The Birth

The sound of their baby’s cry echoed in the room. Lilitha spun around to see Carmella cradling the tiny, purple newborn in her arms, her face radiant as if she’d swallowed a star.

That came out of her? A real, living thing?

Carmella lifted her sparkling eyes to meet Lilitha’s, the baby’s cries piercing the air.

“Damon, fetch your cloak. He’s cold,” Carmella instructed.

A boy. They had a boy!

Swiftly, she swaddled him, holding him securely in her arms until he calmed. The two alphas watched in awe, as did Lilitha. She couldn’t tear her gaze away.

As she leaned back against Mateus, she extended her arms. Carmella passed the baby to her. He was heavier than she anticipated, much larger than the human babies she’d seen before.

He was bald. His face kept scrunching up as if he was trying to adjust to the new muscles. His eyelashes were long, black, and perfectly fanned over his chubby cheeks.

The world seemed to fade as she stared at him. Then, he opened his eyes and stared right back. Suddenly, something shifted within her.

The icy lump in her throat, present since her father’s death, melted. Her body warmed. Something immense, beautiful, and powerful swelled from within her. Something new. Something she’d never experienced before.

One moment she was hollow, devoid of emotion; the next, her world was overflowing, bursting with feelings, sensations, and emotions. Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks. She was laughing. She was crying.

She leaned over to plant a kiss on his forehead. He squirmed in the cloak, and Lilitha opened it to fully see him. All of him. From his tiny fingers to his chubby arms and cheeks.

A thick cord extended from his belly button, which Carmella leaned over to sever. He was perfect in every way. She held his tiny hand, and when he gripped back, something hot and fierce clenched her gut. Something terrifying, primal, and beautiful.

In that moment, she knew she would protect him with her life. She looked up at Damon, who was watching them in awe. Color had returned to his cheeks, so much that he was flushed. His arms hung loosely at his sides, his large hands seeming helpless. His damp hair clung to his shoulders.

Mateus was peering over her shoulder, his breath warm on her cheek.

“Lilitha, look what you’ve done!” he exclaimed.

She turned to smile at him. Lilitha closed her eyes as his lips brushed hers.

“Look what we’ve done,” she corrected.

“Damon,” Carmella said. “Take the child. I need to help Lilitha.”

“What?” Fear was evident in his voice, causing Lilitha to stifle a laugh. Her heart warmed. Damon, Mateus, Carmella—her clan. All the old feelings surged within her.

“But I don’t know what to do,” he protested.

“You just hold him,” Carmella retorted, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, it’s not that hard.”

Damon paled again as Lilitha handed the baby to him. His wild, uncertain eyes darted between hers and their son’s face. He took the baby into his trembling hands and arms.

The stunned look on his face was priceless. That swelling feeling within her burst and she started laughing.

Damon looked at her in surprise, then flashed her a grin. Carmella was smiling. Mateus was nuzzling the back of her neck.

She was laughing through her tears. She missed this. She missed this so much.

Carmella instructed her to get on all fours. She knelt behind Lilitha, reaching under her to massage her belly.

“We need to make sure we get everything out,” Carmella explained.

Lilitha sighed as Carmella pressed down hard. It felt good. Mateus remained seated in front of her, pale and bright-eyed, sweat beading his shoulders. He took Lilitha’s face in his hands, pressing his forehead against hers. Then he started kissing her.

Lilitha jerked as she felt something warm and soft slide out of her, followed by a warm trickle. She looked over her shoulder, but Carmella had already disposed of whatever it was.

Finally, Carmella was done and sat on the ground with a sigh, bags under her eyes, lines around her mouth. She looked up at Damon.

“Give him to me.”

Damon seemed much more comfortable now, the baby lost in the swell of his biceps. He knelt beside Carmella and carefully handed the baby over. They all gathered around, so close that Damon and Mateus’s horns scraped against each other, heads bent low over the squirming figure.

Mateus’s arm was wrapped around Lilitha’s waist. Damon was gripping her knee.

