It was so dark. The world had already been dark with only the few hours of twilight-like light during the day, but even that seemed to be gone now. She had relegated herself to not leaving her bed as she drew closer and closer to when she expected her birth to be, but laying here in the near total darkness with just a faint light of the moon filtering through the windows certainly wasn't helping her mindset. It should have been the middle of the day, but she had no concept of time in this perpetual darkness so she couldn't really even be sure of that. She was alone for the time being, doing her best to rest and not worry while continuing to fail on both accounts.

Sometimes the shadows that the moon cast on the walls in front of her would catch her off guard, making her jump slightly when she thought she saw some figure in the room with her. It was absolutely ridiculous, she knew no one was there, but the shifting shapes on the wall while the world depended into darkening madness didn't give her much comfort. Seeing how the mushrooms and crystals and glow were over taking everything, even from the small radius she allowed herself to go from the room, it made her more and more anxious about the fact that she was going to be bringing tiny pups into this insanity. Worrying about Cerberus, Scylla, and Albion was bad enough—she wondered if she'd give herself a heart attack worrying about her own pups.

Over the last week or two she had developed a light fever and the cramping and contractions that had been a fairly constant part of her pregnancy had only gotten worse which is why she had put herself on much more stringent bed rest even though it was driving her crazy. She had moved into a different room in the wing she shared with Siren as well, worried that perhaps she had picked up a little cold or something from somewhere and not wanting to accidentally give it to Scylla or Albion. She was only down the hall, but the more the days ticked by the more it was waring on her.

She was half asleep when a stronger contraction than she could remember feeling before hit her and she winced at the feeling, her ears flicking back and gritting her teeth at the sensation. After a few moments she was able to breathe through it and she wondered if it was just a continuing part of her side effects, but another followed closely behind it and soon enough she realized it was finally time. In-between rapidly building contractions she howled for the others—Siren and Chimera mostly. After what Aliana had gone though she wouldn't have blamed the woman one bit if she didn't want to be here, but she wouldn't turn her away either.

"Dalila Vista Rocha"

Siren didn’t like that Dalila was separating herself from her, but she continued to tell herself it was for the children. Dal had been under the weather this last little bit of her pregnancy and didn’t want to let it spread to Albion and Scylla. Her adoration and worry over the two pups outweighed her selfish desire to be close to her dear Dal. Of course Siren checked in on her beloved, leaving herbs, meals, and having the children carry water to her door. She knew that any day now Dalila would be giving birth, so Siren never strayed far.

Not that she had much desire to anyway. Chimera was on edge with the state of the world and she didn’t wish to worry him further. Albion and Scylla were as uncontrollable as ever though, and they were always putting their noses where they didn’t belong. Siren was worrying over the three pups when she heard Dalila’s call. Siren warned them to behave, not that she expected compliance, and rushed to Dalila’s room.

Siren was still reeling from the devastation that Aliana’s labor brought about. Siren gathered all of her herbs, silently praying this would not be a repeat. Tiny paws carried her to Dalila’s side in the darkness. Immediately upon arrival offering her dear heart a sweet supportive kiss after laying her bag down. ”Just breathe,” she offered softly, caressing her cheek. Siren would have to mostly work by feel in the darkness.


"Speech"

Aliana had become a husk of herself in the days that followed her miscarriage. All throughout her pregnancy, she'd struggled to come to terms with the way the puppies had been conceived and finding the motherly love for them she thought she should have right away. It turned out all she needed was to lose them forever to find out she'd loved them all along. The ash and snow fae's heart was broken into a million pieces. She did nothing with her days anymore; she didn't tend to her gardens or mix medicines and concoctions in her study, she barely ate and didn't speak to anyone. At night she laid awake and stared at the walls that seemed to close in on her from all sides. Had she any tears left, Ali would be crying nonstop.

