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Why did the whole world want to baby me?
Using her powers, she had my hair back to its original length in no time—which made me cry again—and then proceeded to fully heal the lingering scars that marred Ravik’s back from the savage whipping Hagan had given him. This pregnancy had turned me into quite the crybaby. However, the awed expression on Mother’s face every time she eyed the mountain of a man that was my husband always made me giggle.
In the three weeks leading up to me delivering the children, Minh took great interest in the healing creams and ointments the Braxian females were making, going so far as to spend time in my lab to perform some enhancements. His work served both his insatiable curiosity and passion for medical science, but also his paternal need to help me by aiding my new people. Although he wasn’t my father, Minh had adopted me as his daughter—like he had my younger sister Aleina—the day he married my mother. While no one could ever take my real father’s place in my heart, I liked Minh and was grateful Mother had found happiness again.
Or rather, real happiness.
When the babies finally decided the time had come, Mother, Kamala, and I lost our shit when Ravik thought to wait it out with his men in his Hall. Too bad I missed the proper dressing down Kamala gave him when she went to fetch him. The Braxian females screamed in outrage at the sight of a man entering a birthing chamber. If I hadn’t been so busy pushing and screaming, I would have rolled my eyes.
I’d never seen my beast as distraught as he approached the birthing bed. He seemed at a complete loss and utterly anguished by my pain.
“I am helpless to aid you,” he whispered when I stopped pushing, looking ashamed and vulnerable.
Holding on tightly to his hand, I peered at his beloved face. “We made these babies together, let’s bring them into this world together. You can’t take away my pain, but you can lend me your strength through it, like you’ve done once before.”
An emotion I couldn’t put a name to crossed his features, and then something seemed to fall into place for him. Ravik passed his strong arm behind my back, supporting me, and his other hand held mine. For the next eternity until our twins entered this world, through every push, through every pained scream, Ravik’s warmth surrounded me, his rumbling voice whispering words of love and encouragement. Together, we delivered our twins.
I couldn’t believe the gigantic size of the babies that came out of me. And yet, when Mother handed them over to their father after cleaning them, in his hands, they looked tiny. My firstborn was a gorgeous little girl, with a delicately-shaped Braxian nose, raven-colored hair like both of us, and Veredian markings. Unlike me, they didn’t brand her as belonging to the Warrior breed but to the Scholars. She wouldn’t have my physical skills for combat, but she would possess an innate ability to acquire knowledge in all its forms. Science, math, and technology would be child’s play to her. To my chagrin, she didn’t inherit my horns, therefore preventing her from ever claiming any Guldan heritage according to Guldar’s current laws.
My second-born, a beautiful boy with silver white hair similar to my late brother Varrek’s, thick, black horns like mine, a broad and flat Braxian nose, but no Veredian markings. Although, I didn’t say it out loud, that broke my heart. Until that instant, I hadn’t realized how strongly I identified as Veredian far more than as Guldan. As far as I knew, no Veredian had ever given birth to a child without markings. Did that mean he wouldn’t have any powers either?
Still, my heart filled with love for my two little miracles.
After she was done cleaning me, Mother kissed my forehead, and then those of each of my children. Turning to Ravik, she caressed his cheek and then signaled for Thala—who had been assisting her—and Kamala to leave the room with her. Once alone, Ravik kissed my lips and then caressed the heads of our babies.
“Name your children, woman,” Ravik said, his voice made even more gravelly by emotion.
He held our daughter to me, her obsidian eyes locked with mine as if she knew the importance of this moment.
“I name you Lissy, Lissy Xeldar,” I said, caressing my daughter’s markings. I smiled at Ravik’s sharp intake of breath. “Your namesake set your father on the path to becoming a man I could love.” I turned my gaze towards him. “A man I do love with all my heart.” Facing my daughter again, I continued, “From this day forward, through you, the name Lissy will be a synonym for love, joy, new beginnings, and the ability to embrace change for the better.”
“I love you,” Ravik said, kissing me before I could answer.
Taking our daughter from me, he cradled her in his right arm, and gave me our son.
“I name you Garruk Vrok, after my father and brother,” I said, caressing my son’s horns.
Ravik recoiled, his strong brow creasing, making him look even more menacing than usual.
“Vrok?” Ravik said, his outrage unmistakable. “That’s my son. His last name shall be Xeldar.”
I shook my head, totally unfazed. “You already have your heir. This one is mine to continue my father’s bloodline.”
“He can still continue your father’s bloodline with my name,” Ravik said, his face taking on a mulish expression.
I rolled my eyes before looking at him. “Don’t be silly, big boy. Anyway, everyone can see he’s your blood, and females name children. The sire has no say.”
“By Intergalactic Law, maybe, but not by ours. He must bear my name,” Ravik said. “I insist.”
Sighing in exasperation, I rolled my eyes again, itching to kick his butt. I’d known from the start he would push back—and couldn’t actually blame him either. In his shoes, I’d probably feel the same. That didn’t change the fact that my son would bear my father’s name.
“Fine,” I said, glaring at him with false anger before turning to our son. “Since your father is such a crybaby, I name you Garruk Xeldar Vrok, heir to the Vrok Empire.”
“But—”
“No buts! He has your name, too. Push me on this, and I’ll remove it altogether,” I warned.
Ravik grimaced and muttered something about abusing gender rights, which only made me giggle.
“Stop your fussing, silly man. Give me more sons, and they can bear only your last name,” I said before rubbing my nose against our son’s. His yellowish-brown eyes, speckled with green, identical to my mother’s, looked at me with wonder, and his lips stretched in a toothless smile.
“Rest assured that I will, woman,” Ravik mumbled.
His massive hand gently caressed Garruk’s head, his thumb running over the sharp little horns. Propping Lissy next to her brother, Ravik wrapped his arms around the three of us.
“On Venus Hive, you found a nearly broken man and made him and his failing world whole again,” Ravik said. “As long as I draw breath, no one will ever harm our children or you, my Dagna, my love, my Mercy.”
THE END.
