Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Marie arrived two hours later, soaked from the rain despite the cloak she wore. She stepped into the circle and immediately fixed me with a disapproving stare.

"Elder Thomas told me what you're planning. It's reckless."

"I know."

"You could die. The baby could die. Both of you could die." Marie set down her medical bag with more force than necessary. "And you want to do this anyway."

"Yes."

Marie studied me for a long moment, then sighed. "At least you're honest about the stupidity of it." She began unpacking supplies—herbs, instruments, cloths. "If we're doing this, we do it properly. First, I examine you and the baby. Then we assess whether stopping the suppressant is even viable right now."

I lay back on the altar stone while Marie performed her examination. Her hands were warm against my skin, that familiar tingle of healing magic spreading through me as she checked the baby's position, heartbeat, development.

"She's strong," Marie said finally. "Healthy, active, positioned correctly. If you stop the suppressant, labor will likely begin within hours. The birth itself will be fast—maybe too fast for your body to handle safely."

"But possible?"

"Possible, yes. Probable that you'll both survive? Less certain." Marie pulled back, her expression troubled. "Sera, why are you doing this? Really?"

"Because I'm tired of other people controlling my narrative. Marcus controlled it for three years. Now Margaret, Garrett, Vaughn—they're all trying to write my story for me." I sat up. "The only way to take that power back is to create undeniable truth. And a living baby with Dante's DNA is undeniable."

"It's also permanent. Once you stop the suppressant, there's no reversing the process. The baby comes whether we're ready or not."

"Then we'd better be ready." I looked at Maya, who'd been silent through the examination. "You should leave. Go back to the Council Hall. If this goes wrong, you don't want to be implicated."

"I'm staying," Maya said firmly. "You'll need help, and I'm not abandoning you now."

Marie began laying out her supplies in organized rows. "If we're doing this, I need specific herbs from the forest. Things that will help with the pain and speed the healing after birth." She wrote a list and handed it to Maya. "Can you gather these?"

Maya scanned the list and nodded. "I know where most of these grow. Give me thirty minutes."

After Maya left, Marie turned to me. "You should know that Dante will never forgive me for helping you with this."

"He'll forgive you when he's holding his daughter."

"Maybe. Or maybe he'll blame me for putting you at risk." Marie began mixing something in a small bowl. "I need you to understand the risks clearly. The accelerated birth means accelerated labor. What normally takes hours will take minutes. Your body might tear, you might hemorrhage, there might be complications I can't predict or prevent."

"I understand."

"Do you? Because understanding intellectually and experiencing physically are very different things." Marie's voice was sharp. "I've delivered hundreds of babies, Sera. I've seen women die in childbirth. Strong women, healthy women, women who did everything right. Birth is dangerous even under ideal circumstances. This is far from ideal."

"I know. But I also know that waiting is more dangerous. Every day gives our enemies more time, more opportunities." I met her eyes. "I'd rather die fighting than live as a prisoner."

Marie was quiet for a moment. "You remind me of someone. Catherine, Dante's first mate. She had that same stubborn courage." She paused. "It got her killed."

The words hung heavy between us.

"Tell me what happened to her," I said. "The real story, not the version Dante tells himself."

Marie sat down beside me on the altar. "Catherine went into labor early, like you. But she refused to listen to the healers who told her something was wrong, that the baby was positioned badly. She was determined to deliver naturally, convinced her body could handle it." Marie's voice grew distant. "By the time she agreed to let us intervene, it was too late. The baby was stuck, Catherine was bleeding internally, and we lost them both within an hour."

"Dante blamed himself."

"Of course he did. He was Alpha, her mate, supposed to protect her. But the truth is Catherine made her own choice. She prioritized what she wanted over what was safe." Marie looked at me directly. "Don't make the same mistake. If I tell you to stop, to wait, to accept medical intervention—you listen. Understood?"

"Understood."

Maya returned with the herbs, wet and muddy but successful. Marie immediately began preparing them, creating mixtures I didn't recognize.

"This will help manage the pain without dulling your senses completely. You'll need to stay alert to push properly." She handed me a cup. "Drink half now, save the rest for when labor actually starts."

The mixture tasted bitter and earthy. I forced it down, feeling warmth spread through my chest.

"Now we wait for the suppressant to wear off. Could be an hour, could be three. Once labor begins, everything happens fast." Marie settled into a watching position. "Try to rest while you can."

I lay back, one hand on my stomach, feeling the baby move. Through the bond, I sensed Dante arriving at his territory. He was tense, preparing for the confrontation with Adrian. He had no idea what I was about to do.

Part of me felt guilty for not telling him. But I knew he'd try to stop me, would rush back here and prevent what needed to happen. This way, by the time he found out, it would already be done.

The rain continued falling. The stones glowed their soft blue-green. And I waited for my body to begin the process that would either save us or destroy us.

"Sera," Marie said quietly. "When the pain starts, don't fight it. Work with your body, not against it. And remember—you're stronger than you think."

"I hope you're right."

"I know I am. I can feel it in your wolf, in the bond with Dante, in the baby herself. You're built for this." Marie smiled slightly. "Just try not to prove it by dying dramatically."

Despite everything, I laughed. "I'll do my best."

The first contraction hit an hour later, sharp and sudden. I gasped, gripping the edge of the altar.

"That's it," Marie said, moving into position. "Here we go."