"Sacrificial Lamb"

[Belvino]

The last two months with Gregor had been wonderful, and yet exhausting. Gregor kept her busy working the land around the cabin, and inside the cabin. At nights, and sometimes other times she kept the beast within satiated, fulfilling all Gregor’s sexual urges and sometimes her own. Ann had grown into quite the sexual fiend and would often find herself coming to Gregor before he had even indicated that he wanted her attentions.

Ann had become aware of something through her time with Gregor that troubled her. She had been with Gregor for some time now, and had seen two full moons come and go. Yet with the passing of the moon her moon blood did not come, and she knew that something had happened inside of her. She was becoming ill just like her mother had done right before she announced that they were to have a new member of their family. Ann was carrying a child, Gregor’s child. The discovery had been frightening for Ann, and she was still not sure whether she wanted to tell Gregor.

Ann was hunched over the railing on the porch, heaving what was left of the morning’s food into the grass. She was moaning as Gregor approached and tried to look more presentable, but the sight of the dead animals Gregor carried in his hands only made her stomach churn more. She turned away from him still clutching the railing as she wiped at her mouth.

“I’m sorry my body does not agree with me,” she smiled weakly at Gregor as he stepped onto the porch watching her curiously.

 

[TonyDeeDee]

Gregor had had no younger siblings as a child, nor had he been close enough to any woman from his or another family to understand morning sickness. So when Ann didn't reveal her pregnancy to him, he only said, "I have something that will help you."

He entered the house, tossed the animals onto the table and rummaged around for a powder that one of his former Lambs had made him years earlier. He shook the bottle, finding it only had enough for one use. He shrugged: Ann probably just had an upset stomach, so they'd only need one dose, right?

He mixed it with warm water and took it to her, saying, "Drink this."

He looked her over, thinking how different she looked. She had grown up a great deal in her two months with him, a woman now standing where a girl previously had. In the past days, though, she'd changed even more. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, though.

He smiled broadly. Whatever it was that was different about Ann, Gregor liked it. She'd been satisfying him in ways no woman ever had before. No, she'd been satisfying him in ways all the women before her hadn't combined.

 

[Belvino]

Ann looked at the cup Gregor handed her and carefully studied its contents. She wanted to tell Gregor then but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Something was holding her back. She placed the cup on the table and went to Gregor. She pulled him to her and walked him over to the bed pressing his back into the mattress as she climbed on top of him….

It was another month later when something happened to Ann. She had been carrying a load of firewood in her arms to put away for storage in the winter. She had stood too fast or twisted just right because a stabbing pain occurred in her belly and she felt a sudden wave of dizziness. Ann’s arms weakened and the logs dropped to the ground rolling away from her feet. She felt her knees give beneath her and she collapsed onto the ground her arms holding her up. Blackness was beginning to cloud her vision and the last thing she could see was Gregor heading rapidly through the meadow towards her.

 

[TonyDeeDee]

When Ann regained consciousness, Gregor was hovering over her from the edge of the bed with a desperate look upon his face.

"Speak to me, Ann," he said, the emotion obvious in his voice. "There is something wrong with you. I can see it in the way you move ... the way you walk. I can here it in the way you talk. I can--"

He was going to say I fee it in the way we make love. Something had changed. They didn't fuck the way they once had, with wild abandon. It had truly become love making recently, though he didn't really understand the word love other than in the way his mother had used the word when he was little.

He feared that Ann was seriously ill, perhaps even fatally. He didn't know how to help her if she was. He had home remedy -- nature's medicines -- for so many ailments, but her symptoms were unknown to him, and Gregor was at a loss of what to do with her.

He lowered his eyes for a moment, then started to speak. But the emotion cut him off. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm taking you to the village. They can help you there."

