by Amy Star
They both came together, trembling as their passion rocked them and he filled her with his seed. Her walls clenched as they came simultaneously, her body’s effort to hold him within her forever. He sat her back on the edge of the table but he made no effort to remove himself from her. Instead, he rested his head, damp with sweat, on her shoulder and held her close. Kalia couldn't think of a better way to make the home their own than what they'd just done, cementing their love and passion for each other.
Without moving, he said, “I love you so much I can barely stand it.”
“I know the feeling,” she said with a playful giggle.
“Promise me that you'll not do any more training on your own,” he said gently.
“Let’s not fight now. That was such a wonderful experience. Don't spoil it,” she said with a sigh.
“I'm not trying to spoil it, darling. Can we compromise? If you'll not do anything to put yourself at risk or hurt yourself until the baby comes, then I'll train you myself. You’ll be the fiercest warrior I've ever trained. I promise,” he vowed to her, pulling her body even tighter against his.
“That's all I ever wanted,” she gasped, throwing her arms around his neck.
“And all I want is to make you happy, so we'll both win, won’t we?” he asked with a chuckle.
“I don't even know how to tell you how much this means to me,” she whispered to him.
“Just keep yourself and our child safe,” he sighed, running his hands through her long hair and kissing her gently.
“That I promise you,” she swore, kissing him again and savoring his physical closeness.
They stayed like that, tangled up with each other, for what felt like an eternity. They savored the safety and the peace of their new home and of the love that filled it.
*
In the weeks that followed, they worked together to make the cottage a home. Luke moved each piece of furniture from the tent into the stone cottage with the exception of their bed of pillows. He made, by hand, a bed from the tree branches that surrounded their clearing. They were woven together in such a lovely way where it looked as though they'd grown together to form the shape of the bed naturally. It also served her purposes because she'd hoped to convince Luke to allow her to keep the tent. As much as she loved their new home, it nearly broke her heart to think of their first home being torn down.
Because they didn't need the bed in the new house, she made the successful argument that they could visit their tent from time to time for carnal purposes. After that suggestion, Luke wasn't hard to convince that the tent should be allowed to continue to stand.
After she won that victory, it was easy for her to throw herself in to their new home. Since she'd given up her evenings of secret warrior training, she had much more energy and she put that into creating the finishing touches needed to make their house a home. Her mother and Mali often came with her younger brothers in tow to help her as the pregnancy made some things a bit harder to execute.
It also gave her mother time to tell her and her sister about what to expect when a baby came. It was reassuring to her to have her mother on hand. While they worked on the house, Luke kept his warriors in the yard as they advanced in their training. More than once, she caught Mali looking out the window at the young warriors and she laughed to herself, wondering if her little sister was imagining which one of them would one day be her mate.
One day, she decided that it was perhaps time to speak to her about it.
“See anyone who appeals to you?” she teased as she came up behind her, staring out the window yet again.
“That's not what I was doing,” Mali gasped.
“Yes it was. All young female bears do. There's nothing wrong with picturing your future,” she said with a laugh.
“There's no point in it though, is there? It's not as though we get to pick our mate,” she said, looking frustrated.
“We might not get to choose, but that doesn't mean we can let our future be dictated for us. You must always remember the future is yours to do with what you like,” she said with a comforting smile.
“Thank you, Sister!” she cried as she wrapped her arms around her.
“And if you're ever unhappy with the mate you're given, then I'll smuggle you away. I promise you that,” she said, squeezing her tight.
“You're truly the best of sisters,” Mali said with a laugh.
“Of course I am. Now get up from there. I need your help in the kitchen. This baby belly makes it hard for me to really scrub the floor well and I want this place spotless when the baby comes,” she ordered.
“I'll do anything for my little niece or nephew,” her sister said with a smile.
“I'm going to remind you that you said that,” Kalia answered with a wink.
With that, they returned to their work of preparing the home for the baby. The weeks stretched on and things came together. All that was left was for the little one to make its arrival. Then, one evening when she and Luke were alone in their little sanctuary, the wait ended.
“You look odd, my darling. Are you feeling well?” Luke asked as he noticed that Kalia seemed a little pale when they were sitting together near the fire, enjoying some tea made from local herbs after their dinner was over.
“Yes, of course. I've just been a bit more tired than usual. That's all,” she said, shaking her head.
“Are you sure? You look a bit pale. Maybe you should go to the bedroom and lie down,” he suggested, feeling really worried about her.
“No, I'm perfectly content here with you,” she said when a sudden sharp pain shot through her and she clutched her stomach.
“What is it?” he cried as he jumped from his chair and came to kneel in front of her.
“It was just a little discomfort,” she said, trying to reassure him.
He took her hands in his and looked deep in her eyes, trying to determine if that was the truth. She did her best to keep her face calm and she nearly had him convinced when another wave of pain came and ruined her composure.
“That's it. Something is wrong. Tell me now, what is happening,” he demanded, looking scared for her.
“I don't think anything is wrong but I do think that the baby may be on the way,” she said, smiling through the pain.
