"Ready? I don't think I have a choice anymore," I gasped, feeling another wave of pressure building inside me. The urge to push was becoming overwhelming, like nothing I'd ever experienced before.
Kaelen's hand tightened around mine as Lyra and Dr. Ian moved into position. The makeshift delivery room in Valerius's former chamber now seemed a million miles away from the opulent royal quarters it had been. Medical supplies were strewn across antique furniture, monitoring equipment beeped steadily beside the massive four-poster bed, and the silk sheets beneath me were hopelessly ruined.
"On the next contraction, I need you to push," Lyra instructed, her professional demeanor firmly in place despite the extraordinary circumstances. "Bear down like you're trying to push through your bottom."
"That's... a lovely image," I managed through gritted teeth, before another contraction seized me. The pain crescendoed, and I bore down with everything I had, a primal groan escaping me.
