of gold even mean, Kendra?” Artemis Landon asked as they discussed the issue again, confusion very much apparent in her green eyes as she played with her friend’s hair. “You think she meant it in the literal sense?”
Kendra shook her head as she pondered over the question, the same one that had been on hers and everyone else’s mind since news of her pregnancy had spread. “I honestly do not think so… that would just be preposterous, you know? Not to talk about being practically impossible.” She rubbed her rapidly protruding stomach fondly, “Perhaps Aphrodite meant one of my children would be kind-hearted?”
“Perhaps.” Artemis conceded, her eyes bright with amusement at Aphrodite’s cunning ways.
Three months had passed since Kendra and Killian’s union, and it had been nothing but absolute bliss… even though Aphrodite’s prophecy had had them thinking.
The grandiose ceremony had been an unforgettable one, with so much pomp and splendour that was unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon. Supernaturals from all walks of life had been invited to the occasion… dragons, fae, vampires, you name it. The mateship ceremony had equally been a chance to network and re-establish alliances just as much as it had been to celebrate the couple, and people had fully taken advantage of it, with Morganna being the number one champion. According to her, she had relinquished her hold on the human Queen and her kingdom, and a re-alliance among the supernaturals was very much necessary to better protect them against any future attack.
Want to know the funny part?
An elaborate ceremony was the last thing the Alpha and his Luna had wanted— they would have been content to have had a simple ceremony inviting just their friends from Dnakle and other places, but the higher powers involved had had a different viewpoint. Kendra actually did not know if she liked this newfound friendship that seemed to have been established between the two deities, especially when it seemed that she and Killian had played a huge role in making it happen.
At least the good part was that now, Selene and Aphrodite had left them alone for now.
She could focus on other pressing things. Like her pregnancy.
It still felt surreal— unbelievable.
You know, for the longest time, Kendra had not imagined that she would be a mother… and it was reasonable, she had not been very good with kids.
Until young Elinor came along, that is.
The wee pup had been a force to reckon with, stubbornly forcing her way into the former Beta’s hands, and then into her heart. Kendra had already started imagining how life would be like bearing Killian’s children thanks to Elinor and she had to admit, it had not sounded bad at all.
And now look at where they were.
Twins.
That did sound like a handful, but honestly speaking, it was something the young Luna was looking forward to with delight. If Kendra Sullivan-Silvercrest loved one thing as much as she did her mate, it most certainly was a challenge. They thrilled her to no end.
She really did look forward to this challenge.
On the other good side, Artemis was back in her life as well. She had devoted herself to touring the Axon ever since she left them, and now, she had promised she would not resume any of that until she had welcomed her godchildren into the world.
Kendra had really missed the red-haired she wolf, who had for a long time been her only female friend… and the sentiment was one that Artemis Landon held as well.
It had not really surprised her to hear of her friend’s nuptials considering that she had witnessed first-hand the absurdly strong connection between her and her mate. To be honest, it had been quite awkward seeing Killian in the first month of her return actually, considering that she had been his initial intended and all… but things had gone back to normal, and now they got along nicely.
It pleased the redhead to know that her friend had had people to support her through those perilous times that she had been gone, and that she had made some really nice friends in the process.
She had been introduced to a couple of them, and she had really hit it off with the Alpha of the Dnakle Pack, Aiyisha von Sterling, who had unfortunately only stayed for a week and then had to go back to her own pack.
One thing struck her in an amusing way—how at one point in time, she and Aiyisha had both had a fixation on Killian, and how now, they all got along so well that it was almost as though it never happened.
She found it very amusing.
But even she was quick to note that this had all happened because of Kendra—her kind, forgiving spirit, and her high level of tolerance and ability to recognise remorsefulness.
She really was a good friend.
“Mmm.”
Artemis's train of thought was broken by the painful moan that emanated from her friend’s lips, “Is everything okay, Ken?” She asked, worried.
“Yeah, yeah,” The Luna brushed her friend’s worries off. “Just a sudden contraction, that is all.”
“You have been getting those a lot lately, Kendra,” Artemis observed.
“Yeah, but I have three more months to go so…”
Artemis chuckled at that, handing Kendra a shiny stone so she could look at her reflection, “One would think you are due any minute from now with your belly looking like that,” She teased, laughing again when Kendra smacked her arm, “They are twins, let me be,” She huffed, rubbing her stomach fondly.
They were partly wolves, but everyone knew that werewolves gave birth using a cross between the human gestation period of nine months, and the wolf gestation period of three months, making six months in total—nevertheless, Kendra’s stomach was hugely daunting. She could have sworn that she stopped seeing her feet while standing upright at the second month, which was practically unheard of.
An ugly whale.
That was what Kendra felt like.
It did not matter that Killian did not think so… or that her body was undergoing all these changes to prepare for the magic that was childbirth. That was how she was feeling and she could not just let it go.
You want to know the interesting thing?
All the changes would not have bothered her if she was allowed to spar or at least go near the training grounds to watch. Killian—bless his soul— worried too much sometimes. She had been practically banned from going there in her first month, and she knew she had been lucky enough to make it that far and so she did not press. But of course that did not mean she did not miss it sometimes.