It was during one of these dark, silent nights that Dalila's call for help pierced the quiet like an alarm. Aliana didn't move beyond a flick of her ears. She stared blankly at the walls, knowing Chimera would go sprinting to her and that Siren would respond in turn. Her brain just refused to cooperate. She wanted to lie here until the darkness consumed her entirely. It was what she deserved for being so totally and utterly useless. But this wasn't about her. This was about Dalila—her friend. She was about to go through the pain she, Siren, and Viper had endured. Dalila had been there for her, and she was only pregnant by Aliana's fuck up, so the least she could do was help her through it. Afterwards she could return to fading away, but right now, Dalila needed her.

Rising slowly to her paws, Ali slid her aching body off the bed to the wood floor and walked down the corridor in the opposite direction to her study, slipping into the dark room to grab a small vial containing a clear liquid of trillium, alfalfa, and meadowsweet extracts—her own personal mix carefully measured to be a one use medicine during childbirth. She'd been intending to use it on herself, but... well, she had no use for it now. Dalila would benefit from her work though. The small paw also grabbed a beeswax candle and the flint and steel from her desk, then headed to the opposite wing to find Siren already tending to Dalila. Ali didn't say a word as she slipped in almost silently, setting the candle down and striking the flint to spark the wick. All at once, a dim orange glow illuminated the room, allowing both healers to work.

Moving up toward Dalila, Ali pulled the cork stopper from the end of the vial and passed it to the mottled woman with the simple, impassive direction of, "Drink this." With the medicine passed off, Ali placed a paw to Dalila's forehead to test her fever, then moved about the room, gathering up the swaths of linens and setting up near the end of the bed to prepare to receive the pups as they were birthed. Her usually bright aquamarine eyes were dim and foggy as she worked, moving almost on autopilot and quashing her emotions down while she did what she had to. She just prayed that Dalila's birth went infinitely better than her own had.

"Aliana"

A panicked call came from Dalila and Chimera... didn't immediately act. He came to fear this day. After what happened to Aliana, all the man could see was dead puppies. Viper had given birth to dead puppies. Aliana had lost her entire litter. Would Dalila lose hers as well? Was it his fault? It wasn't too far fetched to think that his genes were bad. His parents had been half siblings, after all. Perhaps he was paying for their mistake. He was faulty. His seed was rotten. This was his punishment for being the bastard that he was.

Slowly and begrudgingly, Chimera made his way to the chamber where Dalila had been staying. Siren was already there working on the mottled woman but he was more than surprised to see Aliana there as well. The brute's pale pink eye watched as the clouded fae offered the birthing woman a vial of something. Since the loss of their children, Ali had become a wraith. Chimera was glad that she had come out of the birth physically unscathed. He would have traded those pups for the woman's life over and over again. She was the most important thing to him. Not children.

With a sigh of exhaustion, the black and white giant padded into the room. He went first to Aliana, nuzzling into the top of her grey head. "If it's too much, you don't have to be here. Siren can tell me what to do," he whispered just between them before kissing her crown. Only then did he move to Dalila's side, offering the fae a tired nod. He settled beside her as he had with Viper and Siren, allowing her to lean into him as her body contracted. He placed a paw over one of hers and nodded again, this time to Siren. He knew she would take care of their lover.

"Chimera Klein"

Chimera is a very adult character and takes part in very adult situations. Don't read his threads. Ever.

Chi has three black Tibetan Mastiff's as guards. Assume they're very close by.

She was glad when Siren arrived just a few moments later. It was difficult to fight off the rising worry and panic of what might come to be, but it was slightly easier with Siren's sweet face and demeanor with her. She was panting lightly as the contractions continued to roll through her quickly, but she did manage to return Siren's gentle kiss, giving her a small, grateful smile. Even if only Siren came she could be content in that and know she was in good paws. To her surprise though, Aliana walked through the door next, bringing with her a candle that gave off a faint glow. It was just enough light to chase away a good amount of the darkness around them, though it did make the corners and edges of the room look like they were in deeper, darker shadows. She looked up at Ali as she came to hand off a vial of something to her, instructing her to drink it. "Ali..." she said softly between her panting, but she didn't manage to get the rest of her words out before another contraction gripped her and made her grimace and by the time it passed Aliana had already moved away, clearly only letting herself think about her work.