Carmella was smiling down at their baby, her braids loose from their buns and flowing down her back, hanging around him like a curtain. Their little boy was asleep, his perfect tiny eyelashes fanning his pink, swollen cheeks.

Lilitha suddenly noticed the small ridges on the sides of his head. They were only slight. No horns yet. Barely noticeable. If she didn’t know he was a Diablon, she would have thought him normal.

She looked up at Damon and Mateus, then back down again. It was hard to believe what he was to become.

“We never agreed on a name,” Damon said.

They all looked at each other. There was no need for discussion. There was only one option. Lilitha’s throat tightened. Her eyes welled up. Tears spilled out. Happy tears. Sad tears.

Mateus tightened his grip around her waist as he kissed her on the side of the head. Damon was running his hand up and down her thigh soothingly.

Lilitha did her best to keep the worst of her grief at bay, swallowing down the hard lump in her throat. Carmella was gently stroking Silus between the eyes with the tips of her fingers. They all laughed when he grimaced. He smiled, then frowned, pursed his sweet lips.

Lilitha felt so warm in the heart it felt like she was melting from within. She studied him closely but there was no indication as to whose son he might be.

Not that it mattered.

Silus grimaced. He looked like he was about to smile but then he started to cry. Carmella pulled him close to her chest, gently rocking him and making cooing sounds. His crying got louder, his sweet little mouth open in a perfect O.

Carmella lifted her eyes to Lilitha. “Here.”

Lilitha cradled him close. “What am I supposed to… Oh!”

His face turned instinctively, his nostrils flaring as he sought her breast. She guided him to her and he latched on, his mouth enveloping her. She let out a surprised laugh as he began to suckle, his eyes closing as he nestled into her arms.

Carmella moved closer, her eyes filled with curiosity.

Mateus planted a kiss on Lilitha’s shoulder, his lips trailing across her skin and up the back of her neck.

Damon tilted her face toward him, pressing a soft kiss on her lips.

Silus continued to feed, his sucking growing stronger. The more he fed, the more Lilitha was filled with a warmth so intense, she couldn’t contain it. She let her tears fall, soaking into Silus’s tiny cloak.

His tiny fist was clenched around the fabric, a sight that Lilitha couldn’t tear her eyes away from. He made little grunting noises as he fed, each sound making her heart swell.

“It’s hard to believe what he’ll become. So small and vulnerable.” Her voice choked on the tears lodged in her throat.

“Or he could be like Silus—a beta,” Carmella suggested.

Lilitha’s face contorted in confusion. She had forgotten that there were different kinds.

“He must be an alpha, he’s so big.”

“Size doesn’t mean much, not when they’re so young,” Carmella explained.

“Only when he starts to become a man.”

“Really?” Lilitha asked, her eyes wide.

“That’s when the aggression kicks in,” Damon chimed in.

“Soon after that, he will have to make his own way in life.”

Lilitha turned to him, her eyes filled with worry.

“How soon?”

“Fourteen, fifteen,” Mateus answered.

“But he’s just a child!” Lilitha protested.

“He’s an alpha,” Damon countered.

“He needs his space, lots of space—and females. His own clan.”

“No.” Lilitha shook her head, her hand stroking his tiny arm. “No.”

“It’s what we are,” Damon’s voice was gentle, understanding.

“But that’s only if he’s an alpha,” Carmella reminded her.

“Betas stay longer?” Lilitha asked, hope creeping into her voice.

Carmella nodded.

“Then I hope he’s a beta.”

Silus unlatched from her breast, warm milk trickling down his chin. Carmella wiped it away, leaving Lilitha’s nipple glistening. They all laughed as he made a face, his features scrunching up as if he was about to smile, then shifting into a frown.

He opened his mouth, his eyes still closed, his nostrils flaring again. Carmella helped him shift to Lilitha’s other breast, where he latched on once more.

Carmella’s hand rested gently on his back.

Mateus rested his chin on Lilitha’s shoulder, his eyes soft.

Damon reached over, his finger tracing the edge of the baby’s tiny ear.

The forest was silent, save for the sound of his feeding.

Lilitha felt like she could melt into the earth.