Zara

Childbirth was a true ordeal. I’d heard from my mother and others that it was a painful process, but experiencing it firsthand was a completely new experience.

Alpha Kane held me in his arms while the doctor guided me.

His lips remained on my temple as I collapsed, his scent soothing me.

"You’re doing great. I’m so proud of you." I heard his sincere words, the love so evident in his actions and voice.

The strength I’d shown, the pain I’d endured, were worth it when I finally heard the soft cries of our little one.

We turned our heads simultaneously as the nurse cleaned up after our crying baby.

Dr. Alvia turned to us and announced with a broad smile, "Congratulations, it’s a girl."

I knew deep down I was carrying a girl. My heart overflowed with such love that tears welled up in my eyes.

Emotions overwhelmed me, filling me to the brim, spilling out.

Squeezing Kane’s hand, I whispered, "Go get our little girl." I wanted him to be the first to hold her.

The expression on his face, the way he held back his tears as he looked at the tiny, crying baby the nurse was wrapping in a blanket, made the tears flow even more intensely.

This memory will become one of my most precious and cherished. He took a hesitant step forward, and the nurse finally handed him our bundle of joy, wrapped in a red blanket.

"Here she is. Meet her, and then we need to take her for her first vaccination."

While Dr. Alvia was getting me ready, my gaze never left the father and daughter. Kane took her into his large arms.

So tiny, she was like a cocooned larva in his arms. He adjusted her on his forearm, and she settled into place. His lips touched her tiny forehead, and he kissed it tenderly.

"Hello! Watermelon, I’m your daddy. How strong your lungs are!" he whispered tenderly, gently touching her cheek with his index finger.

A sincere and precious smile appeared on his lips. All the stern features of his face softened as he smiled and spoke to our daughter.

She instantly calmed down, her loud sobs subsiding. He turned to me, and our eyes met.

"She is everything to me, Zara. Thank you!" The words caught in my throat, and we both fought back tears as he settled next to me, reaching out and gently placing his hand on my chest.

Unconditional love permeated every cell of my being, and I couldn’t breathe from the overwhelming emotion.

"There, this is your mother." His hand slowly stroked her tiny head.

Clumps of dark black hair covered her small head, the color she inherited from her father, but piercing blue eyes looked up at me. The same color as mine.

Beautiful and sweet. She took more after her father than me. Just as I took after my father.

"Hey! Princess, you’re a strong baby. Mother loves you." I kissed her head tenderly.

The unique baby scent she exuded made me forget all the pain I’d been through.

"I love both my girls." Kane kissed us both on the forehead. "She’s so tiny."

He couldn’t take his eyes off the little creature snuggled into my arms, looking at me with her intelligent eyes, as if trying to recognize me.

But that moment didn’t last long. Her eyes closed, and her tiny pink mouth opened. She raised her tiny fists, freeing her hands from the blanket, and began to cry at the top of her lungs.

"She already knows how to get our attention." Kane’s brow wrinkled with worry at the sound of her crying.

"She’s just hungry. Let me teach her how to feed her. You can go and tell your family the good news, Alpha," Dr. Alvia said calmly.

I looked at him and saw his hesitation, but his gaze remained fixed on our little one.

"When can I see her again?" he asked, holding out his finger for our little one to grasp in her tiny fist.

"In two hours. We’ll finish all the preparations, and she’ll be ready to meet your family."

He nodded reluctantly, leaned closer, and kissed me tenderly on the lips.

"I love you. Take care of our daughter and yourself until I can."

Then he gently kissed our baby’s clenched fingers and slowly but reluctantly removed his finger from her grasp.

Her crying intensified as soon as she lost contact with him.

"Oh! It’s okay, baby. Your daddy will be back soon." I stroked her back to soothe her.

He glanced back at us twice before walking away, his expression gloomy. I imagined the weight on his heart and his demeanor. She would be a daddy’s girl.

"Let’s touch her skin to skin. This first contact is very important. And you can feed her now," Dr. Alvia instructed, carefully lifting her.

The nurse lifted the bed, turning it over. Then she unbuttoned my hospital gown and wiped my chest with a warm towel, slowly massaging it.

"This will open up the milk ducts and make it easier for you to feed your baby," Dr. Alvia continued to instruct me as she removed the blanket from the baby and placed her back on my chest.

