A Howling Heart
Chapter Sixty-two

A mountain lion thinks I'm its prey. Jokes on the mountain lion.

I slow my speed, coming to a gentle stroll through the woods. My eyes scroll through the trees as I hear twigs snapping. I smell fresh meat as the sound of its heartbeat fills my ears, and I know there's prey nearby. 'Fae, don't! You've defied me long enough. Come. It is not good for the baby.' Matias's voice is louder in my head than before. I know he is growing panicked by my defiance.

I don't want to send him into a tizzy, but I want a bit of my own control. Is that too much to ask?

You're just saying that.

I let out a drawn-out breath before I make a beeline for the smell and sound. I hear the sound of footsteps scrambling before I'm face to face with the mountain lion. It pounces, its teeth digging into my leg as I scramble for an attack. ""Fae!" Matias screams.

I go for its neck, howling when claws dig into my fur. I feel the slickness of blood coating my side. "Fae! Damnit!"

I know he's changed by the sound of his howl. It's a warning sign to other predators that might be lurking. He's there before I can even process his arrival. He takes seconds to tear out the lion's throat before a victorious growl breaks through his teeth.

'What were you thinking? I told you to come.'

I'm sorry.

Pain makes its way through my body. I begin whimpering and feel myself beginning to slip back through the change into human form. A minute later, I'm curled in on my side, naked, as Matias changes back into human form beside me and scoops me up in his arms.

"My Fae. My sweet Fae. You are a stubborn girl."

Your stubborn girl.

"Yes, mine. Forever."

I cry out when I feel pressure in my stomach. A strange hardening pressure.

"Matias. Something's wrong." I cling to him, scared. My wounds have already started to heal, but the pain inside of me begins to explode until I'm panting and crying out desperately for relief.

"Animea Mea. You will be okay." He tightens his hold on you possessively.

"I think it's the -"

"Baby." He finishes my sentence, and there's worry in his tone. He hurries me to the house quickly, kicking open the front door, the sound of it banging against the wall gathers attention. Soon the pack surrounds me. "Is everything okay?" Mason looks concerned.

"She's in labor," Matias replies.

Audible gasps echo as he climbs the stairs and brings me to our bedroom. He lays me down on the bed and begins inspecting my wounds before he nods contently when he realizes they've healed.

"I will be right back." He moves to go.

I let him go.

I'm scared...

His comforting voice is in my mind.

'Don't be. You are not doing this alone. I won't let you.' He returns rather quickly.

"Where did you go?" I question, hating the quiver in my voice.

"To alert your mother. She will be here in a moment." He kneels and takes my hand, stroking it softly to calm my erratic heartbeat.

"It's going to be alright, my love. My soul. You will get through this strongly. You are alpha, just as I am."

He always thinks so highly of me...

Sometimes, I think he believes I'm stronger than I am.

"You are. You will birth our child, and they will be fierce."

For eight months now, I've had a recurring dream of a woman who explains I'm having a girl. I don't know how I know, but it feels so true in my heart. Part of me wants to tell Matias. I don't know for sure....

Oh, I feel another contraction.

I take a few steadying breaths through the contraction until I form a coherent thought.

"It's a girl," I blurt out.

He frowns, moving closer toward me before raising my hand to his mouth and placing a soft kiss. "A girl? How do you know?"

I take a deep breath as I feel the pain begin again; this time, it worsens.

"I don't know how. I honestly dreamt about it."

He nods, a gentle expression passing in his gaze. "Then I believe it so. She will be fierce."

"She will change the world, Matias. This I know... I don't know how, but I feel it deep within my bones. There is something special about her."

His brows raise, and a smile twitches on his lips. "Because she will be relentless like her father and strong like her mother."

I grip his hand tightly when another contraction takes over my body. It knocks the breath out of me, causing me to press my head hard into the pillow as I attempt to breathe through the pain. Breathe in.

Breathe out.

I can do this.

"Yes, you can." My mother arrives quickly. I hear her footsteps and gasp when she gets to the doorway. "Fae! Oh my!"

She hurries over to me, moving around Matias to lean over to me and place her cool hand against my forehead. "It's close, isn't it. You're doing so well."

She tries to instruct me to lay on my back, but the pain is too great, and I growl at her.

