The Broken Wolf
Chapter 156

I laid down on the bed in a failed attempt to rest for a bit, but it was hopeless as my contractions have continually increased. Seth has been kind and held me, but I think that’s partly to reduce the pain he’s feeling.

The fight is not going well, I can tell. Seth hasn’t left me once, so I’m not sure he actually knows what’s going on either, but it’s written all over their faces when they come in. I haven’t seen Benjamin or Michael in a while, but I can still smell them. I’m fairly sure that Oliver has banned them from entering the room.

A wave of pain from a contraction comes again bringing me to tears as Seth holds me tightly gently trailing his fingers up and down my arm. “I’m just so tired,” I say as it finally passes, leaving me feeling wrecked. “I know, Love. I know.”

“They’re every 30 seconds now,” Lilly says. “It can’t be too much longer.”

I nod, sitting up and leaning forward, trying to replace some relief. I stand and walk across the room, stopped by a contraction and continue the pattern a few times. Each time, Seth holds me up, letting me relax against him.

The fighting outside has moved close enough that I can hear it now. I’m sure Seth can as well, but he’s not letting it show. He hasn’t flinched or looked away. He’s just continued to be a steady source of comfort for me. I want to ask how my family is or if he knows anything at all, but I know I need to be focused on getting the pups here safely.

I’ve given up all hope that Sofia will be able to get here as things seem so bleak. This is not how I envisioned giving birth, but it is a small comfort that at least one of my mothers is here to help.

Benjamin knocks on the door and Lily cracks it, not letting him in. “Lily, we need you.”

“Not right now” she says in a hushed voice. “It’s almost time.”

“Now,” he responds sternly. “Your help is necessary.”

I can’t see him, but I can see her face fall.

“I’ll be right there,” she says, but she looks absolutely terrified. She steps out the door and, to my surprise, Michael walks in. He must have shifted at some point as he walks in wearing jeans, no shirt or shoes and looks an absolute mess. It’s a stark contrast to how he always appears so put together.

“I’m sorry, Princess,” he says shyly. “I need to remain in the room now.” I nod slowly as he closes the door behind him and walks over to the window, looking out through a crack in the curtains as I had those months ago.

“Seth,” I whine as a contraction hits again. “They just feel so heavy. I think I need to push.”

His face turns white and his eyes widen, but he nods at me slowly. “Alright, Love. I’m going to call Sofia.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the phone, quickly calling her and placing her on speaker.

“Hey, Molly,” she says softly. “How are you holding up?”

“She said she may need to push,” Seth tells her, not giving me the chance to speak for myself.

“Alright,” she says. “Your water broke, correct?”

I go to answer her, but another contraction hits. I kneel down on the floor for comfort, trying to breathe through the pain but I just feel so exhausted.

“It did,” I hear Seth tell her and I feel an intense amount of pressure. “I got everything together that you told me to.”

“Good,” she says.

“It’s so quiet there,” I say, realizing that there’s no other noise coming across the phone. “Is everyone alright?”

“Your brother had me locked in the safe room when you went into labor,” she says, a hint of a smile to her voice.

I manage a small smile, knowing that my brother was giving up a lot by locking his pack doctor in the safe room during an attack- again. Truthfully, I’m not sure anyone is more excited about the pups arrival than Robbie is.

“Molly, we’re going to listen to your body. You’re leading this,” Sofia says and I nod. “When you feel like you need to push, then you’ll push during the next contraction. Sit, lay, squat- do whatever feels more natural. Seth will help you. I’ve talked to him about catching the baby. Alright, Mamma?”

“OK,” I say, feeling another contraction. I move around so I’m sitting up on my knees now, my pants having been long gone after my water broke. It hurts, a LOT.

“Don’t push when the contraction stops, Love,” Seth says, kneeling down with me and putting his arms under my elbows. Another contraction hits and I lean into him, him basically holding me up as I push.

“This can take some time, Molly,” I hear Sofia say. “I’m sure you’re doing great. Just listen to your body.”

“OK,” I say, my voice quivering. An eerie silence falls all around us and I look at my mate, who seems just as confused as I am.

“Benjamin was going to have your mother do a protection spell around the house,” he says. “He was trying to avoid it, but decided to until the babies are out.”

I nod, looking up to Seth who k****s my forehead. “It’s fine, Love. You can’t rush nature. Just take your time,” he tells me, leaning me back and releasing me so he can take off his shirt. “Sorry, I, umm… I’m hoping more contact will help with the pain I’m feeling.”

I can’t help the giggle that escapes at that. My big, strong, Prince of Werewolves taking his shirt off because MY labor pains are hurting him. I’m about to make a joke about it, but another contraction comes and I lean into him, wrapping my arms around his neck as I push, letting out a noise that I’m not even sure how one would describe.