Another bout of sharp pain roused the Luna from her thoughts and into a standing position.
“Artemis, I think something is not right,” She managed to breath out shakily, her hands clutching her huge bump.
Artemis was momentarily stunned before she quickly got into action, screaming the entire packhouse down as she yelled for Killian and then gently dragged Kendra towards Maymunnah's wing.
****
Killian Silvercrest felt it before the mind link came through.
His mate’s unbearable pain.
Alpha, you need to get to Maymunnah’s wing immediately… it’s the Luna.
He was charging through corridors in record speed even before his Beta could finish the dreadful words, his heart heavy with worry.
What could possibly be wrong?
“Your mate is going into labor,” Maymunnah greeted him with the good news as soon as he roughly pushed her huge doors open. On one confortable and yet oddly shaped bed lay his Luna, eyes shut tight as her body wracked with pain. If the pain oozing into the mate bond was anything to go by, then the Alpha had no idea how his mate was still conscious, for she was really going through it.
He was by her side in a minute.
“What do we do to help her?” He anxiously asked the Seer slash healer.
“Hers is a weird case Killian… the earliest birth we have recorded is five months… she just barely entered her third.”
“FUCKING DO SOMETHING, MAYMUNNAH! CAN YOU NOT SEE THAT SHE’S SUFFERING?” In that moment, if Killian could have taken the pain upon himself, he would have done it in a heartbeat… anything to see his Luna relaxed and happy.
But alas, it was impossible.
“It will be too dangerous to cut her up…” Loisha, a new apprentice practicing healing under Maymunnah chipped in. By now, Kendra’s eyes were cerulean, her wolf fully sharing the pain of childbirth with her as she yelled for someone to get her out of her misery. Artemis, who normally was a tough one, could not bear to see the distress her friend was in. She fled the huge chambers in a rush, tears flowing from her eyes.
So this was it.
The famous process of chilbirth.
The one that Margery and the other mothers had assured her was a woman’s most beautiful moment.
There was nothing nice about this? Fighting for your life while feeling like you were being ripped in two?
There was nothing beautiful about it at all.
In her distress, she felt Killian reach for her hand… felt his touch ease some of the pain, but whatever relief she had felt was only temporary. She felt a sudden warm wetness pool in her drawers, the realisation making her eyeballs widen in fear. “Maymunnah, I—I think I am bleeding, p—please don’t make me lose my babies,”
But Maymunnah only let out a sigh of relief after she was done checking the she wolf. “You are not bleeding child,” She proudly announced, “Your water just broke, and you are already set for pushing,”
She had barely finished her statement when another wave of contractions hit the young she wolf, forcing her to sit up, her stomach clenching at the action.
Killian stood by her side through each wave, comforting her with his presence and urging her each step of the way.
The first child came out smoothly— easily. Never had Maymunnah witnessed such a swift birth. A bouncy baby boy with his father’s hair and his mother’s skin and super healthy lungs made for bawling. Killian felt his throat constrict as he and Kendra held onto the child for skin to skin contact, tears of joy flowing freely from their faces.
It all made sense now.
Motherhood.
But Kendra had no time to process that thought… for the contractions quickly started up again, this time even worser than the first.
“Get more pain soothing herbs,” Maymunnah ordered Loisha, “This one’s going to be a tough one.”
Over three hours had passed with no second baby, and Kendra was losing strength by the minute. “I—I cannot do it again, I want this to end,” She wailed helplessly.
Killian wisely held his tongue this time, having experienced the sharpness of her tongue in one instance… but even he knew not to take any of her ramblings to heart, knowing that it was mostly the pain talking, but he just did not want to do something to aggravate her even more.
“May I humbly suggest something,” Loisha timidly asked when they all seemed stuck, trying to come up with something that could help.
“Out with it already woman,” Killian hissed softly, not wanting to wake the babe peacefully sleeping in his arms.
“Maybe we can get her to shift into her wolf form?” She gulped shakily, highly intimidated by the Alpha’s presence.
“Go on,”
“A gestation period of three months is most certainly wolf birth, so if we could get her to shift, perhaps she will find this much easier.”
“Alright, let’s do it,” Killian decided… he was going to do anything it took to get his wife out of her misery. Handing the babe to Maymunnah, he scooped Kendra up from the bed and gently lay her on the ground, sheets and all. His transformation into his wolf form was a quick one, and then he was licking her all over, his wolf silently urging her to turn as well. The moment was very intimate, but the two she wolves stared keenly, wanting to observe their patient. Finally, Kendra shifted into her wolf form as well, lying on her side in a tired motion.
“I can see a snout!” Loisha’s excited squeal got them all into action. Killian nuzzled his mate some more, urging her on, and Maymunnah got down to help the tired she-wolf. Within minutes, she had a wee pup in her arms.
“It is a girl.” She proudly beamed, her wrinkled face lighting up as she lay the young pup at her father’s feet. Tears stood in Kendra’s wolf’s eyes as it took some very much needed rest. Killian’s wolf did the honors of licking the young one clean.
When he was done, they all stared at the sleeping pup in horror and sheer amazement.
She was covered in bright, golden fur.