Matias laughs. "That's my girl."

I shoot him a pained smile before I feel the pain ebbing away, and I manage to lay on my back.

"I'm sorry, Mom."

My mother laughs gently. "Fae, don't worry about it. Anyone in labor would want to bite the person who's trying to move them during contractions, head off. Get in a position that makes you feel comfortable."

I gasp as I begin to move, and I feel my stomach tightening again.

"Here comes another one."

Mom strokes my hair. "They're coming every few seconds now...Do you have the urge to push?"

My eyes widen, and I grit my teeth as I shrug. "I don't know. I don't know. There's a lot of pressure."

My fear always lessens when I look at Matias. He's kneeled beside me still, a look of admiration on his face as he leans forward to place a kiss on my forehead right before I feel another contraction hit. "Come on, Fae. Breathe through it. My mate. My heart. You've got this."

"Sir, do you need anything?" Mason inquires.

Matias casts a glance at Mason and shakes his head. "I will let you know if we do."

I reach out and place a hand on Matias's shoulder. "I'm scared."

I whimper, and I feel my mom's reassuring hand on my arm, rubbing gently.

"Every new mother feels scared during this part, sweetheart. You are doing amazing. The baby will be here in no time. And when you hold them in your arms, you will feel utter joy...I know I did with you."

"I will do this with you, Fae. I will be here every step of the way. You will not have to do this alone," Matias reassures me.

"You promise?" Tears prickle my eyes, stinging as they well up and spill over down my cheeks.

"You have my word."

The pressure in my core builds, as well as the pain in my stomach, and I begin to feel the urge to push.

"I think I have to push."

"Okay. You can do this, Anima Mea." He encourages me with a kiss on my forehead and a heartwarming smile.

I begin to position myself on my knees as it feels the most comfortable.

"What do you need? Anything?"

He begins rubbing my back without me asking, and I sniffle, overwhelmed with emotions.

"My Fae. When you cry, I want to destroy things."

Those words make me laugh loudly before I inhale a deep, strained breath and begin to bear down.

Mom claps her hands together excitedly. "Okay, okay. You can do this, Fae."

I hold my breath as I begin to push, and my mother begins to count. All the way through the contraction until it subsides for a moment. "The next one will come fast."

I cry out when I don't have time to prepare for the next contraction before it's upon me. Matias tenses beside me, but he continues to massage my lower back as I push, and fluid pours out of me onto the bed. "W-what-" I stutter.

Mom waves a dismissive hand. "It's normal. Keep pushing."

I keep pushing, even as burning pain stings below my waist.

"I can't do this!" I cry out, hating how weak I sound. This was supposed to be a beautiful moment, and it felt like a nightmare.

"Anima mea, you must. Think of our daughter."

"Daughter?"

I shake my head, casting her a scowl that says, 'I don't have time to talk,' as I push.

Getting pregnant was the easy part.

This is horrendous.

I feel warm all over, and with a few more deep pushes, she's out. Matias is the one who catches her. I collapse on my side, rolling onto my back. He immediately puts her on my chest, and I begin to cry. "She is beautiful, my soul. Just as you are," he announces with a raspy voice. A few tears roll down his cheeks.

I blink through the blurriness of my tears.

"Fae, she is perfect," Matias says in awe.

"So perfect," I agree.

I stare down at my daughter, recognizing her from one of my dreams before I realize something.

These dreams... they are real.

I swallow the saliva pooling in my mouth nervously. I frown, blinking rapidly when the contraction pain starts again.

"Must be the placenta," my mom says, and she gently presses down on my belly. I wince.

Matias holds out his arms to me. "Let me take the baby, sweetheart."

"No!" I snap. I sigh and apologize when I realize how angry I just sounded.

He halts, clenching his jaw as he frowns when I wince from the pain again.

"I-I can handle this." I feel the urge to push again. "Fine. Take her."

Matias takes the baby from my arms as I begin to push again, and my mother's gasp echoes around the room.

"It's not the placenta."

I arch my neck up and give her a look filled with fear. "What is it?"

Matias moves to look at what she's looking at, and his face falls.

"What? Someone tell me what it is?"

I reach down and feel before a shocked shriek leaves my lips, and I yank my hand back.

No way!