I screamed, agreeing wholeheartedly as I involuntarily pushed. Antonio had informed me that the Executioner, the one Mystical whose job it was to slaughter any hybrid, was linked with a spell to any hybrid being born, the spell physically pushing the Mystical to go where the child was and exterminate the baby. The protection spell Antonio had put on my tent safeguarded that from happening, but Antonio still needed to put a cloaking spell on the baby, which he had finally perfected two weeks ago, since he or she wouldn’t be able to hide their sleeping powers, and everyone would sense his or her hybrid nature. I hadn’t told Bindi or Antonio I knew the father was a Vampire, since they never told me shit, but because of my own hybrid nature of Vampire and Shifter, I knew the baby would automatically have my genes.

“Okay, okay,” Bindi breathed deeply, and she instantly transformed, rolling her neck on her shoulders, and when she looked back up at me, it was the physician staring at me. “You’re going to push when I tell you to, not when you want to.” Her hands glowed golden, and she pushed my knees up around my large belly. “Grab your knees, and keep them up.” One hand went to my stomach, and she stared between my legs as I relaxed while the contraction was gone…fuck…never mind. “Okay, take a deep breath and push.” Both hands went between my legs, and I screamed, grunting, bearing down as I gripped my legs, pushing with all I had.

That was when Antonio suddenly appeared in his battle attire, splatters of blood covering his face and clothes. Again, ice filled my veins, but not as much as usual, my body feeling too much torture. Pain was overriding any other emotion right now. The blood drained from Antonio’s face as he stared wide-eyed, teetering. He looked like he was going to drop in a dead faint.

Bindi growled at him, “You kill how many Coms daily? And you can’t take the sight of birth?”

I sucked in a breath, groaning deeply as I pushed again when Bindi ordered me to.

Again, her eyes flew to Antonio. “Go wash your hands and get rid of that shirt before you come over here.” She growled. “And you will be coming over here, so get your f**king act together.”

Antonio blinked, swallowing hard, but he stopped swaying where he stood. Nodded. Then raced to the small flap at the back of my tent where the magically enchanted bathroom was.

“Good, Queen Ruckler,” Bindi murmured, her focus back on the task at hand. “You’re doing really well.” Her lips tilted when I stopped pushing to haul in huge lungfuls of air. “A couple more pushes like that and the baby will be out.”

“Thank God,” I muttered breathlessly, shaking my head back and forth, trying to clear my pain-filled blurry vision. “I’d rather be shot…and maybe burned…than do this much longer.”

She nodded. “Natural childbirth, which you’re having since you wouldn’t leave headquarters—” I growled, my wolf shining out through my eyes, and she cleared her throat, “Natural childbirth isn’t easy for any mother. Some might say it is, but they’re lying out their ass because this part is not easy, or pain free, for any woman. But you’re young and healthy, and those few pushes were excellent.” She paused, her hands glowing brighter. “And I want you to push again now.”

I felt my stomach constrict, and I shouted, pushing with all I had, not even realizing until I was done that Antonio had come back into the room to hold my back in support. And at this moment, I didn’t care he was touching me, only that he was helping.

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“Ahh,” I shouted, grinding my teeth, shaking with the effort of the next push, watching Bindi keep one hand between my legs while she threw open a drawer on the side of the bed, pulling something blue out before that hand went back between my legs.

My head fell back as the contraction stopped, and I panted in great gulps. Antonio softly brushed my sweat-drenched hair off my face, gently kissing my forehead and murmuring soothingly, while I took a mini-nap. Until Bindi shook my leg, and I bared down, pushing again, screaming at the pain.

Bindi nodded quickly. “One more. One more good push.”

“I am pushing good,” I growled, but took a deep breath and heaved, squeezing my stomach muscles, shoving down with everything I had. And suddenly I could breathe, the agony not as horrendous, not at all. My head flopped against Antonio’s shoulder as I breathed heavily, about ready to faint but unable to take my eyes off what I saw in front of me.

My baby.

In Bindi’s arms, who was cleaning out its nose and mouth and cutting the umbilical cord in record time as the shaking squall of a baby filled the air around us, sounding loud and pissed off.

Antonio’s grip on me was just as shaky as I was. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

Bindi grinned, covering the baby in a blanket. “It’s a girl.” My heart stuttered, and I started crying softly. They were warm tears, not cold ones like usual, as Bindi laid her on my chest. I instantly gripped the fretful bundle, keeping her safe.

Antonio shook his head, chuckling softly before bending and placing his face next to mine to get a look at her, but the blanket was covering a portion of her face.

Carefully, holding her with one arm, I lifted the blanket away to show her face.

“Wow, Lil,” Antonio said in wonder. “She’s beautiful.” I felt his cheek crease against mine as he grinned and stated with pride, “My granddaughter is absolutely beautiful.” He squeezed my shoulder. “Good job, kiddo.”

“I’m not sure how much I had to do with this face,” I murmured, staring in wonder.

He grunted. “Are you joking? She looks just like you!”

She was a beauty, even if flushed from screaming her head off. Her eyes were slightly tilted, almond-shaped, but so were mine, having inherited that from my biological dad, King Venclaire. Her cheeks were rosy and full, healthy. I ran the tip of my finger over her straight, tiny nose, which I guess did resemble mine, infuriating her further. Her chin trembled, and my heart melted with the action. Her face was heart-shaped, and precious like a china doll’s.

She was perfect.

“If she looks just like me, I’m damn gorgeous,” I mumbled, my eyes scanning her features again as I ran my finger over her red eyebrows, which had a delicate arched shape.

Antonio glanced at me, his eyebrows furrowed. “Of course you are.”

I huffed, but he had stated the truth. I ignored the compliment and tugged the blanket back further, revealing her hair. My breath caught. “That’s a lot of hair already.” Antonio grunted in agreement, both of us lifting a hand and fingering the inch-long hair. “And it’s not just red; she’s got black streaks.” Not many, but there were a few. I blinked, glancing at Antonio. “I’ll have to say I adopted her.” She had more visible Vampire traits than Shifter ones. “Wait…can you tell me if she should claim being a Shifter or a Vampire?” Just because her hair was this color, it didn’t mean her power would not be stronger as a Shifter.




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