Page 48 of Impaled By His Omega Prince
Blessed son, my flame, my child. As you have chosen to follow me, as a descendant of my moonborne long gone, I forgive the sins of Croatens. May there be no more brother killing brother. May crops grow as plentiful as the weather permits, for even the moon cannot control the wind and sea. May even in bad weather, my blessings provide. I promise this, as you give me a new child of the night, I give you my word.
“Thank you, Mother Goddess. If I survive this, my life will belong to you.” Lumic hung his head, for it was not always certain that an omega would whelp and live. Vitalis only went so far.
With salusis, no omega need die. It is my gift to bearers. Take of the water and live.
Lumic glanced down, the tinged fluid trailing his thighs made him cringe a little. “I’m not drinking that…”
He could have sworn he heard a laugh in the ethereal light of the moon.
The waters of life begin with the waters of a bearer and the blessing of a mother. Bear well.
Lumic sighed as the presence of the goddess seemed to drift away. As he looked up, turning toward the door, he met Askara’s gaze, his wide, silvery eyes locked onto him with worry. His gaze drifted down. “Lumic.”
“Salusis flows.” Lumic offered his brightest smile as he shuffled from the water and walked over to his slippers, his gait unsteady.
Askara scooped him up in a rush, the worry spreading to pure panic as he drew Lumic back to their hall and room. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
“The goddess didn’t wish it so. Perhaps she wanted you well rested to care for our little one, or wanted this moment to be private?” Lumic adjusted himself, hoping to ease Askara’s load. It wouldn’t matter, though; Askara had always carried him as ifhe weighed nothing. As if his muscular bulk were nothing more than the featherlight waifs of Liaberos.
“I’ll trust Mother’s judgement, then. But I do wish to have seen the magic. You were beautiful standing there in the font.” Askara climbed the steps, one foot after another, drawing Lumic toward his room as the wetness that had started, continued soaking his robe with nowhere else to go.
“You’ll see more magic this night, I promise.” Lumic laughed until his belly firmed up, drawing taut and leaving him breathless.
“When I see you smile, holding our little one, that will be magic.” Askara approached the entrance to Lumic’s wing and walked past a readied guard.
Their bedchambers had been left open, the healer already there. It made Lumic beyond happy that their healer was an omega, because far too often, beta males and other healers didn’t understand or attempt to understand the nuances of birth. Pallosar had insisted they have omega healers for that reason, despite many kingdoms not condoning it.
On the end of the bed, Jori, their healer, stretched out some absorbent linens before looping a sheet over the end of the bed, bracing it so that Lumic could balance and squat when time came, if he wanted. There was also an option to birth on the bed or on his back despite that being one of the more painful and inconvenient ways to whelp. Lumic didn’t know what he’d prefer, but sitting down sounded like a great idea.
“Where’s Father and Da?” Lumic settled on the edge of the bed, grumbling as he worked to get his robe off, to drape him in a loose dressing gown and slide his soaked undergarments free. Lumic would have lamented their ruin, but the undergarments the tailor had made for him in his later months were blatantly unattractive.Not that Askara would notice.
“They’re in the sitting room with tallroot milk. Ingred, Stamel, and Seidrik are there, too.” Askara leaned in to give Lumic a kiss as he breathed through a contraction. “Seidrik wishes you well.”
“And I wish him to know my pain!” Lumic snarled and tensed up.
“Unless he puts something where it doesn’t belong, he will never know, my love.” Askara chuckled at his own joke, and Lumic grabbed for his shirt, pulling him in to rest their foreheads together.
“Still. Fuck him.” Lumic breathed through it and groaned when the healer shooed Askara away.
“Your waters broke and you’re in labor. I see that, but how far are you?” Jori gestured for Lumic to stand and for Askara to brace him. With one hand on his belly and the other up his gown, Lumic tried to ignore unwelcome fingers entering his channel and feeling a depth in him that had never been touched before. His womb was open. “Not quite yet. Keep yourself comfortable, hips moving. That should progress things.”
Jori withdrew his hand and wiped it on a rag before letting thalms burn over his flesh, a flash of quick fire that he claimed killed the tiny animals living in filth on skin that festered and bred rot. He had a good case, all things considered. None of his patients ever died from putrefaction, so Lumic trusted him.
“And Master Jori’s told you what to expect, right?” Lumic gave Askara a pointed look.
The precious alpha tilted his head in thought. “Don’t ask you for sex for at least two moons. Even then, acceptno. You may make any number of ablutions during the birth, but I’m supposed to pretend you didn’t. No matter what, I tell you that you’re beautiful. The baby is going to look strange because it takes a few weeks for them to get cute chubby cheeks. Hmm…”
“And your duties?” Jori gave Askara a stern look.
“I am to get the babe and bring him to you for feedings. I will change all swaddling for at least the first week. And I have to remember that Lumic’s body may be different for a while or permanently. Which, I do not mind. You’ll always be you, and I’ll have to remind you how much I love you.” Askara offered his widest smile, and the genuine adoration in those silvery eyes made Lumic want to both kiss him and smack him. How he let such a sweet and chipper alpha take his heart… It had to have been an act of the goddesses.
“And if I say this is the last child we ever have?” Lumic breathed through his teeth as another contraction tore through him, putting pressure down onto his pelvis.
“Then it is so.” Askara held Lumic’s hand and rubbed the small of his back in slow circles, moving to squeeze his hips as Jori had taught him. Lumic loved him so much.
Lumic stood with Askara’s hand holding him steady and paced as he’d been told, rocking his hips as he did so. Their little one squirmed occasionally, and that reminded him they were fine.
Jori, for his part, watched Lumic with a jaundiced eye, waiting for some sign or change in his posture that he wasn’t aware of. Births took time, so when Lumic continued pacing for a while still, nobody raised alarm.
