"Wake up, baby."

"Mm?"

"It's time to go home," Drakos' voice infiltrated my dreams and my eyes fluttered open owlishly.

I gazed up at him, disoriented, getting up on the pillows slowly. "What time is it?"

"It's after eight p.m. Most of the staff have already left. Come on, let's get you up." He tucked his hands beneath me and scooped me in his arms. I held on to him, nestling my head in the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent. "Mm, you smell nice."

He chuckled as he left his office and took us to the elevator, eventually taking us downstairs to the parking lot, where he gently placed me in the passenger seat of his car.

I sighed, feeling extremely fatigued, my eyes were droopy.

"Oh, love you look so tired." He observed, running a hand down my flushed cheek, leaning over to examine me. "Are you sure you're okay?"

I forced my head to sway his way with a wan nod. "I'm just sleepy."

"But you're always sleeping, love. That's what concerns me. Let me get the car started and get you home." He buckled me in and shut the door, crossing over to his side and getting in. He fastened his seatbelt and immediately reversed out of the parking lot and onto the street.

I saw the fear in his face and I was afraid to tell him that I started experiencing sharp stabbing pain in my stomach that's accompanied by an extreme burning sensation. I knew something was wrong and I didn't want to make him worry.

Could it be the baby coming? I read online that there are these fake pains that come and go, it's just the body preparing for labor. Or maybe not. I clenched my stomach and groaned when my stomach tightened up.

Drakos pulled on the side of the road and parked the car, regarding me with intense worry. "Asche, we should go and see Dr. Reynolds. You are obviously not well." He said, his brows wrinkled in a frown.

I clenched my teeth and groaned again as another sharp pain stabbed me, followed by the burning sensation. My asshole burned, making me want to steep it into a cold bucket of ice.

"The pain's getting worse," I said, biting my lips and cupping my stomach. I felt my baby shift, dipping lower in my stomach. The roundness dropped a bit. The feeling was like a big boulder dropping into my pelvis. Oh, shit. This is not happening. So not happening!

"Calm down, love. Let me phone Dr. Reynolds and let him know that we're on our way." He whipped out his cellphone and dialed the numbers so quickly, my head spun.

Dr. Reynolds picked up and they exchanged a few words then Drakos hung up.

"I'm not ready," I told him, trembling.

He ran a hand down my arm. "It's okay, baby. I'll be there every step of the way."

"You promise?" I bit my trembling lips.

"I promise." He kissed me, shifting the car in gear afterward and gliding back on the road.

Throughout the entire ride, I bit back moans of pain. It was intensifying by the minute.

***

This is not happening.

This cannot be happening.

It's too early. I was expecting a few weeks more. Not this! My grip on the steering wheel was so tight, my knuckles turned white. My mate was in pain. I saw it in his eyes and the way he bit his lips to keep the groans at bay.

I took his hand in mine reassuringly, giving him my support. He needed me. This was all new to him, to us. Would this birth be like the ones where an egg is passed and it hatches afterward or will it be as humans birth their children from a cord attached to the mother's womb?

Auxanians gave birth by having a clutch or sometimes, it's just one egg. Judging by the scan, it seems as if it would be as humans do.

No matter what, I'll ensure that he delivers successfully.

We arrived at the building just as Dr. Reynolds hurried out. I took Asche in my arms and out of the vehicle, shutting the door. He was now panting, his face contorted in pain. His eyes were closed and his face was flushed a deep shade.

Dr. Reynolds was waiting outside for us as soon as I got to the door and he let us in, wearing a disturbed frown. "Take him straight in the back so that I can examine him. I need to know if he needs to be rushed to the hospital to our private ward or if he's just experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions."

"What's that?" I asked as I placed Asche on the reclining bed, who turned over on his side, clutching his stomach.

"Ohhh..." He moaned and I frowned, rubbing his arms.

"It's like false labor, where the body is preparing for the baby's arrival. He may be feeling false sensations." He explained as he put on a pair of gloves.

I nodded understandably. "So how will you find out?"

Dr. Reynolds paused as he tugged at the end of the glove, ensuring that it's on tightly. "Well...through his anus."

I blinked. "What?"

He gazed at me with a look that said, 'are you serious?' "Through his anus." He said slowly.

"That's...I wasn't expecting that." I looked perturbed.

"Not my ass," Asche groaned. "It burns."

We both stared at him, then Dr. Reynolds glanced at me. "I'll give you a moment to remove his pants and underwear." He turned his back and went to fumble with a few tools on the counter.

"Baby, I have to remove your clothes," I told him and he only trembled.

"It hurts." He whimpered. "It feels like something's slipping out."

Without another word, I pulled off the sweatpants, and then his boxer-briefs. As soon as I did so, a gush of water trickled from his ass.

"What just happened?" I stared, aghast.

"His water bag just burst." Dr. Reynolds now stood beside me, wearing a knowing look.

"Water bag? Why did it burst?" I asked him, baffled.

"Because he's going into labor."

***