Page 126 of Treasure of the Abyss

Macy bitdown on her scream, digging her fingers into the backs of her thighs. Pain and exhaustion saturated every cell in her body. Rhea and Helen were on either side of the bed, keeping Macy’s legs parted and bent, and Thana was hunkered at the foot of the bed. As much as it hurt, Macyhadto push when instinctdemanded.

“Almost there!” Thanaexclaimed.

“You are doing so well,” Rhea soothed, brushing her hand over Macy’s damphair.

Macy concentrated on her breathing; any second, she’d need to push again. Hours of labor had steadily sapped her strength. She didn’t feel human anymore; she was a mindless, bayinganimal.

The urge came again. She pushed, and couldn’t contain her scream this time. “Jax!”

There was abang.

Rhea lifted her gaze toward the door. “What are youdoing?”

“I will not wait out there any longer,” Jax said, moving to Macy’sside.

She looked up at him; his eyes were wide beneath a creased brow, his pupils narrow slits across their greenbackdrop.

“This is a female’s place, Wanderer,” Rhea saidfirmly.

“And this is my female,” he replied, not looking away from Macy. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “My place is at herside.”

Macy had argued that she wanted him there to begin with, but the females had beeninsistent.

Rhea opened her mouth to say more when another contraction hit. Macy sucked in a deep breath, reared up, andpushed.

“The youngling is coming!” Thanasaid.

Immense pressure filled Macy, crushing her insides. She released one more cry. Relief flooded her abruptly. She fell back against the bed, limp, and closed hereyes.

A loud, high wail filled the room. Jax tightened his grip on Macy’sshoulder.

“She is a female,” Thana declaredhappily.

Macy opened her eyes as Thana tied and cut the umbilical cord. Rhea wiped the baby’s face with a towel, and then the newborn was in Macy’sarms.

She stared down at her daughter’s tiny features; though the baby favored its kraken blood, she possessed some distinctly human features. Macy brushed her finger over the little nose, along the soft brows, and through the fine hairs atop her head. She moved her eyes down to the small, webbed fingers with their dainty claws. The baby’s skin was nearly the same shade as Jax’s, darkening near her waist, where her eight tentacles were drawn up in a tightbundle.

Jax sank down beside the bed, leaning over the low side rail, and gently ran the back of one finger over the baby’s cheek. “We have a child,” he said, voice filled with awe. “A daughter. She is sosmall…”

Macy turned her smile toward Jax. “You’re afather.”

Though the bewilderment in his expression didn’t fade, the corners of his mouthlifted.

“It is the mother’s place to name the youngling,” Rhea said. “She needs a strong name, so she willthrive.”

Macy knew the kraken took inspiration for their names from stories they’d heard through the holograms — stories from ancient Earth mythology, barely remembered in The Watch. She’d listened to a few of them with Jax and Arkon, but none of the names stood out toher.

“Jax?” sheasked.

He finally pulled his gaze away from their daughter. “What is it,Macy?”

“Would you nameher?”

“But it’s the female’s place,” Rheaargued.

“You thought Jax was strangebeforehe took a human as a mate,” Macy said gently, “so why start conforming now? We do thingsdifferently.”

Rhea blew air from her siphons, though a smile tugged at her lips. “So beit.”

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