Between Shadow & Ruin (Fangs & Fae Saga Book 2)

ninety-three.

The sun was beginning to rise, and my contractions were getting closer. Most everyone had gone to lie down except for Chris, Val, Aria, Ray, Zane, and Celia. Val and Zane were pushing themselves. I begged them to at least take a few moments to reconnect. It barely lasted five minutes, but they promised me they'd take time to rest later. Celia checked me again.

"About seven centimeters and fully effaced now, Liz," Celia said. "We're about seven-minute intervals now and, forty-five seconds, Zane?"

"Yeah," he said. "I have the daisies ready... the silk cloth is prepared. The sage is still burning. Whenever you're ready to lie down, Liz."

"I may as well go now. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold myself up." Chris and Zane helped me to the far end of the yard where they had set up the area for me to have the baby. I laid down on the ground covered in white daises and Celia placed a cloth over me to cover my body for the time being. Chris sat down on the ground and crossed his legs and grabbed my hand as I breathed through another contraction. Val, Zane, and Celia seemed to be running around doing things non-stop until it reached the point where I was annoyed. "Can you three please stop running around?" They stopped in their tracks.

"I'm sorry," they all said.

"I'm nervous," Val said. She knelt down next to me with a bowl in her hands. "I'm not really even doing anything helpful," she laughed nervously. "I'm just trying to keep busy..." She held the bowl to my nose. "Does this smell okay to you?" I took a deep breath. It smelled like lavender.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm trying to make a calming balm. I was going to rub it on your arms if you needed it."

"I suppose I could use it," I said, realizing that I'd gotten annoyed. She scooped a small handful in her hand and rubbed it between her hands before applying it to my body. It was working, I was feeling calmer.

"How's your pain?"

"It sucks," I said. "But Zane already put some stuff on my back."

"Okay. Do you need anything? Water? A pillow?"

"I need this to be over. Preferably before everyone gets out of bed. I'd rather not have everyone see this."

"It's not like they're going to walk over here," Chris said. "Besides, Kellan blocked it off – they can't see over here anyway."

"And no one's getting passed me if you don't want them to," Aria said.

"Oh? You mean like Chris wasn't supposed to get passed you that night when I first fucked Mariana up?" I laughed. Aria looked a bit upset.

"I wasn't a vampire then... How was I supposed to stop six and a half feet of muscle!?"

"I'm sorry. I meant it as a joke."

"I know," she said with a smile. "I did too." I felt another contraction as I squeezed Chris' hand.

"Fucking hell. That had to be less than seven minutes apart right!?" Zane looked at the time.

"Nope. Sorry babe..." I continued to breath. "And still forty-five seconds long."

"I would say 'I can't do this' but I really don't have a choice."

"Unfortunately, no," Celia said. "If you were really having trouble, I could cut into you, but with your quick healing, I fear you may heal faster than I can get the baby out. So, we really have to just ride this out for now. Your body may not stay relaxed enough to realize it doesn't need to heal."

"Great." The time was passing slowly, and the ground was cold and hard underneath the sheet. At least there's no snow... I thought. I looked up behind my head, Odette was kneeling behind me, smiling the entire time.