 

[Belvino]

Ann woke to see Gregor hovering over her. She was confused by the surroundings, but realized that he must have taken her into the cabin after her fainting. Ann started suddenly, ignoring Gregor for a moment. She pushed herself up in the bed and threw back the covers at the same time. Her eyes searched the bedding, and she did not see anything. There was no blood. Ann collapsed against the pillows and breathed a sigh of relief as she looked back at Gregor.

I'm taking you to the village. They can help you there.

Ann sat upright again and shook her head, “Please Gregor do not. I cannot let this happen to you now,” Ann paused feeling like Gregor was giving up on her, “There is something I have not told you…” Ann trailed off and stared at the blankets as she fiddled with the fabric. She was going to have to tell Gregor or risk him changing again because he would leave her at the village. “I’m with child.”

 

[TonyDeeDee]

Gregor stared at Ann as if she'd spoken to him in a foreign language. After a moment, a smile began to spread across his face, eventually consuming it fully. He stood and paced away from her, turned one way then the other, then spun to face her.

"My baby," he said almost so silently that she couldn't hear him. A bit louder, he asked, "You are going to have my baby...?"

He returned to the bed and fell to his knees before her. Still louder, and with obvious excitement, he said, "You're going to have my baby?"

Before she could answer, he snatched her and pulled her so hard to his torso that he heard her squeak out a bit of the air in her lungs. He held her tightly for a long moment, then separated their bodies to look into her face.

His eyes were glazed over.

 

[Belvino]

Ann did not say anything as she watched Gregor deal with the news. She could see how happy he was, and inside it cheered her. She didn’t know what to expect when she told him, but this seemed to be making him happy. He knelt near the bed and swooped her up in his arms. Ann could feel him crushing her against his chest and he held her like that for a long time. When he pulled back she could see the look in his eyes.

Ann leaned forward so she could kiss Gregor. Their lips touched briefly before she pulled back to look at him again, “I’m sorry I did not tell you sooner. It’s been about three moons now. I just didn't know how you would react to the news. I did not want to upset you.”

 

[TonyDeeDee]

"Upset me...?" Gregor kissed her full on the lips playfully, then stood over her saying with a widening smile, "No, this does not upset."

He started hurrying around the cabin like a man on a mission, snatching up and investigating the crib, then glancing about for dangers to his future toddlers. It was as if Ann was going to pop out the little thing any moment and Gregor's home simply wasn't ready yet. He mumbled, "So much to do..."

He headed for the door with the crib, wondering where his sanding tools were and whether he had paint. He stopped, looking back at Ann with a grin. His mind made a huge leap forward with this news, and he suddenly knew the right use of the word as he asked, "Is there anything you, my love?"

 

[Belvino]

Ann was both surprised and happy by the tenderness Gregor had shown since she revealed her pregnancy to him. He doted on her, and made sure that everything was just as needed. He even busied himself building various furniture and implements needed for when the child is born. It was a new Gregor that Ann had never seen before, and it even meant that the Beast was held at bay.

It had been eight moons since Ann realized that she was carrying Gregor’s child. The summer had come and gone, and now the fall season was upon them. The leaves had already changed their color, and most of them had fallen to the ground, except for the pine trees that stayed green year round. Ann was outside in the little pens that Gregor had built for animals a long time before she had arrived. They were now filled with a couple of goats and some chickens.

Ann hadn’t seen Gregor for some time. He had gone away somewhere so she had decided to go outside and take care of the animals. She wanted to experience the last few good days left of the year before winter came, and essentially locked the two of them in the cabin. Ann had a sack of leather made from some animal hide slung over one shoulder. Occasionally she ducked her hand in the bag and brought out handfuls of grain which she tossed out for the chickens. Her other hand rested on her swollen belly, feeling the baby kick and squirm within her.

 

[TonyDeeDee]

Gregor had been hunting in the woods, an easy task with many of the animals concentrating so much more on preparing for winter and less so on who was stalking them. He returned to the edge of the farm in time to see Ann feeding the chickens, and he simply sat down on a log and watched her for a long time.

