Kael’s POV

These days, I barely slept at night.

Whenever Eira stayed in my room, all my attention remained on her. If we were not mating, she would sleep like a baby, only whining occasionally as the child moved within her.

The day we had been waiting for, and at the same time fearing it, had finally arrived.

"Ahh..." she whimpered in her sleep.

I was up in an instant.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to understand whether it was labor pain or just the baby’s restless movements.

"Hurts..." she murmured, her voice strained. Then suddenly, she cried out, "I think... it’s time..."

My heart skipped.

I immediately mind-linked my brothers. They had been alert these past days, just like me.

Within moments, they rushed into the room, making way for Jason to reach her first. He checked her while the rest stood there, tense and waiting.

Her pain was escalating quickly.

"Eira, don’t worry," Jason said calmly.

"I’ve informed the hospital," Roman added, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

Jason nodded and turned back to her. "Breathe alright. I’m taking you to the delivery room."

She let out a strained hum, gripping onto me.

"I’ll carry her," I said. "You’ll need your hands free."

Jason stepped aside.

I lifted her carefully into my arms, holding her close as we moved quickly downstairs toward the hospital room we had prepared in the house.

I laid her gently on the bed while Jason immediately got to work. She held onto my hand tightly, her grip firm, trying her best to bear the pain.

Roman and Lucian assisted Jason, arranging everything he needed.

Rafe returned after checking on Raven once more, who was resting in Jason’s room. His face carried the same worry as the rest of us.

We had made sure Raven stayed away from during this time. We didn’t want him to witness this and be frightened.

Jason adjusted her position, bending her legs in knees. "Keep them like this. Stay calm. Focus on your breathing," he instructed steadily, keeping a close watch on her condition, checking the contractions.

At the same time he was in talk with the doctor who was on the way and was instructing him. Only they know what that medical code language was and we left it to Jason.

"Thank god we have a doctor with us," Lucian muttered under his breath, as he arranged the IV drip for her. "I wouldn’t even know what to do otherwise."

All of us agreed.

Jason’s calm and control in this moment were the only things keeping the rest of us steady.

Seeing her in pain broke us.

Roman stood on her other side, holding her hand, and she gripped his just as tightly as mine.

Lucian and Rafe, who were always so composed and unshaken, looked completely lost.

"Does it hurt too much?" Lucian asked, unable to hold himself back in worry.

"Can’t you feel it?" she snapped at him. "my pain.."

He blinked, taken aback, and shook his head.

"Damn it... through our bond?" she hissed through gritted teeth, her breathing uneven. "You’re supposed to feel my pain through bond, you bastards... for fuck’s sake... why am I the only one suffering...?"

We couldn’t feel it this pain of hers and it was beyond our control.

If we could, the three of us bonded to her would have been on the beds next to her, and Jason and Rafe alone would have left to deal with us all. That would have been hilariously inconvenient.

"Calm down," I said, trying to steady her.

"Go to hell. This is your fault," she shot back, her body tensing with another wave of pain.

in past month I heard this line ’this is my fault’ more than I could count. Yeah, the kind of fault I take pride in.

Jason stepped in, gently brushing her hair back. "Breathe. You need to stay calm and focus on the baby."

"Am I not doing that already?" she hissed.

"I know you are," he said softly, wiping the sweat from her forehead and face with the soft cloth he held. "You’re doing well. Just focus a little more. The doctor is almost here."

This time, she did not argue, and followed his instructions, breathing through the pain.

For the first time Rafe was utterly quiet. I have never seen him this quiet ever. No mocking, no teasing, just stillness as if time had stopped for him entirely.

Soon, the doctor arrived with the staff. They changed into sterile attire, and Jason joined them without hesitation as an assistant doctor.

We were asked to step back. But I stayed.

Eira held onto my hand, refusing to let go, and I was not leaving her side. Roman did the same. He got the clothe and wiped her sweat.

"Don’t worry," the doctor said gently. "We will take care of everything. Soon, you will have your baby in your arms."

"You should have come after I died," Eira muttered through clenched teeth. "Just get this baby out of me already."

The doctor only gave a calm, reassuring smile and took her position at the foot of the bed. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"My Raven didn’t hurt this much...my good baby...this one...Ahh, I am gonna spank him once out..."

The room turned chaotic.

Eira’s cries and curses echoed, the doctor’s instructions followed one after another, and the nurses moved swiftly, doing their part.

All I could do was stand there, holding her hand, wishing for it to end. Wishing for her pain to stop.

I am sure, we will stop at this one baby. No more babies, at least not for a few years.

Time stretched unbearably. And then—

A cry. Sharp. Alive.

The room shifted. The baby had been delivered.

Jason was the first to hold her after the doctor, who continued assisting.

His eyes softened instantly, emotion flooding through them as he looked at the tiny life in his arms. His voice broke slightly as he spoke.

"We have a daughter... it’s a daughter..."

Eira, completely exhausted, barely conscious, heard him.

"I knew it..." she murmured faintly. "Mom said daughters hurt more... she did hurt..."

And then she slipped into unconsciousness.

The doctor instructed us to let her rest. It had been long and exhausting.

After cleaning her and ensuring everything was stable, they moved her to another room prepared for her recovery.

And finally, for the first time in hours... The chaos settled.