Su Qinglan's breath came in ragged hitches as the second contraction rolled over her like a tidal wave, much stronger than the first.
Xuan Long, usually the coldest and most detached of the group, was the first to move.
Seeing her bite her lip so hard it began to bleed, he let out a low, pained hiss of his own.
He didn't want her to hurt herself. He reached out with a trembling hand, gently prying her teeth away from her lip and replacing it with his own thick, calloused finger.
"Bite me, Lan Lan," he whispered, his emerald snake eyes shimmering with vulnerability. "Don't hurt yourself. Give the pain to me."
On her other side, Rong Ye had shed all of his usual playfulness.
He quickly and gently removed her damp outer garments, replacing them with a fresh, warmed hide that covered her upper body while leaving her prepared for the birth. He hovered over her, his fox ears pinned back in distress.