When she reached to her belly and smiled, the baby apparently kicking, Gregor's mouth widened in a broad smile of remembrance. He could recall that first day when Ann had called him to her and pressed his palm to her swollen belly. "Feel him?"

Gregor hadn't, several times. The little rascal seemed to tucker out after that one boot and his father just wasn't in the right place at the right time. Then, later than night, when Ann was sitting in a new, comfortable chair he'd built her and Gregor himself was sitting at her knees, his head against her belly, his child kicked his square in the ear it seemed, and by the time the laughter and joy had ended, Gregor's eyes were filled with tears as they had been that day Ann had revealed her pregnancy to him.

His son, he thought, watching Ann from the trees. They didn't know the baby's gender, of course, but every man dreamed of having a son to follow in his foot path, to carry on the family and home in his name. Would he be happy with a daughter instead...? His mouth widened again. Of course.

His smile faded quickly, though, as Ann sank to the muddy ground of the pig sty, clutching at her belly. Gregor was up on his feet, leaping downed logs and two fences to reach his beloved faster than most men can dream of running. He scooped her from the ground, holding her over his thighs, asking, "Ann, what is it...?"

She looked up at him with pained eyes and said weakly, "Gregor ... something's-- something's wrong..."



When Ann regained consciousness, Gregor was standing over her, his worried look quickly replaced with one of relief. He dropped to his knees and pressed his mouth to hers, carefully wrapping his arms around her and whispering, "You are alright, my love. Everything is alright. The baby is alright, my god ... our baby is-- will be alright."

He pulled back and kissed her lips again, then pulled back further. After a moment, he saw her gaze leave him and take in her surroundings...

...her parents' home in the village.

 

[Belvino]

Ann was moaning when she woke up. The last thing she had remembered was Gregor holding her in his arms as an intense pain rippled through her belly. She felt like something was tearing away, and when she looked between her legs there was a darkness she had not expected. A thick red patch, and then she was telling Gregor something was horribly wrong before the darkness washed over her and she was gone.

Her eyes opened to find Gregor hovering above her, kneeling at the side of the bed. He swooped her in his arms and pressed kisses to her lips muttering about the baby, but Ann was confused. The ceiling of the cabin was all wrong, and the smells were different, and yet so vaguely familiar to her. When he moved away enough for her to look around she saw the loft she had slept in since childhood. They were at her home.

Ann’s eyes widened in horror as she grasped onto Gregor’s hands, “Gregor! We cannot be here! Its not safe!” Ann was trying to scramble up out of the bed, but she was exhausted and felt like her legs were attached to weights.

 

[TonyDeeDee]

Gregor forced Ann back to the mattress, whispering reassuring words and kissing her softly. "It is alright, my love. Everything is alright. We..."

He let the thought fade away, grasping Ann tightly in his arms to both feel close to her and to keep her under control. He pressed his lips to her cheek, then put them near her ear and whispered, "I must go talk to your father. Please promise ... promise you will stay here."

When Gregor pulled his face back, the face of Ann's mother was right there as the woman leaned over the loft bed behind the big man. She tried to smile -- to show her joy at seeing her eldest daughter and at knowing she had a grandchild coming -- but there was stress and strain in that expression that only Ann would understand.

"I'll be back," Gregor reassured Ann, pulling away slowing, forcing her to release her grip on his hands. "Trust me, my love. I'm going no where!"

He stood, hesitated at Ann's mother replaced him at Ann's side, then turned and descended the short ladder to the floor.

A male voice -- that of Ann's father -- said just barely loud enough for Ann to hear, "We should talk outside."



Outside, every man of the village -- and some of the women and children -- were assembled in a semi circle around the hut's front side. It was a wide arc: everyone wanted to see the man from the woods, but no one wanted to be too close to him.

Gregor could see it in their eyes: they knew he was connected to the Beast some how. Otherwise, how would he have Ann, who had disappeared into the woods after the lamb slaughter and only now, nearly a year later, come back in the condition that she was?

