There Can Be Miracles

Aliana had never felt more surrounded by love, comfort, and support than she did in this moment. Her mate, holding her close as he encouraged her through the painful tribulation, her lovers and friends working to ease her through the process and welcome her children into the world... It all reminded her of what she had been graced with in her fortunate life. There had been much darkness and struggle in her short life, but if she had to do it all over again, knowing where she'd end up, she would have. Ali grit her teeth and clenched her jaws so hard her cheeks began to hurt as a fourth wave of roiling contractions tore through her. She clawed at the bedspread, trying to remain as still as possible so as not to disturb the trio of pups already suckling at her belly. The fourth pup came easier compared to its first three siblings, slipping into the world, notably the smallest of the bunch so far, but only just a bit. Like his brothers, he was also a near perfect blend of black and white, with splotches of gray throughout. Aliana only barely got a chance to look down at the boy with an exhausted, loving smile before the contractions hit her again. Just how many puppies was she carrying?!

The fifth pup came with a little more difficulty. She could feel he was larger as he slipped from her birth canal, his mostly white and gray fur marred pink and red from the blood seeping from Aliana. There was no surprise she'd have some tearing, given the size of the boys she'd birthed so far, and even as she fifth was received by Dalila and Siren, she could feel the kicking and squirming of yet another inside her womb. The sixth pup didn't give her a moment of reprieve once the fifth son was born, and was eagerly kicking his way out of her belly. Aliana screamed and twisted her head to latch her jaws onto Chimera's foreleg near his shoulder, biting down with all the strength she could muster to keep herself from shrieking in agony. The sixth pup felt like the largest of all as he virtually fought his way out against her contracting muscles. Hot, blinding pain hit Ali, blacking out her vision momentarily until she felt the immense wave of relief that came as the pup's head emerged, followed by the rest of its chunky body. He was by far the largest of the half dozen pups she'd birthed and also the most feisty, kicking and squealing and squirming against the midwives and his own mother.

Aliana released Chimera's arm, exhaling hard. She could taste blood in her mouth and smell it on the air, feel it seeping over her thighs from the difficult birth of six large, healthy boys, but she wouldn't have traded any of the pain. It had been a small price to pay to bring their family of six strapping young lads into the world, all who were currently making little squeaky squealing noises as they tumbled over one another to get their first meal. Exhausted, tear-blurred aqua eyes peered up at Chimera, lost in a hazy blur of pain and euphoria. The biggest, happiest smile the tiny fae had ever worn in her life spread across her face while she gasped for breath, trying not to move, as every little jostle caused pain in her rear end. She wasn't worried though; she had Siren and Dalila to care for her. She trusted both women with her life. "We did it," she whispered with glee up to Chimera, stretching her neck up to run her tongue beneath his chin. Then she turned her gaze back down to their six sons, naming the final three in the order they were born. "Satyr, Quill, Morendo... Our sons."

"Aliana"