The Magnificent 7th

Aliana's breathing came in and left her body as quick, short huffs, pacing her breathing in time with her contractions. Between her own firsthand experience and her medical knowledge, the clouded fae knew exactly what to do and what to expect. That still didn't make it any easier though as her muscles contracted again, drawing a pained whine from her while she grit her teeth and bore it until they passed again. Chimera, the dutiful mate that he was, was already up and gathering her materials for her. They'd gone through basic drills of what he needed to bring her when the time came, and gods bless that wonderful man, he remembered everything! As soon as her supplies were within reach, Ali snatched up a small bottle of clear liquid she'd mixed—extracts of trillium, motherwort, and alfalfa. As she removed the cork stopper, she felt the strong muscle of Chi's body slide smoothly behind her, giving her a sturdy foundation to support her through the birth. He asked if she wanted him to call for Siren or Dalila. Ali simply downed the contents of the bottle and shook her head.

"No, I can do this. It doesn't feel as bad as the others-" Her words were broken by a grimace as the contractions hit her again, then passed, coming closer together now. "-and I don't want to wake them." That was Aliana, selfless as ever. But more than thinking of her sister wives' sleep schedules, the ash and snow fae wanted to do this to prove something to herself. She'd blamed herself for the loss of their first litter, for not being strong enough to bear their children. This time she would prove she could with no one else but Chimera. Steely aquamarine eyes glanced up at her mate, lifting a faint paw to rest over his on her side. "I can do this."

Aliana settled in against Chimera, returning to her breathing exercises while she timed her contractions. Time passed, and they came more frequently. She could feel the movement in her womb while the pups inside prepared to be brought into the world. Then the pain increased, and Ali knew it was happening for real. She panted, grit her teeth to muffle her growls of pain, pressed back into Chimera when she needed him to hold her steady. Compared to birthing her six large sons, this was far easier, but it was still no cakewalk. After some effort and a few good pushes, Aliana cried out in sharp pain and then utter relief as she brought their newest child into the world. Ali wasted no time, sitting up as best she could to curl around to greet their pup. With Chimera's help maneuvering the pup to her side, Ali cleaned it off and was rewarded with a chorus of mewling cries from the tiny creature. Aliana's heart melted in an instant when she heard those soft, familiar yet wholly unique cries.

As the pup was placed at her side to receive her first meal, Ali licked her damp puppy fur dry, studying their child. She was female, small but not incredibly—she likely wouldn't be her father's size at least—and wore a coat of blending smoke gray and jet black fur. She was utterly perfect and breathtakingly beautiful, and Aliana loved her so already. "A daughter," she gasped, looking up to Chimera with nothing short of pure love and total bliss in her shimmering eyes. "We have a little girl!" So lost was Aliana in her joy that she didn't realize her contractions had stopped. When she did, she looked down at her own body, brows furrowed in confusion. Was there only one? A quick gentle prodding around her belly confirmed that yes, there were no more pups waiting. Nothing had gone wrong. They simply had one little girl—a perfect Fenmyrian princess. Compared to the six massive princes she'd birthed last time that had nearly torn her in half, it was almost laughably ironic!

"Chimera & Aliana"