Ann's father turned to face Gregor and asked with the blunt tone of a angry father, "Did you do this to my daughter...? Are you the father of her child?"

Gregor did not answer immediately, instead just staring into the man's eyes for a long moment before casting his gaze about the anxious crowd. He was about to answer when the man asked what he truly wanted to know.

"Are you the Beast of the Woods?"

 

[Belvino]

Ann looked at her mother who had such an odd expression on her face. She was happy to see her after all this time though she knew the circumstances could be better.

“Mother,” Ann said softly and the other woman knelt by the side of the bed. “I can’t believe that you are standing here now. I thought I would never see you again.”

Ann’s mother smiled faintly the tense expression still haunting her smile, “Who is that man? Is he responsible for the creature?”

Ann couldn’t answer that question and as she tried to adjust herself in the bed she felt another pain gripping her belly. Ann screamed and pressed her head into the pillow. She could feel a sensation of fluid gushing between her legs, but she did not rise to confirm her suspicions. “No, no, no. It’s too early.” Ann’s eyes welled with tears as her mother stood swiftly at her side and wrenched back the covers. She exposed Ann’s form and carefully propped up Ann’s legs pushing her dress back over her belly.

There was a sharp intake of air from her mother and Ann raised her head just enough to see a large stain spreading across the bed. It was not just clear fluid that covered the mattress but streams of blood. Ann groaned and fell back against the bed.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

Ann’s mother shook her head, “When did you know?”

“About eight moons ago,” Ann replied breathing heavily. Another wave of pain racked through her belly and she closed her eyes. She could hear her mother talking to someone and after a while Ann realized it was her younger sister. She opened her eyes to see the frightened expression on the little girls face.

“Go! We need the birthing mother,” Ann’s mother said and shooed the girl away. She went to Ann just as her younger sister darted out the door looking for the one woman in town who had helped give birth to all the children of the village.

 

[TonyDeeDee]

Before he could even consider whether or not to answer her father -- and whether or not to answer him truthfully -- Gregor heard Ann's scream from within the cabin. He turned to go back inside but found three men standing on the porch, each with a farming implement that could very easily be a dangerous weapon in the right hands.

He was shocked that these men had been able to flank him without his sensing them, but he was more interested -- more concerned -- with what was happening beyond them than with them themselves.

"You didn't answer my question," Ann's father said.

Gregor turned slowly back to him, noticing that the courage of the group was rising with their increased numbers and better position: many of the men were closing slowly on Gregor's position.

Gregor lowered his gaze to the ground before the man, then closed his eyes. He was fighting it, but he could feel the Beast rising within him. He didn't want this, a fight. He would rather be killed here and now, as a man, then to let the Beast come out in him and allow him to fight his way easily through these unsuspecting and mere humans.

What would happen to Ann if they discovered beyond a doubt that Gregor was in fact the Beast? What would happen to his child? He had to fight this. He had to stay calm.

He flinched and turned as the door of the hovel flew open and a little girl ran off. Gregor didn't know anything about Midwives, but he sensed that the girl -- likely one of the sisters Ann had talked about often -- was going for help.

He knew he had to hold on for just a few minutes more. He turned back toward Ann's father and drew a deep breath that was meant to be calming, but when he exhaled it, it came out sounding very much like a bear's growl of warning.

The semi-circle of men backed a step, and when he looked up, Gregor could see the fear in the multitude of eyes looking his way. He took one single step toward the family's patriarch -- who noticeably stood his ground, despite being unarmed -- and said in a low voice, "You need to send these people home ... now."

 

[Belvino]

The little girl darted through the swarm of people, and they easily gave way to her their own attention focused on the strange man that had entered their village. It did not take the girl long before she found the person she was looking for. An elderly woman, yet still spry enough to walk on her own, and enough sass to give the best of them a good talking. Her long gray hair rested in a thick braid over one shoulder and when she spotted Yuli’s daughter running to her she was not surprised.

