Chapter 21

Sebastian 

“That was fun,” Sebastian says.

“Y…yeah,” Skye agrees, “I’m g…glad I m…met s…someone t…that understands what I’ve b…been t…through.” “Me too.”

They head up to Skye’s room, where they fall asleep cuddling one another.

Sebastian spends the next week working on paperwork and spending time with Skye. One day, when he’s in the main pack house, Alice mindlinks him. “Alpha,” she says, “you need to get home soon.”

“Why?” he asks.

“Skye’s in labor. I’m not sure how far along she is, but she keeps asking if we can go to the hospital.”

“I’ll be there in a few!”

“Bring your mother with you. I think having someone who’s been through this before might help her feel better.”

“Okay, I will.” He gets up and runs out of the room. While he’s running to his house he mindlinks his mother. “Mom, could you come to the house now?”

“Sebastian what’s wrong?” she asks.

“Skye’s in labor! I’m on my way there now! I’m not sure how far she is, but Alice told me that she’s asking if they could go to the hospital yet!”

“I’ll meet you there.”

By the time Sebastian makes it to his home, his mother is already there. He comes into the living room and immediately sees a shaking, sweating, frightened Skye. “S…Sebby!” she cries out, “I’m s…s..scared!”

“It’s okay,” he says, trying to soothe her, “we’re going to go to the hospital. Angela will make sure everything is going smoothly.” She nods. Sebastian gently lifts her up and quickly yet carefully carries her out to the car. His mother follows behind them. “Look after the boys please,” he mindlinks Alice before they leave.

“I will,” she answers.

By the time they make it to the hospital, Skye is shaking quite violently. “Angela!” he yells, “I need you now!”

Angela appears, seemingly out of nowhere. “Alpha, what’s going on?”

“Skye’s in labor. I don’t know how long she’s been in labor or how far she is into labor. She kept begging Alice to come here though.”

“Alright, come with me.” She leads them to an empty hospital room. “Set her down on the bed. I’m going to change her into a gown.” She looks at Charlotte. “Luna, do you mind…”

“Of course,” Charlotte answers. She sits down next to Skye and begins to whisper comforting words to her as Angela changes her into a hospital gown.

“I need to check how dilated she is. Alpha, please keep your eyes on her face.”

“O…okay,” he stutters out, confused.

Angela quickly checks Skye’s cervix before saying, “She’s five centimeters dilated.”

“What does that mean?”

“She has to get to 10 centimeters. It may take a while.”

“Is there anything you can do to make her more comfortable? Like an epidural?”

“I can’t use an epidural, not on her.”

“Why not?”

“Sebastian, she’s anemic, it could cause spinal damage and excess bleeding when it’s time for her to deliver.”

“What do I do then?”

“Try to make her feel safe. Remember the last time she went through this, she was alone and in an environment that was not kind to her.”

“Okay, I can do that.” He sits down next to her and begins to try and comfort her.

“S….Sebby?” she murmurs, “W…what’s h…happening?”

“We’re going to have two babies soon,” he answers softly.

She looks terrified. “I d…don’t w…want to.”

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here. You aren’t alone this time.” She whimpers softly in response. “Try and rest, Angela said it may take a while.”

She closes her eyes and slowly drifts into an uneasy sleep.

Skye

Later Skye wakes up when a sharp pain pierces through her abdomen. “Oooh,” she groans out.

“Skylar?” Sebastian whispers, “It’s okay, I’m here.” He tries to push her hair out of her face, but she flinches away from him. He looks helplessly to his mother.

“Skye,” Charlotte says, “it’s okay. You’re safe.” There’s an abrupt knock on the knock. “Who could that be?”

“I don’t know,” Sebastian says, “Who is it?”

“It’s Thomas, er and Ellie!”

Charlotte and Sebastian look at each other confused. “Come in!” Sebastian eventually states.

Thomas and Ellie come into the room. “Hello,” Ellie says softly, “Er, we heard from Dr. Graylen that Skye’s in labor. How is she doing?”

“She’s scared,” Sebastian answers, looking anxious, “She won’t let me touch her.”

“Makes sense, I imagine this isn’t exactly a moment she wants to go through again.” She walks over to Skye, who has her eyes closed again. “Skye?”

Skye opens her eyes and sees Ellie. “E…Ellie? What a…are you d…doing here?” she asks.