Dalila's ears flicked as she watched the gray, clouded healer, but she did as she was told and drank the contents of the vial, the herbal taste of it filling her mouth. Luckily Chimera came in shortly afterward and was able to say the words to Aliana that she hadn't been able to and she was able to relax back into the bedding once more. Her body was now in a constant state of either gripping and contracting as it worked to get her children into position to be born or in recovery from it. Just as another contraction passed she glanced up to see Chimera as he nodded to her before coming to lay around behind her where she could lean back into him. She could see the exhaustion on his face, the same wear and tiredness they were all feeling as the world crumbled around them. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised when Chimera left Aliana's side to come be by her, laying in a way that she could lean back into him the same way he had for Siren and Aliana, but she was. Their relationship had improved by leaps and bounds from where they had started and perhaps this was all only because it was his children she was giving birth to, but it still caught her off guard to have him treat her even similarly to Siren and Ali.

She settled against him all the same, breathing through the contractions as they came. She knew it wasn't her fault with what happened with Aliana and she knew she couldn't control the state of the world, but she still couldn't help but feel a strange guilt for making Aliana feel like she had to be here and for feeling like she was forcing Chimera to be this way with her. There was feeling of anxiety and dread in the room that was suffocating. She was already afraid of what could happen after seeing a range of terrible, painful births between the two other women in the room so it was increasingly difficult to stay calm in this moment. At a loss, she curled a pale paw around one of Chimera's forelegs, clinging to him for some desperate sense of security as the birth rolled on whether she wanted it to or not.

The extracts that Ali gave her worked quickly and effectively and did manage to take the edge off of the pain of her contractions that were moving more strongly and quickly than she had anticipated. She did her best to follow Siren's instructions to breathe as she began to feel the first pup starting to get to a place where she could push, gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut, giving muffled, pained groans as she followed her instincts and started to push. It was when the noticeably large pup started making progress out into the world that the pain really started to overwhelm her. The medicines she was given surely helped, but it was still a deep, blinding pain and a deep pressure she had never experienced that forced her to scream as much as she was trying not to. She was larger than Siren and didn't truly have a reason to think that her children might go the way of Aliana's so that same guilt and feeling as if she had no reason to react in such away made her try to hold herself back, but in the end she couldn't help it and cried out through the final hard push to free the pup, one paw gripping at the fur she was laying on and the other gripping hard to Chimera's leg.

She collapsed back into Chimera again as the large pup finally slipped free after a good deal of effort, panting hard and struggling to sit up enough to see the pup in the dim lighting of the room. It was hard to make out much more than the general shape of the puppy as Aliana and Siren received the little boy, slightly making out the patchwork coat of gray and black from where she was laying. She held her breath as she waited for the cries and sounds of a healthy pup, panic and dread welling up in her chest as she tried to make out what was going on. "S-Siren...? Ali...?" she breathed, holding Chimera's leg tighter again. The pup wiggled and flailed weakly, pulling in little struggling breaths. There was a few tense minutes before some unnamed, unseen deformity finally took the pup, the boy slipping away and falling still as it succumbed to the outside world that he clearly wasn't meant to survive. Dalila's ears fell back against her head as she watched the silhouette of the pup's limbs grow still, breathing in a shuttering breath as she fought off the tears and panic that threatened to over take her as more contractions took over, her body unwilling to give her a moment to grieve.

"Dalila Vista Rocha"

Aliana followed after her shortly, a little surprising considering recent events. Siren was sad for both Aliana and Chimera, especially seeing what it was doing to Ali. However, Siren felt little towards the deceased puppies, maybe it would have been different were they her own. Despite Aliana’s own inner flame going out the soft glow of her candle seemed to warm their little maternity ward. The intensified shadows were a stark reminder that even this perfect moment was always at risk of the darkness beyond.

