CHAPTER 211: HE’S HERE

[ Old world – the cave, continued ]

Autumn’s body twisted violently, another contraction seizing her insides, but her eyes...blinded with tears...were fixed on the little limp, bloodied bundle in Orion’s hands.

"No... no, no, no, no... Goddess, please... breathe, little one... breathe! No,my baby! Orion...why isn’t she crying...they are supposed to cry after coming out, right? Is she too tired? What’s...what’s happening?"

Her voice cracked into a scream as she dragged herself forward despite her shaking limbs.

She was shifting back, unable to carry on with her wolf form any longer... but the process was too slow...her strength was depleted... she was one more contraction away from fainting under the pressure of it all.

Her muzzle shoved against Orion’s palms, tongue frantically licking the pup’s slick fur. She nosed her child desperately, trying to rouse it. "Wake up... please, wake up! My baby... my baby, don’t you leave me already...does she need milk? Do I feed her? Orion, tell me...what do I do? "

Orion’s chest tightened as he stared down at the still pup in his arms. He tried to hold steady, but his hands trembled so hard he thought he would drop her.

"Autumn..."

"Give her to me!" she snapped, a broken sob tearing through her throat. She seized the pup in her jaws, cradling it between her teeth and tongue with such trembling care, laying it against her blood soaked chest. Her body curled around it, nuzzling and licking, her sobs shaking the cavern walls.

The pup didn’t move. Didn’t whimper. Didn’t cry!

But Autumn whimpered...she cried low, rocking the tiny form with her snout, her voice breaking as she struggled to utter every syllable. "You... you are supposed to cry, baby girl. You are supposed to let me hear you... Mamma wants to hear your voice, little one. I didn’t want to hurt you...I tried to keep you safe...you have to fight... you are my daughter! Please, fight!"

Her claws raked the stone in despair, her whole body trembling as another contraction clawed at her womb. She nearly collapsed over the baby, pressing her muzzle harder into it, almost smothering it in her grief. "Don’t take her from me... Goddess...you have taken enough...stop!! Please! Just stop! "

"Autumn!" Orion’s voice cut sharp through his own panic. He ripped the pup from her weak grip and brought it to his hands again. "Let me try!" His palms cupped the fragile body. He tilted the pup’s head back with his shaking thumbs, pressing his lips over the tiny muzzle, blowing air in.

"Come on... come on... breathe... just breathe, pup, please!" His rough voice cracked, his hands shaking as he pressed two thick fingers gently on the tiny chest, pumping in desperate rhythm. "One, two, three...breathe! Again... one, two, three...breathe, damn it!"

Autumn’s head jerked up, her eyes wild, glowing faint with pain. "Is it...?!"

Orion’s face twisted as he kept going, his mouth against the tiny snout, trying to force air into its little lungs. His shoulders shook with the effort, with the terror clawing at him.

But nothing.

The pup’s body sagged against his fingers.

Orion’s hands faltered, and his lips tore away, his chest heaving with defeat. "No...!" His voice broke, raw with grief. "Goddess damn it, I am sorry, Autumn. I can’t...I can’t get her back..."

Autumn collapsed over the stone floor.

Her body trembling as she dragged herself to Orion, nosing desperately at the limp pup. She curled around her, licking, crying so hard her whole body convulsed with sobs.

"My baby... she’s gone... I killed her... I made her suffer before she even saw the world... I killed my own child..." Her voice was shattered, her breath breaking, blood pooling beneath her.

"You didn’t kill her!" Orion roared back, but his own tears betrayed him. He slammed a bloody fist into the stone, the crack echoing. "This was fate’s curse, not you! You are fighting like a fucking warrior just to get them here...don’t you dare blame yourself, Autumn!"

Suddenly Autumn stilled. She sat up. She was certain she felt something... but then...

"Oh, fuck...fuck, Autumn, another one’s coming..." Orion’s voice shook, frantic as he shoved the still pup gently aside, his bloodied hands pressing to her trembling stomach. He could feel the second pup shifting, pushing downward with brutal force. "This one’s coming faster... too fast..."

But Autumn wasn’t listening to him. Her eyes were strained towards the exit of the cave. And then she clawed at Orion’s arm... eyes too wide... too anxious. " He is here! "

" Who?"

" Kieran! Kieran is here! How... How did he find me?! "

A violent contraction whacked her body. She doubled over.

"Fuck! I can’t... I can’t do this again!" Autumn sobbed, claws scraping stone...her face pressed into the ground. " Orion...get me out of here...I can’t...I can’t face him like this...get me out..."

" Autumn ,you don’t get a choice!" Orion barked, grabbing her face, forcing her dazed eyes to lock on his. "You have another baby fighting inside you! You want this one to die too?! Is that what you want?! And I can’t carry you with one hand...and the babe..."

Autumn whimpered, shaking her head, her voice breaking into sobs. "No... no, I want them safe... I wanted them to be safer than me... but I am so useless..."

Orion snarled, his teeth grit, voice shaking with rage and fear. "You are Thorgar’s daughter. So you fucking push, Autumn. You push and you fight like hell for this second pup, you hear me?!"

Another contraction ripped through her body, making her arch violently, blood spraying the stone floor. Her scream tore from her throat, sharp and shattering.

"Orion! Leave the babe here! "

A pause!

" You sure?! "

" Yes! There is nothing I can do about her... she’s gone... get me out of here before Kieran comes in... I... I am not giving birth to this baby in front of him... he is no father to my children... "

Orion roared, bracing his hands beneath her trembling haunches again. " Autumn, you are not thinking with your head... "

" I don’t fucking have a head to think with anymore... I’ve lost it, alright? I have lost my fucking mind... . Now get me out, will you! Get me out of here before he is here! "