Welcoming the prince
***FOUR MONTHS LATER***
“Be careful with it!” She heard the kind guard who passed by her then.
“Thank you,” Keisha smiled as she nearly dropped the bowl of hot water and towels she was carrying in her hand. It’s today! The cub prince is arriving today!
The young servant recalled all that had happened during the past months. When Luna Ava told her she was leaving the Daivie house, Keisha didn’t know how to express her heartbreak because she’s never had such a kind madame in all her years of living as a servant. This guest was different from the rest, kinder, never ever said any bad words to her, and oh, how she loved Ava. Ava had a good heart, and she missed her so much.
It was a bold step, but Keisha finally summoned up courage to go and beg alpha Daryl to be allowed to change her place of assignment. Her heart was with Ava and the prince, and even though Keisha knew that Ava might not be needing her services anymore, she still wanted to be right by her side.
Surprisingly, alpha Daryl agreed to contact Ava to seek her permission first regarding the matter. He claimed that it was because of his good relationship he had with alpha Lucas De’ Clan, handing over one of his wolves didn’t seem like much of a bother. And then of course, unsurprisingly, Ava responded back with a message allowing Keisha a place to come and live in the dawn sanctuary as her new servant. It seemed clear to Daryl that the two females had established a deep bond of friendship, one that went beyond that of master and servant, and one that Daryl didn’t expect as he thought that Ava would just throw the servants letter in the garbage.
So, then with no other option, he let her go, and that was how Keisha had been living in the dawn house since that time. It pained her to have missed the wedding, how fun it would have been for her to help Ava get ready in her wedding clothes, but then there was still more to look forward to for Keisha, including the birth of the prince.
She tried to move faster, but fear of the hot water splashing and hurting her made her slow her pace a bit, until she finally reached her mistress’s chambers where she could hear Ava’s screams erupting through the door.
“There you are!” Nani gasped as Keisha came in. Nani took one of the towels from her hand and dipped it in the water, squeezing it out before placing it beside Ava’s bump to calm her nerves. There was blood all over the bed where she sat, and Ava was sweating profusely, her eyes reddened from so much tears. The contractions with sharp pains shooting through her stomach as she screamed with every second that passed.
“Calm down, please, Ava… calm down… it’s going to be fine,” Nani pleaded before turning back to Keisha.
“What about Lucas? Has he been told?”
“I asked one of the guards outside. He went far on patrol this morning, but what I heard is that he’s on his way.”
“Ok, then… it means we’ll just have to start without him. And where are the two other servants I asked you to call?”
“We’re here ma’am…” the two young ladies entered the room as soon as Nani asked for their presence.
“Go and hold her hands on either side, hand to me whatever I ask you to.” Nani instructed them.
Ava continued crying…. “Aaarrggh…! It hurts… it hurst so much…”
“I’m sorry, princess…. I promise that it will all be okay… soon you’ll be carrying your little baby…”
“It hurts… it hurts,” Ava cried before letting out a scream that cut out Nani’s words.
“The baby is coming… all right now…. Ava, I beg of you to cooperate so you won’t have any complications…. On my count, I want you to give a big push… push for your baby…”
1…
2…
3… PUSH!!!!
Her screams came loudly again, shaking the whole place. Ava began shaking her head, feeling like as if she couldn’t do this anymore. Her mate walked in there and then.
Thank the goddess he is here, Nani sighed. “Lucas…”
“When did her water break?” Lucas hurriedly asked her.
“As soon as you left. The guards went out to call you but you’d already gone.”
“What’s going on with her now?”
Nani shook her head, closing her eyes as she let out, “the baby is coming… but then Ava refuses to push… I understand because it’s so painful for her, but she has to try… for the prince… she just has to try.”
Lucas left Nani, and then went to Ava’s side there. He saw the pain written all over her face, and he felt it too in his heart. Ava didn’t seem to become aware of him entering the room until he took her hand in his, then she turned her tear-stained face to him.
“Precious… please… you have to push…”
Ava cried. “I’m trying… but it hurts so much… he’s hurting me… he… he doesn’t want to come out!!!”
“Of course, he does, precious… he just needs his mum to push him out properly.”
“But… it hurts!!!!”
“I know… that’s why I’m here… let’s push together… let’s welcome our son home.”
“I hope she’s ready now…” Nani gasped.
“Yes, she’ll push… please go on.”
“All right Ava, let’s try this again… on three…”
1…
2…
3… PUSH!!!!
Her screams rippled through the room, nearly bursting Lucas’s eardrums. She squeezed his hand tightly too, her nails digging into his flesh, she hurt him, but then he urged her on, letting her ease out the pain in any way she could.
“Push for me, precious… you can do this… I love you, please…. Push for me…”
Ava pushed again… screaming, panting… again and again and again…. minutes passed, and she kept on pushing… Lucas’s words encouraging her. She pushed through the pain… hoping the baby would come out soon. She tried breathing exercises that Nani suggested, yet the contractions continued to wear her down.
Then it came… the baby’s head. A gush of water came out of her body then, causing her to shriek.
“Push more, Ava… please push as hard as you can, now!”
And she did. She pushed with so much effort, giving more than she’d been giving before. How strong she was. Ava felt the pain similar to that of a watermelon being pushed through a hole the size of a lemon. It hurt so much. If this baby didn’t leave her body soon, she might faint.
“Please hold on, dear… keep pushing, you’re almost there!” Nani gaped.
She went on… breathing, panting, pushing… it was a repeated cycle, with her mate still right by her, her anchor, helping her through it all.
“I love you precious… you can do it! I love you so much.”
Ava panted… “please… come out, my child… I’ve held you warm in me for so long. Please… my baby, it’s time to come out to see the world.”
She gave it one last big push… and then the baby came out, with Nani pulling out the rest of the body. Ava’s screams were replaced by the cries of the newborn. The prince of the dawn pack and heir to the alpha’s seat.