Stone Cold

Chapter 56

"You are going to give birth."

It seemed as if she were looking at Felix for the first time, genuinely looking at him.

A crimson curtain had fallen upon his silver irises, drowning her in the red sea laid by his captivating gaze. Everything else had just blended into the background. As far as her vision covered, there was nothing to see but him.

"Relax, for the sake of your child."

His lips were dangerously close to her face, so close that the air escaping out of his mouth as he spoke was gently caressing the soft skin of her cheeks. If he had decided to lean a bit closer, his silver hair hanging down his shoulders would've definitely tickled her chin.

His call resembled the song of a siren. It was enchanting to the point it made her feel as if her soul had left her body in quest of the owner of this call.

"Now, can I examine your cervix?"

"Y-Yes..."

The reply had abruptly left her lips, without any contemplation.

'Cervix...?'

It was only after she tried repeating his words inside her head that she realized what she had allowed him to do.

'I'm in labor!'

Just as the realization dawned on her, multiple cracks formed in the trance surrounding her, shattering it in mere seconds.

Reality had hit her like a splash of cold water.

The pain, now much more extreme in its nature, was practically burning her loins from inside out. She felt like something was going to burst out from her body.

"You're fully dilated."

She didn't even know she was crying until she followed the voice to stare at the man standing in between her legs only to find out that the scene had become unnecessarily blurred.

Like a child, she used the back of her hand to wipe away the scarlet liquid pooling in the rims of her eyes to focus more clearly on her surroundings, but her hand stopped mid-movement as she watched the second vampire prince giving her a strange look.

It appeared as if his heart was breaking, for her.

'Do I look that pitiful? I just want Ares and ... mom.'

The thought proved to jerk more tears out of her eyes making her rub her palm more furiously on her lids.

"Stop, please."

A large cold hand suddenly enveloped her small one halting her ferocious moves.

Something tugged at her heart as she saw the silver-haired vampire once again standing by her side, giving her a worried look. He was no longer trying to hide his feelings.

"I may not know you and I may not understand your concerns but please, stop. Stop torturing yourself with useless thoughts."

"M-Mom..."

She had never understood the reason behind women calling out for their mothers during childbirth. Now she did.

You truly understood the value of a good parent only when you're about to become one as well.

Gingerly, his hands resting on top hers slid up to take her face in his hands. That was the first time he made deliberate skin contact with her. He had been avoiding touching her since he had found out that she was his stolen beloved and it didn't seem like he was going to, but something about her vulnerable condition had unlocked his pent up emotions, causing him to set aside his restrictions.

"Look at me, Faith."

His thumbs were making small circular motions on her cheeks,

"Your mother is not here."

'I know, but I can't help missing her.'

She wanted to say it but words would not come out. She could only manage to whimper in response. The corner of her lips had turned down, her mouth trembling as she stared at him with her bloodshot eyes.

"Don't give me that look. It's making me want to give you the world."

His sweet words were only making her cry harder.

"Your mother is not here, but I am."

His slender fingers traced a small scarlet drop that had escaped the corner of her eye, wiping it gently before it could escape down into her hairline.

"And I promise you, you have all of my being with you. You have me here, wholly."

With that, he leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her forehead as if to assure her of his sincerity. His lips had barely touched her skin yet the impact of the serenity it brought couldn't be denied.

He was her beloved, his touch a holy grail for her.

"I'll be back."

Using his speed, he disappeared from the room, appearing a second later with some things in his hands. She couldn't see those clearly as he had placed them down on the other side.

As he turned around to face her, she could see him wearing surgical gloves.

He had parted her legs a bit and was raising them by placing some pillows under them. Her most sensitive parts were displayed in front of him but somehow it didn't feel much embarrassing for her. She had never seen a more reassuring gaze in her life.

'Besides for one person...'

She let out a painful sigh as her mind reminded her of the reason she was in this position in the first place.

Ares Alexandros King.

"No useless thoughts, Faith."

His tone had been a bit reprimanding yet she didn't feel offended or hurt at all. His actions, his words, they seemed too sincere to be a farce. She knew that no one was capable of changing overnight, not this much at least.

'Is he always this kind to everyone?'

By now Felix had tied his hair into a ponytail to stop them from hindering his vision.

"Have you- ugh... d-done this b-before?"

The contractions were still strong as ever but Felix's touch had done a miracle at making her endure it with more ease.

"Yeah, a couple times when I was younger. My mother was a royal mage. She often made me assist her with her activities, something to do with staying 'in touch' with nature. I'm part wizard so..."

'Your mother must've been proud of you.'

She was unsuccessful in her quest to form those words as another contraction made her eyes almost pop out of her skull. Instead of the planned sentence, a bloodcurdling scream tore its way out of her throat, leaving her throat feeling dried and swollen.

And then there was this weird feeling in her belly, as if she wanted to poop.

"Push on the count of three. Okay?"

She could barely register his words. The pain had once again started taking over her body.

"Three, two, one, PUSH!"

"Argh!!!"

Her face turned red making all the veins travelling beneath her paper thin skin bulge out.

"Push, Faith!"

"Argh, I'm trying!"

"Push like the queens of vampires. Come on, one last push. I can see the head of the baby."

Listening to him hear talk about her baby sparked something inside of her causing her to once again strain her muscles.

"Yes, keep going. Keep going."

She couldn't tell whether her attempts at pushing were going successful or not. She was too numb down there to process anything. Her nerve endings seemed too overwhelmed.

"Arghhh!!!"

She had no idea how long she went on or how much effort it took, she could only sense that she had used every bit of her strength and there was nothing left inside of her now.

"I can't. I can't."

Just as she uttered those words, at the verge of giving up, a small cry echoed through the room making her half closed eyes widen with a mixture of fear and wonder.

"Felix?"

Slowly a smiling Felix emerged from between her legs, holding a little bloodied creature in his hands.

"She's healthy as a bull."

"Ha..."

Suddenly an undescribed feeling overcame her, causing her to start sobbing uncontrollably. Tears were streaming down her eyes, creating small crimson puddles on the white bedsheet yet the smile gracing her lips never went away.

"Wait a second."

Felix turned away from her for a small moment before reappearing beside her in a flash.

He was holding the crying baby in his hands but the baby had been all cleaned up by now. He had carefully rolled up his sleeves as well to avoid making irritating the newborn with it.

There was this feeling of something sticking inside her throat. She had stopped crying but eventually a hiccup or two kept escaping out of her mouth.

"Here, hold her."

Slowly, the second prince placed the little infant on her chest careful not to disturb the baby too much. The baby calmed down immediately as its skin made contact with Faith's.

"Vampire babies are more sensitive. They recognize their origin, even whilst they are inside their mother's wombs."

"She recognizes me."

Her voice was filled with wonder.

"She does."

Felix's reply had come out immediately but the shine his eyes held were immediately replaced with confusion as he heard Faith's next words,

"Would you like to cut the cord for me, Felix?"