CHAPTER 209: BABY ONE

[ Old world - the cave... continued]

The cavern echoed with Autumn’s howls.

Autumn’s wolf body writhed violently on the stone floor, blood soaking her fur, staining the jagged, uneven ground beneath her.

Her flanks were heaving, convulsing in irregular spasms. Every contraction ripped a sound out of her throat that didn’t even sound like a wolf anymore...more like the tearing of a wounded badger. Autumn was sure something was breaking apart.

"Fuck... fuck, no...what do I do? I have never done anything like this! Autumn the babies are coming. There is no more waiting...girl, you have to be strong..." Orion’s hands shook as he pressed down on her heaving side, his chest pounding as hard as hers.

His eyes darted to her stomach, where the fur rippled with life...the moments within were violent...desperate. "Autumn... little wolf, you are in full labour. Do you hear me? Goddess above, you have forced yourself into this! I think now you have to keep pushing harder...they won’t stay put inside anymore...we have to get them out safely...alright? Do you hear me? "

Her jaws gnashed. Froth and blood stained her teeth. She snapped her head sideways, snarling at him through a sob.

"Better... this way..." she growled through a clenched muzzle, her voice ragged. "Better than... his mark on me... on them... AARGHHHHHHH!"

Her body bucked violently.

The convulsions wracked her entire body, forcing her spine into a bow as the contractions gripped her womb with renewed, merciless force.

Orion’s hands hovered uselessly...trembling, as he cursed under his breath. "Bloody hell, Autumn, I don’t...fuck...I don’t know what to do! I have seen wolves fight wars, I have seen them die on the battlefield. I know how to stitch you up if they split you into half but not this...not bringing life into the fucking world. Goddess damn it, you have picked the worst time for this madness! Alpha, what do I do..." He looked up towards the sky begging for help... sweat glistening on his head as well!

But the mention of Thorgar only made things worse. Autumn’s howl split the cave, collapsing into a guttural whine that shook Orion’s chest.

Blood spattered the floor as her body tensed again, another contraction clawing through her.

Her eyes locked on his, burning through the haze of agony. "Help me...or...or get me someone who can help! Please!!!"

"I am trying!" Orion snapped, his voice cracking as he grabbed her trembling muzzle, forcing her to look at him. His breath came harsh, panicked. "I don’t know how...Goddess, I don’t know how! Breathe, Autumn! You hear me? You need to breathe! If I go looking for anyone,I will have to leave you alone...how do..."

"I... can’t..." She snarled, her teeth chattering as the convulsions wracked her again. Her tail lashed, claws scratching the stone floor in a frenzy. "It feels like... like they are tearing me open...!But I don’t care about me...I hope...I am not causing them to struggle too much..."

"That’s because they too were not ready for this birth!" Orion shouted, horror flashing in his eyes as he pressed his palms to her belly. The pups shifted violently beneath his hands, the force of them nearly knocking him back. "They are trying to get out. Your body’s forcing them to stay put! This is madness..."

Her howl rose again, raw, guttural, echoing into the dark. Blood poured freely from beneath her tail, darkening the stone, and Orion’s stomach churned with dread.

"Bloody Moon, Autumn..." His voice cracked. "You are splitting yourself open. Goddess, you’re going to bleed to death before they even see daylight!"

Her head jerked towards him, muzzle dripping crimson. "Then you... fucking catch them...help me...pull them out..."

"Catch them? Pull them out?! What the fuck do you mean pull them out?!" Orion panicked, his voice rising in disbelief as he crouched by her trembling body. "I don’t know how to deliver pups! I am not a midwife, I am not a healer or even a father, I am a bloody warrior! "

Her claws slashed at the stone, another scream bursting out as her body convulsed harder than before, hips jerking as the first baby’s head was forced downward... but it seemed like something was wrong... maybe the head orientation...

"Orion!" she roared, voice cracking with pain and fury. "You swore to my father! You swore to protect me and my babies! Then fucking protect them!"

His heart nearly stopped at the sight...the ripple of movement pushing down through her belly, her body convulsing violently as if something alive was tearing her from the inside out.

"Goddess damn it!" Orion’s voice shook as he knelt lower, hands trembling as he braced them beneath her tail. "Alright... alright, little wolf. Don’t you dare die on me. You’ve got this...just a little more push...just a little harder..."

Her scream cut him off...long, piercing, a mix of wolf’s howl and human cry.

The pup’s crown was pushing through, slick with blood.

"Oh, fuck... oh, fuck, it’s happening..." Orion’s voice was frantic, panicked. "Alright...alright, push, Autumn. You hear me? You’ve got to push!!"

Her whole body bucked violently, another contraction twisting her insides.

Her howl rattled the stone ceiling, collapsing into sobs as more blood sprayed the floor.

"FUCKING... GET THEM OUT! My babies are choking...I can feel them...damn..." she roared.

"I am trying!" Orion’s face was pale, sweat dripping down his brow as his trembling hands guided the small, slick body pushing through. His stomach lurched at the sight...life and death all in one breath... all in one frame...

His words died in his throat.

Autumn screamed again.

Another contraction.

Orion cried out too, panic clawing his throat.

Her wolf body thrashed, her howl tearing the air.

"I... can’t..." she rasped, her muzzle dripping blood. "I think I am really dying, Orion...If...if I die...cut me open...but save them...you hear me..."

"No! No, you are not ! You are not dying, you hear me?Not after you spat in the fucking face of a Blackmoon Alpha! You are fucking Thorgar’s baby girl...you got this...!"

Her howl rose again...desperate, broken.

But then Autumn wasn’t howling anymore.

She was gasping. Shallow. Broken.

Her bloodied wolf form trembled, her eyes glazed.

Her body went limp for a moment, breath faltering.

Then another contraction slammed through her.

"Goddess... fuck... I can’t believe this... I can’t believe I am doing this," Orion muttered, voice breaking as he shifted lower, bracing his thick hands beneath her trembling tail. "Alright, little one, I am going to help stretch you... we are going to do this together. Just one more. Just push...when I say go..."

Orion’s hands were slick with her blood. His chest hammered like a war drum.

Her head snapped back, jaws gaping in a silent scream before the sound finally ripped loose...Orion cried out with her, clutching her fur, then guiding back down to the small, blood slick form crowning between her trembling haunches.

"Come on, come on... almost there..."

And then finally something slid free with an audible ’plop’!

Orion’s hands caught it on instinct...warm,so wet, fragile.

His breath stilled. His stomach lurched. He stared at the tiny wolf pup cradled between his palms, slick with blood, mucus and membrane, still attached to the cord.

A sob broke out of him...unhinged...unguarded. "Holy... fuck... Autumn...it’s here! Your pup...your baby is here! Oh! Damn! It’s...it’s beautiful...so tiny...but so majestic..."

But Autumn was barely conscious, her chest heaving in shallow, broken gasps. Her eyes flickered open, glazed with pain, searching his face. "Is... is it?Let me see...let me hold her..."

But then Orion’s breath faltered. His heart stuttered.

The pup lay limp in his hands. Too quiet. Too still.There was no sound. No whimper. No cry.

Nothing but silence and the drip of blood hitting stone.

Guess Autumn realised it too. Her weak, ragged voice broke as a sound worse than any scream tore through her system. "Why... why isn’t my baby crying?"