The Lycan King and his Dark Temptation (Valeria) novel Chapter 454

NARRATOR

The chanting echoed through the dimly lit room, prepared to resemble a wild wolves' den.

The only problem was that Katherine could barely hold her wolf form.

The small body she had managed to transform with magic trembled, convulsing in pain as she labored to give birth to her two lycan pups.

This was why so many elementals had died in the past when giving birth to supernatural beings with such wild instincts. Lycan pups were the hardest to carry and deliver.

Gabrielle and Sigrid recited incantations, the runes around the bed glowing as magic swirled through the air.

Katherine wasn’t as powerful as the Selenia bloodline. They were helping her maintain the magical transformation into a wolf, feeding her their energy so she could make it through safely.

"Baby, you can do this. Kath, they’re here, my love. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for all the pain…" Elliot held her against his chest, anguished.

He remained in his human form, sitting on the bed with his legs open, supporting half of Katherine’s body on top of him, while the other half lay on the mattress, where Valeria leaned in to assist her.

"Take a deep breath, Duchess. Don’t rush, don’t force it. I know it hurts, but they take their time," the queen explained gently.

The little wolf’s teary eyes locked onto hers. Beyond them, in the corner by the washstand, Freya stood watching anxiously.

She had attended births before, of course, but never one where someone was giving birth in an animal form.

It was madness, but as long as they achieved their goal, her mind would find a way to process it.

Vorath was more nervous than he had ever been in his life, pacing like a caged animal. As much as he wanted to cradle his mate, he knew his massive size and clumsy gestures wouldn’t help.

"Mmmnnn," Katherine groaned mentally, panting, her small wolf body slick with sweat as she pushed.

Her enormous belly contracted, and murky fluids seeped from between her legs.

Suddenly, she started hyperventilating, curling up, twisting in Elliot’s arms, while he suffered helplessly through her pain.

"Mom, daughter, keep the spell strong! Her animal form is fluctuating, and the pups are about to come out!" The situation turned critical in an instant.

Her fur began receding in patches, turning into human skin. With her eyes shut tight, Katherine fought to channel all her magic.

She couldn’t let her pups die! She felt the forced shift tearing at her, exhaustion weighing her down, her mind on the verge of shutting off.

Bitter memories of giving birth to Lavinia surged in her thoughts. Tears rolled down the little wolf’s muzzle.

She was terrified... terrified of reliving that pain, a pain even sharper than this.

Losing a child was something one never truly got over. No matter how much time passed, that wound never healed.

She had once thought she had lost Lavinia, and now she was about to crush her unborn pups as her pelvis and bones began reshaping.

“Baby, open your mouth. Katherine, listen to my voice. Don’t be afraid, don’t fear. Nothing will happen to our little ones. Drink my blood, take my strength. Kath, I’m here with you.”

Vorath’s urgent, warm, and almost commanding voice cut through the storm clouds in her mind.

Instinctively, she opened her mouth, and the warm, potent liquid coated her tongue, sliding down her throat. She swallowed and swallowed.

Her cells, working at full force, seemed to recharge, energized. Her magic surged anew, stronger.

Valeria watched with concern as Katherine’s half-shifted body absorbed her mate’s essence. She only hoped she could push through it—she could feel the pups were in danger.

"Mom, why can’t she stay in her animal form? Is the spell not working?" She looked at Selenia, who stood on one side of the bed, while Sigrid was on the other.

Both were focused, maintaining the spell.

"Here’s the first little one," the Queen’s announcement pulled Freya out of her thoughts.

She jumped to action, nearly running, the soft blanket clutched in her hands. As she leaned in, the scent of blood filled her nose.

The bed was stained crimson, littered with remnants of the placenta and umbilical cord—but she was used to this.

What did leave her stunned was that Katherine had indeed given birth to a brown-furred wolf pup.

"I’ll cut the cord," she offered, handing the blanket to the Queen, who carefully wrapped the newborn.

Freya swiftly did her part, and soon, the tiny creature was freed from his mother’s body.

"Take him to her quickly. He needs warmth. Newborn pups must regulate their temperature," Valeria instructed—the most knowledgeable in lycan births.

With trembling hands, Freya took the tiny gift and carried him over to where Elliot still cradled Katherine’s half-wolf body.

They held their son with infinite love.

"Look, baby, he’s so beautiful. He’s perfect, Kath, just like you," Elliot whispered, overwhelmed with emotion, his heart pounding against his chest.

He placed the little pup between Katherine’s front legs. She sniffed him, licking him tenderly, whimpering with tears of joy and relief.

The pup’s tiny, damp nose twitched, recognizing his parents’ scent.

Vorath howled within his soul, calling out to the newborn’s spiritual wolf, which would awaken in a few weeks.

"Baby, I love you so, so much…"

The joy would have been euphoric—if there weren’t still one more pup left. And in fact, that would be the hardest part.