Chapter 24

A week passed, and the atmosphere was a strange mix of tension and tranquility.

I admit, I was a bit stir-crazy. While Jekia was busy meeting with the other rulers at the palace and checking on the villages, I was stuck within the palace grounds.

They told me it was for my safety, that I was safest there.

But I was getting antsy, and the increasing pressure in my pelvis wasn’t helping. It was uncomfortable and seemed to get worse every day.

So, I decided to keep myself busy by making sure everything was ready for my babies when they arrived.

I spent hours in the nursery, tidying up and admiring all the little things in there.

Edifel would laugh at me, saying that my nesting was a sure sign that I was close to giving birth.

That was all well and good, but I was getting impatient with the discomfort. Plus, I was worried about what was happening outside the palace grounds.

Jekia and Sage didn’t want to tell me, but there had been more attacks from the lycans, and several other creatures had been caught helping them.

Jekia had killed those lycans, but there was still no sign of Kamelle. At least, that’s what Emelio told me. He was kind enough to be honest with me.

This worried me, especially for my children.

Kamelle clearly didn’t want me to have them, and even if the palace grounds were supposed to be safe, I didn’t want my children to be stuck there for most of their young lives.

These thoughts consumed me as I lay on my side in bed, trying to rest. Despite the late hour, both my body and mind were restless.

Jekia was lying next to me, sleeping soundly. I watched his chest rise and fall gently. He had been exhausted when he came back to the palace that evening.

He had been dealing with the interrogations of the prisoners with the other three rulers, and his recent fights with the lycans were taking a toll on him.

Because of this, Sage had suggested that he handle these things so Jekia could rest.

Jekia wasn’t thrilled with the idea, but he agreed when Sage pointed out how close I was to giving birth. Jekia wasn’t about to miss that.

But I felt bad for Sage too. He deserved to be there when I gave birth, especially since one of the babies was his kit.

But he promised me he’d see them soon enough. There would be plenty of time later. For now, he had a duty to help Jekia get rid of the lycans.

Jekia’s eyes slowly opened, as if he could feel me watching him.

“Can’t sleep?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Not really. I’m uncomfortable, and I can’t seem to quiet my mind,” I admitted.

Jekia turned to face me. “I get it. You’re close now. Are you in more pain?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Not really. Just a lot more pressure.”

“Edifel and Shinna told me you’ve been nesting a lot. Are you not happy with how things are?”

“I am. It just gives me something to do.”

Jekia let out a long sigh, moving closer to me and gently brushing my hair back. I closed my eyes, savoring the familiar, sweet gesture.

The night was pleasantly cool, and the silence of the room was comforting. It reminded me of so many nights we’d spent together, making my previous life in the mortal world seem like a distant memory.

If I wasn’t so pregnant and uncomfortable, I would have asked him to make love to me like he had so many times before.

“I’ve been so content with all of this, more than I have been since before I took this position,” Jekia said softly.

“You brought light back into my life, and even though things didn’t start off great between us, I can’t imagine my life without you now.

“I can’t wait to meet our children. I know we’ll have many happy years together with them.”

“You’ve missed having a family,” I whispered, keeping my eyes closed and feeling a bit more relaxed under his gentle touch.

“I have. All the power and status in the world can’t replace the family you’re meant to have.

“It’s funny, but I don’t think I understood what family really was until you came into my life. It doesn’t always have to be blood.

“Realizing that has given me more peace than I’ve ever had before.

“Not only do I have you and our children, but I have a friend who’s always been there for me and loyal servants who stand by me no matter what,” Jekia continued.

I opened my eyes and smiled at him.

“You’re right. Family is more than just blood. I’ve felt that since I’ve been here too. Being with you feels like coming home,” I agreed.

Jekia placed a hand on my swollen belly and kissed me softly.

“I may have been upset at first with how this turned out, but I’m happy now. I’ve been looking forward to meeting these children for so long, and it’s almost time.”

“I have too,” I agreed. I winced as a sharp pain shot down my back. This had been happening for a few hours now, but I’d been trying to bear it.

“I’m glad you accepted Sage’s offer. I want to be here when they’re born.”

Jekia noticed my discomfort. “Are you in more pain now?”

“A little,” I admitted.

“Maybe Shinna should check you. You could be starting to go into labor. You’re close enough to your due date,” he suggested.

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I knew he was right. I needed to get checked. The pains were coming more frequently in the last hour.

