“Because it’s too soon! I’m not ready, okay! I don’t know how to be amom. The only ‘mom’ I ever had manipulated me my entire life then kidnapped me and tried to steal my powers. Not exactly a great role model.”
“Sometimes having bad role models prepares you just as much as having great ones. You know what not to do. You know how you were treated and how you willnevertreat your kids. You can learn just as much from bad experiences as you can from the good ones,” Oz tells me. “Demon parents aren’t always very loving just like some human parents aren’t. But you’re not in this alone. You have four mates who love you more than anything else in all the realms and we’re all going to be here for you and these babies.”
“You’re going to be a great mother, Angel,” Zeph says, wrapping his arms around me from behind and holding up my huge belly.
Hell, that feels good.
“Look at all the good you’ve already done as the Queen of Hell,” he continues.
“That’s not the same thing,” I pout.
“I know it’s not, baby. But it shows your character. And anyone with your kind of character can do anything they set their mind to.”
“And you have us to constantly remind you,” Oz adds.
“Now, can wepleasego to the birthing cave and call for Addiphine ?” Belz pleads.
Just then my water breaks, splashing all over the floor. Guess I can’t pretend this isn’t real any longer.
Belz glares at me seconds before we’re all transported to the beautiful crystalline cavern referred to as the ‘birthing cave’. All born demons have been born here for as long as any demon can remember. .
“I’ll get Addiphine,” Oz says before disappearing.
“Strip and get in that pool. No more arguing,” Belz demands.
My clothes disappear and Zeph carries me into the warm water. It feels incredible and my body starts to relax. As the magical healing water laps against my naked skin, I lean against Zeph’s chest and float in the water.
Oz rushes back in and is trailed by Addi and her midwife in training. When demons began having babies again we all quickly realized there were not many midwives left, two to be exact. So Addi and her partner Callison or Callie have been training a whole batch of young demons excited to have this as a new job opportunity.
“How are you feeling my dear?” Addi asks as she leans down beside the pool and reaches to smooth my hair out of my face.
“I’m goo… urgh.” My response is cut off by another contraction that slices through my core like a hot knife through butter.
“Oh my, we are moving along quite quickly I see. Let me get everything prepared then I will join you in there.” Addi shuffles off to a table against the wall preparing several sets of newborn needs.
“How many of those are you making Addi?” Zar asks as he hovers over her shoulder watching her and likely internally scrutinizing her every move.
“Four,” Addi replies simply.
“Four?!” He replies incredulously, “she’s not a hellhound, Addi, she is probably only having two, at most three.”
“Three!” I screech from my spot against Zeph’s chest before another contraction pulls my concentration away from them.
When I look up again all of my mates surround me in the large pool and Addi is kneeling in front of me.
“That was an intense one, are you ready for me to check you and see if it’s time to push?”
“It’s time! Because I’m pussshing!” I scream as I bear down and try to evict the first little demon from my body.
“I see a head! Oh my hell, that is alotof hair!” Addi says from her spot in front of me. “Give me one more good push and I bet we’ll have that head out.”
“You’re doing so good, Princess. Just a little more and we’ll have our first baby,” Oz encourages me, brushing my hair back.
Another contraction hits and my body instinctively pushes as all my muscles contract.
“There we go,” Addi says, “good push momma and four, three, two, one, okay breath Maddy you did amazing, babys head is out. On this next contraction I’m going to need you to give it all you got and you just might meet your first baby at the end of it. Ready? And push.”
Addi counts down from ten and I give it my all and just when I think I might die I feel the pop and woosh of my first child leaving my body.