“Is it not too soon for the baby?” he asked in what could only be described as a panic.
It was almost funny for her to see her big, strong warrior so worried for her. He was a man who would've taken on any enemy or pain in the world to spare her from it, but he was helpless to do anything for her now. All he could do was watch her and wait and she knew he wasn't going to be able to handle that well.
“It's not too soon. It'll be a fine and healthy baby. I need you to trust me,” she said, taking his hand and placing it on her stomach.
“What do I do?” he asked, a little at a loss.
“I want to message my mother so that she can come to deliver the baby,” she explained, bracing as another contraction came.
“I'll not leave you,” he roared as he pulled her from her chair and sat her firmly on his lap as he sat on the floor. He held her to him and she felt as though he would never let her go, which was just fine with her.
“You don't need to go anywhere to summon her. Do you see that leather satchel there on the mantel?” she asked, pointing to it as she spoke so that there could be no confusion.
“Yes, of course I do,” he said, a little annoyed that she was speaking to him like a child.
“Just throw the powder inside in the fire. It'll make a pillar of blue smoke. When she sees it in the sky, she'll come,” she explained, leaning against him as the pain grew stronger.
“Did you come up with that? It's brilliant,” he said as he reluctantly removed her from his lap and rose to do as she'd instructed.
“No,” she laughed. “Are men really so oblivious? It's the way our people have summoned midwives since time began.”
“I never knew that,” he said in awe.
> “Yes, well, men are usually kept as far away from the birthing process as possible. You know that tradition demands it,” she said, shyly implying that he would have to be separate from her while she brought their child into the world.
“I'll not be separate from you during this,” he growled, pulling her to him again.
“You have to. It's tradition and you need to adhere to it. You're the chief’s son! You must do as tradition says. I'll be fine. I promise you that I'll bring your child into this world safely,” she said, though she wanted nothing more than to keep him with her through the entire painful ordeal that was to come.
“We have never let tradition dictate to us and I'm not about to start now. I'll not be away from you, especially not while you're in pain. Don't ask me to do that. I'll tear the heart out of anyone who tries to keep me from you. I'll go absolutely mad. I know that I will. How could I hear your cries of pain and know that you're suffering and not do something to comfort you,” he pleaded, looking at her as though he was scared to death that if she left his sight then he would never see her again.
“If it'll make you happy, then stay with me. I would love nothing more than to have your hand in mine as I go through this. It'd make me the happiest woman alive if the first thing that our little cub sees as he enters this word is your handsome, loving face,” she agreed, relieved that she would have his strength to rely on through the hours of pain and labor to come.
“I know I cannot take this pain from you but I'll be there for you. I'll be your strength. I promise you,” he said as he kissed her gently.
“My mother will be here soon. Will you help me up to the bedroom? I want to get in to my nightgown and settled in the bed before she arrives,” she asked, doing her best to keep the anxiety from her face.
“Yes, of course,” he said sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her towards their bedroom.
“I didn't mean for you to carry me. I'm not ill or injured. I can manage to walk myself,” she said, a little annoyed with his high handedness.
“I know you can, but this is all I can do for you. Please, let me?” he asked, looking at her with such love that she could no longer be angry with him.
Instead, she thought of the fact that their child was about to come in to the world. Before the sun rose on the next day, she would have their baby in her arms. They would truly be a family and it made her heart swell.
“I should not have growled at you. I'm sorry,” she apologized as the next wave of pain came.
“You're bringing our child in to this world. You can growl at me all you want. You can even maim me if it'll help you to forget about the pain for even a second,” he said sincerely, looking at her as though he was afraid she might break.
She was at a loss for words so she merely rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her the rest of the way. He helped her put on her nightgown and lay down on the bed beside her as they waited for her mother to arrive. He held her and whispered in her ear how much he loved her and how excited he was to hold their baby in his arms. His support made the pain easier to take.
When her mother came, she clearly disapproved of his presence there but she didn't say it aloud. Instead, she comforted her daughter and got to the work of helping her grandchild be born. For hours, she and Luke took turns putting cold compresses on her forehead and comforting her through the pain. Finally, it was time for the birth of her grandchild.
“I need you to push, Daughter,” her mother instructed.
“Mother, I'm scared. What if I can’t do this?” she asked, emotionally raw in her exhaustion.
“Your body is designed to have this baby, my child. Don't doubt that,” her mother said gently.
“It's not that, Mother. What if I cannot be the kind of mother that you were? What if I cannot be there for my children like you have been? What if I don't have the inner strength?” she asked, looking very much like she did when she was a scared little girl
“You have every bit of the strength that I have and more. Besides, you don't need to rely solely on your own strength. You have a partner to go through this with,” her mother reassured her as she pushed the hair from her face.
“Yes, my love,” Luke replied. “Together, we are strong enough to face anything. This child will be raised with love and protection. It'll grow and thrive, taking the best of both of us. We have nothing to fear. How could anything we accomplish together fail?” he asked lovingly.