Siren felt a chill go up her spine, and she froze a moment as Chimera entered the room and made himself Dalila’s physical support just as he had for herself, Aliana, and Viper. The Queen’s attention was captured by the unseen. As Dal leaned back into Chimera’s side a scene flashed before her eyes. Sorrow and loss, but a flash of light blinded her to bring her back to the present. Siren wasn’t sure what it meant, but braved the work ahead of her, unable to shake the terrible feeling.

Dalila worked terribly hard to free her first born. Siren wasn’t sure where she would be better placed. Siren was right beside her love the entire time, pressing a cool cloth to her forehead, rubbing her back, and checking her over as labor progressed. She tried to spare Ali as much as she could, taking over whenever she looked like she needed to step back or take a breath. The dark feeling never really left Siren as Dalila cried out as she struggled, and eventually gave birth to her first puppy. Hearing her pain, knowing how her lover felt didn’t help the cloud over her head. Still, head down and focusing she quickly got the puppy wrapped in a fur. He struggled to breathe and Siren rubbed against his sides vigorously, leaning back so Dalila was present and visible through the ordeal. Though she did her best, the little boy’s struggles were in vain and eventually he succumbed and became still. She didn't cease her efforts for a few moments longer, but when she put her ear to his chest there was no heartbeat.

"He’s gone.” Siren offered disheartened, but the professional healer within didn’t allow her to cry for him yet. She wrapped him in the fur she already had him swaddled in and lay him to rest at the side as Dalila immediately returned to her contractions.

"Speech"

Chimera showed up shortly after she had begun to work with Siren. Ali noticed how exhausted, physically and mentally, their king looked. After the struggles and trauma they'd all endured, it was to be expected. Seeing Chimera like this just ground the crushed fragments of her heart into dust as she dwelled on the fact that she had been the cause for all of his misery and pain. She'd failed to birth his children, she'd failed to prevent their conception from happening in the first place, she'd caused everything bad since the day she'd been brought to their little island back north. Aliana couldn't look Chimera in the eye, instead keeping her head bowed with eyes turned to the floor like she had when she'd first been bought. She felt her mate nuzzle the top of her head and grace her crown with a kiss, giving her an out if she needed it. He was so considerate... she didn't deserve it.

"I'm fine," she lied in as flat a tone as she could manage, then slipped away to return to her work. Chimera began to comfort Dalila as he had every mother of his children and Siren was darting about doing the bulk of the work. This was not her first rodeo with births, and Ali knew what to do by this point. Practiced paws prepared the swaths of linen to receive each pup, taking her place at Dalila's hind end as the woman's contractions came stronger and faster. Siren coached Dalila through the process, and after some painful cries, Ali received the larger boy, cleaning him off as he choked and struggled to breathe. Aliana's eyes sparked to life and she returned to action—only for Siren to step in and begin trying to resuscitate the pup. Ali watched with helplessness while Siren tried and ultimately failed to bring the pup back to life. The light left Aliana's eyes again. One down...

While Siren set the pup to Dalila's side and returned to doing everything, Ali snuck up along the side of the bed and placed a gentle paw on the pup's sides. She felt along the still warm body, feeling an empty ache in her chest as she looked down at the patchwork pup that had tried so hard to hang on to life. He looked like he was fully developed though, so why had he perished? Frowning and furrowing her brow, Ali pressed into the boy's chest, realizing it felt more hollow than it should have. The pup's lungs hadn't fully formed and couldn't get any air. The child had effectively suffocated as soon as it was born. Ali's heart sank into the pit of her stomach, her throat tightening as she wondered if she had caused this. The contraceptives she'd given Dalila had not been enough to prevent their conception—but had they been enough to prevent the pups from growing right?

Panic struck the clouded fae and she glanced from Dalila back to her hind end, already fearful that she may have killed every pup Dalila was carrying unintentionally. Hurrying back down to the cloths, Ali took position, ready to receive every other pup inside her friend and prepared to do everything she could to make sure the rest survived. Please don't let me have killed them all... she silently prayed while she timed Dalila's contractions, her broken heart pounding in her ears.

