Chapter 34
POV: Cain
1 month later….
The room was illuminated by candlelight, since artificial lighting would be too harsh on Kiera during labor.
Her screams echoed through the entire room—loud and fever-filled.
Mia stood at her side, using a washcloth to cool Kiera’s sweat-ridden body, starting at her forehead, then down to her neck line.
I stood on the opposite side of Kiera, grasping her hand softly, and watching as she writhed in pain.
It’s been 10 hours since Kiera went into labor—10 painful hours that droned on and on and on, and her pain only seemed to worsen.
I squeezed her hand, letting her know that I was here and I wasn’t going anywhere. “It’s okay, Kiera, breathe—baby, breathe.”
Kiera looked up at me with wide blue eyes. But her eyes weren’t the normal shade of bright blue that I was used to. They looked dull—even gray.
I squeezed harder, desperate to see a flash of brightness or light instead.
But the gray still remained as she looked up at me, clenching her jaw in pain and tightly closing her eyes.
“Cain,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and shaky.
“I’m here. I’m here baby,” I replied, squeezing her hand harder and bending lower to wipe her hair from off of her forehead. Her forehead was so sweat ridden that it practically stuck there.
She murmured something indescribable under her breath, as her eyes threatened to close again.
But as if she was using all of the energy left inside of her body, she fluttered them half open again just to look at me.
“The pain,” she mumbled, the words low and jumbled. “It’s bad, Cain.”
I shifted onto my knees to meet her at eye level. “I know baby, I know.” My wolf howled inside of me, feeling the pain of his mate as if it was his own. “It’s going to be okay, Kiera. You’re going to be okay. Just keep pushing.”
She tried, Goddess she tried. She really did.
I could see it in the way she scrunched her nose, and the way her breathing escalated in soft, sudden spurts. And the way she groaned in pain—the sound was deafening.
I glanced over at Mia then, hoping to see faith in her eyes but saw something else in place. Fear.
Mia lifted a glass to Kiera’s lips, encouraging her to drink water. Kiera didn’t reject it, in fact she drank the entire glass in almost one gulp.
The sound of the glass being set onto the nightstand was tumultuous. And it only made my mind quake more.
I glanced towards her belly, towards the life inside of it—the very thing that was causing my mate—my life so much pain.
The words fell out, soft and uncertain. “Keep pushing, baby. You got this.”
Kiera nodded.
But the movement seemed to draw every ounce of strength from her.
She drew a deep, shuddering breath and pushed once more—every muscle in her body trembling with the effort.
And it pained me to watch her like that, but I didn’t look away—I couldn’t bring myself to do so.
I felt every ounce of my mate’s pain coursing through me, as though my own body bore the burden alongside her.
Glancing up, clutching Kiera’s hand as I did, Mia waved me over to the corner of the room.
As I walked, each step was heavy—heavy with thoughts of the unknown—heavy with the pain of seeing her like that—heavy with the responsibility for my pack.
I stared at Kiera in the distance, my eyes refusing to look away, not even when Mia spoke. “Alpha.”
I refused to look away.
Mia continued, “A choice might need to be made if things do not progress.”
The words made me feel numb.
I couldn’t make sense of them, and deep down, I knew that I didn’t want to.
I didn’t turn to look at her. Instead I just stood there, watching her writhe in pain, running a hand over her stomach and using her other to grip the sheets.
A tear fell down my cheek and I didn’t wick it away, instead I welcomed a flood of them.
And when I turned towards Mia, there was a hollow sadness in her gaze. She took my hand in hers and squeezed it. “This is not an easy choice, yet it falls to you and you alone. But as Alpha—you know that you must bear the weight of it regardless.”
I choked back a sob, wiping away the tears falling down my face, trying to dry it but it never fully dried. So, instead I just lived with the wetness. “I can’t, Mia—”
“But you might have to, Alpha,” she said quietly.
“I can’t choose—” I said, almost loud enough for Kiera to hear. I glanced back at her twisting in pain on the bed.
“I know,” Mia whispered softly, “I know what I'm asking of you is impossible for you to understand. But you need to prepare yourself.”
I let out a rushed breath, struggling to breathe properly as I inhaled another gust of air and tried to think rationally. But there was nothing rational about this.
“Her body is confused—” Mia went on. “Confused about the baby inside of her. Its strength might be too much for her body. I feel it now,” Mia’s tone went to a hushed whisper. “I feel her weakening, Alpha.”
Her words dug into me—burrowing inside of me—in the worst way, tearing me apart from the inside.
And my wolf only howled louder—terrified of losing his mate. Forever.
“Stop,” I said, my eyes flashing gold, towering over her. “I’m not going to decide. Ensure that she and the baby live, do whatever you must!” I yelled, slamming my hand into the wall and punching a hole through the drywall. “I need air,” I replied, grasping the handle of the door, nearly breaking it as I slammed it down behind me and fell to the ground in agony.
Goddess—I cannot lose her—I cannot lose my mate.
Goddess—give her strength. Goddess—-ensure her survival. Goddess—protect my mate and our baby. L