hapter 220
Dominic’s POV
:.
Dr. Winters hesitated. “If the labor doesn’t progress soon, we may need to consider a cesarean section. But I’d prefer to avoid surgery if possible, given Rebecca’s unique biological situation.”
Hours crawled by. Rebecca’s labor continued to progress at an agonizingly slow pace. Ifer strength was visibly flagging, her face drawn with exhaustion and pain. The monitors showed her vital signs weakening, her body struggling to cope with the demands being placed on it.
“Her blood pressure is dropping,” one of the nurses informed Dr. Winters in a low voice. “And the baby’s heart rate is becoming more erratic.”
Dr. Winters approached me, her expression grave. “Mr. Sterling, if things don’t improve in the next thirty minutes, we’ll need to perform an emergency C–section.”
I nodded numbly, my gaze fixed on Rebecca’s pale face. She looked so fragile, so human in that moment, despite all the changes her body had undergone. Fear unlike anything I’d ever known gripped me. The thought of losing her, of losing our child…
A memory surfaced–something I’d read in one of the ancient pack texts about mate bonds during childbirth. Without hesitation, I stripped off my jacket and moved to Rebecca’s bedside.
“What are you doing?” Dr. Winters asked.
“Something that might help,” I replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. I took Rebecca’s face between my hands, pressing my forehead to hers. “Rebecca, look at me. Focus on me.”
Her eyelids fluttered open, her gaze clouded with pain. “Dom… I can’t…”
“You can,” I said firmly. “You’re stronger than you know. Feel our bond, feel my strength flowing into you.”
I closed my eyes, concentrating on our mate bond, on the golden thread that connected us. I let my Alpha energy rise to the surface, feeling the power surge through me. I was the next Alpha of the Silver Moon Shadow Pack, and my mate needed my strength now more than ever.
I visualized my power flowing from me into Rebecca. Through our skin, through our bond, through the mark on her neck that tied us together for eternity.
“That’s… impossible,” I heard Dr. Winters murmur.
I opened my eyes to see golden light emanating from where my skin touched Rebecca’s. Her mark glowed with the same unearthly light, pulsing in time with our heartbeats. The ancient magic of the mate bond, older than any human medicine, responding to our need.
Rebecca gasped, her eyes flying open. “I feel you,” she whispered in wonder. “Your strength… it’s like fire in my veins.”
I heard Dr. Winters rush to check the monitors. “The baby’s heart rate is stabilizing,” she announced, astonishment clear in her voice. “And Rebecca’s vitals are improving dramatically.”
The energy continued to flow between us, ancient and powerful. I let my wolf rise closer to the surface, lending its primal strength to my mate, to the mother of my cub. I would have given her every ounce of my strength if that’s what it took.
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15:16 Mon, Sep 29
Chapter 220
“Now, Rebecca,” Dr. Winters said urgently. Push now!
Rebecca’s face set with new determination. With my hands still cupping her face, she bore down, channeling our combined strength into bringing our child into the world.
“The head is crowning!” Dr. Winters announced. “One more big push!”
Rebecca gripped my arms, her eyes blazing with golden light that matched my own. With a final, tremendous effort, she pushed.
A powerful cry filled the room–the unmistakable sound of a healthy newborn announcing his arrival. The bond between Rebecca and me pulsed with joy so intense it nearly overwhelmed me. My wolf howled in triumph within me.
“It’s a boy,” Dr. Winters confirmed, holding up our son. “A perfect, healthy boy.”
My hands trembled as I cut the umbilical cord, watching in awe as our son was quickly cleaned and wrapped in a soft blanket. When they placed him in Rebecca’s arms, the sight stole my breath away.
Our son had my deep blue eyes and Rebecca’s nose. A dusting of dark hair covered his head, and his tiny fists waved in the air as he continued to cry lustily. I could already sense the wolf in him, strong and vital.
“He’s perfect,” Rebecca whispered, tears streaming down her face. “Our little Lucas.”
“Lucas Sterling,” I agreed, my voice thick with emotion. I pressed a kiss to Rebecca’s forehead, then to our son’s. “You were incredible. So brave, so strong.”
Rebecca looked up at me, exhaustion and joy mingling in her expression. “I couldn’t have done it without you. I felt your strength when I had none left.”
As I gazed at my mate and our newborn son, I felt a sense of completion I’d never known before. This was what I had been waiting for all my life, though I hadn’t known it. This woman, this child, this family we had created. My pack–small now, but the most important one I would ever lead.
“Thank you,” I whispered, pressing my lips to Rebecca’s. “For giving me everything I never knew I wanted.”
Rebecca smiled, her eyes already drooping with exhaustion. “We’re just getting started,” she murmured, as our son nestled against her chest, already seeking her warmth and comfort. “Our little wolf has his whole life ahead of him.”
I placed my hand gently on Lucas’s back, feeling his tiny heart beating strong and steady against my palm. The next generation of the Silver Moon Shadow Pack. My son. My heir. My legacy.
“And we’ll be with him every step of the way.”
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