The Birth of an Alpha(12)

Four hours? Talon could’ve sworn he’d only been calming her for a fraction of that. He’d been in such a trance, he’d missed so much.

“Talon, please rest with me,” Liberty begged. “You have to stop using that mystical mojo on me. I can handle a little pain.”

“I’ll lie down with you, but I refuse to let you be in pain,” he growled.

She pulled back the covers on the bed, and Talon slid in behind her as she rolled over to her side. He brushed the hair off of her neck and kissed the mating mark he’d made almost a year ago. Liberty was his world, and now that world was growing to two. He’d have his wife and a son or daughter to provide for and protect until he was no longer walking the earth.

“Sleep,” he ordered with a whisper as he closed his eyes.

Liberty moaned deep in her throat and curled herself around their child. Talon sat up quickly and pushed his powers out to calm her. He didn’t even realize he’d fallen asleep.

“Talon?” she whimpered.

“I’m here,” he told her, reaching out to place his hand on their child. Liberty sighed as he calmed her, but in the next breath, she cried out, sending Talon’s heart into his stomach.

“Liberty?” he worried. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m okay,” Liberty panted, her eyes sparking amber as her panther made an appearance. The birth was near, he could sense it. Talon called out for the healer, knowing his bellowing would draw Harold into the room. Although her panther had slinked away in the last month of pregnancy, it knew when to push forth for its cub. They were one in the same with their beast. The female would connect and help birth the cub from its place just under the human skin when the time came.

“My panther,” Liberty panicked, her canines punching through her gums.

“Is fine,” Talon cooed. “She’s going to help you.”

“You must be nearing the time to push.” Harold said as he entered the room, pulling on a pair of gloves. “Talon, I need you up by Liberty’s head.”

“Got it,” Talon said, sliding from the bed.

Harold lifted the sheet and looked between Liberty’s legs. He chuckled softly and reached for something on the instrument tray. “You are definitely ready to push.”

“Oh, God,” she cried out, sending Talon’s heart into his stomach. Why was she screaming? Was the cub okay? Was his mate okay?

Talon did everything he was told to do as Harold barked out orders for Liberty to begin pushing. He held her each and every time the healer gave a command.

“Good, Liberty. Again.”

“Shit,” she growled, her eyes glowing amber. His mate’s canines were thickening more in her mouth. Her panther was sitting just below the surface, wanting to help.

Talon gasped when he heard the baby cry out. His eyes met the tear filled ones of his mate as Harold told her to push one last time. “Bring your young into the world, Liberty.”

Talon’s head tilted to the side when Harold cheered. His bloody gloves held up the baby for both of the parents to see. It was so tiny and covered in all kinds of fluids, but it didn’t matter. His cub was here.

And it was a girl.

“Congratulations, Alpha…Liberty,” Harold grinned. “You have a daughter.”

“I knew it,” Liberty chuckled as her head fell back against the mound of pillows.

The first born to the alpha was almost always a male, and very few females were born to alphas anyway. Fate had given him a daughter. She would be the rightful heir to his throne when the time came.

“I can’t believe it,” he mumbled, watching as Harold took measurements and bathed the baby. “It’s very rare for an alpha’s first born to be a female.”

“I told you she was special,” Liberty yawned. “Do you want to know her name?”

“What did you pick?” Talon asked, never moving his eyes away from his cub.

“Victoria Ember Shaw,” Liberty said proudly. “We can call her Ember, but I wanted her to have your mother’s name. You know…just in case.”

“I think it’s perfect.” Talon leaned over to take his mate’s lips, kissing her with all of the passion of when they’d first touched.

“Alpha?” Harold interrupted. “Would you like to hold your daughter?”

“Please.” He smiled broadly, accepting the bundle. Harold returned to the sink and cleaned up what was left of the mess while Talon took a seat on the edge of the bed, resting for a moment.

