Flames of Fury

Rohanor

Mark my words, Magnolia will be the death of me. All day her stubborn ass has been hiding her labor pains from us, blocking us out. What more do I have to do to get my dragoness to understand she’s not alone anymore, that she doesn’t have to hide her struggles from us?

“I’m not ready, Var. I can’t do this.” Mags’ voice is rife with panic, she’s practically trembling in my arms.

Var, switch with me. I ask my brother because I need to look my girl in the eye.

I lift her and sit her between Varian’s legs, then shift myself so I’m kneeling in front of her between her legs.

I palm her face gently between my hands, demanding all of her focus and attention.

“Listen to me, Princess, and really fucking hear me. You are Magnolia Brightscale, firstborn daughter of Queen Ianthe, heiress apparent of Twilight Grove. And,” I swipe away a stray tear that has slipped down her cheek with my thumb, “you are a true Alpha Queen. My Queen. So if anyone can do this, it’s you.”

I pull her towards me and seal my words with a fiery kiss, hoping I can brand them to her heart permanently. This woman has kicked my ass with her hands behind her back, decapitated enemies without hesitation, and survived captivity and torture. It practically breaks me that of all things this is what she fears, this is where she doubts herself.

“Just relax, Love, we’re going to get Ember and you to the infirmary and everything will be fine. Okay?” Varian whispers to her, but she’s in the throes of another contraction so I’m not sure how much she’s focusing on his words.

Kat, Mags is in labor. I try mindlinking my sister, I figure she’s with Incandis and can pass on the message that we need transportation. But my words immediately fall flat in my mind, they crash into a mind block and crumble to the ground.

Kat has blocked us out.

Grabbing my phone from my pocket I text Incandis and, begrudgingly, Xander. When neither of them respond I try calling them but their phones just ring endlessly until it goes to voicemail.

“Everything okay?” Mags asks me during a moment of reprieve from her contractions.

The last thing I want to do is cause her undue stress, but I won’t lie to her either. “No one is answering.”

I’m running through a mental list of everyone who can teleport her back but there’s only one more person that I know of. “Let me try your dad,” I offer as a last resort but her hand curls around my wrist and she pulls my hands away from the phone. Her grip doesn’t relax until the contraction ends.

“No, don’t.” She says through short breaths. “I don’t want to move. Let’s stay here, just us.”

“You sure you don’t want Ro to run back down the path and get someone?” Varian asks her gently, but she cries out in agony again, her back arching off of my brother’s chest.

“No, don’t leave me.” She growls through gritted teeth, clawing at my shirt tethering herself to me to make sure I don’t take off.

“Okay, Princess, I’m not going anywhere.”

Mags relaxes but her respite is brief, her contractions are coming on faster and faster and each time it gets a little harder to watch her face contort in pain knowing I can’t do much of anything to soothe her.

We do our best though. Varian rubs her shoulders and arms, whispering in her ear about how beautiful and strong she is, while she tells him to shut the fuck up and let her suffer in silence. There’s my spitfire.

It’s not long before I notice she shifts from tensing with every oncoming wave to leaning into it, pushing back against it.

I don’t consider myself all that sentimental about many things but there’s something truly magical about watching your mate breathing new life into the world in the most primal and natural of ways. I mean, we’re literally in the woods. The only guidance she has is her own body and her natural, feminine instincts.

She bears down again and again, panting between held breaths and Varian and I just look on in astonishment. Reaching up and over my shoulder, I pull my shirt over my head in one swift movement getting ready to welcome the first of our twins.

The next few moments occur over an eternity it seems, like seconds have slowed into nearly still frames of time, and the next time I blink there’s a perfectly pink baby boy in my arms.

I look up at my mate and when our eyes lock onto one another, I’m left utterly speechless for possibly the first time in my life. What words could possibly express my love for her, my gratitude, my devotion and awe?

Her smile is as incandescent as her soul, she sobs joyfully between breaths and reaches her arms out for our son.

I sidle up next to her so she’s nestled between Varian and me, with our arms wrapped around her and her arms wrapped around our son, the three of us marvel at the tiny miracle we made.

He’s perfect. She says to us through our link.

You’re perfect. Varian says back to her, kissing her neck and fighting to keep his canines from dropping and sinking into her flesh.

Mags groans as the wind is knocked out of her, our son’s twin not allowing us to forget that they’re still on their way into the world.

Varian slides down to where I was at her knees and I sit behind Mags, allowing her to rest against my chest with one arm wrapped around her and our son, wrapped snugly in my shirt, cradled in the other.

Just like before, Mags lets her body talk her through what needs to be done. Varian removes his shirt like I did, readying himself to bundle up our next baby.

Our boy is sleeping peacefully in my left arm, so I focus my attention on Mags and supporting her however I can. Not that she lets me. My little spitfire is a fucking natural.

Soon the sweet cries of our daughter are the only sounds to penetrate the serene silence around us. I watch my brother marvel at our daughter, wrapping her in his shirt, and my chest ignites with warmth.