“Madame Glynis! My sister-“

The old woman raised a hand indicating that the girl should stop talking, “Please girl, I know just lead the way and lets go help that sister of yours,” the old woman’s eyes studied the girl as she spoke. She waited for her to turn and followed the young girl back to the hut that Yuli shared with his wife and children.

***************

Yuli was standing with his arms folded, swallowing back the sudden nervousness he had just felt. There was definitely something about this man, something he did not like. It did not matter that he was responsible for taking his eldest child, his daughter away from him, and impregnating her with his bastard child. Yuli was certain it was him there was no other way for it, but he could not explain the situation with the beast.

You need to send these people home ... now.

Yuli did not falter, and even looked a bit angry as Gregor decreased the distance between them. “These people want answers. They are here to protect me, and my family. You on the other hand are somehow involved with the disappearance of multiple young woman, the slaughter of sheep, and now you bring my daughter back in such a horrendous state.” Yuli was shaking his head still standing his ground and noticing that the men were circling tighter behind him.

“You will tell us,” Yuli said not moving a muscle as another voice erupted from the swarm of people.

“You will get out of the way,” said Madame Glynis as she worked her way through the throng. The little girl darted to her father’s side looking at Gregor with wide eyes.

“Yuli you fool! If you do not move I will beat you with my stick, and then you will really have something to think about. Your daughter needs help now quit your bickering and move aside!” The old woman was glaring at Yuli and he looked away a blush of shame creeping up his neck. He slid over to the side and let the old woman pass with his younger daughter in tow.

Madame Glynis strode swiftly through the door and closed it behind her after the girl had come through. They would need to keep people out while she was doing her work. She rolled up the sleeves of her clothes and whispered for the young girl to get a pot of hot water. While the girl engaged herself with that task Madame Glynis climbed the stairs to Ann’s bed and walked over to her. She knelt between her knees, ignoring Ann’s cries of pain as her fingers touched the stain on the bedding.

“How long has she been bleeding?” she asked.

“Since she came here, Ann believes she is eight moons along,” the other woman answered.

 

[TonyDeeDee]

“You will tell us,” Ann's father ordered.

“You will get out of the way,” a woman's voice commanded from beyond the man.

Madame Glynis pushed through the crowd, following the little girl. Gregor thought that perhaps she was the village's Matriarch. He had come from a village run by a woman, and of course Catriona had ruled his life for years; so Gregor had no reason not to believe that this woman was in charge, nor that the men and others assembled would do as she said.

“Yuli you fool!" she continued. "If you do not move I will beat you with my stick, and then you will really have something to think about. Your daughter needs help now quit your bickering and move aside!”

Gregor half turned, watching the woman with the peripheral vision of one eye while watching Yuli with the other. Once she'd disappeared inside, Gregor looked back to Yuli for a long moment, then turned fully to face the three men on the porch. He was staring them down, licking his lips and letting the white tips of his teeth show just enough to make the men imagine the Beast's fangs, when the three began to show nervousness.

Gregor strode forward and the three scattered. He reached the porch, then spun quickly. Yuli had followed him but kept the same distance. Gregor stood his ground for a long moment, then ... just sat down in the old rocking chair that Yuli's long dead father had made. The two men stared at one another while the rest of the villagers milled about, unsure of what to do.

"Shall we wait?" Gregor asked softly.

It was killing him not to be inside with Ann and his soon-to-be-born child, but he knew that if he attempted to enter the hovel, he would end up in a fight. And no one wanted that. He could feel the Beast inside him, warm and ready to come out at the slightest provocation.

He drew a deep breath and told himself, Remain calm.

 

[Belvino]

“Eight moons?” the old woman asked her brows raised in surprise. She reached out to touch Ann’s belly and prodded it gently. The abdomen was tight and as she felt it she knew that Ann was having a contraction which another scream from Ann only confirmed.

