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***Talon's POV***

"No. Not doing this. Knock me out. Fucking kill ME!" My mate wails into the air. As the sweat beads across his pinched forehead, I wince knowing exactly how he feels in this moment.

"It will be over soon." My words, that are meant to comfort, bring no relief. I know. I can't change what he is going through.

"Not fucking soon enough!" Remi cringes as his back arches off of the bed. My hands try desperately to soothe the pain that I am aware he is feeling.

"You're doing well, Alpha. A little longer." Jenny moves wires, shifts papers and checks Remi for dilation.

I feel the agony ripple through our mate bond. I would venture to say I had it easier. Remi is in a significant amount of pain. His teeth tightly clamp together as he lets tears escape his eyes.

"We're going to push." Dr. Gibson enters the room. His face shows confidence that I do not mirror in this moment.

"Who is we, pellet face? You got a mouse in that pocket?" Remi glares at the old gentleman who has delivered more babies than I could ever imagine.

"I might." Dr. Gibson winks over at me. I stifle a giggle. I am not trying to piss my mate off, not in this moment.

"On three, bare down." Dr. Gibson positions himself. I grab Remi's hand with reluctance. This is the worst part. We were made for this; well, I was. That doesn't make it any easier.

"One. Two. Three." Jenny counts down.

The circulation to my fingers cuts off abruptly. Meka whines lowly with the crush of my digits.

"Fucking Cock Sucker. Holy shitty moon. I hate everyone." Remi takes the pain with screaming swear words. I gently run my thumb over his hand. There is nothing to do but pretend like I am helping at this point.

A huge exhale of breath comes from my love. His body falls down in exhaustion. As Dr. Gibson opens his mouth, I hunker down for the next wave of turmoil.

"Again, big push." The doctor dives deeper between Remi's legs. If I was telling the truth, Dr. Gibson seems to be hiding.

"Fuck you. I quit." Remi squirms on the bed. His body tenses. An involuntary push begins. Our son is ready to enter the world. His father, not so much.

"Hold it." The demand comes from Jenny. Her hand clasps down on Remi's leg. My mate spits venom across the air.

"You hold it. You do this." Remi throws his head back in pure rebellion.

"One more big push. You will meet your son." Jenny encourages Remi while I bounce on my toes. Excitement flushes through me. I send waves of comfort to Remi. It's almost over.

"Three." Dr. Gibson speaks out. His hands move desperately to aid in our son's birth. My head automatically turns to see our pup.

A solid cry comes from the baby. My heart melts at the sound. Meka cries out his elation.

Dr. Gibson hands our pup over to Jenny. Jet black hair stands out. The crying never ceases as Jenny checks to make sure our pup is healthy.

The silence coming from my mate creates instant anxiety. I reach over to move his hair from his ashen face. When my warm fingers meet cold flesh, I panic. My heart rate spikes as I frantically look at Dr. Gibson.

With rushed steps, the doctor meets me at the head of the bed. Heart monitors go silent while I lose the will to stand.

A gut wrenching scream leaves my lips while I witness Dr. Gibson pull out the paddles. His hands tear open my mate's shirt.

As Remi's body refuses to react to the electricity pushing through his chest, my world comes falling down around me. Everything I love lays on a bed being worked on by talented hands.

A body enters the delivery room. My own form is shoved back. Falling stiff against the wall, my knees buckle. Cold tile meets my bottom when I lose the battle of being vertical.

"Get him out." Dr. Gibson screams.

Hands wrap around me. As I am lifted into the air, I find no words to protest. Everything flies by me without hesitation.

"Talon." A soft cry falls from the possessor's lips. Focusing on the eyes that search my own frantically, I let fat sobbing tears wash over me.

Meka wails inside of me. He thrashes against my mind, begging for us to do something. A searing pain rips through my body, paralyzing my muscles. Meka pushes forward, overtaking me as I grab the back seat to become a spectator in my own life.

"Stay calm. He is in good hands." Alpha Jamison continues to hold onto my human form.

As the pain inside of us becomes all consuming, our body shakes. Tremors ricochet over our limbs. Meka tries desperately to control crashing waves of agony. Whether the pain is our own or our mate's does not matter. Meka shifts in Alpha Jamison's arms. My father-in-law allows his hold to become iron tight. His large hand clasps around our head, pulling us into his shoulder.

Meka's cries are loud. They overshadow my own. Luna Cass paces in front of us. Her hands shake as she wipes away repetitious tears of emotion.

"He's going to be fine." Luna Cass shakes her head. With fingers digging into the swollen flesh underneath her lashes, she nods her head. I watch as my mother-in-law faces me with conviction. She breaks a sad smile, worry etching painful lines in her face. I can't bring myself to urge Meka to return the fading smile.

