Belle swam to wakefulness. She was soaked in sweat and sore all over, but deep down inside, she somehow felt that the worst was over. The intense pain she had endured, and the effort it had taken to push out the life inside her, had thoroughly drained her energy.
Her body ached, her stomach cramped painfully, and worst of all, her breasts felt heavy and swollen in her chest, accompanied by the deep, throbbing soreness between her legs. When she shifted, it felt as though two heavy stones were lodged in her bodice, while a taut string was being pulled painfully between her legs, stretching up toward her lower abdomen and causing her immense discomfort.
Most of all...
She was so hungry and thirsty.
