Page 42 of King's Obsession

“No, my love, lean on me,” he encouraged and though Asmodeus cussed up a blue storm through each wave of pain, Dougal never let go. He rocked him, rubbed at where the pain was worse, and kissed his sweaty temple when he sobbed tiredly.

“I need to kneel down,” Asmodeus demanded when his body felt like it was being torn apart. Down on the floor, he lurched forward onto his hands, his back arching as he rocked back and forth.

His belly hung low and looked like a drum as he glanced down at it. His red skin shone in the light with sweat. There wasn’t a part of him that didn’t feel like it hurt when the spasms didn’t give him any reprieve. One morphed into the next as he felt his body prepare. For what, he desperately tried not to think about with Dougal at his back end, stroking down his flank, murmuring words that made no sense.

His lips became glued together. They were so dry he didn’t have any spit left to make his tongue ask for a drink.

“Is everything alright?” Silas’s voice floated past the pain, where in the room he was Asmodeus couldn’t say when his entire focus was on how he wanted to push.

“Need to push,” he managed to gasp.

A cool wet cloth touched his brow, and there was Dougal. “Do what feels natural.”

He grunted and his eyes screwed shut as pain of a magnitude he’d never fathomed held him in its throes as he bore down. Time and time again he cried out, shouted, cursed and pushed with all his might when the pain consumed him, and his body told him what he needed to do.

“I see the head, just one more good push,” Dougal encouraged.

“You… do… it…” he growled, sweat blinding him, his arms shaking as he used what remaining strength he had to push the baby out.

The relief was mind-numbing as he trembled violently at the pain ceasing so abruptly. He chugged in the air as Dougal mopped at his face, pushing the hair back and grinning at him. “I love you.”

“Yeah, if that is true, then next time you do this part,” he murmured, barely having the strength to push up to look for their child.

“Oh, look at you, my little darlin’. Your daddy did such a great job.” Silas appeared, holding a swaddled baby in his arms. “She’s gorgeous.”

“She,” Asmodeus choked out, tears blurring his eyes as Dougal lifted him effortlessly off the ground and placed him on a cool cotton towel on the bed, sitting him against the headboard. Now the birth was over, he used his magic to clean himself and the room with one quick click of his fingers, while reaching out to Silas for his daughter.

Silas wordlessly placed her in his arms, grinning.

Look at our girl.

Now you choose to come out of hiding. What a cheek!

You can’t be mad at me now. We have the most gorgeous troll-demon little girl.

That’s the only thing saving you.

He wanted to continue to gripe, but Dougal snuggled in at his side as Asmodeus looked down at their daughter. The pink-gray skin made him blink twice. She was most definitely the best of him and Dougal.Us, the best of me, too, don’t forget.

How could I?

Dougal’s strong jawline, Asmodeus’s nose and eye shape. Her lips were a perfect little bow. They moved like she was trying to talk, despite the eyes remaining closed. He traced a gentle finger over the soft downy, dark hair around the tiny little horns that were barely visible right now.

“Have you picked a name for her?” Silas asked, leaning against the bed frame, a soft smile gracing his lips.

We have, right?

We agreed on this.

Asmodeus looked at Dougal, his heart so full of love despite what he’d physically just endured. “Yes.” He didn’t miss Dougal’s arched brows as he glanced down at their sleeping daughter. “We are calling her Elara after Dougal’s mom. She’ll be a queen for all humanity. The goodness that is needed to balance life, just like her dad is in both our realms.”

Dougal cough-choke-sobbed and slipped an arm around them and hugged him hard, but didn’t crush the baby while kissing Asmodeus’s head. “How lovely. You honor me.”

“That’s a beautiful name.” Silas looked at the doorway, wearing a hopeful look. “Are you up to visitors? Wanda, Christa, and Dakata are outside.”

He sighed and looked at Dougal. “How do I look?”

His glistening eyes took in Asmodeus’s face. “Beautiful.”

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