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

We both got up, and after Jekia dressed, he helped me stand so I could put on a loose white dress.

I didn’t think much of it as we left the room to go to the bedroom that had been set up for me to give birth.

Shinna had been checking on me regularly, so I was getting used to it.

But as I was almost there, a sudden, intense pain tore through my midsection.

I stopped, clutching the wall with one hand and my belly with the other as I doubled over, a small cry slipping out. The pain spread through me, dull but persistent.

Jekia was quick to support me, his face filled with concern.

“Lana!” he exclaimed.

“Oh,” I gasped. “It hurts so much. I don’t know if I can move.”

“We’re almost there. Just take it easy,” he reassured me, wrapping an arm around me and helping me straighten up a bit.

I was grateful for his strength. I couldn’t support my own weight, let alone walk, and needed his help to move.

We were thankfully close to the birthing room, and as soon as I was settled on the bed, Jekia called for Shinna. She didn’t waste any time coming in to see what was happening with me.

“Oh my. It’s time,” she announced after checking me.

“How long do we have?” Jekia asked her.

“Maybe a few hours. Do you still want to be here for this?” Shinna responded.

“I do. My father was there for my birth, and I want to do the same for my child,” Jekia told her.

I have to admit, I wasn’t really paying attention to their conversation. I was too focused on the growing pain and pressure inside me.

Everything became a blur as Shinna and Edifel started preparing for the birth.

I knew Jekia stayed in the room, but he kept his distance, sitting on the windowsill.

Before I knew it, I was undressed, covered with a thin blanket, and propped up against a pile of pillows on the bed.

I was doing my best to stay calm, despite the pain. Shinna noticed and prepared a cup of bright green liquid for me.

“Drink this. It will help,” she encouraged.

Within minutes of drinking the sweet liquid, the pain started to fade until I could think and breathe properly again.

It was a welcome relief, even though the pressure between my legs was still there.

“There now,” Shinna soothed, stroking my forehead and pushing my hair back.

“That medicine will dull the worst of the pain and let you focus on your labor. That’s better for you and your babies.”

“How much longer do you think it will be?” I asked her, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Not too much longer, my lady. Just try to relax and let your body do what it needs to,” Shinna reassured me.

I tried to relax as she suggested, turning my head to look at Jekia. He was still staring out the window, as if he was listening for something.

“Is something…wrong?” I managed to ask him.

His ears twitched, then he turned to look at me. “No, everything’s fine. I just feel better if I stay alert for any problems. That’s all,” he replied.

I smiled, closing my eyes again in an effort to stay calm. “I understand, but I trust that we’re safe here. You’re with me, and we have Edifel and Vishu’s webs.”

“Yes, that’s true, and maybe I’m just a little on edge. I know Emelio will make sure everything goes well.

“There’s a lot of anticipation for the birth of our children. They’re not just ours, they’re also the first heirs to these lands,” Jekia admitted.

He was right, now that I thought about it. To the Higher Ones, these children were very important.

Even though they were just our babies to us, to them, they represented the potential future of this side.

Time seemed to drag on forever. I tried to rest, but it was hard with the pressure still building inside me.

I was sure my belly had moved downward. Shinna was checking on this, as well as my progress in labor.

Jekia mostly stayed where he was, but every now and then he would stand up, stretch, and come over to the bed to check on me. It was comforting when he did that.

He’d sit on the edge of the bed and let me hold onto him for as long as I wanted. I was truly grateful that he was staying with me.

Even with Shinna and Edifel there, having him there was incredibly comforting.

It was almost dawn when Shinna checked me again and then stood up straight with a serious nod. I knew what she was about to say before she said it.

“It’s finally time. Let’s get ready for you to start pushing.”

I was both excited and scared as I heard this, trying to focus on the activity around me.

Edifel was efficient as she set up an area with blankets, a small tub of water, and towels. It must have been for cleaning and wrapping the babies once they were born.

~I hope it’s warm enough in here~, I thought absently. ~I don’t want them to get cold.~

Shinna finally sat on the edge of the bed, making sure she was in the right position to help me with the birth.

“Now, my dear,” she said, placing a hand on my belly. “I’ll tell you when to push, and you need to push for as long as I tell you.”

I managed to nod, taking a few deep breaths to calm myself. After another moment, she told me to start pushing, and I did as she said.

This went on and on, and I started to wonder if I was making any progress at all.

The pressure was unbearable, and I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like if she hadn’t given me medicine to help with the pain.