“She looks much farther than that, but perhaps it is her tiny frame…” the old woman trailed off as the girl brought a pot of hot water. Madame Glynis dipped her hands into the pot and scrubbed furiously, ridding herself of all the dirt and grime that was on them. She looked at Ann’s mother and nodded toward the pot indicating that she should do the same.

“Breathe Ann,” Madame Glynis indicated as she pushed her legs a little farther apart, “I am going to stick my fingers in. I need to feel inside, but don’t fight me. Just relax.” Ann gave a weak little nod and gritted her teeth just as Madame Glynis shoved two fingers inside her. She pushed her fingers up and prodded Ann’s insides searching for her cervix. She found that Ann had dilated several centimeters and the crown of the baby’s head was resting beyond that.

“Not quite ready yet, but soon,” Madame Glynis said as she withdrew her fingers. She looked at them and noticed they were covered in blood. Her face did not betray her worry, but she felt it tighten in knots at her belly. This was not a good sign. She leaned forward and pressed her ear to Ann’s belly listening for the baby. It was still moving and faintly she could hear its heart beating rapidly.

“Where is Gregor?” Ann moaned as she lifted her head from the pillow, “He said he would be back.”

Madame Glynis raised her head in time to look at Ann, “He is outside. He is being detained.”

Ann gasped though not from her own pain, “No! You cannot let him be around father. Its…” Ann was fighting as she tried to rise from the bed in her delirium. Her mother and Glynis immediately jumped on her and held her down keeping her from rising in the bed.

“Noooo!!” Ann yelled while they pressed her down. She was too weak to rise again, or fight them off.

“You are in labor, child! You cannot go to him now.” Madame Glynis said as she pressed a hand to Ann’s forehead. “Calm yourself you will need your strength,” she whispered softy.

“Gregor,” Ann moaned feeling her eyes close as a weariness settled over her.

*******

Yuli watched Gregor with interest, "We have plenty of time. I think you will tell us what is going on now."

 

[TonyDeeDee]

Gregor could hear everything going on inside the hovel, far better than the other villagers present. He realized that as the Beast simmered within him, some of his human senses began to heighten. He could hear every sound Ann was making and every word she spoke. He knew that she wanted to come to him, and he was thankful that the other females held her in place.

He could also smell the fear coming off the semi-circle of villagers that was continuing to tighten on his position a bit. They were only able to move forward based upon their numbers, of course. Once the violence broke out -- if it broke out -- Gregor would have no problem scattering them into the four winds.

The problem, of course, would be that Yuli would be dead by that point. Even trapped inside his Beastly state of mind, Gregor would know that Ann's father was the first man to be killed. He was the linchpin who would hold the group together. Pull him, and the group would simply fall apart.

In answer to Yuli's demand, Gregor said vaguely, "Your daughter ... your Ann ... my love--" He watched for Yuli's reaction before continuing. "--has reigned in the Beast. It will never attack your lambs again. It will never leave the token on a tree limb ... and your wife will be the last mother to wear it. You and your people will never again sacrifice one of their beloved daughters to it..."

In his mind, Gregor told himself something that he couldn't bring himself to say to Yuli: ...so long as my son survives ... and you allow us to depart ... all three of us ... together.

Gregor knew that the Beast would return within moments of the loss of his child. He would change right here in front of these people and rip out their throats until not one of them remained alive.

He found himself wondering what would happen if he lost Ann to child birth while the child survived. Would having his son -- daughter? -- and not Ann be enough to restrain the Beast inside of him? He didn't honestly know, nor did he want to find out. He loved Ann as much as he loved the idea of fathering her child. He would just have to wait with the others.

 

[Belvino]

Ann must have dozed off because she woke to the sound of Madame Glynis’s voice.

“You have to wake Ann. It is time,” the old woman said as she maneuvered between Ann’s legs.

