King Luka

30.

It had been a long month. An agonizing thirty days. I haven't had much sleep within these past few weeks, my brain keeping me up with worries about Luka. He has called as much as he could. He informed me most of the days after consecutive battling, he would coop up in his temporary room and pass out of exhaustion. 

My brows furrow as I think of my mate as I drag the feather duster across the mantel. Light music resonated through the house, filling my head with lyrics instead of worries. Upstairs, I hear Millie moving around in Eli's room, cleaning it. My thoughts flick to Luka as the songs switch. Dax kicks against my stomach, his wolf sensing picking up on my distress. Shortly after, a gush of water flows down my legs followed by a sharp pain. 

My eyes widen at the puddle under my feet. I stand for what feels like forever just staring at the puddle before it processed.

"Oh sh-" I begin before another wave of pain interrupts me. A whimper of pain escapes my lips and I squeeze my eyes together. 

"Mi- Millie!" I scream in hopes of her hearing me. Noticing the panic in my voice, she thunders down the stairs. Her frizzy blonde hair framing her face. Her blue eyes are wide and panicked. My chest is heaving, my hands clutching my swollen stomach. 

"Oh my Goddess," she mutters while staring at me. My hormones on overdrive, I flash black eyes at her before snarling.

"Get the damn car keys!" She snaps out of her reverie and sprints to the kitchen in search of the car keys. 

I attempt to control my breathing as she reappears, keys in hand. She helps me out of the house and into the car. 

The peppy music on the radio did not reflect the tension in the car. My forehead was already sweating. Another contraction came, sending me into pain. A shout of peril escaped my lips and I gripped the door handle extra hard. 

Millie gazed over nervously at me from the drivers side. She bit her fingernail in anxiousness. Her knuckles were white on the steering wheel.

After what feels like an eternity, we finally arrive to the pack hospital. Millie temporarily parks under the awning, and unbuckles her seat belt faster than lightning. She sprints into the building. I squeeze my eyes shut in preparation for another contraction. 

Suddenly, the door whips open, giving me a view of Millie and a nurse with a smile and a wheelchair. I swallow my spit and anxiously look at the metal chair and back up to the nurse. Millie and the woman help me out of the car and into the chair. 

The nurse wheeled us past the waiting room, and down a long sterile hallway. She soon wheels me into a maternity room. I was hoisted onto a bed and placed into stirrups. Millie had stopped following us in the hallway. 

"Okay Queen Venus, I'm just going to check how far dilated you are." I let out a breathy groan in response to her statement. Luka once again flashes through my mind and a small tear escapes my eye. 

"Alright, you're about four centimeters dilated. We still have a little ways to go," she informs me. I nod and lean my head back on the pillow. 

A few grueling hours pass before I'm ready to start pushing. My knuckles are white against the glistening bars of the bed frame. I glance up at the white tiles of the hospital, tears in my eyes.

"Are you almost ready to push?" the nurse asks while getting in position in front of my feet. I nod with a painful expression written on my face. Millie drifted to my side and gripped my hand. 

Shooting her a grateful look, I soon fixated my gaze onto the nurse. She sends me a smile and nods her head. 

She glances down before looking back up to me.

"Alright Venus you can push." Those few words were the only thing that made me push so hard, my eyes squeezed shut. A yell of pain ripped through my mouth. My head fell back onto the pillow, my sweaty hair sticking to my face.

My eyes were shut tiredly. I was oh so tired. Another contraction ripped through my body, sending me pushing and screaming once again. 

"Push push push push push!" the nurse repeated. Defeated tears slipped through my eyes. My chest wracked with sobs.

"I can't!" I cried back. I couldn't do this, I wasn't strong enough. The pain is so unbearable. 

Another hand slipped into my pale grip. My eyes flew open at the unknown person. Electric blue eyes greeted mine. 

"Yes you can," Luka encouraged with a squeeze to my cold hand. Joyful tears spilled from my eyes once again. I glance to my left and see Eli holding my hand instead of Millie. Although, Millie still did stand next to him. 

"Alright Venus, one more push and your little boy will be here!" the nurse informs excitedly. I nod and blow out a breath from my cheeks. Another contraction brews and I brace myself. One more. Just one more. 

I put my everything into this last push. Luka whispers encouraging words into my numb ears. A gut-curdling scream came from past my mouth. And all of a sudden there is relief. My steel-like grip loosens from Eli and Lukas' hands, and my head falls back onto the soaked pillow. 

A tiny cry fills the awaiting silence. A breath is released from my lungs. They go back to clean him up, taking the tiny form away from me. Luka strokes my hair in a soothing manner, calming my adrenaline. Tired is an understatement of how I'm feeling right now. 

My eyes were so close to closing before the nurse and her staff come back with little Dax in her arms. She smiles at me before handing him to me. I cradle him in my arms, his little head resting against my hospital gown. His loud cries have now subsided to a gentle coo. Tears once again form in my eyes at the beauty of our son. 

A joyful laugh escapes me and I glance up to Luka. He had tears freely streaming down his cheeks, a wide grin stretching his face. 

"What would you like to name your beautiful little boy?" the nurse asks with a clipboard in hand. I smile up to Luka. 

"Dax Luciano Accardi."