Artemis clung to Rhage as they lied in the bed. She nuzzled her face against his chest, his fingers running through her hair. Silent tears fell down her face leaving salty trails on Rhage's skin.

He purred gently, the deep rumbling sound soothing her worries away. Some of his locs fell across her shoulders and head but she didn't mind, she wanted everything her mate could give her.

Another round of burning pain in her groin made her whimper. Hot white lightning shot through her lower extremities, her body already speeding up the schedule. They had started mid-morning and had increased in strength throughout the day until she couldn't even stand.

Labor sucked.

Orion was ready to come ahead of the scheduled C-section.

When Artemis finally had enough, she used her own wrist computer Rhage had given her. She cried the entire call and he had dropped everything to come to her aid. He quickly called Tare while he helped her to the bed. The Elder Yautja wasted no time crawling into bed to hold her while they waited for Tare to arrive.

Tare was going to give her a healthy dose of pain killers and sedative. After that they would bring her to the medical center in the tower. She would wake up to Orion in the world.

The waiting sucked, however. Her body was working towards a natural birth but it'd be impossible and could cause great harm if she tried. That fact had her worried for future kids she'd have with Rhage.

Would she have to have C-section after C-section? What if one was small enough for a natural birth...then what? Would she be able to? How would her body handle potentially pumping out baby after baby?

There were too many questions she had and not enough answers.

"It will be better soon, mate. This is but another battle to be won." Rhage assured, his hands moving to caress her face, his thumbs wiping away her tears.

Artemis gave another pathetic whimper, "This shit sucks."

"I wish I could chase your pain away. To defeat it in battle."

"It's okay." She cleared her throat, trying to chase away the scratchy feeling as she spoke. "When he's finally here, I won't have to worry anymore."

He grunted, "Sei'i, the pup will be here and we will move onto better hunting grounds."

She was able to crack a smile, at least. Everything always related to a challenge or hunting or something like it when he spoke, his words oddly comforting despite the oddity of them. Like always, he was reminding her that each hurdle in life could be overcome.

It could be conquered.

Whether it was her anxieties or an argument between the two, it could be conquered; it had been conquered. Admittedly, she was not over the issue of slavery concerning the aseigan and eta, but that just one of a few things they would never agree on.

The cultural gap would remain, but with a keen reminder that it was how it had been long before she had been born, as was it with her culture and traditions. Tradition was highly respected by Yautja and similar with humans.

Despite these obvious differences, she loved him with a burning passion that she had never felt for another. Pretty soon, they would be raising a child born of two very different worlds. Together they could help to bridge the gap and grow as people.

"I love you, Rhage." She nuzzled against his warm hand that caressed her wet face.

Her hair was a ratty mess, her clothes wrinkled, and her emotions a chaotic cluster fuck, but he was still here. He was still here being the lighthouse to steer her ship safely to shore.

"Pa'ya-te, mi'esui."

The blunt of his thumb claw swept away more tears as a fresh wave of pain raged through her lower body. He held her a little tighter and brought his arm up to click a few buttons on his gauntlet. Tare's voice answered gruffly, the medic sounding short on the call.

Rhage spoke rapidly to Tare, his voice giving away his impatience with the Yautja. He said a few words that she recognized as expletives. Very rarely did Rhage ever cuss, but when he did it was either during sex or when he had reached the limit of his patience and had enough.

This was his patience running dry, she guessed, seeing at how Orion was wanting to come ahead of schedule. Her body continued its natural programming for giving birth, reading her for a natural delivery, something that would likely kill or seriously injure her.

A few moments later the door slid open to reveal the tall and dark-hided Yautja. He rushed in as Rhage pulled Artemis into his lap, a large hand palming her tender swell. Tare set a satchel on the end of the bed and starting pulling various objects out; there was something that resembled an oversized injector, a small device that looked like a handheld scanner, and a few vials of colorful liquids.

Very subtly, Artemis could feel Rhage's hold tighten around her as he moved to the end of the bed to sit next to Tare.

"What's all of that? I thought he was just going to give me anesthesia or something." Her anxiety started to rise while her body involuntarily squirmed to get away from Tare and the unknown devices.

Another wave of pain blazed through her body and interrupted her fight against her mate. The pain was excessive, taking all of her attention from her fruitless struggle. It was a steady pulse in her loins that was unlike anything she'd ever felt.

Rhage purred louder, his chest practically vibrating against her back. He nuzzled her head with the side of his face, "The injector will give you the pain relief and then he will give you something to help you sleep during the procedure. It will be fine."

She relaxed as Tare popped one of the colorful vials into the injection device and eyed Rhage for a silent approval to touch her. He nodded, prompting Tare to take hold of her arm and insert the needle into her upper arm.

The needle was big and thankfully she was in enough pain to not feel it. Almost instantly she felt numb. A cold wave rushed through her body, just cool enough to be mildly unpleasant. Her body became like a wet noodle in Rhage's arms as a result.

"Finally." Her voice was a hoarse whisper as Tare busied himself with a yellow vial.

Tare pointed at the colorful vial, "Slumber."

His locs fell to the side as he cocked his head to the side, a gentle purr in his chest and his voice soft despite its deep timbre. The light steaming through the windows highlighted his dark speckled pattern. There was a slight rainbow aura that surrounded him.

