Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

ELIA

Elia's heart was pounding and she grabbed for Jayah's hand. "You know something's wrong?"

Jayah shook her head, taking Elia's hand in both of hers. "No, no. See, this is why I struggle to know what to say. It is understandable that you would be concerned for your little one, for yourself. And some of the things I've seen… they are very difficult. But others… and it's impossible to know which your journey will be."

Elia took a deep breath. "I want to know, though. I want to know what is possible, and what to look for, and what to pray against."

Jayah nodded. "If you wish to know, I will tell you. Aymora wishes to protect you, but I think… I think it is better for a mother to know. Though you must remember that not everything will happen in every birth. Yours may be easy. We can't know until we're there."

Elia snorted. "I have never done things the easy way," she said dryly. "But I know what you mean. I will… I will try to keep it all in perspective."

"And my advice… don't tell your mate. He will want to control this, and it is something he cannot control. He will only add to your pressure, attempting to control you, because he needs something to manage to make himself feel better." Jayah's eyes flashed with a knowing look. "Be honest with him and let him help you. But… choose wisely which risks you bring him before the journey has begun. He will not see it as clearly as you do."

Elia's eyes widened. "I don't feel like I see this clearly at all!"

Jayah chuckled. "Then imagine the fog that he walks in."

They both laughed softly. Then Jayah sighed. "Okay, I will tell you what I have seen, and what I know. But do not live in fear, Elia. We will do everything we can to ensure you remain safe, and your little one as well."

Elia nodded, then laid back to listen.

Jayah's eyes got a little distant as she spoke. It was clear she was remembering different females, different births—and not all of them good.

"The thing that is true for everyone, though it happens differently, is that the day will come when you be first uncomfortable—your back aching, your body tight and sore. For some, that will become contractions very quickly. You will move from one stage to the next very quickly, and the babe will be delivered within hours. For others, that can be the beginning of days."

Jayah pulled the furs back to bare Elia's belly. "You see this, how the rounding has dropped? That is because your pup's head is down and your body preparing to push it out. When that goes lower—which I think will happen within the week—you will be only days from delivering. Perhaps hours."

"I understand about the labor—I heard my mother's story enough times. But… it's the delivery. With a baby that can shift? How does that even work?"

"Sometimes it is nothing," Jayah said with a shrug. "Sometimes it is what would be a normal labor to you and the babe doesn't shift, or doesn't shift until they are out of the womb. That might be your journey."

"If it's not? What happens?"

"It is not unusual for the babe to shift in the womb, even several times. The beast is often stronger physically, than the human. If the baby becomes distressed, or there is a great deal of pressure, they will often instinctively shift."

Elia couldn't even imagine what that would feel like. She swallowed hard. "Does it… hurt?"

"Have you hurt so far?"

"I… what?"

"Your baby has shifted many times already, Elia. Within you."

"She has?!"

Jayah nodded. "When I first examined you as a beast, your babe had also shifted. And when you were having contractions, when it took us time to stop them… the babe shifted at least twice during that time."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It didn't seem to add to your discomfort. And I am so accustomed to it, it did not alarm me."

"Aymora didn't mention it."

"I think she tries to save you from fear. Perhaps I should have, also."

"No, no. It's good to know. The fact that it's happened without me even being aware means it doesn't cause a lot of pain, so… that's a good thing to know," she said. "Thank you."

Elia got lost for a few minutes in a strange tangle of emotions. Her baby was definitely Anima. A lion. Like Reth. The thought made her feel warm—and more confident of her offspring's strength.

But then… how would that even work? She was going to give birth to a cub?!

Jayah nodded again. "When your labor has continued—the contractions will get more and more intense, and closer and closer together—to the point of delivery, we will see how strong you are. If you're strong enough, we'll bring you to the floor and have you squat."

"I… WHAT? Why?"

"Because gravity will assist the birth. And the position will help you with pushing. Our concern at that point will be to ensure once the baby is in your birth canal that, if they shift, they are in a position to continue moving through. That is the riskiest part of an Anima delivery. And it depends on the species—of both the mother, and the babe."

"How…" Elia swallowed. "How bad is it that I'm human and she's a lion?"

  "It is only bad if she shifts and you do not," Jayah said carefully. "When the time comes, we will meet what we must meet. If I believe that you absolutely must shift, I will give you the tonic, Elia. Aymora has delivered more babes than I, but she has not delivered inter-species. She has already agreed to allow me to make that decision. If the babe shifts, and you do not, and there is a struggle… I will force you to shift."

"But… but then I'm stuck in the lion, right? For a while? Because of the tonic?"

Jayah nodded. "Yes. And I know this has fear for you. This is what you must think and pray about, Elia: You may need to shift to deliver safely. And if you do… you must come back to us."

Elia's stomach plummeted to her toes.

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Zev prowled towards her, all shining, brutal beauty, his chin low and those incredible, piercing eyes fixed on her. He didn't stop until they were toe-to-toe and he blocked her view of every other male in the circle. 

His eyes dipped to her mouth as he leaned in, his whisper playing on her skin. 

"You. Are. Mine." 

His deep voice twanged in her belly as the howls of the wolf pack rose from behind him to echo across the mountains of Thana, while the other Chimera protested his claim. 

Fighting the urge to stroke his broad, bare chest with her shaking hands, Sasha forced herself to tilt her head and raise an eyebrow. "So bold for a pup who just found his fangs."

The other males roared with laughter.

Ignoring their taunts, Zev's eyes sparked and he leaned even closer, the scruff on his jaw tickling her cheek as he smiled. "So bold for a human who already knows the pleasure of gasping my name."

She shivered when his teeth grazed her ear.

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