My hand pressed her against me, and she instantly relaxed. I guided her tiny earlobes.

I let her take my nipple into her mouth. She bit down hard, as if she’d been hungry forever.

The three of us laughed at her eagerness. My free hand rested on her head. I drew small circles on her temple. She began to suck with her tiny mouth.

Warmth filled my heart at her charming action. My eyes couldn’t tear themselves away from her chubby face, tiny ears, and long-fingered hands, just like her father’s.

"Feed her equally from both sides. The first few feedings, called colostrum, are essential for the baby’s immunity, as they contain essential minerals, vitamins, and antibodies. If possible, I would recommend giving her exclusively breast milk for at least five months."

I was grateful to Dr. Alvia for her advice and explanations.

"Thank you! I have a plan for exactly how to do this."

She squeezed my shoulder and replied, "You’ve done well. Congratulations. A baby is a big responsibility. You’ll feel exhausted at times, so remember to take breaks and get enough sleep when possible. I’m sure you’ll get the help you need. But postpartum depression is common among new mothers. Don’t hesitate to seek help if you feel it."

I nodded to her, feeling the softness of my baby in my arms and his tiny mouth sucking on my nipple.

"I’ll keep in touch. Thank you, Doctor."

And so began our new journey with our baby’s arrival.

I looked forward to seeing my family and everyone else we loved. The feeling of motherhood was indescribable: I held her in my arms, and yet it felt like a dream.

A beautiful, fulfilled dream that had now become my reality.

***

(Four Years Later)

Summer had ended, and autumn had revealed its beautiful colors before we could transition into winter.

Ryan and my twin sons were playing in our garden. They were born two years after Zayla, in the same month as her. They had just turned two years old. Alnitak and Mintaka—named after two stars in Orion’s belt.

They were red-haired and full fledge wolf like their Alpha King Daddy, and very playful, completely different from their older sister. She was calm but capricious, while Alnitak and Mintaka were cheerful and always smiling.

I was sitting on my garden chair, watching them play with their toys. Kane came up behind me.

Before he could touch me, I felt his presence. The fresh scent that always emanated from him gave him away.

He hugged my chest, kissing the top of my head sensually.

"I care about your fate, my beautiful mate."

His tenderness, his scent, and his touch penetrated my heart and made me cuddle up to him.

"I just think how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family, even though they exhaust me." Life with twins was not easy, but I adored my children. I’d just weaned them off breast milk, and my breasts could finally breathe.

Although they weren’t exactly eager to drink from their sippy cups.

Kane rested his chin on top of my head and replied, "We love you, Zara. You’re the bond that holds us together."

"Mom!" Mintaka rushed toward us, holding a flower he’d plucked from the grass. Half of it was crushed when he plucked it.

Alnitak and Zayla followed, smiling happily and blushing.

"Hey! What did you bring, my friend?" His tiny hands held out the flower to me, and I accepted it with a smile, braiding it into my long hair. It had grown to my waist, and I would never cut it again.

"Falvr!" he muttered haltingly, and I picked him up, sitting him on my lap.

"Thank you! Min. He’s beautiful." He kissed me lightly on the cheek.

Alnitak and Zayla climbed into their father’s arms, and Zayla insisted, "Daddy, ice cream!"

"Ikchem! Ikchem!" Alnitak clapped his hands, agreeing with his older sister.

Kane carried them effortlessly. "First, I need three kisses from each," Kane said with a wide grin, and they showered him with slobbery kisses.

I laughed as Mintaka clapped his hands, encouraging his siblings.

"Such sweet kisses. Okay, let’s go get ice cream," Kane announced, winking at me.

I stood up from my chair, holding Mintaka in my arms, and we headed to the car, where Kaysir was already waiting for us, his ever-smiling face. "Uncle Kaysir!" the children clapped when they saw him, and he made happy faces at them. He kissed them as he took them one by one.

"Ready for ice cream?" he asked happily.

"Aaaah!" they cried, raising their little hands.

He carefully buckled them into our specially modified car to fit us all.

Once we were buckled in, we headed out for ice cream with our children.

Life was wonderful, life was magnificent, and I was looking forward to what else the future held. How can we protect our cubs from Shadows when the time comes.

Especially my beautiful children.

End

***