What the hell was going on? Whatever was going on, it was fantastical.

Tare looked angelic almost. Well, as angelic as an alien with mandibles could get. Maybe aliens could be angels, just in a weird sort of way.

Whatever was in that medicine was doing some weird shit to her vision as he injected the needle into her shoulder. She didn't register what he say saying to her. Their words rolled together into a steady rumble and she could only vaguely make out their words.

Rhage rumbled to Tare as the world slowly became hazy. Keeping her eyes open was a struggle.

"Slumber, mi'esui." Her large mate purred.

The drug was already bringing her under. His words went unheard as she slipped into the peaceful realm of sleep.

• • •

Rhage stood behind the separation panel watching. The world around him was quiet, serene, and full of anticipation. He had ordered his men to stay on the other side of the partitions that covered the surgical theater.

Standing there, watching as Tare performed the first incisions, he felt an anxiety he had never felt before. Such an emotion was annoying.

Until he had met Artemis, he had dampened those unwanted emotions. Emotions distracted one from what was important and left one vulnerable. Having such a weakness left you open to attacks. Something of an unwanted distraction. It had been that way for almost nine-hundred years...until her.

His life mate. His ultimate weakness. His source of comfort after a long day of politics and people.

When Tare had given her the last injection he had felt vulnerable, his heart tossed into the open and left for the Kurn to devour. She had looked so small as she laid in his arms dozing. Giving her the injection was necessary and they had thoroughly discussed what would happen, but to see her react like she did had caused a tightness in his chest — much like the time when she had been poisoned.

Her life was in Tare's hands, and so was their pup.

Time slowed, the clock ticking at a lethargic pace. The suns hadn't moved, either, it seemed. The anticipation of Orion's birth mixed with with slowing of time itself created an almost stifling environment.

Old age was catching up to him. Patience was something he excelled in, unless it came to Artemis.

Around her, it fell to the way side in moments of lust and when he worried about her. His mate was small, very small compared to he. As a result he found small ways to make her life easier and to provide as much safety from the nay-sayers as possible. Any antagonistic words or attitudes against her wasn't tolerated.

He smirked at the memory of putting one of those into submission before the trip to Saqqar. That pau'jit was disrespectful, anyhow, as Young Bloods tended to be. Putting a few more scars on him was his punishment.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, he watched as Tare made one last incision with his laser tool. Very carefully, with gloved hands, the Yautja reached into where he had made the cuts and pulled out the pup. He could hold the tiny pup in one hand as he removed him from the amniotic sac, snipped the umbilical cord, and gave a light tap on his bottom.

The little newborn started to cry, his cries filling the room and getting the attention of everyone there.

It a shrill human cry.

He watched as Tare cleaned the pup of the fluids he was covered in while he made his way into the operating area. Tare wrapped the little pup in fabric and handed him to Rhage. The medic got to work removing the amniotic sac in Artemis's womb and closing up the incisions while Rhage held the crying newborn.

When Orion opened his eyes, he swore his heart skipped a beat.

His pup was human in his features but surprisingly from the sides of his neck and down the top of his arms, sides of his chest, covering his belly, his bottom, sides of his legs, and finally his feet, he had the dark green and creamy white scales that Rhage had. Being just minutes old, he already gazed up at Rhage with bleary blue eyes; the color almost exact to Artemis's. On the top of his little head were black curls that felt like a soft fur of the highest quality. The little pup was also very light and so tiny in Rhage's arms.

Carrying the newborn out to the area where his men waited, he held the pup in the air and gave a mighty roar. They joined in, their loud roads filling the air and causing Orion to cry again in confusion.

Each Yautja got a turn to see the pup when they quieted down.

Kato was the first to approach, Khaj and Valam by his side. "He is tiny."

"Human pups are much smaller that Yautja. Those scientists must have tampered with his DNA to make him more human." Noted Khaj, gaining a grunt from Rhage in agreement.

Valam narrowed his eyes as he inspected Orion, "The pup is small but he could use this to his advantage in training."

The group agreed and Rhage added, "His human-like appearance will give him an advantage over prey. Orion does not carry the scent of Yautja. They will not see him as a threat."

Another Yautja, Kokum, joined the group and petted the tiny pup with a gentle finger.

"Perhaps he can be a teaching moment for the rest of us." He cocked his head to the side and clicked his mandibles together. "This hybrid male could give us better insight into new techniques that have yet to be discovered. His training will prove...enlightening."

As grunts of agreement went around the room, Tare joined them. The medic had already cleaned his hands and removed the sterile clothing for surgery.

Rhage eyed him as he stroked Orion's cheek very gently, "When will she awake?"

"Soon, leader. The sedative is already wearing off. She is ready to be moved to the recovery chamber."

"Good. Orion must meet his bearer."

He purred at his newborn pup, the little one already having closed his eyes for some rest. Being born was a traumatic experience as he had been told by several females he consulted prior to Orion's birth.

Artemis would instantly fall in love with Orion as he had when he first looked into the eyes of his pup. Upon waking they could finally be together as a family. The three of them would be the family that his mate always wanted.

☺️