Page 30 of A Single Thread Of Hope

Chapter 16

TERON

How could I have missed that she was in labor? She’d come to me yesterday with lower back pain and some irregular contractions, and I’d told her it was Braxton Hicks, which I’d been sure it was. She hadn’t said anything at all today, which should have been my first damn clue.

“Stop freaking out, Teron. I’mfine. These things are slow. You said so yourself.” She was trying to keepmecalm?

Huffing out a deep sigh, I gave her a reassuring smile. “I know. Still, I’m going to spank your ass red for hiding this from me all day.”

Stroking my arm, she lay on the chaise lounge in the clean room we were using as a birthing suite. “This dinner was important, and my contractions were so far apart. If I was truly worried, I wouldn’t have hesitated, I promise.”

Honestly, I was kind of glad that Asclepius was here too. The universe had a funny way of providing, especially when it came to Wren. As it was, the Demigod of Medicine was looking over her chart, fiddling with the new-age equipment, genuinely looking like a kid in a candy shop.

Standing over one of the incubators, he shook his head. “Can you imagine if we’d had these back when we walked the earth among the humans? The new lives I could have saved…” It was the lament of medical practitioners everywhere. Especially back in the old days, where sometimes your only cure would’ve been a Demigod like Asclepius.

Wren winced, letting out a small moan of pain. Her contractions were getting closer together. She was dressed in one of Milo’s oversized shirts that hung down to her knees, and a pair of long socks that met the hem.

I patted the mattress of the specialty birthing bed that I’d had shipped in. Honestly, was it necessary? No. But I wasn’t taking any chances, and it doubled as a normal hospital bed anyway. Maybe we’d have an entire maternity hospital dedicated to Wren at the end of this.

“I’ll give you your epidural. It’ll make everything a lot more comfortable.” I’d been practicing epidurals on Demke, but the pressure of doing it on Wren was giving me heart palpitations. If she’d left it any longer, though, she wouldn’t even get this.

I once again second-guessed myself about whether I should attempt a Cesarean section instead. I had all the equipment necessary, and with Asclepius here, another set of competent hands. Almost all triplet pregnancies ended in a C-section, and I was stupid to believe that this would be the better way.

I reminded myself again why this would be okay. The presenting baby was in a good position. Head down, like he knew his job. The babies all had their own amniotic sacs and placentas, which was much safer. Their positions were fine. If it became a problem, we could adjust then.

Demke was here, and he was a God of fertility and rejuvenation. While that didn’t necessarily equate to being helpful during birth, his magic would keep everything calmand help Wren with her exhaustion. And Asclepius could keep everyone stable.

I internally talked myself through the steps of giving an epidural, and when it went smoothly, I breathed a sigh of relief, glad she couldn’t see my indecision on my face. I’d made everyone stay outside the room except Demke, and now Asclepius, because the less desterilization of the room, the better. But I knew they were all outside, relying on me not to fuck this up.

As Demke stroked her hand, I busied myself setting up anything we might need for any eventuality. Surgical equipment. Anesthetic. Humidicribs. Suction bulbs. I’d bought everything, but hoped to only use a fraction of it.

Before I knew it, it was time. I’d never felt so unprepared in my life. The Gryphon was flailing around inside me; he was so close to the surface, I could swear I felt the brush of his feathers beneath my skin. But he knew to stay inside. This was a moment for the man, not for the mate. Still, he spent so much time cooing encouragement to Wren, it was crowding my brain.

I’m going to need you to be silent when it starts. I know it’s hard—for both of us. I just need to concentrate. I don’t want to make any mistakes.

I heard the Gryphon’s huff.You will not make a mistake. I trust you with our mate.

I wasn’t sure if his reassurance made me more scared or less.

Watching the clock on the wall as Wren had a long contraction, Demke stroked her hair where it was sticking to her face. “That one went for a full minute,” he said softly.

I rolled my shoulders and came to stand beside her bed. “It’s time,” I murmured, and the fear in her eyes was like a dagger to my heart. Stroking her face, I leaned down and kissed her softly. “Don’t be scared. You’re a warrior. You’ve overcome everything life has thrown at you; this is just one more tiny hurdle. Andthen you’ll have three beautiful babies at the end. A family once more.”

She nodded, and I looked over at Asclepius, who stood beside the humidicribs. He would take the babies as they were delivered, and ensure they were all right. If they were too soon, or too… Well, he would step in. But they wouldn’t be. I had been monitoring them almost religiously for weeks. They were healthy and strong.

It would all be okay.

“Do you need the same pep talk?” Demke asked lightly, though he also looked fearful.

Snapping my gloves on, I shook my head. I had this. I did a brief examination, happy with how the first baby was holding its own. A perfect, textbook birth was what we were aiming for, and he was in the right spot to make that happen.

I just had to keep my shit together.

As another contraction swept over her, Wren moaned loudly. After it passed, I prepared myself. “Next contraction, we’re going to push, okay?” I told her softly.

“How are you ever going to look at my vagina the same again?” she whimpered.

A laugh burst out of me. “With reverent awe, sweetheart. In approximately six weeks’ time, I’ll prove just how beautiful every single inch of you is to me. But right now, we have a few babies to deliver. Are you ready?” She shook her head, but still pushed. The baby crowned, and I breathed slowly. “And again, Wren. Baby number one is paving the way for his brothers. I promise it’ll get easier.” It was a soothing white lie; it might be easier, but she’d get more exhausted.

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