“I’ve got you,” he says softly in my ear and I nod against him as the pain intensifies.

The contraction passes and I reach down, pulling off Seth’s shirt that I’m still wearing. It just feels constricting and like it’s holding me down, which I recognize seems absurd, but I don’t feel emotionally stable at the moment. I lean back against the side of the bed, taking a few deep breaths.

“Can I have my water?” I ask, tears falling down my cheeks.

Seth doesn’t move, but Michael does, grabbing it from the night stand and bringing it to me. “Here, Princess.”

“Thank you,” I tell him, surprised at his actions, but thankful for them.

Another contraction comes upon me, and another, and another. I become so frustrated that I can’t safely deliver my babies as a literal battle is raging outside the house.

The noises outside have slowly returned, causing Michael to become more and more alert to the outside again. He’s returned to the window and I have noticed that he’s peeking less, and now just watching outside it.

Seth gently reaches up and cups my cheek, directing my face to look at him. “We can’t do anything about what is happening outside, Love. It’s you, me and the pups. That’s all we can control right now.”

“I can’t control that,” I say, frustrated. “I can’t get them out.”

“Molly, you’re doing well,” Sofia says across the phone. “It’s only been twenty-five minutes since you started pushing. I’ve delivered babies where it takes over an hour. You’re doing great, it just feels overwhelming.”

“Just a few more pushes,” Seth whispers in my ear. “Then we’ll be parents. You can hold your daughter and son. I wonder who they will look like.”

I nod, leaning back up as another contraction comes and I push with all the strength I can.

“Baby Andrew is going to be obsessed with you,” He says softly to me and I lean against him, taking a breath. “The kingdom will expect so much from him from so early, but you’ll hold him close and take the weight from him. You’re going to be the best mother.”

Suddenly, the noise outside comes back at an almost deafening volume. There’s growling and thuds outside and I look at Michael, who looks so very tense as he watches out the window.

“You can do it, Love,” Seth tells me again as I push and feel like I’m on fire, but I push through the excruciating pain. Instinctively, I reach down and feel a tiny little head finally on the outside of my body.

“The head is out,” Seth says and I realize he’s talking to Sofia, not me.

“Do NOT push,” she says sternly. “Seth, you’ve got to check the neck, just like we talked about.”

He nods, and moves his hands to my h**s, gently tilting me as he’s looking. “I can’t see.”

“Molly, next contraction you need to push, but if Seth tells you to stop, you must. Do you understand?” she asks.

I look at Seth and nod at him. “Now,” I tell him and push again. I try to move my hands over for him to see.

“It’s clear,” he says, a huge smile on his face as he moves back up. I lean into him once more and can feel a shoulder come out.

“There’s a shoulder,” I tell Sofia.

“That’s great,” she exclaims and I can hear her smile. “One more push. Once the other shoulder is out she should be good.”

“One more,” Seth tells me with a smile, placing a k**s on my forehead as I lean into him, pushing again. I put every emotion I’ve felt today into this push- all the anger over being safe, over having to deliver without a doctor, the pain I’ve endured- all of it as I attempt to remove it, and my daughter, from my body.

I feel her other shoulder and continue to push as she comes right out, now. Seth’s hands are right there, helping guide her out and into my hands. Once she’s safely in my arms, I pull her up and cradle her against my chest as I hear a loud cry. I feel energy wash over us quickly, going out into the world as, finally, I have a baby here.

I look at the beautiful baby girl, as she cries loudly, looking up at me with her matching green eyes. I sit back, sagging into the side of the bed, exhausted. “Hi,” I tell her, sobbing as I look up at Seth who is reaching a hand out. Gently, he runs his large finger down her chubby little cheek as she calms..

“Molly,” he says, tears falling down his cheek. “She’s so beautiful. She looks just like you.”

There’s a knock at the door and I can smell that it’s Oliver. Michael must, as well, as he crosses the room, cracking the door and whispering something that I don’t even try to hear, too enamored by my sweet Cora.

Oliver pushes his way in and I look up. He’s got a huge smile on his face that, somehow, grows even bigger as his eyes land on the sweet girl in my arms. “Oh, Molly,” he says to me. “I don’t know what you did, but you knocked so many out and the rest just fled. The warriors are chasing them out and restraining the others.”

“What?!” I say, shocked. “It was Lily, not me.”

He shakes his head and walks over, taking a seat on the floor next to me. “Lily is fine, but she is unconscious from holding the spell so long. It happened and a few seconds later, I heard this little lady yelling. It was you.”