Page 44 of Soul Fated

Marissa let out a guttural moan as she curled into herself, and Kael placed my hands on her knees, showing me how to apply counterpressure.

“Amazing. Breathe deep and then one more like that.” His hand was there on the pup’s smooth head. Tears pricked my eyes when I saw a shock of dark hair on its tiny head.

"Here we go,” Kael soothed as Marissa’s body shook with the effort of another push.

Before I could blink, the baby slipped free. Kael caught the newborn, his hand steady as he cradled the tiny, squalling form in his lap.

Will’s eyes filled with tears, and he reached out, his hands shaking. "Is it?—"

"She's perfect," Kael smiled. He gently wiped the mucous from the baby’s face and turned her on her stomach. He didn’t have to do anything else. She sucked in a breath and cried. A strong, healthy wail. Kael handed the baby to Marissa, who tucked the pup under her shirt and held her up against her chest, her shoulders shaking with sobs.

Tears trailed over my cheeks. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

Kael tapped my hand, handing me the string. “Marissa if you can lower the baby a little.” She let her daughter descend, and Kael turned the pup toward us. “Can you tie this there and there?” He pointed to two places on the umbilical cord.

I nodded and did as he asked. “Is that tight enough?”

“Perfect.” He reached for the scissors and cut the cord, then looked up at Will. “Help her lean back a little more. Marissa, you’re going to feel a few more contractions.”

She nodded, and Kael guided her through the final stages of delivering the afterbirth with calm, quiet instructions, never rushing, never letting the intensity of the moment take over. Kael gently coaxed the placenta out and inspected it.

What are you doing? I asked.

I need to make sure it’s fully intact. If anything stays inside, it could cause infection.

I wanted to kiss him.

When he was satisfied, Kael moved back off the quilt. He looked up at Will. “You’ll need to wash her at home. I don’t want her to freeze out here.” He turned back to Marissa. “You both did great.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, clutching the baby to her chest.

Kael reached for the bucket and soap, but Rowan put a hand on his shoulder. Kael looked up. Rowan didn’t say anything, just nodded once and stepped back.

I helped clean up, making sure Marissa was comfortable while Kael tended to the final details, saving the afterbirth so she could take it home and dry it. I’d heard in recent years that mundanes had started following our traditions of eating our after birth. Odd since their bodies didn’t need the added nutrition of supporting pups who grew at twice the rate of normal humans.

Kael and Bill started packing away the supplies. All of us jumped in to help as Jasper helped Marissa stand. He and Will took a few towels and began to carry her and the pup to their car.

“We’ll wash this back at the house,” Bill said, telling Evelyn to just toss everything in a trash bag.

Once we’d gathered everything together, we made the trek back to our trucks. Rowan and Jasper wouldn’t let Kael do any of the work. They loaded the supplies and then looked around for anything else that needed doing.

I got in the truck with Lana. Kael walked to the passenger side of Bill’s truck, and Rowan strode over to Lana’s window.

She rolled it down. “Satisfied?

Rowan lowered his eyes. “Just be safe.”

Lana wrapped her hand around the wheel and grinned. “I’m always safe.”

Rowan rolled his eyes. He patted the side of the truck then looked up at me. “You and Kael were quite the team.”

I wet my lips. “He gave good instructions.”

Rowan nodded. “That’s the funny thing. I didn’t hear half of them.” He met my eyes. “But I think you did.”

Chapter

Twenty-One

---