awake my soul.

The two of them had certainly been kinder and more perceptive toward one another in the past -- but the circumstances were clearly quite different now. Though things had changed, she was certain her love had only grown stronger, even if it was not outwardly obvious. A sigh would escape her lips as he pressed closer to her, his warmth assuring and calming. Epiphron's back would arch as she curled closer, rattled by another painful contraction, so strong she was certain she could not bear the pain. And yet her world remained surprisingly intact, though her vision grew blurry and the form of those entering the den was almost unrecognizable to the Queen.

Amalia's voice would always bring a smile to her lips, even in the darkest of hours -- and now was no exception. "Amalia," she would murmur, voice quivering with pain and love alike. Oh, how it seemed those two went hand in hand these days. "Come, lay beside me." It would be an eye-opening thing for the young girl, but something Epiphron wanted her to witness. And though the den was not huge, it had been significantly widened in the last few months in preparation for her birth, and the few of them could fit comfortably in here. Arian's voice sounded next, making another smile dance across her pained features. "And you, too, Arian." She would not be distraught if her two boys were not here; they would meet their future siblings soon enough.

Eyes would flutter closed as the pain continued, contractions growing more fierce and closer together. Loccian had quickly arrived at Maverick's command, and she was beyond grateful for her presence. After Erani, Loccian was the one wolf she trusted most to aid her in a time like this. She instructed the children to help her, and she would not hold them back, even if she longed to feel their warmth at her side. Loccian knew best. "They are strong," she would answer between clenched teeth, a growl bubbling up from within her throat, absent of anger or malice -- simply fulled with pain.