His Sweet Little Mate

The sky this morning was so dark, as gloomy clouds blocked the sun rays from penetrating the horizon. This wasn't a strange sight in recent times, because it was the middle of the monsoon. But, this gloomy morning actually marked when Abby finally started to feel her contractions. "Call the healer, it's the baby, I think it's coming." Abby panted as she tried to alert her maid who was bringing her food tray away. She just managed to take two bites of her breakfast, before pushing it away and asked for her medicine. However, just as Reyna reached the door, Abby felt this acute pain in her womb. Since she had neared her due date, she had been feeling this dull ache in her back and lower abdomen along with this slight discomfort in her pelvis. But what she felt right now was much sharper, and she felt breathless just moments after it registered in her brain as tears gathered in her eyes.

Reyna, who heard her master whimper in pain, pumped her feet fast as she bellowed for Deion as soon as she threw the door open. "Deion, the queen needs the healer."

That was all Deion needed to hear before he rushed the guards to fetch Nadia and assistants, before sending someone to call over Alan and Dax while Reyna asked someone to bring Alyssa over.

Since they were prepared, anticipating for Abby to go into labor any day now, Nadia and the others didn't take long before rushing over to the king's tower.

After having a brief word with Abby, Alan and Dax went outside of the room, leaving Abby in the care of the women, and joined Deion, who stood guard in front of the door.

However, the weather wasn't forgiving today, as the wind howled really hard until it looked like there would be a storm very soon, while Nadia and her assistants fussed over Abby.

"Take deep breaths, my queen." Nadia was now rubbing warmth into Abby's right palm as Efrem focused on her left palm while Alyssa and Reyna took care of her cold feet.

"It hurts," Abby almost screamed when a sudden bolt of agony that sent her legs curling shot through her spine.

Just from her expression, Nadia could tell how badly Abby was hurting, but this was just the beginning or might also be a false alarm because contractions didn't follow the same pattern for everyone.

But if this was a false alarm, the healer dared not imagine what would happen when the real contractions finally chose to rack her body.

All she could do now was hope for the girl to go into labor and help alleviate some of her pain, but it was difficult when Abby found it difficult to even follow simple instructions like taking measured and deep breaths. Nadia didn't know if she should feel relieved or stressed when the contractions continued to

agonize Abby for a whole morning before giving her a little reprieve, where they dulled in intensity for a while.

"It's going to be alright, My Queen. Just stay with me, you can see the child soon." Nadia whispered soothing promises to Abby, as the girl looked like she couldn't scream any longer as her lungs protested with every breath that she took. However, Abby wasn't lucky enough for the pain to take pity on her, because they returned with twice the intensity, and just like that, the afternoon also passed in a blur of screams and pain for Abby.

Alan and Dax checked with them a few times, but they couldn't do anything to help. So they just waited outside, waiting for this to be over.

"Why isn't the baby coming out?" Abby didn't even know if her voice was able to rise enough for Nadia to hear her over the wind, but by some miracle, the healer grasped her question.

However, it was Efrem who talked to her, even though her ringing ears didn't allow her any auditory sense. She lay there breathing raggedly as the healers discussed something, while she felt like sleep would consume her any moment now.

On the other hand, Efrem looked at her mentor with this scared look on her face. "Nadia, the situation doesn't look promising. Her contractions were way too intense and too long."

Because it was way past evening at this point and the baby still didn't come out, it left everyone scared shitless for Abby and her baby.

Nadia felt her heart constrict when she realized it was close to twelve hours since the contractions started, but she didn't lose her cool as she continued to encourage Abby to endure the pain a bit longer.

However, Abby couldn't hear her anymore as her mind took her to a faraway place in her mind, where she remembered how often she envisioned this moment of herself giving birth to their first child with Micah by her side.

All those months ago, when her mate revealed this blissful news to her, she couldn't even think of anything else but holding her soon to be born baby and living happily with Micah.

She couldn't remember how she fell unconscious up until that point, because her father pushed her down the cliff, or how she spent two days praying to all gods to let her save Micah, or how her life had been literal hell for ten years before she met her mate. None of it.

For days, she imagined how she would have Micah to support her through this, but just after a week, her mate left for a battle which was nothing more than a trap and now she was all alone, suffering through this hellish labor.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

But she didn't resent her mate or her baby, she was just afraid her weak constitution would affect her poor baby. Even though Nadia didn't say anything, she could tell her body was protesting now, unable to accommodate her shifter baby.

She felt so helpless, she started begging Nadia. "Nadia, do something! I can't take it anymore. No matter what happens to me, just save my baby, please!"

Tears freely fell down her pale cheeks, as another bout of pain racked her being, but this time she gritted her teeth and looked at Nadia with determination.

"Abby, stop talking nonsense. Nothing will happen to you or your baby. Just let me think for a moment. Don't lose hope. It will be alright."

Nadia blabbered as she reassured her over and over. "How about this, I'll give you a concoction to alleviate the pain."

Abby didn't remember just how many such concoctions she drank all day long today, but she still bore down and gulped the bitter liquid which only helped very little.

It was almost midnight now, and the storm they feared had finally arrived. It was really a mess out there as rain poured down with scary lightning and heart stopping thunder accompanying the harsh wind.

The weather perfectly matched her state of mind which was equally chaotic, if not more worse. The pain turned unbearable long back, but only the thought of delivering her baby safely made her grit through it.

Nadia saw her pale, shaking form and after a few beats of internal battle, she approached Abby again. "Abby, I think it would be best for us to induce labor with herbs."

Abby was a bit light headed from pain, but she managed to grasp the gist of her words. "Labor inducing through herbs?"

"Yes, I want you to take a few uterine stimulants, which will help induce the labor."

"You mean taking them would make the baby come out faster?" Abby asked more than a little breathless.

"Yes, there are a few herbs for it, will you try it?" Nadia asked her carefully.

"They won't cause the baby any harm right?" Abby's main concern was this.

"No, they won't, but it will be really painful for you." Nadia said, feeling helpless for suggesting Abby go through even more pain when she was in literal agony.

She had tried every possible method, but this was all left to try now, because once contractions started and the water broke, it literally meant the mother's womb was no longer fully supporting the baby.

And Abby's water broke half way through this morning, and it had already been more than twelve hours now. They really didn't have any time to spare if they wanted the baby to be born safely.

Abby was also aware of this, so the girl gritted her teeth and ordered for Nadia to go through with her idea. "Go with it, Nadia. Just make sure my baby is born safe and healthy."

Abby didn't care about herself anymore, she just wanted the baby to be safe and she would do anything for it, let alone endure a bit more pain.

"Give me the potion, let's not waste anymore time." Abby urged the healer as she bore down and held out her hand for the concoction.

Nadia handed her a small water skin filled with some gooey black liquid, it smelled so bitter, Abby could only imagine how bitter it would taste. But luckily, with all the medicines she had been drinking since the start of her pregnancy, she was able to gulp down the water skin's contents in one go.

Outside the room, the royal beta and royal gamma felt their stomachs sink when Alyssa reiterated Abby's current condition.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Alan immediately called for several more guards to secure the place. Deion even patrolled around the king's tower once or twice while waiting outside.

They all had one thought in their minds. Nothing must go wrong tonight. Only the raging storm looked like it was trying to say otherwise.