Maybe it would have been unbearable, like when I had passed out after the attack in the village.

“You’re doing well. The first one is almost here. I can see them,” Shinna encouraged me.

I cried out as the pressure increased dramatically with my next push.

They were coming now. Even with the medicine, it was becoming incredibly painful. But I kept telling myself not to stop. I could do this. It was worth it.

The pressure finally eased as I pushed out the first baby. Their tiny cries instantly filled the room. I laid my head back, tears of relief and joy streaming down my cheeks.

The first one was here. Just one more to go.

“It’s a boy,” Shinna announced. I opened my eyes and looked, still trying to catch my breath.

The baby she placed on my chest was still crying and messy, but I’d never seen anything more perfect. He had tiny white dog ears and a little white tail just like Jekia.

I could even see the little claws on his fingertips.

“Welcome to the world, my first little one,” I whispered, holding him. I smiled at Jekia. “Look at him. He’s so beautiful.”

“He is. He’s perfect,” Jekia agreed, returning my smile.

Our moment was short-lived. I winced as another wave of pressure surged through me. The second baby, the little kit, was getting ready to come next. I was sure of it.

“Why don’t we clean him up now so he can be nice and warm while you give birth to his twin?” Edifel suggested, gently taking him from me.

“Let’s do that, and I’ll take him when you’re done,” Jekia said. He gave me a quick kiss on my forehead. “You’re doing great. Just a little more and they’ll both be here.”

“Yes…,” was all I could manage.

“Just relax, dear. They’re very close, so they should come quickly,” Shinna assured me.

I prayed she was right. As I began to push again, I tried to focus on the baby I’d just had. He was still crying as Edifel cleaned him up.

She then wrapped him in a blanket and handed him to Jekia. Despite the pain I was going through, it felt good to see him holding his new son.

He looked content as he gazed at him, and the baby had calmed down in his arms. It was as if he knew his father was holding him.

But giving birth to this little kit was proving harder than it had been with my pup. Despite my efforts, the kit was moving slowly.

This worried Shinna, and she began taking steps to speed things up, pressing down a little on my belly to encourage the kit to move more.

Jekia sensed her growing concern and moved closer to us.

“Is there a problem with the kit?” he asked her.

“I hope not, but I don’t like when labor slows like this. The kit is close enough to be crowning, but I can barely see them.

“I’m worried their cord could become constricted,” Shinna admitted.

“Don’t let this kit die before they’re born. Do whatever you have to ensure they live,” Jekia ordered.

Tears filled my eyes as I heard this. No, I didn’t want to lose my little kit. I couldn’t bear that.

“Please, don’t let my baby die!” I pleaded.

Shinna thought quickly as she checked me again. “I think they’re close enough for me to intervene, but I warn you, darling, it’s going to hurt,” she told me.

“Do what you have to,” I breathed. “Just save my baby.”

I knew this was probably going to be horrible for me, but the thought of losing one of my babies was even worse than any pain I could experience.

Of course, I didn’t think I could anticipate the pain to come. I pushed hard again, and the baby began moving a bit more. That’s when I felt some of the worst pain in my life.

But within a minute, it was over, and the kit was pulled out of me.

But when they came out, I didn’t hear the cries like my pup had. Panic started to rise within me, and I sat up a little more to see Shinna quickly clearing the kit’s nose and mouth.

Finally, the first small cries sounded, which steadily grew louder and stronger. Relief washed over me again. My kit was alive. They’d made it.

Shinna had a relieved smile on her face as she handed me the now-crying kit. “Thank goodness, he’s fine, and he’s also a boy,” she told me.

Two boys. I felt a twinge of disappointment not to have a girl, but it wasn’t that bad. I was thrilled enough to have my boys, and that they were both okay.

I was a bit surprised as I looked at the little kit. His ears certainly reminded me of Sage’s, and he only had one tail, but what caught my attention the most was his coloring.

His ears, tail, and a bit of hair were dark red.

Jekia seemed amused as he looked at him closer. “He’s quite a handsome kit,” he commented.

“He’s precious, though I didn’t expect him to come out with red coloring. I thought it would be more like Sage’s,” I admitted.

“You shouldn’t worry, my dear. Sage’s silver color at birth was considered unusual, and his two brothers that were born with him were red like this little one,” Jekia explained to me.

“Ah, I see now.”

That made sense, though I wished I’d known about that before. Still, I thought it was very cute. I had a little red kit and a white pup.