Her face lit up before she said another word. “You're right. I know you're right. I'm just so tired,” she said. “I'm ready now. Hold my hand and I'll have this baby.”
He held her hand tightly and she did just that. She pushed and pushed until finally their son came forth into the world, with her eyes and his father’s mouth. Never were two parents more in love with a child than they were when they looked down on that sweet baby’s face.
THE FINAL CHAPTER
Kalia looked down at the small baby in her arms and fell in love all over again. It had been six weeks since her son Benji was born and she fell more and more in love with him each day. Every day, she noticed some new change in him that took her breath away. It amazed her that she and Luke had created this perfect little cub.
Luke, for his part, was in awe of their child and with fatherhood. In their quiet moments together as a family, she would watch him and he took her breath away with the pure love and devotion he had for their son. She'd not thought it was possible to love him more than she already did, but seeing him as a father moved her beyond words.
On that particular morning, he had gone outside to bring in some firewood, giving her a rare moment alone with the baby. Usually, the three of them were inseparable, which was just fine with her. Still, it was wonderful to take a moment and just enjoy the tiny creature in her arms. He was, in her opinion, the most beautiful baby boy she'd ever seen. She wasn't alone in her opinion. Her mother and sister agreed, as did Luke’s father.
Her younger brothers were not entirely interested in the baby at the moment. They were not as bothered by the thought of her having a child of her own as she'd feared they would be. Rather, they just saw no use in him at the moment. They told her they were excited for him to grow big enough to play with them, which warmed her heart.
There had been no further threat from the other bear clan, leading her to believe that perhaps they'd worried for nothing. Still, though, she didn't say anything to Luke. She rather liked having him constantly at their side and she knew it couldn't last forever. She was determined to savor it while it lasted.
Just then, the baby began to wake. He cooed gently and wiggled in her arms, snuggling closer to her.
“There, there, child. Don't fear. Mommy is here,” she said as she pulled him instinctively closer to her. “Mommy and Daddy love you so much. We'll give you the best life, my sweet little boy. Then, you'll grow up to be a warrior like Daddy.”
As she said the words aloud, they knocked the wind out of her. It was hard enough, of course, knowing that Luke’s mission in life was to do battle to keep their tribe safe but the thought of her son facing such dangers was more than she could stand. She felt the tears threaten to fall and she could do little to hold them back. Instead, she let herself cry, looking at the innocent face of the child in her arms. She knew she needed to do all that she could to ensure there was peace by the time he became a man. She wanted him to lead a quiet, safe life without fear of imminent attack. She just wasn't at all sure how to go about accomplishing that goal.
That was how Luke found her when he returned moments later, his arms full of firewood. She sat there in their bed, tears streaming down her cheeks, the baby held tight to her. He caught one glimpse of her and dropped the firewood he was carrying and rushed to her. The loud crash of the wood hitting the floor didn't even startle Benji. He simply looked up at his crying mother in confusion.
In the blink of an eye, Luke was in the bed with them, his arms wrapped around her. “What on earth is the matter, darling?” he aske
d gently as he ran his hand through her hair to calm and reassure her.
“It's nothing at all, I promise,” she said, shaking her head and trying to regain control of her emotions.
“It doesn't look like nothing,” he said skeptically, using the pad of his thumb to brush a stray tear from her cheek. “Is something wrong with the baby? You must tell me. I can’t do anything to make it better if you don't tell me what is wrong. Please, I need to know. I need to do everything I can to make sure you're both happy and healthy. You're the only two people in this world who matter to me and I need to know what is wrong.”
“I was just thinking of what he'll be like as a man,” she said quietly. It was the truth, yet without enough detail to hurt him or fill him with the same fear that she felt.
“And this makes you cry tears of sadness?” he asked, unconvinced by her explanation.
“People cry happy tears,” she said, trying to get her voice to carry the teasing voice it usually did but she didn't quite manage it.
“Those were not tears of happiness or joy. They were the tears of a broken heart. Please, tell me what it is that you saw in our son’s future that made you cry,” he asked, his face full of concern.
“It's not something that I saw, exactly,” she explained. “I just thought of what the future will hold for him and he'll face the same threats that we do. He'll be a warrior, just like you are. It's a proud tradition; I know that. I just don't want our son to face any dangers. I want him to have a safe and peaceful life, but I couldn't think of any way to shield him from it. It broke my heart to think of our sweet baby growing up to be a man who would have to risk his life to keep those he loves safe. It's hard enough for me to think of you doing battle, as strong and powerful as I know you to be. How could I think of this sweet baby facing that one day and not shed tears? I'm not made of stone,” she said defensively.
“My sweet mate, you're not alone in those worries. I hate the thought of him being trained as a warrior. I want him to be as far from that life as possible. I don't want him in danger but I also don't want him to know the feeling of taking the life of another. You know that feeling now. You bear the scar of such things on your very soul. I don't want that for him. Don't worry too much about it, though. I've a plan,” he said, wrapping his arm around her and staring at the quiet cub in her arms.