Page 51 of Meat

Even in the throes of her labor, Alyx was amazed at how in sync their bodies had become. It was like they could read every signal coming from her almost before she herself could. When she needed support, they held her tightly, giving her a brace to push against. When she needed to move or shift position, their grip loosened for her.

They were perfect.

Again and again, the all-encompassing need to push slammed her body. She bit down hard on Ravnar’s knot of leather, grunted like an animal, and pushed with all of her strength.

The baby inched down her canal. Slow and painful progress. The muscles of her pelvic floor burned like fire, and she let loose a muffled roar. Her insides were stretched to the breaking point.

Pain throbbed. Alyx drew a deep breath through her nostrils. She grunted and pushed again.

The baby was so low inside her now, and she could feel her opening stretching painfully. Ravnar and Jale had left off suckling her for a moment to inspect between her open legs. They were talking rapidly. She couldn’t understand ninety-percent of the words, but she did catch the phrase “little ukkur.”

The baby must be right there, crowning. She could feel it.

Krogg was still there behind her, holding her against him. His hand moved over her belly and lower abdomen, massaging her stretched muscles. He purred to her, words she didn’t understand, but the emotions were clear—concern, support, love, protection, pride.

Alyx’s body felt weak. Even just getting this far had robbed her body of all its energy.

She spit out the coil of braided leather, which had been crushed flat by her biting teeth.

“Meat,” she begged. “More meat…”

It was Jale who jumped up, grabbed more cooked meat from beside the fire, and brought it to her. She feasted like an animal, savoring the blood taste on her lips. Immediately, she felt a surge of renewed strength coursing through her veins.

She was ready now.

Ready to get this baby out of her.

Alyx held tight to her mates and crushed herself back into Krogg’s firm embrace. She pushed again and again, bearing down hard, ignoring the screaming pain as the baby exited her.

Push, push, push, push.

And then…

There was a sudden feeling of emptiness like she had never known before. Total relief, more fulfilling than the strongest orgasm. Her body went limp in Krogg’s embrace. Utter flaccidity. Her body gleamed with sweat in the firelight. Her muscles felt nonexistent.

The baby was out.

One last push and the placenta fell after.

It was done. It was over.

“Alyx,” Krogg whispered at her ear. “Alyx.”

Ravnar had moved around in front of her, and he was cradling something in his hands, a squirming baby, wrinkled and covered in white vernix.

The infant screamed in tiny rage, a cry so shrill and sudden that it even startled the three brave ukkur males.

One thing was certain, the baby had a healthy pair of lungs.

Ravnar crept forward, cradling the little squirming thing, and laid it into Alyx’s arms. Her child. A baby boy, his ruddy face twisted with crying, his little legs kicking, eyes shut tight against this new and frightening world that he had been forced into.

“Shhh,” Alyx hushed with tears blurring her eyes. “Shh, little one. It’s okay. Mommy is here.”

***

Afterward, under Alyx’s direction, Jale severed the umbilical cord with his stone knife. Ravnar tied it off. He washed the child in clean spring water gathered from somewhere in the depths of the mountain.

Krogg, meanwhile, had gathered up the placenta, sniffed it, tested it with his tongue, and then made off toward the fire. Alyx had almost stopped him, initially disgusted by the idea.