I knew I loved you before I met you! (Birthing)

A building pressure in her stomach woke her, though she mistook the feeling for something else. The discomfort wasn't going away and was actually bringing nausea with it. Even in her discomfort, she tried very hard not to wake her soon-to-be husband and moved out of the den. Only a few paces away, she emptied her stomach and groaned softly. It soon lessened, though it didn't fade entirely. This was when she began to worry, her ears locked to her skull and her tail tucked firmly between her legs. It seemed to be a long walk back than it had been out here, and half of her steps were taken in a pain-induced fog that took her breath away. Azariah entered the den, and whined softly, not wanting to alarm Ulric but needing him to go and find one of the healers in the pack. She preferred Tamsyn, but the ebony woman was busy with her own brood, so it was understandable if she couldn't make it. The monochrome witch preferred any help she could get. Gently, she roused her mate, trying to smile even though another bout of pain. "My love...mmmm...I think...I think it's time!" She tried to speak through a particularly intense round of pressure.

Panting through the worst of it, the anxious mother-to-be lay back down on her bed. She made sure to breathe, as that was the key to surviving pain. While her body felt as though it was condensing down onto itself, Aza tried to remain calm. With or without the help of a healer, Azariah's body wasn't going to wait. It felt like it took forever, and her that body was slow to react to the signals her body gave her. In truth, it was only a single hour before the most intense urge to push began. When she could hold off the instinct no longer, the monochrome woman let her body do its work. Mere minutes dragged into years it seemed as she pushed when she felt the need and rested in between. The first pup was the worst, and left her with a few tears, but nothing that would scar the woman for life. After that, it was relatively easier. Each pup took about an hour to an hour and a half to make its debut, totaling nearly eight hours from start to finish. All night she worked to bring her children into the world. Engulfed in each tiny, splendid cry as she cleaned them and drew them close to her. All of them beautiful in their own right. Beaming up at Ulric once she was done, and the fifth and final pup screamed to life in their den, Azariah burst into the happiest sob-fest she had ever had the pleasure of crying over. "They're so beautiful!" She didn't feel the pain anymore, forgotten in the rush of happiness and elation at finally having her babies in the world!