Pure Moonlight (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Fantastic. I spent about half of it answering questions about you and getting teased about looking like a fool in love."

"You are," Taqu'un commented as he stood to leave them be.

"You have no room to talk, Bär," Kreston teased his brother with Ellen's pet name for the tall Wolf, making Taqu'un's ears fold back as he chuckled and headed off.

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena chuckled as Taqu'un hurried off after he had been teased by his brother. She enjoyed the close bond that the two of them shared and it was easy to slip into being a part of their family. Glancing as Kreston as he took his brother's spot, she reached over and took his hand, squeezing it gently.

"It seems that everyone is worried about me. It's not like women haven't been given birth for centuries before me." She murmured softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"We're not worried so much as excited," Kreston explained with a smile. "This is still such a small and close-knit community that every new baby gets all sorts of excitement no matter whose it is. You get a little extra for being my mother's daughter-in-law, so does Ellen. If you haven't noticed, there really aren't any people here who don't adore my mother as a close family friend. They're excited for her and those she loves."

 

[heartofcourage]

"So, I should prepare myself for all of the people that will be visiting when the baby comes?" Selena asked him with a happy smile on her face at his excitement. "As long as I get my time alone with the baby, I'm ready for whatever is thrown my way."

 

[KieranSoares]

"They won't bother you until you've had plenty of time and our family too. Only close friends will come calling until you bring the baby out yourself. Expect plenty of food, though, that much is certain." Kreston wrapped his arm about her waist and let himself relax. He was happy as could be.

 

[heartofcourage]

A few days later, before the hunters were even up to start their day, Selena was pacing the length of her bedroom. The labor pains had started earlier that night and while Kreston was concerned for her, she told him to rest. She would need him later when the pains grew more frequent and intense.

She could hear Ruben moving around in the house beyond and she made her way to see what he was doing. "Ruben? What are you doing, love?" She called out.

 

[KieranSoares]

Ruben's ears perked up when he heard his mother, and he called back, "Making breakfast, Ma." He'd taken his role helping his mother quite seriously and had surprised her by doing some of her chores and usual jobs himself before she could get around to them.

Kreston, who had silently been watching over Selena without letting her know he was awake, sat up with a sigh. "Seems like no one can sleep."

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena glanced towards Kreston as he rose from the bed with a sigh. She gave him a sympathetic smile before she moved into the kitchen to see just what Ruben had been up to early that morning.

"Sweetheart, it's lovely that you want to help around the house, but you need to be in bed. You have school today." Selena said as she kissed her son's dark head. "It's too early for little boys to be up and about."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I can't sleep anymore," he reasoned honestly. "I'm too excited." He knew, even if no one told him, that the baby would be there that day or the next. "I'd rather be useful than lay around bored."

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena laughed softly as Kreston joined them and she took the opportunity to sit down by the fire. She was tired, the contractions coming in waves that were still bearable at the moment. This was the easy time of labor. Soon enough, it would get much worse.

"After breakfast, you need to go to your uncle's house, Ruben. You can hunt with him today." Selena said as the two of them worked to make breakfast.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Are you sure? I can't do something? Errands?"

"You've already done them all. We'll have healers here to help while you go out hunting in my place, alright?" Kreston reassured his son, and the boy nodded.

 

[heartofcourage]

"And then you can go to the keep to stay tonight with your Uncle Brogan and Aunt Julia." Selena said, the plans already in place. "Your Dad will get you in the morning, love."

She didn't need Ruben around fretting about her as she gave birth. He deserved a day away from the house, hunting and enjoying his life as a little boy should have.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kreston sent Ruben off after they'd eaten, and soon returned to Selena to take her hands. "How are you feeling, love?" He asked quietly. He knew she'd had a very normal and healthy nine months but that didn't stop him from worrying himself to distraction.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I had Ruben without help, Kres. I'm doing just fine." She insisted as he held her hands and looked at her like she might break any moment. "Believe me. This little one is doing all of the right things. They'll be here soon enough."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know, but... I wasn't here for you and Ruben then." He leaned in to kiss her. "And now that I have another chance to do this right, I don't want to waste it."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You're doing just fine, Kres." She murmured softly, kissing him gently on the lips. "Let's just have a nice, calm day before we involve the healers. If this one is anything like Ruben, it'll be a long while before we get to meet them."

 

[KieranSoares]

Kreston couldn't help a smile, and teased gently, "Looks like this little one finally calmed your fire, hm? You've been so soft-spoken, taking things so slow."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Give me another few days and I'll be back to my old self. Especially if your Ma and my Ma insist on smothering me with attention. I'll be as cranky as an old billy goat." Selena said with a smile as she kissed her mate gently.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'll try to fend them off for your sake," Kreston smiled and settled with her just to enjoy the day until the baby decided it was time to come out. Dayja stopped by a bit later on to drop off a meal, but didn't interrupt their peace.

 

[heartofcourage]

Selena was at peace with her choices as her labor progressed. When the hard pains started, all she needed was Kreston at her side to help her work through them. In the wee hours of the morning, Selena finally allowed Kreston to go and get the healers. It was time to bring their new child into the world.

 

[KieranSoares]

The two healers who came to Selena were the quiet sort with the sort of experience only werefolk seemed to possess from thousands of years of developing medicines. Selena had seen them both before around the village but never met them properly til now. The tan werecat woman was named Elas and her former apprentice, now partner Koure was a young adult golden werelion with a short-sheared mane. Both were former Golin and now Gol Dun.

Elas stepped in quietly and made her way to Selena, lifting a hand to press to her forehead. "What are you feeling, dear?" She asked softly. Koure meanwhile brought in the few tools and herbs they needed and laid them out.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Hard pain in my belly." Selena said as the woman placed her hand on her forehead. "Everything has gone well so far. I'm hoping that I can start pushing soon and get this baby into the world."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You waited quite some time... but Dayja always talks about her son's independent love." Elas and Koure helped to move Selena into a more comfortable position and Kreston came to help them, letting Selena lean back against him and hold his hands to anchor against. With just a few pain-numbing herbs and a bit of waiting, Selena was ready.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Kreston calls me stubborn quite often." Selena said with a smile as they helped her to get into position to bring this new little one into the world.

She leaned back against her mate, letting out a cry each time that she pushed. Her fingers gripped his large ones, her body trembling despite the pain numbing herbs that she had been given. She was nervous, excited, and terrified all in one as she pushed a few more times and a screaming infant was brought into the world.

 

[KieranSoares]

All things considered, it was a fairly quiet and average birth by a healer's standards, and the baby was rather a surprise to Kreston. A beautiful little girl, a Wolf with perfectly ivory fur. It wasn't uncommon for wolves in a family to have different colors of fur just like their wild cousins, but purely white werewolves were an oddity. Most with white fur were either albino or extremely old whose fur had once been another color. This little girl, however, had lovely cub-blue eyes that might change to Kreston's amber as she grew, flecked with dark spots of the deep Ghis brown. She was even a surprise to the healers who knew there hadn't been a white Wolf in the Maliar family in living memory.