“I was getting bloodwork done and then Dr. Graylen told us that you were in labor.”

“I…isn’t t…the hospital on p…pack lands?”

“Technically yes, but it also crosses over into neutral territory, which also happens to be the city Thomas and me live in.”

She lets out another groan as a contraction hits her again. “S…sorry…”

Ellie shakes her head, disapprovingly. “Don’t apologize! You should’ve seen me when I was in labor with my children!” She laughs. “I was a mess! Right Thomas?”

“Yes,” Thomas says, “you shouldn’t be laughing. You almost died delivering Calla and Wisteria.”

“I’m not laughing about that!” she argues, “At least I didn’t almost die the other times!”

“Yeah, but you did have some other complications!”

She rolls her eyes at her brother. “Ignore him, how are you doing?”

“I’m s…scared.” “Completely normal, even if you didn’t go through what you have.”

“Y…you a…almost d…died g…giving b…birth?”

Ellie looks startled at first, but figures that Skye is simply trying to distract herself from what’s happening. “Yeah, I did. I was having other problems that caused me to flatline.”

Skye looks horrified. “Y…you d…didn’t just a…almost d…die! Y…you d…did die!”

She shrugs, seemingly unbothered by this. “My doctor fixed me up, and I’m all better now.”

“C…could y…you t…tell me a…about your w…work?”

Ellie nods and begins to talk about the cases that she and her brother have been on. “...and one time we had to hunt a witch because she was dabbling in black magic.”

“There a…are rules f…for that?”

“Yeah, each coven has their own rule, generally though black magic is illegal.”

“W…what happens if s…someone is c…caught u…using black m…magic?”

“They’re put to death.”

Skye pales and looks away from Ellie. “D…do you a…always k…kill t…the monsters y…you h…hunt?”

“Not always, for example on a hunt for a chimera instead of killing we simply found a way to ease her pain.”

“H…how?”

“We found her a mate. Chimeras and manticores mate for life.”

“L…like w…wolves?”

“Yeah.”

Angela comes back into the room. “Skylar, how far apart are your contractions now?”

“A m…minute or s…so.”

Angela turns and faces Thomas and Ellie. “I’m afraid you have to leave.”

“Okay, bye Dr. Graylen!” Ellie says, before leaving the room. Thomas follows quietly behind her.

Once Thomas and Ellie are gone, Angela focuses on Skye. “Skye, you’re going to give birth soon, whether you’re ready or not. Do you want Sebastian and Charlotte in the room with you or just one of them?”

“C…Charlotte,” Skye whispers.

Sebastian looks disappointed, but nods and leaves the room. “Sweetheart,” Charlotte asks, “are you sure you don’t want Sebastian here with you?”

“N…no!” Skye blurts out, sounding distraught “D…don’t l…let h…him!”

“Okay, okay, he’ll stay out.”

Skye’s contractions become closer and closer together. Dr. Graylen monitors her attentively, making sure everything is going smoothly. “Alright,” she finally says, “sweetheart, it’s time for you to push.”

Skye shakes her head as tears begin to fall down her face. “D…don’t w…want t…to! N…not r…ready!”

Charlotte shushes her quietly, “Honey, it’s okay,” she says, “Angela is going to take care of you and your babies. You trust Angela, don’t you?” Skye nods. “I’ll be right here with you, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”

“Neither am I,” Angela chimes in, “okay, sweetheart I need you to push when you have your next contraction.”

Skye does what she’s told to do and pushes once her next contraction hits her. She lets out a cry of pain and fear. The contraction ends and she relaxes again. Angela continues to instruct Skye on what to do and when to do it until an infant’s cry can be heard. “A…Angela?” Skye whispers, “W…what’s g…going on?”

“You’re almost there, sweetheart.”

“M…my b…baby?”

“He’s healthy. We just have to deliver his brother or sister now.” Within the next few minutes another infant’s cry echoes throughout the room. “It’s a girl.”

“I…is she…”

“She’s healthy too, don’t worry.”

Dr. Graylen carefully gives Skye her babies. “T…they look l…like m…me.”

“Yes, they do.”

Skye begins to cry again from relief. “I’m s…so g…glad they d…don’t l…look like h…him.”

“That’s definitely a plus.”

“C…could S…Sebby c…come in n…now?”

“Yes, if you want him to.” Skye nods, so Angela mindlinks Sebastian to let him know that he can come back into the room.