"Aliana"

Aliana assured him that she was fine, because why wouldn't she? With a sigh, Chimera went to join Dalila on the furs. Siren did her job, coaching the pregnant woman through the birth of her first child. There was thick anxiety filling the chamber. They were all nervous. The whole world was on edge and there had never been a worse time to bear children. None of them had known that such dire times would come when he'd locked them in his wing during their heat cycles. Oh, if he only had the ability to turn back time...

When the first pup was finally free from its mother, Chimera waited. He waited to hear the sound of the pups cries and when nothing came, the black and white brute's eyes drifted closed. Not again... This couldn't be happening again!

Chimera wanted to bolt. He wanted to leave this place and all of the dead children with it. His dead children. This had to be his fault. All of it. Or, if at least not all his fault, mostly his fault. His genes were faulty. They were subpar. These deaths... they were all proof of that. The man felt broken, worn thin. In the end, he didn't bolt. Instead... he simply went still. He refused to look upon the dead pup. He would stay through the remainder of the birth, but expected nothing more than what had already become the norm.

"Chimera Klein"

Chimera is a very adult character and takes part in very adult situations. Don't read his threads. Ever.

Chi has three black Tibetan Mastiff's as guards. Assume they're very close by.

Dalila closed her eyes as her labor continued, caught somewhere between needing to breathe to get through these contractions and wanting to just hold her lost son and cry. She didn't have the capacity to pay attention to the other's reactions, only knowing that they were still there as she forced herself through the rest of this ordeal. All she could think about as more contractions gripped her and made her whimper and cry was those pitiful, flailing limbs as her son struggled to live and ultimately failed. She grit her teeth as she struggled to keep herself from crying, funneling her sorrow and anger at this world that had caused them all so much pain and hurt into her effort as she pushed their second child into the world. This pup was smaller than the last and didn't physically take as much effort to deliver it, but emotionally and mentally Dalila was on a thin edge. She silently pleaded with whatever powers their might be in the universe to please just let this one live, just let them have one good piece of news. Even just one could ease her pain.

She struggled through the last few pushes, finally delivering the pup with a scream from the effort that brought the pale, splattered pup into the world. Even though it was difficult to do so, she immediately tried to sit up, panting hard as her worried gaze went to Aliana and Siren, trembling lightly from her own fear and the exhaustion settling into her muscles as she held her breath and waited for some kind of news. And then she heard the loudest, most cantankerous puppy squeals she had ever heard and a the wave of relief that washed over her could have knocked her over. She let out a breath in a long, shaky sigh, tears from a mix of sorrow for the pup she lost and relief for the pup that survived rolling down her cheeks. A smile pulled across her lips when she saw the little girl in the faint light of the candle that was flickering off to the side, taking in her patchwork coat for the first time and seeing the swatch of black across one side of her little face and the flecked stripes across her back that reminded her of Chimera's markings.

Dalila looked gratefully to Aliana once their daughter was placed beside her, saying softly, "Thank you." A thank you for being here even though she was still mourning herself, for assisting with her birth even though it was difficult, for being a good friend. Dalila had gone from being completely alone at one point in her life to being surrounded by wolves that she loved and cared for. She looked back at Chimera, giving him a small smile. They had a daughter. A beautiful daughter. She wished their son was laying here with her getting his fist meal as well, but she would rather have one healthy pup than none. She looked to Siren then, reaching a paw toward her love. "Will you bring him to me?" she asked quietly, her chest squeezing tightly. She knew how hard it was going to be to see the little boy, but she wanted to see him all the same.

"Dalila Vista Rocha"

Dalila's contractions began up again, coming in more and more frequently. The next pup would be arriving shortly. Aliana prepared to receive the child, praying with all her heart and soul that she hadn't ruined Dalila's life by trying to help her. Oh please oh please oh please... Ali could see the pain Dalila was in; not just physical, but mental and emotional as well. The devastation of losing a child was a pain the ash and snow fae knew all too well, and her heart went out to Dalila, but they couldn't give up now. Not yet. Fortunately, Dalila showed her indomitable fighter's spirit by continuing to push through, and with a scream, another pup was brought into the world, this one a smaller and lighter than the boy had been, though the fur was unmistakably Chimera's Klein white and Dalila's mottling.

