WC: 571
The events were getting less distinct, more hazy around the edges. Coli's perception was dimming, clouded by fatigue and hormones and the overwhelming emotional response, as she blinked back the tears. No one was speaking anymore, the room quiet save for the sounds she made during her labor. That was good, she did not think she could concentrate enough to respond to words at this point. Her second pup was passed to Saul, and vaguely she noticed he handed her firstborn to Lilin for safekeeping. It was the safest place for her, cuddled in her aunt's warm embrace. Coli smiled, infinitely relieved to see them bonding already, just in case...
The contractions ebbed and flowed, the late stages of labor taking longer due to the mother's exhaustion. The coppery scent of blood was stronger now. That was... wrong. Her heartbeat was fluttering, rapid and shallow and leaving her lightheaded. This couldn't be normal, could it? It reminded her of the effects of nightshade. But at last, the third and final puppy was born. Coli struggled forward, trembling as she cradled the slimy bundle, using teeth and tongue to clean the mucus and cord and coax the little creature to breathe. She whimpered softly, nudging her baby with her nose until she felt it nudge back, stirring in her hands.
White, or at least pale, the faded markings lost in her damp puppy fur. Even her nose was a pastel shade, something the newborn held in common with a cousin she would someday be introduced to, Eclipse. This child was not the pure unblemished white of her arctic wolf ancestors, but she was a closer link than her littermates. She was smaller than her dark sister before her -- all three were female, an unexpected turn of events. Coli had expected at least one son, a little boy she could name after Conor. But perhaps it was better, knowing that the males in her family struggled more with the darkness in their line. The pale pup could carry the Soul name in honor of the Dahlian uncle she would never meet, without fear of being destroyed by its legacy. This puppy was silent, not squeaking like her sisters before her, merely squirming about with its tiny mouth open, questing to nurse.
Colibri was dizzy, spots dancing behind her eyelids as she panted. She wanted to sleep, sink into the blackness forever. Her pups were born, and the bulge of her swollen stomach was gone now, though the ache was still present. Wasn't she done? They were safe now, weren't they? She would nurse the little ones as soon as the pounding in her skull receded enough for her to think straight. She was still clutching the youngest pup to her chest when the afterbirth was expelled, all the remnants of her pregnancy sliding forth. Wolf instinct told her to devour the mess as she had the sacs, but she was too tired, and it was too awkward in this form. Her abdomen was still cramping, but the pain was duller than it had been during the full contractions, easing back to normal.
Coli shivered, laying against the mattress with her chest heaving. Her thighs were slick with blood. She couldn't seem to catch her breath, no matter how she tried. "'S'over... they're all right... feels cold..." she mumbled, head lolling against the mattress. She would sleep now. It was time for rest.
It's cold and loveless, I won't let you be denied
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart
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