The Delta's Daughter Chapter 319

TAWNY

4 ½ months later

Gillian gave birth to a beautiful little girl, her hair as light and blonde as her parents, with eyes the most magnificent blue.

I rubbed my enormous belly, growing two boys in there had taken a toll on my body, and on the best of days, I felt like a ginormous balloon full of hot air. I wasn’t due for another two weeks, but I would be ok if they decided they wanted to make an appearance anytime now.

The heat of the south and pregnancy was no joke.

“Kitten, what are you doing?” I turn to Crimson leaning on the door frame, shirtless with abs glistening with sweat from training. I lick my lips at the mouth-watering sight. That wasn’t the only thing wet. My hormones had gone crazy, and I couldn’t get enough of my mate. My sexual appetite had increased tenfold with the pregnancy.

“I want to make sure everything is ready for little Caterina,” I loved the name Gillian and Tristan had picked out for their little girl.

Crimson and I still hadn’t agreed on names for the boys.

Pushing off the door frame Crimson comes to stand in front of me, holding out his hands to help me off the floor where I was folding the cutest little clothes. I take his hands and let him pull me from the floor.

As always, his large arms encompass me, and he kisses me on top of my head. “You need to take it easy Kitten.”

“What I need is for these two to make a break for it.” I laugh.

I was at the point of agitation. Fed up with not being able to do anything. I couldn’t get out of bed by myself, I just looked like a giant whale flopping around. I couldn’t train, both Mason and Crimson had banned me from going anywhere near the training field.

I had no idea how Lamia managed with triplets. Because quite honestly, I was thinking this would be my first and last pregnancy. I wasn't worried about my cub's health, Chakor’s visit had assured me that they would be born healthy and strong.

“Then why don’t I run you a nice warm bath, set the mood and we can see if we can rock these babies into coming out.” Crimson stoops to trail kisses down the side of my neck and I moan when his teeth nip at the sensitive flesh where one of my marks lay.

“We can skip the bath and get right to the rocking,” the vibration of his chuckle sends sparks through me, and heat pools between my legs.

He leads me out of the nursery and to our room, the royal suite we immediately occupied when we returned from New Moon several months ago.

“Bath and then we can be naughty,”

“Fine,” I relent to his order of activities, “But I warn you the bath may relax me too much,” I complain.

Crimson switches the water on, lets it run until it heats up then lets the tub fill. He strips me of my clothes and then his own. Just when Crimson is helping me step into the warm water, we receive a mind-link.

*Crimson, Tawny. Abner Brooks just arrived to see you.* Mason’s voice filters into our heads, and we share a concerned look.

“Why in the realm would Abner be here?” I ask.

With a defeated shrug, Crimson replies back to Mason to say we would meet them in our office.

“I was really looking forward to soaping you up Kitten.”

“Yeah well, no rest for the wicked I guess.” Truth be told I’m more than a little pissed. If it was anyone else, I would have told them they could wait but Abner doesn’t make an unsanctioned visit all the way from the north unplanned for nothing.

After dressing back up, Crimson and I head to our office where we find Abner pacing and Mason keeping watch over him.

“Abner,” Crimson greets him.

Abner stops his pacing and whirls around to face us. I gasp at the dark lines that mar his face and the purple shadows under his eyes. Abner looks like he aged a hundred years. “They found the folder, tore my place to pieces, and burnt it down. If they found the information open the gates, then it's only a matter of time before they find the stones.”

I feel the panic in Crimson rise and I let out a painful cry as a shooting pain engulfs my swollen belly. A gush of water falls from between my legs and black dots haze my vision.

“Shit her water broke.” I hear the alarm in Mason's voice. Then Crimson's strong arms wrap around me to hold me up. “That’s a lot of blood!”

I try to look down, but I can't see past the huge bump. “Crimson?” I question, my own panic starting to settle over me hearing Mason.

“It’s ok Kitten. You’re going to be fine. The cubs are fine, let's get you to the healer.” I’m lifted into my mate's arms as he carries me through the Palace.

“Arghhh!” I cry out again when another shooting pain ripples through my lower half, this one was ten times worse.

I feel the soft surface of a bed and when I blink my eyes around, I find we are in our room. “The Healer is on his way. Mason, call for a maid and have them fetch more towels and hot water.”

“Yes sir.” I hear Mason reply.

“Crimson, what’s happening?” I’m almost too scared to ask, but I have to know.

Crimson crouches by my side, his hands smoothing over my hair tenderly. “Looks like you went into labor early Kitten. There's some blood, the healer will be here any minute. Everything will be fine.”

Another pain rips through me and I try to bunch my body up, “Breathe baby. Breathe.” My mate's soft words encourage me. I shake my head, the pain excruciating.

How the fuck did Lam’s do this!

“What do we have?” The healer bursts into the room followed by two maids.

“Pretty sure she is in labor.” I hear Crimson explain.

“It’s too early, did something happen?”

“We received some disturbing news.” Crimson grits out, his hand stiffening on my head. “Mason go deal with Mr. Brooks please.”

I hear Mason scuffle from the room, my vision still hazy as wave after wave of pain wracks through me. “Fuck, you need to get them out!” I scream through the worst of it. It didn’t feel like how contractions had been described to me, or what Gillian went through. I was starting to worry that something major was wrong.