His daughter was stunning, just like her mother. Her icy blue eyes were coated in a gel that Harold had put into her eyes. Talon pushed the little cap off of her head and ran his thumb over the dark brown strands of hair on the top of her tiny head. Ember yawned and pursed her lips before closing her eyes in exhaustion.

“Alpha?” Harold called out from the doorway. When Talon’s head shot up, the healer looked grim. “I need to check on your mother. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay,” he promised.

“Please let her be okay,” he prayed silently.





“Talon, you need to come now,” Winter announced as he came to the doorway. His second in command looked like he’d seen a ghost. “Your brothers are already there.”

“Take her,” Liberty cried, also knowing the time was near. “Take the baby so she can meet her grandmother.”

Talon took the delicate bundle from his mate’s arms and tucked her close to his chest. Ember’s icy blue eyes wandered, but did not focus on anything as he rushed from the room.

“Ma,” Talon choked out as he entered the room. His mother rested against a mound of pillows, her icy blue eyes dull and lifeless. She blinked twice before a small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. Talon knelt at her bedside and held up the bundle. “This is your granddaughter, Victoria Ember.”

“B…beautiful,” she said, moving her hand slowly to rest against the cub’s head. “She will be a strong alpha. Talon, you must train her just as your father trained you. She is one of very few female alphas and could be challenged.”

“I will protect her with my life,” Talon vowed.

“Make her strong, and…” Victoria begged as she gasped for breath, “love her and cherish her mother as your father did me.”

“I promise.” He nodded, looking toward his brothers. Noah and Kye took a knee next to the bed as the way their heritage demanded. The animal inside them could sense their mother was nearing the end of her life. All three men bowed their heads, saying silent prayers to the gods who made them.

“I will finally be able to see your father again,” she choked. “I’ve missed him so much.”

“Oh, mom,” Kye whispered, looking away.

“Sons,” she coughed, causing all three males to lean forward as if to touch their mother, but they halted when she shook her head. “You have made me proud. Do not mourn me. Live on and protect our species. My love for you will last for an eternity.”

“Ma!” Talon jerked as his mother gasped for breath again.

Noah and Kye placed their hand on her shoulder and arm, trying to keep some connection to their mother. Harold walked up to the bed and placed a stethoscope to her chest, listening to her heart. He gave Talon a short jerk of his head, telling him time was closing in. Talon leaned over and kissed his mother’s brow, whispering something that no one else in the room would hear.

With one last breath, Victoria Shaw closed her eyes as death took her over to the other side. Talon and his brothers gasped as they looked toward the healer. Harold checked her heart again and lowered his head. “I’m sorry. She is gone.”

Talon gritted his teeth and held his daughter tighter. Ember opened her eyes and began to cry as she felt the tension in the air from her father, the alpha.

“Talon,” Liberty’s voice cracked as she stood in the doorway. He spun around and saw his mate standing there with her hand against the door. She’d been dressed in a new gown that reached her ankles. “Oh, Talon!”

He caught Liberty as she came to the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch his mother. The baby calmed as Talon pushed out his powers to wrap around his mate and daughter. He could feel the anxiety of his pride even though none of them knew what was going on, and he wanted to keep it that way for just a moment longer.

“I’m so sorry,” Liberty cried against his chest.

“You shouldn’t be out of the bed,” he scolded, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“We have to tell the pride,” Kye said, gritting his teeth.

“Liberty,” Talon whispered, taking her chin with his free hand. “I need you to get back in the bed. You’ve been through so much. Take our cub and rest while I address the pride.”

“Okay,” she said, turning around to leave the room where his mother’s body remained. Talon followed her to the room she’d just used, waiting until she was settled before handing over the cub. Talon kissed Ember’s tiny head and left the room.

His Guardians met him at the door, making a barrier around their alpha. He tried his hardest not to scream and yell from the pain in his chest, but the moment his pride gathered around, he felt the agony as if he’d been stabbed in the heart with a dull knife.