Aliana was swift to gather the little girl in the soft linens, wiping her dry and cleaning her off. She felt the pup kick and fuss, fighting against her, and then the crying started. It was a sound Aliana had never expected to associate with relief, and yet here she was, slumping to her haunched with a sigh of relief when she heard the little girl cry and squeal in protest. She hadn't completely fucked up. One pup had survived. Ali looked down at the tiny creature, feeling icy knives run through her heart when she thought of the five little ones she'd lost. It was too much for her—too much emotion, too much pain, too much regret, too much guilt.

Without a word, Ali moved to place the little girl at Dalila's stomach so she could feed. Dalila thanked her, but Ali hadn't heard it straight away. Her aqua eyes were still on the little girl nursing at her mother's belly, half making sure she was actually okay, and half hating that she had lost this. She was now officially the only one of Chimera's women to have failed to give him children. She was happy for Dalila—or as happy as she could be given that this had all only happened by her own failure—but this had also driven home just how worthless she really was. Swallowing back the emotion that was thick in her throat, Ali gave Dalila a relieved smile, though the effort was forced. "Congratulations..." she spoke with broken lyrics.

Ali stepped back away from the three wolves, letting Siren tend to Dalila while the new parents celebrated the birth of their daughter. She watched the happy group from the edge of the shadows, letting the feigned smile fall from her face. Without another word to anyone, Aliana slipped out the room and made her way back down the dark corridor to the bedroom she shared with Chimera. Her work here was done. Dalila and Chimera had their family, and she could return to nurse her broken heart. She wasn't needed any longer.

- exit -

"Aliana"

Siren couldn’t allow her heart to break for Dalila just yet, just like she had to hold herself together during Aliana’s difficult birth. Chimera was there for Dalila to lean against, Aliana was there to help deliver the pups, and Siren jumped from her soft comforts to helping Aliana as Dal’s contractions continued. The second pup would come much faster than the first, though just as painful this one would prove to be much more joyous in a few moments when her cries filled the room.

This time Aliana took control, and she deserved that moment as the little girl squealed and fought and showed them all she was going to fight and live despite the loss of her tiny brother. Siren wasn’t sure she had ever seen such a beautiful sight as Dal’s candle lit smile as she took in the sound of her daughter’s cries, a sign she was going to make it.

The Queen heard Aliana’s quiet and broken congratulations as she submitted to the moment and backed back into the shadows. There was no doubt that her heart was aching. "Aliana?” She asked softly before the woman rushed out the door. "I have something for you in my rooms.” She offered while paused over Dalila. She wasn’t sure if Ali heard her, but Dalila needed her so Siren’s attention was swiftly returned to her love.

Dal requested to see her son, and Siren would not deny her. Pausing a moment to catch Dal’s gaze Siren then moved to carefully pick up the still bundle and offer the boy to his grieving mother. She placed him next to Dal’s belly and his nursing sister and kissed the woman’s cheek comfortingly before she stepped back. Siren positioned herself between Chimera’s paws behind Dalila as she was given her moment with the two puppies. The Queen leaned into Chi’s neck, feeling her tears well in her eyes after so much holding back. For this boy and Aliana’s.


"Speech"

He didn't want to move. He didn't want to breathe. Chimera didn't want to acknowledge the reality that a second litter of children would die on this damn island. The boy was dead, but another was on the way. The man wasn't blind to the pain that this would bring to Dalila at the loss of her child and to Aliana, who was being punched in the face with a reminder of her own loss. All of this... all of this was his fault.

The second pup began to make its way into the world and the women worked hard to make it so. Chimera pulled inward, becoming a ghost, a mere object in the room for Dalila to lean against as her body pushed and toiled to bring another dead child forth. He couldn't look. He didn't want to. The faster this was over with, the fast they could all accept the inevitable and he could... disappear for a while. Something other than this.

