Chapter 194 The Birth

Chapter 194 The Birth
Maddie Pov 

Few months later……

The small window block in the back bedroom showed nothing but the bright, round face of the full moon. I lay flat on the green wool quilt, my fingers twisting the heavy fabric until the threads pulled apart against my knuckles. A large wave of heat rolled down from my collarbone and settled right behind my belt lace, making my whole lower frame tighten until my ribs felt stiff. The gold spear mark between my chest bones was completely dark, but the pulse inside my middle was hitting my skin with a fast, heavy rhythm.

"Squeeze my knuckles again, Maddie," Calix instructed and he dropped onto his knees by the side of the mattress, his big hand sliding under my palms. His leather vest was unbuckled at the top, and his forehead was damp with sweat under the silver moonlight. "Mara is right outside by the iron stove with the hot root fluid. The seventeen wolves are staying near the central woodpile until the birth ends."

"The baby is shifting very low now, Calix," I managed and I pushed my heels into the straw mattress to steady my hips. The skin on my forearms was hot to the touch, and my breath came out in short, noisy gasps that echoed against the pine walls. "The heat is not like the quarry stone ritual. It is too heavy for the linen cloth to hold."

"Keep your spine flat against the pillows."

"The wind from the ridge is freezing my ankles."

"I will pull the heavy green quilt higher," he offered.

He dragged the thick wool border over my feet, his movements quick but careful as he watched my face. The bedroom door creaked open on its leather hinges, and the old female omega, Mara, stepped across the threshold while carrying a steaming wooden bowl and three clean linen strips. Her dark eyes looked calm under her grey hood, and she did not rush as she placed the bowl on the pine stool near my shoulder.

"The head is already clearing the lower ring, Maddie," Mara announced and she pulled her sleeves back to her elbows.

"I need to push now," I told her.

"Push when the next throb hits your ribs," the old omega directed.

I closed my eyes and focused on the center of my frame, waiting until the heavy heat turned into a sharp, solid pressure against my pelvis. I leaned my chin toward my chest and pushed with everything I had left in my muscles, my fingers gripping Calix's wrist so hard that his skin turned white under my palms. A loud groan came out of my throat before I could stop it, shaking the laces on my shirt until the heat receded.

"You are doing well, Maddie," Calix muttered and he used his dry sleeve to wipe the sweat from my eyelids.

"The circle is widening," Mara reported from the foot of the bed.

"Give me another linen strip, Calix," I requested.

"Take this hot water bowl first," he suggested.

I took two short swallows from the clay cup he held to my lips, the bitter root fluid warming my throat before the next wave hit my lower frame. The silver moonlight was pouring through the window block in a straight, bright line, painting the floorboards with a clear white lane that reached all the way to the bedroom door. Outside, the clearing was completely silent, with no wolf speaking and no pup running by the meat shed while the pack waited.

"One more long push will finish it," Mara predicted and she slid her thin hands under the wool blanket.

I planted my heels into the straw once more and threw my weight forward, feeling a sudden, massive release of pressure that made my entire body go limp against the pillows. The tight knot behind my ears opened up instantly, and my breath left my lungs in a long, shaky sigh that rattled my teeth.

A small, thin cry broke the silence of the room, followed by the sound of Mara clearing the fluid from a tiny mouth.

"A perfect female pup," Mara whispered and she wrapped the newborn in a fresh piece of white wool cloth before lifting her toward my chest.

I took the small bundle into my arms, my hands trembling as I pulled the wool back to look at the tiny head resting against my ribs. The baby was warm and completely clean, but her hair was not dark like mine or grey like Calix’s. The fine strands on her forehead were mixed with striking streaks of pure, brilliant white and bright, glittering gold that caught the moonlight.

"Look at the hair, Calix," I whispered and I shifted my elbow so he could see the silver light on her head.

"She carries the true ridge colors," Calix breathed and he dropped his chin onto the edge of the mattress, his eyes turning wide as he stared at the bundle.

"The pack is going to see the gold lines."

"Let them see it."

"She is very quiet now," I noted.

Mara stepped back toward the kitchen door, a wide smile moving the wrinkles on her old face as she picked up the empty wooden bowl.

"I will tell the seventeen wolves that the leader's line is safe tonight," Mara stated.

She walked out of the room and closed the heavy oak panel behind her, leaving the three of us alone in the silver light. Calix did not move from his knees, his big thumb reaching out to touch the baby's tiny, pink fist until her small fingers tightened around his knuckle. The heat between my ribs had settled into a soft, permanent warmth that made my collarbone feel completely light for the first time in many moons.

"The hunters are shouting in the yard," Calix murmured and he pointed toward the open window block.

A low, collective cheer rose from the central fire pit outside, the voices of Rex and Mark carrying across the grass path to our cabin walls. The younger female wolves were clapping their hands by the tool rack, their boots stamping the hard dirt in a steady, joyful rhythm that shook the cedar boards. The famine months were completely over, and the valley was finally celebrating a birth that did not carry a blood debt to Vespera's throne.

"They want to see their future leader, Calix," I countered and I pulled the white cloth closer to my skin.

"They can wait until the morning sun clears the pine ridge."

"The moon is already passing the high peak."

"You need to sleep for three hours," he insisted.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead, his breath coming out slow and warm against my damp hair. I looked down at the tiny bundle in my lap, watching the baby's chest move up and down in a perfect, rapid rhythm that matched my own pulse. Her small face twitched once under the silver light, and then her eyelids began to flutter open for the very first time since she left my frame.