Page 82 of Savage Loyalty

The sound shot through me like a bullet, shattering the calm of the evening and sending a jolt of adrenaline through my veins. My chair clattered to the ground as I moved, my heart hammering in my chest. Delilah’s scream echoed in my ears, drowning out everything else. She clutched her belly, her face pale and twisted in pain, and the sight made my stomach twist.

Time seemed to slow as I dropped to my knees in front of her. My hands hovered over hers, unsure for a split second before instinct kicked in.

“Delilah?” I crouched beside her, my heart pounding. “What’s wrong?”

Her hand gripped mine tightly, her knuckles white. “It’s happening,” she gasped. “The baby…”

For a moment, everything froze. And then I was moving, barking orders at Axel to grab the car while Mia tried to keep Delilah calm. My mind raced, torn between panic and an overwhelming wave of excitement.

The bright lights of the hospital room illuminated Delilah’s face as she lay back on the bed, her breaths coming in short, sharp bursts. I stayed glued to her side, clutching her hand tightly as the monitor beeped steadily behind us. The antiseptic smell of the room was sharp, but all I could focus on was her.

“Ryder,” she whispered, her voice raw with pain. Her fingers gripped mine so tightly I thought they might break. “I can’t… I don’t know if I can do this.”

I crouched closer, brushing a strand of damp hair from her forehead. “You can,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “You’re the strongest person I know, Kitten. You’ve got this. I’ve got you.”

Her eyes met mine, glassy with unshed tears, but I saw the fire in them. She nodded once, drawing in a deep breath as another contraction rolled through her. Her entire body tensed, and a guttural cry tore from her throat. I felt helpless, watching her go through it, but I stayed right there, holding her hand, murmuring encouragement.

“You’re doing so good,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Just a little more, Kitten.”

The doctor’s voice cut through the tension. “You’re almost there, Delilah. Just a few more pushes.”

Delilah nodded, her face contorted with determination. Her grip on my hand tightened as she bore down, her screams filling the room. My heart pounded in my chest, each second feeling like an eternity as I watched her fight through the pain.

“You’re amazing,” I said, my voice cracking with emotion. “You’ve got this.”

She gave one final push, her cry of pain mixing with a new sound—a baby’s wail. The world seemed to stop as the doctor lifted the tiny, squirming figure, its cries filling the room.

“It’s a girl!” the doctor announced, placing the baby on Delilah’s chest.

I stared, completely frozen, as Delilah reached out, her hands trembling as she cradled our daughter. Her hair was matted to her forehead, her face pale and streaked with tears, but to me, she had never looked more beautiful. She was glowing, her expression a mixture of exhaustion and pure, unfiltered joy. The baby’s wails were sharp and strong, but they were the sweetest sound I’d ever heard.

“She’s perfect,” Delilah whispered, her voice trembling with awe. Her hands shook as she adjusted the tiny bundle on her chest, stroking her soft, pink skin. Tears streamed freely down her face as she looked up at me. “Ryder, look at her. Look at our little girl.”

My legs felt like they might give out as I leaned closer, the enormity of the moment crashing down on me. This was my daughter. Ours. A piece of Delilah and me, a life we’d created together. My throat tightened, and I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the tears clouding my vision.

She was so small, her tiny fists flailing as she let out another indignant cry. Her skin was pink and wrinkled, her face scrunched up in a way that was somehow both fierce and fragile. I reached out, my fingers trembling, and gently touched her hand. Her skin was impossibly soft, and when her fingers curled around mine, gripping tightly, a sob broke free from my chest.

“She’s beautiful,” I choked out, my voice barely above a whisper. My heart felt like it might burst as I glanced at Delilah, her eyes shimmering with the same overwhelming emotion I felt. “You did it, Kitten. You brought her into the world.”

Delilah laughed softly, the sound watery but full of pride. “We did it,” she corrected, her voice breaking as she leaned her head against my shoulder. Her tears mixed with mine, and we stayed like that for a moment, huddled together as a family.

I bent down, pressing a kiss to Delilah’s temple before brushing my lips over the top of our daughter’s head. She smelled of newness, a mix of baby and something uniquely her. My chest ached with a kind of love I hadn’t known was possible.

“Welcome to the world, little one,” I murmured, my voice breaking again. “You’ve already got me wrapped around your finger.”

Delilah chuckled through her tears, her hands never leaving the baby as she adjusted her closer. “She’s going to have you completely spoiling her, isn’t she?”

I smiled, unable to tear my eyes away from our daughter. “Damn right, she is.”

The three of us stayed like that, cocooned in the moment. The chaos of the world outside faded away, leaving only the overwhelming love I felt for the two most important people in my life. The weight of everything we’d been through melted away, replaced by a single, unshakable truth: this was our family, and I would do anything to protect them.

“So, what are we going to name her?” Delilah asked, glancing up at me with a soft smile.

I chuckled, brushing a hand over the back of my neck. “We’ve been dancing around that question for months.”

“I know,” she said, her gaze shifting back to the baby. “But now that she’s here, I feel like she deserves to have her name.”

I nodded, leaning closer to get a better look at her. “What about Grace? It was my mom’s middle name,” I said, my voice quiet. “Strong and beautiful, just like her. And for her middle name, what about your mom’s name?”

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