And then the most beautiful sound filled the room. The squeaks and squeals of a puppy with a very healthy set of lungs. The man's head jerked to the side and he stared down at the tiny mottled puppy grasped in Aliana's paws. Chimera's mouth parted in disbelief and, whereas before he didn't want to see, now he couldn't look away. She was beautiful and she looked very strong as she was placed beside her mother's belly. The hard tension that had held Chimera's muscles rigid relaxed and he leaned against Dalila's exhausted frame with more ease.

Aliana's departure was expected and he wanted nothing more than to go after her so that they could mourn together, but he owed it to Dalila to stay. He owed it to his new daughter to stay. Chimera nuzzled into the new mother's cheek and whispered softly, "I'll bury the boy... with the rest." They were hard words, but he needed her to know that she didn't have to worry. As Siren came to press herself against his neck, one foreleg moved out to pull his sister into his embrace. The world was a hard place and it showed them its harshness every day. They needed to band together. To stay strong. To support one another in sickness and in health. All of them.

"Chimera Klein"

Chimera is a very adult character and takes part in very adult situations. Don't read his threads. Ever.

Chi has three black Tibetan Mastiff's as guards. Assume they're very close by.

Dalila watched as Siren brought the little body of her son over to rest next to his sibling who was eating her first meal happily and she glanced toward Siren with a small, grateful smile when her love kissed her cheek. It was such a strange mix of emotions, the devastating heartache of losing a child while still being so overjoyed at having a healthy girl. She leaned into Chimera's touch as he nuzzled her cheek, her ears flicking back to his words, but giving a small nod of agreement all the same. She knew it would have to be done and she was glad to know Chimera would be the one to do it, no matter how much it already pained her as she looked down at their son. She would never diminish the significance of the fact that they finally had some good news for once in the form of their beautiful daughter, but still she had to mourn the one they lost.

While Siren settled into Chimera, Dalila leaned her head down to the little boy, pressing her nose into the soft fur. "Hello little one," she whispered softly, trying and failing to keep tears from stinging at her eyes. "I wish I could have gotten to know you... But you'll have lots of little half siblings waiting for you to play with on the other side, okay? S-so don't you worry about a thing. We'll keep your sister safe and you just have a grand time wherever you are now... And I'll see you again someday, I promise." She gently nuzzled his side and how cold he had already gotten made her chest tighten painfully with emotion. Oh so carefully, she moved the boy toward the edge of the bed so he could be taken away for burial, giving him one last look and memorizing the patterns of his fur before she turned her pale gaze down to her daughter again.

Seeing her curled up at her side, full and content and fast asleep did wonders to soothe the pain from her loss and she gave a little smile while tears fell down her cheeks. She nuzzled the little dappled, mottled girl, pulling her closer from where she had rolled away a bit when she fell asleep. Turning her head to look back at Chimera and Siren, she reached back to press her nose gratefully to Chimera's cheek. "Thank you for being here," she told the King with a sweet smile. "You should go be with Aliana... She needs you. Siren will take good care of me and our daughter." She glanced at Siren with another smile, knowing without a doubt that it would be true. She was happy and grateful for the fact that she had attention and care from both of them, but she knew that Aliana desperately needed that attention right now too. She also knew that it would be better for their son to be buried sooner rather than later if for no other reason than to keep her from falling to pieces looking at him.

She waited until Chimera had gone and had taken their son with him before she focused her attention on Siren, leaning her head into the beautiful Queen and nuzzling her affectionately. "Thank you," she said to Siren as well, thankful for all of Siren's comfort and support through the whole ordeal. She didn't think that she would ever experience this moment again and she was happy that in the end she had a stunning little girl to show for it and got to have the wolves that meant the most to her around her when it happened. She curled her body around the little girl protectively and snuggled into Siren, the exhaustion from everything leading up to this and the birth itself catching up with her as she very quickly drifted to sleep.

"Dalila Vista Rocha"