Chapter 38
Ares POV
Pain. Complete and utter excruciating pain.
Was all I felt in that moment. If I could describe it, I would liken it to being torn into two separate pieces. My entire body felt as though it was on fire, my lower half throbbing as my son moved around in my stomach, desperate to find his way out.
"Ares, you need to breathe. It will make the birthing process easier. Breathe Ares" Even as Runor kept on telling me to breathe, all I wanted to do was scream out until my throat bled.
I grabbed onto the sheets, fisting them as I screamed out when another wave of pain hit every nerve in my body, shaking me to the core. I felt tears gathering within my eyes as I tried to breathe like I had been instructed to when I felt that wave of warmth deep within my core. Something that felt so familiar and yet foreign.
"Is it supposed to be this painful?" I heard Aven ask as he bent down beside me and placed a cold cloth on my forehead.
"Each pregnancy differs and he is carrying quite a strong boy." Runor replied as he motioned for a few more healers to come to my side.
I felt him slowly lift my tunic up, past my legs until my waist where he left it. He looked at my stomach and placed his hand on it. Closing his eyes as he whispered something, sparks of green emanating from his finger tips as he passed his power to my abdomen.
"He's a feisty little one. He wants to come now" he said as he opened his eyes and smiled at me.
I could not take the pain anymore, feeling him crawl around inside me, my insides feeling like they were ripping apart. I reached deep within my very core and touched into that wave of warmth, feeling it spread throughout my body.
I looked up at the ceiling, suddenly seeing everything in a shade brighter as I heard gasps around me. I turned my head to the side and watched shrubs and plants all began to emerge and grow, wrapping themselves around anything and everything, some crawling and finding their way towards me. I watched in amazement as a few of them twirled around my hand while others around the cloth, dabbing it across my forehead.
"Breathe my king, breathe" it whispered against my ear.
I nodded and inhaled a deep breath, exhaling as I looked down at my stomach wide eyed as it looked like it was glowing. I looked at Runor and Aven , in hopes of telling whether I was imagining it or not. They stared at it wide eyed, speechless, the answer I needed as another wave of pain hit me.
I threw my head back and screamed I gripped the shrub and squeezed it, hearing it whisper sweets murmurings into my ear. I felt Aevn bend down on the side to my left, taking my hand in his as he held it against his chest.
"You're almost there. Ares, almost there." He whispered as he pressed a kiss against the back of my hand.
I nodded and closed my eyes, clenching them tight as I felt my body work on its own, applying the needed pressure to help my son out. I felt Runor massage my hips as he whispered his healing chants, the glowing of my stomach becoming brighter and brighter with every second.
I screamed until I felt my throat burn, slumping my head against the pillow, beads of sweat rolling down the sides of my face as I looked down at my stomach. So stretched and huge, carrying my own flesh and blood, and felt this wave of protectiveness envelope me as I felt the shrub recoil from my hand as it knew what I thought.
I placed my hand on my stomach, closing my eyes as I exhaled and laid my head back. Taking deep breaths as I freed my mind and allowed it to wander, until I heard that tiny beat of a heart in me. I smiled as ran my fingers across my stomach.
"It's okay. I'm ready. You can come out now." I said in my mind, passing that thought over to my little boy and almost immediately I felt his squirming stop and it seemed as though he had settled down.
"Okay Ares, Are you ready?" Runor asked as he looked at me.
I nodded and closed my eyes, gritting my teeth as I pushed with all I had in me, feeling every fiber in my body burn up to the degree that it felt like I was on fire. My hand squeezing Aven's to the point where I felt something in his hand actually crack, and even then I hadn't let go. I couldn't.
I needed something or someone to ground me as I felt my body literally stretching to accommodate my baby that repelled so much power. I screamed out, my throat protesting it as it burned, the windows around me shattering as I felt him ease out of me.
I slumped down against the bed breathing heavily as I heard him wail and scream, his powerful cries echoing throughout the room as Runor cut the cord joining us, before he handed my son to me, who immediately ceased his cries once he was laid against my chest.
I smiled at him, tears welling up in my eyes as he opened his and stared back at me with his tiny green orbs that looked as though it glowed. I placed my hand on his head of thick black hair, running my finger along it as he looked up at me. I ran my finger down his pale face, over his chubby cheek and rested it against his red lips. He opened his mouth to suck on my finger and I felt myself choke on a sob when I saw his tiny white tusks.
A perfect combination of us both..
I felt the tears rolled down my face as he latched onto my finger, biting on it as he looked at me, his glowing green ones searching mine. I raised him to my sternum and pressed a kiss against his forehead.
"He's beautiful." I heard Aven say.
I turned to him and saw him looking at the baby in my arms with awe in his eyes. I searched them, looking for any signs of malice within them and yet I found nothing. If anything, his eyes were filled with love as he looked at the little child.
"He is" I replied and turned to look at my son, who had only inherited my skin colour and slight features.
"What are you naming him?" I heard Runor ask as he wiped down his hands and smiled at the little baby who seemed to be awed by everything he saw around him. His glowing eyes traveling to everything and anything as he latched onto my finger. I smiled as I looked at him, feeling that wave of warmth of protectiveness come off me as he looked back at me.
"Eros." I answered, seeing his eyes glow brighter for a second before they returned to their normal glow, almost as if he could hear my thoughts when the name crossed my mind..
"Love.. it looks like he approves." Aven uttered causing me to turn and face him.
"Thank you."
"What for?" He asked as he smiled down at the baby in my arms.
"For everything. I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for you. And I'm so terribly sorry that I was not what you had hoped for" I said in a quiet voice watching him smile at me as he placed his hand on the side of my face.
"You will always be what I want irrespective of the circumstances. It might not have been what I initially imagined it to be, but none the less this is what fate has chosen and I accept that. This child will grow up to be loved for the blessing he is. We will protect him and guide him to become the greatness he is meant to be. Who his flesh and blood is does not matter to me, for he is part of you as well. And I love every part of you Ares as I love this child." He said as he looked into my eyes which had begun to well up once again.
"I love you. And nothing will change that." He added as he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. I closed my eyes and freed myself of everything that I had been holding onto, for I knew in that moment..
It was time to let go..