Another wave of pain washes over me, breaking my concentration from Remi's mother. Blinding stress crashes over me, pouring through every vein in my body. With no other choice, my body shuts down. The air becomes thin, suffocating me on a sheer asphyxiation.

Meka howls out in pain. With our body shaking as if an earthquake is trapped in between our ribs, everything blurs into soft glaring light. All defenses stripped, we succumb to the saturation of brilliant white.

"Where are we?" My words come out as confusion. Shifting my head back and forth, everything surrounding me is a glorious shade of opal. The sun blazes above, breaking through cotton like clouds. Small particles float through the air like tiny fairies. The scent of flowers, rain and wind rush through the air. Like a calming blanket, all the stress washes away as nature whisper's it's sentiment around my body.

My feet take automatic steps as if drawn to a certain point. Following diligently as my body moves, I take in the scene around me. Calm, peaceful, quiet, the world exists around me in astounding beauty. Animals frolick over the soft foothills. Green grass stands with dew drops glistening among the blades. The birds sing a melody so sweet it could make angels lull to sleep.

My eyes lock on the radiant beauty that stands beside my Remi. Heart pounding, eyes filling upon sight, I recognize the figure which stands almost in a manner of protection over my love.

"No." My cry is piercing. Realization floods through my wolf. Faltering, Meka stumbles into his place. Tears well up inside of my lids, spilling quickly over my already stained cheeks.

"Talon." Remi whispers my name, bringing a soft lull of joy over my spirit. The truth of what is happening washes that beauty away quickly.

"Please. No." My knees buckle, my body wobbling. I can't. I don't want to. My hands slam against my face as pleading tears track down my skin. A high pitched whine comes from deep within my chest.

Cold arms wrap around me bringing no comfort whatsoever.

"Please Goddess. Please. Don't do this." Everything inside of me screams for mercy.

"It's okay, baby. Don't cry." Remington kisses my head with marble lips. I don't want to think about this. I don't want to accept it.

"Don't." My body begs to be held as anger fills my heart.

"Haven't I been through enough? Why? Tell me WHY?" I yell at my creator. Stumbling feet push me up. My body fills with heat. Every fiber of my being undulates with unadulterated fear.

"My sweet Talon, Meka." Her voice is like an angel's kiss. Notes meant to create a symphony of peace with each caress, they sting my skin like acid. Traitorous love. She is evil.

"I hate you. I fucking hate you Moon Goddess. Please don't take him." Hate filled bargaining begins.

"We each have a path, dear Talon." The Moon Goddess flickers her lashes. The sweet movement looks poisonous against my reality.

"Fuck your path. To hell. That's where I will be anyway." My painful admission causes the creator of our world to flinch. Meka laughs cynically within my head.

"Talon, the world needs this to happen. You cannot become who you are meant to be as we sit." Moon Goddess attempts to lure me with destiny.

Fuck destiny, fate and all the other predispositions. I don't want them. I want Remington.

"I fucking won't. You can't force me." Stubbornly, I argue with the one who made all my decisions before breath entered my form.

"You have to." The Moon Goddess pleads softly.

"I don't. You take him, I will kill myself." Iron will forms within my body as the sentence leaves my lips. I will. If she takes my mate, I'm going too.

"That's not how this goes." The Moon Goddess let's a tsk slip from her perfect lips.

She isn't the one in charge. Guarantee that!

"You fucked me. Every day for years I followed blindly believing that there is a time and place for everything under the moon. I pledged my unwavering faith to my creator. I withstood pain beyond my physical capability, beyond my mental capacity. I trusted you. Moon Goddess, you have betrayed me." My eyes cut to the angelic figure. Glaring, I snarl in the direction of the very deity that made me who I am.

"You're a God, Talon." Moon goddess sends a gentle reminder to my spirit.

"I would rather be human than live without him." A gasp leaves the Moon Goddess lips. My words are a proverbial slap upon her very existence.

I don't care.

"You don't mean that." Remi looks at me with astonished eyes. His denim blue orbs cause ripples of pain to push through my blood. My skin crawls as he silently chooses sides.

"Why, Remington? Why? Answer me!" I scream loudly, not having a single fuck to give.

"Moon Goddess said it is what is necessary. We can't be together forever. There is more to life than our love. We must make a sacrifice. It's me." For the first time, I am disgusted in my mate. He's fucking selfish. I can be the same. I will be.

"Take me. Take me now, in Remington's place. Give him my power. I ask only one thing in return, let him feel every ounce of love I have for him before you end me. I want my mate to understand that I loved him with every breath inside of me. My heart beats for him. My love is immeasurable. Take me. Give Remi the opportunity to move forward. Give him a second mate. Let his every dream procure. I need nothing else in return. Moon Goddess, I'm begging, please take me instead." My words are so full of honesty, conviction and love. I feel absolutely no hesitation.

Gladly, I will take his place. He has to live. He just has to exist.