Healing The Beastworld

CH 31: Birth of a child

The fire crackled merrily in the hearth of the stone hut, casting dancing shadows on the rough-hewn walls. The scent of roasted deer, corn and wild herbs filled the air, mingling with the warmth of laughter and conversation. Karee, her belly heavy with the promise of new life, sat between Kaden and Rontu, their hands clasped over hers. Talia, a whirlwind of sunshine sat opposite them, her eyes sparkling with mirth as she regaled them with a tale of a particularly clumsy young wolf she knew as a child. Sage ever the calm one, sat beside Talia, his gaze fixed on Karee with the quiet concern of a seasoned healer.
"And then, imagine, he tripped over his own paws and landed right in the mud!" Talia exclaimed, her laughter ringing through the hut. Rontu chuckled, a deep rumble in his chest, while Kaden let out a high-pitched squeal of mock horror. Karee, however, felt a strange tightening in her lower abdomen, a feeling she hadn't experienced before. It wasn't painful, just a persistent ache that made her clutch her stomach.
"Karee," Rontu's voice, usually full of joy was laced with concern, "Are you alright?"
She forced a smile. "Just a little cramp,." she reassured him, though the feeling was growing stronger, a rhythmic wave of pressure that made her breath catch.
Talia noticed the change in Karee's demeanor, her usual rosy cheeks had gone pale. "Sage," she said, her voice dropping to a concerned whisper, "Perhaps you should take a look at Karee." To her surprise Sage had already risen to his feet, a quiet calm settling over him as he approached Karee. He laid a hand on Karee's arm, his touch gentle yet firm, his eyes scanning her face as he felt her pulse. "Karee," he said, "Your going into labor, it's time for the pups to arrive."
A wide smile bloomed on Karee's face, radiating the joy and anticipation that had been building within her for the last 2 and a half months. "It's time!" she said, her voice filled with both excitement and a hint of trepidation.
The hut, previously abuzz with laughter, fell silent as the gravity of the situation settled over them. Rontu, his face a picture of love and protectiveness, gently guided Karee to their bed. Kaden his usual mischievous twinkle replaced with an intensity he had never shown before, paced the hut, his eyes darting between Karee and Sage.
Sage, with the practiced ease of a seasoned healer, moved with quickly, his hands working with a gentleness that soothed Karee's anxieties. He instructed Rontu to fetch water and herbs, while Kaden, driven by a newfound purpose held Karee's hand. Talia, her bubbly nature momentarily subdued, sat on the opposite side of Karee, her hand gripping her friend's tightly, offering silent comfort.
The night stretched on, filled with the rhythmic sounds of Karee's breathing, the gentle murmur of Sage's soothing words, and the hushed whispers of Rontu and Kaden as they anxiously awaited the arrival of their pups.
Rontu sat protectively behind Karee embracing her, whispered fierce words of encouragement.
Kaden was uncharacteristically serious, his green eyes gleaming with anticipation. "You got this, love," he murmured against her cheek. "We're here for you every step of the way." Talia still at her side holding her hand a wiping sweat from Karees face as an attempt to keep her friend comfortable as possible.
Sage had been through countless deliveries, but this one was different. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he struggled to ease the baby's passage.
With each agonizing push, Karee felt an overwhelming sense of excitement and fear. She had always dreamed of being a mother, but the reality of the moment was both exhilarating and terrifying. The only difference is she always thought she would have medicine to aid in her delivery but here she was in tremendous pain, tears falling from her eyes as she tried not to cry and to focus on her breathing.
Finally, as the baby's head began to crown, Sage's eyes widened. It wasn't a pup or a cub but a baby, all of his years of experience pointed to one thing, it had t be a girl. With one last push the baby exited Karees body with a loud cry and landed in Sages hands.
Sage, with a newfound calm, expertly cleaned the babe, marveling at its features, from its black feline ears and curly black hair to its vibrant green eyes that were just barley open and its copper skin. Seeing the baby not in a beast form he assumed it was a girl until looked down to clean the baby's lower half and froze.
"It’s a boy, Karee," Sage announced, his voice hoarse with emotion. "He is… he is." He paused, his mind struggling to grasp the implications of this birth, he has never seen a male born not in its beast form so this was unheard of. He paused for a moment before clearing his throat, "If its ears tell us anything then it's father,” Sage began, his gaze meeting Kaden's, "The father is you Kaden."
Kaden, who had been frozen, suddenly came alive. He rushed to where Sage was kneeled on the floor, his eyes brimming with tears. He gingerly touched the baby, a soft touch that seemed to soothe the little one before he took him in his arms.Time seemed to stand still as Kaden gazed down at the miniature human in his arms. His heart swelled with disbelief and an overwhelming sense of love. He never thought he'd be a father, but here he was, holding his own flesh and blood.
"He’s beautiful," Kaden breathed, his voice thick with emotion. "He’s ours Karee, we have a son." He says going to kneel next to Karee so she could see and hold their son.
Rontu, his initial shock giving way to a fierce protectiveness, leaned in to examine the babe now in Karees arms. He looked at Karee, his eyes filled with questions, but all he did was look back at Sage and say “He is healthy right?"
“He is strong Rontu, and he’s perfect,” Karee said not giving Sage a chance to respond while she smiled, her touch on the baby’s soft cheek conveying her boundless love.
"We're not quite done yet karee, you still need to push out the placenta. Lucky for you that's the easy part." Sage said earning a nod from the tired Karee. With one arm she held her son to her chest allowing him to feed as she continued to push with all her might. Within minutes the placenta had come out as well and she was done.
As the room filled congratulations, tears of joy came from Karees eyes as she watched her son drink his fill of milk, her mates telling her how well she had done and tell her how proud they were of her when Talia spoke, "Sooo mama, what are you gonna name him?" Karee stared at her son for a moment before answering, "If its ok with you two," she said looking at Rontu and Kaden "I'd like to name him Kye, it means rejoice or victory where im from. But if either of you have another suggestion I'd love to hear it." She said the two men simply smiled and shook their heads no in unison. "Kye is a beautiful name love. It's perfect for him." Kaden said as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Karee looked down at her now sleeping son and ran her fingers through his still wet hair and smiled as she whispered to herself, "Our little Kye."