As twins ourselves, we have shared literally every moment of our lives together. I used to think eventually we’d have separate mates, another lesser reason why we planned to reject them — nothing would come between us. I never in a million years expected that we’d be sharing a mate and that it would feel like the most natural thing in the world, like it couldn’t have happened any other way.

Varian slides back over so we’re on either side of Mags, and she’s resting on both of our chests. We hold our son and daughter across our mate’s lap and no matter what we do we can’t look away from our newborns. Our gaze gravitates towards them like plants to the sun, basking in their warmth and perfection.

“You. Are. A. Goddess.” I purr in Mags’ ear between lingering kisses.

“I’m so proud of you, Love. You’re fucking incredible.” Varian steals her lips, capturing them against his own.

“Have you thought of any names, my Queen?” I kiss her neck and she shivers in response. I realize now just how hard it was for Varian to fight his canines because that’s exactly what I have to do now.

“What do you think of Cole and Calla?” She asks us softly, not taking her eyes off our newborns. I can feel her pride and love radiating through our bond.

“Do those names have any significance?” Varian queries innocently.

“Not really, no. They’re both types of poisonous flowers.” She responds dreamily, stroking her knuckles along the cheeks of the twins, allowing their little hands to wrap completely around one of her fingers.

Varian and I chuckle, we’re not surprised she’s drawn to the floral names, considering she and her mother are both named after flowers. But because she’s Mags of course she’d be drawn to the fact that these particular plants are poisonous. “They’re perfect then. Cole and Calla it is.”

Mags beams at us, “I’m glad it was just us.” She says softly. She doesn’t need to explain more, I know exactly what she means. There were no nurses and doctors, no distractions — just the three of us. It almost makes up for missing out on her entire pregnancy.

I’m about to tell her as much, but the moment is broken by a furious vibrating in my pocket. I pass Cole to her so I can still hold on to her and reach for my phone with my other hand.

Fuck. I’ve got several missed texts from Xander.

Xander: Sorry I’m just reading this, you guys good?

Xander: Hey, you still at the springs with Mags?

Xander: Look, I already warned her I’d send her dad to get you guys if you didn’t call by sunset.

Xander: Alright, I hope you’re decent.

For fuck’s sake, he sure knows how to kill the mood.

Ro: Come get us, bring Ember and blankets. Just you and Ember.

“Xander and Ember are going to be here in a minute, my love.” I kiss the top of her head and wrap my arms back around her and the babies.

A few minutes later we hear the telltale signs of Ember and Xander landing in the clearing several yards from where we sit.

“Xander, close your eyes.” I growl instinctively, Mags is naked save for her bra. “Ember, we’re over here!”

Ember rushes over to us with the blankets which she drops when her hands fly up to cover her mouth when she sees us huddled up together with Cole and Calla in our arms.

“My Gods Mags! Why didn’t you guys call? Are you okay?” She admonishes us but with no real heat behind her words. She throws a blanket over Mags and hands over two others for us to wrap the babies in. “Xander get the fuck over here! Infirmary, now!” She barks at him.

“Mags you okay?” Xander asks as he runs over to us.

She beams up at him proudly, “more than okay.”

Shock registers on his face first, followed swiftly by a fraction of fear. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t give me a sick sense of satisfaction to see him finally fearful of us.

“Guys I swear if I had seen your text sooner…”

“Xander it’s fine,” Varian says as kindly as he can, we just want to get our three loves into the infirmary for proper care. “Can you take us all to the infirmary?”

“Of course. You’re going to want to stand up, can you carry her?” He asks.

Varian takes the twins while I scoop up Mags in my arms bridal style. Xander doesn’t waste a second, as soon as we stand up we’re sucked through the void and land in the infirmary. I lay Mags down in the bed and take Cole from Varian.

We distract Mags with our perfect little bundles while Ember manages Mags’ aftercare. Fifteen minutes later Mags is clean and dressed in warm, comfortable clothes.

Ember then moves on to inspect the babies. They cry the moment they leave our arms, angry at being unbundled, weighed, and measured. Already our wolves drive us to want to put an end to the cause of their discomfort, but the rational side of us knows they’re not being harmed.

At long last they’re bundled back up and in their mother’s arms, fed and happy. Our wolves would prefer if they were still wrapped in our shirts, the drive to cocoon them in our scents is nearly blinding.

“Does she have to stay here or is it safe to go back to our suite?” Varian asks Ember though his gaze doesn’t deviate from our mate and newborns.

“Mom and babies look fantastic. I healed her enough to stop the bleeding and her own rapid healing has already kicked in which is a good sign that there’s nothing else stressing her body. As long as she rests and stays hydrated she should heal in 2 days, maybe 3 since she’ll probably ignore everything I’ve said.” She throws Mags a pointed, exasperated look but her smile cracks through her posturing. “So, yes, it should be fine to go back to your suite, and if you need anything I’m in the room next door.” Ember finishes warmly.

With that, Xander teleports us all back to our suite and he and Ember quickly take their leave allowing the now five of us to wrap ourselves up together in bed and hold on to this moment for as long as we can.