I knew labor could be painful, but this was taking it way out of context.

The fabric of my skirt is lifted, and my legs are spread wide apart. “We have a head!” The healer announces. “Your highness, when I say push, I need you to bare down and push. These boys are ready and willing.”

I manage a nod accompanied by a whimper.

“You can do this Kitten, you’re so strong. I love you so much.” I grip Crimson's hand tightly. I sure do hope he is right.

“Push!” The healer yells.

I squeeze Crimson’s hand like a vice, grit my teeth push as hard as I can.

Ten minutes later Crimson is holding our first baby boy in his arms.

I don’t have a chance to see my firstborn, the maids take him from Crimson to clean him up. Crimson is back at my side offering his support the only way he can.

I can't hear him crying. Don’t babies cry when they are born? “Is he ok?”

Another wave of excruciating pain hits me, I scream out and try to double over. “It hurts! It hurts!” I scream.

“Holy mother of werecats!” I hear the shocked gasp of the healer and right then the air turns icy cold.

“What's wrong?” Silence as Crimson moves to look at what the healer sees. “Answer me! Kolby, what's wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong Kitten.” I hear the lie in his voice. Something is seriously not right.

Before I get a chance to say anything or make him tell me, the healer is encouraging me to push. “Your Highness, I’m going to need you to push and don’t stop until I say.”

Through my impaired eyesight, I see the healer cast a harrowing glance at Crimson whose usual cinnamon-colored skin has paled. “I need you to hold her legs back, we are going to have to slit her open.” The healer reaches into his bag, retrieving a scalpel.

He does something quickly in between my legs before the next wave of pain comes. It feels as though my stomach is ready to explode – burst open any minute.

“Now push!” The healer all but screams at me.

Crimson grabs my legs and pushes them against my chest, “Kolby!” I cry out when I push as hard as I can, my energy depleting and my adrenaline teetering off.

My eyes begin to close, I can’t keep them open any longer. The room is spinning and fading. Voices talk but they seem so far away.

I hear the sound of a tiny growl before I succumb to the darkness.

*****

When I come too, the healer and the maids are still in the room. Crimson has his back to me watching the maids closely.

“What happened?” I ask trying to sit up, “Are our boys, okay? Kolby?” he turns to me with a smile as wide as can be.

“Yeah, they're okay. Would you like to meet our boys?” He turns and scoops a wrapped-up bundle into his arms bringing it to me.

He lays the baby in my arms, and I get my first glance at the child we made. “He’s beautiful!” I sobbed as I take in his ting fingers poking out from the blanket. His eyes blink open and I let out a low laugh when I see they are bright yellow like mine. “Bastian,” I whisper his name.

“Bastian,” Crimson repeats. “A good strong name.”

“Where is his brother?” I ask looking around for Bastian’s twin. Crimson shifts on his feet uneasily, “What’s wrong?” I ask when I’m unable to read the expression on his face.

“Nothing is wrong, just don’t be too alarmed.” He motions for a maid to hand him our other child. Once in his arms, I watch Crimson peer down at the little bundle, still with a wide smile on his face, but it seems different.

Crimson hands the child to me, laying him in the crook of my other arm. I peer down at my second born and my smile falters.

Instead of chocolate brown skin and fingers like his brother. I find black fur and claws and deep red eyes peering up at me the cub growls and then begins to purr as he tries to nuzzle his head against me. I look up at Crimson “He’s…” I look back down at the beautiful cub who has whiskers and pointed ears. “He’s a feline.”

I look between the two boys, one born in skin form, the other born with fur.

“He was trying to claw his way out, that’s why there was so much blood and why you were in so much pain.” The healer says. “You have lost a lot of blood. You should heal but I’m afraid to say, he tore you apart inside Your Highness.” His words trail off.

Tears gather in my eyes, not because I understand that I will not be able to bear more children. Because when I glance down again, I have everything I ever wanted and needed.

“I literally gave birth to a cub,” I smirk, looking between my two beautiful boys. “Ma’at.” I say my second born, “Like the king.”

“Bastian and Ma’at. Two names fit for Kings.” He reaches over and strokes the patch of fur between Ma’at’s eyes. When suddenly the air shimmers around him and his skin ripples. The tiny newborn cub shifted into a skin form that is identical to his brother. Only Bastian has yellow eyes and Ma’at has crimson eyes.

Bastian begins to cry. That cry quickly turns into a growl when his skin ripples and the tiny child suddenly shifts, dark brown fur sprouting across his skin until he is covered.

“Crimson,” I gasp at the change between the two.

“Today is a very rare day indeed. Two Grimalkins were born on this day.” Abner’s voice sounds from the open doorway.

“He insisted,” Mason says from behind him.

“May I?” Abner asks, gesturing to come in and see the children.

I look to Crimson who covers me up and nods for Abner to approach. Of course, Mason comes in also ready to see his nephews. He already deemed himself the number one uncle.

Abner stares at the newborn cubs in my arms, “It’s rare for one Grimalkin to be born, but two more in the same lifetime? Unheard of.”

Chakor’s words come back to me, ‘They will be the next guardians.’

“What are guardians?” I ask Abner.

Abner startles his eyes dart between Crimson and the cubs. “The guardians are the keepers of the immortals, that is why I am here. They have the information to find the gateways. It’s only a matter of time before they have the means to open one.”