The kit was cleaned up shortly after this, along with me, and I was able to start enjoying my time with my new babies.

The sun had risen by then, and within the hour, I was moving around, though Shinna had advised me to take it easy. Not that I minded. I liked the idea of relaxing with my new babies.

Since the day was pleasant, Jekia and I decided to do this in the sunroom.

During that time, Edifel had made sure we had a bassinet set up in there for the babies to sleep in, so they were quite comfortable in their slumber together.

I sat in the chair near them, enjoying the peacefulness of it all.

Jekia was also taking a nap on the couch beside us. All of this had worn him out too, and the exhaustion had hit him once he knew that both children were okay.

Of course, he didn’t want to be far from them either, choosing to sleep right there so he knew they were beside him.

I already had the feeling that he was likely going to be a very doting father.

I put my book down, leaning in to watch them sleep. They were so content, their bellies full and diapers fresh.

They seemed to like being close to each other, fussing until they were side by side in their crib.

I marveled at the contrast of red and white between them, and the tiny differences that made them unique.

God, I never thought I could love so much. They were so incredibly perfect.

A soft knock at the door pulled me back to reality. I looked up to see Sage standing in the doorway. He was finally back, and I couldn’t help but smile in relief.

“Welcome back,” I said, keeping my voice low so as not to wake Jekia or the babies.

“I’m glad to be back, especially after hearing about this morning. You look like you’re doing well,” Sage replied, walking over to me.

I couldn’t miss the quiet excitement in his eyes. It stirred something in me too.

“I am, and so are the babies,” I said, nodding at the crib.

Sage leaned over to look at them, and I could swear his eyes widened in wonder.

“Wow. They both look perfect, and our little kit did come out red,” he said softly, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

“Yes. I was quite surprised, but he’s very cute that way,” I chuckled.

“Are they both boys?” Sage asked.

“They are,” I confirmed. “I don’t know if he’ll wake up, but would you like to hold our kit?”

“I would, and I think I can keep him comfortable,” Sage answered. He was so gentle as he lifted the kit out of the crib.

The kit whined a little, but settled immediately as Sage snuggled him against his shoulder, letting him cuddle close.

“You’re such a tiny one right now. It feels like I’ve waited forever to hold you.”

“I’m sure he recognizes your scent too. They all tend to,” Jekia suddenly said. I looked over to see that he’d opened his eyes and was slowly sitting up.

“Did you get enough rest?” I asked.

“Yes, I feel much better now,” Jekia replied.

My attention was drawn back to the crib as the pup began to whine and squirm. It seemed he’d noticed his brother was gone.

I reached in and picked him up, cuddling him against my shoulder and kissing his little head.

“Aw, it’s okay. Your brother is close,” I comforted him.

“I’ve been wondering, have you named them yet?” Sage asked Jekia as he sat in the chair near us with the kit.

“I haven’t,” Jekia replied. “I thought about it, but I didn’t want to take that opportunity from you for yours.”

“I get that, but personally I think the honor of naming them should go to their mother. What do you think?” Sage suggested.

Jekia shrugged, a slight smile on his face. “I wouldn’t mind that. Do you have names in mind, Lana?”

I took a moment to think. No, I hadn’t considered that I would get to name my twins. In my world, the fathers usually named their children, especially the boys.

But I liked having this choice. I’d heard unique names since I’d come to this world. Looking at my pup, one immediately came to mind.

“Well, for our pup, I think I’d like to name him Rayne.”

“Rayne,” Jekia repeated. “I like that for him. It feels right.”

“Do you have a name in mind for our other little guy?” Sage asked me.

“Hmm,” I thought again. “I like the name Rin. I think it suits him.”

“Rin and Rayne.” Sage looked thoughtful as he glanced at the kit and pup. “I think those names suit them well.”

“I agree. So those will be their names,” Jekia decided.

I looked at Rayne, who was now sleeping against me. “I wonder, will the Higher Ones want to see them soon?”

“There’s a chance, but I doubt it’ll be too soon. I’m sure Emelio has already shown them that they’re doing well.

“The next step will be announcing their birth in the northern lands, but we’ll be careful with our information for now.

“We’ll also limit who can see them at this time,” Jekia told me.

“That would be better, at least until we get rid of Kamelle,” Sage agreed.

I was more than willing to agree with them. I’d do anything and everything to keep our babies safe.

I was also excited for what the future held as I looked at them. My little Rin and Rayne. What would the future hold for them, for us?

Only time would tell.