Ann raised her head a little and only groaned when she saw the pile of old rags and bits of scrap cloth pushed beneath her. They had tried to staunch some of the blood, but really it only helped protect the mattress. Ann felt her mother pushing at her shoulders, trying to get Ann into a more upright position. She propped pillows behind Ann’s back to hold her up. Her mother took her hand and looked into her eyes pushing a lock of hair behind Ann’s ear.

“Push child,” Glynis said.

Ann bore down as the contraction gripped her belly in a tight wave. She could feel a movement deep inside her, and searing pain. It was excruciating, but Ann did not stop. She continued to push and only occasionally let up when Madame Glynis indicated she needed to take a break. Ann’s screams had turned into faint moans, and gasps of pain. She was struggling, fighting to bring the child into the world.

“Almost there,” Ann heard Glynis say, but her voice seemed far away.

Madame Glynis was holding the baby’s head in her hands, and with the last push from Ann she felt the shoulders, and the rest of the child slip from its mother. She tied a thread around the cord in two spots and cut in the middle detaching the baby from Ann. Glynis quickly rotated the baby so that she held its chin and pried its mouth open. She gave it some pats on the back and the baby coughed up a little bit of fluid, a lusty cry echoing throughout the home. She flipped the baby over and smiled as she held it in her arms.

“You have a boy,” she said looking up at Ann. Her smile dropped from her lips when she noticed that Ann, who had been awake a moment ago, was passed out against the pillows. Her body had forced out the afterbirth, but the bleeding did not cease.

“Take him,” Madame Glynis said as she handed the baby to Ann’s mother. She went to Ann and slapped her face, but the young mother did not rouse. Madame Glynis tossed the remnants of soiled bedding into a pot and pulled some clean cloths against Ann’s legs. She pushed her hand tightly at the junction of the girl’s thighs, and massaged her abdomen with the other. She saw Ann’s mother hovering over the bed still holding the newborn boy who was squalling.

“She is bleeding too heavily.”

 

[TonyDeeDee]

“You have to wake Ann," Gregor heard through the hovel's mud and straw wall. "It is time.”

His baby was about to be born. Before she'd collapsed this morning, he'd thought she wasn't due for a few more weeks. She could have been wrong about the conception date, but Gregor couldn't have taken that chance. It was why he'd brought her here. He knew he couldn't have helped her if there was in fact something wrong.

He was happy to now be hearing the Midwife saying, “Push child... almost there."

Gregor's gaze was still firmly on Ann's father, but Yuli's continually shifted from the man who had gotten his daughter pregnant to the home in which that daughter was birthing his baby.

Gregor could see that the man wanted to be with his daughter but felt he could not abandon his post before the man who might very well be the Beast, rather than just know about the Beast.

Then, through the walls that could barely hold out the cold, Gregor heard the unbelievably welcome words, “You have a boy.”

For the first moment, he showed a bit of emotion, drawing a quick excited breath. His eyes began to glaze over, and he stood, which caused some of the villagers to flinch or even step back while the others -- Yuli included -- became more guarded.

Gregor was about to turn and go inside when Yuli suddenly surged forward, saying with authority, "Get out of my way."

Gregor turned to his side, letting his son's grandfather pass, the men's bodies just barely brushing. Gregor stepped into the doorway, but a rustle of bodies behind him stopped him. He glared back at the crowd and sneered. They immediately stopped, some even backing up again.

He stepped inside, closing the door, desperate to know what was happening with his Love and his son.

 

[Belvino]

Madame Glynis heard the door swing open, but she did not look. She was too busy concentrating on Ann. Her forehead was furrowed with worry her brows knitting together as she kneaded Ann’s belly.

“Please girl come back to us. I shan’t be the one to bring you into this world, only to help you go,” Glynis muttered softly. Ann’s mother had moved down the stairwell holding the baby in one arm as she climbed down with the other. She looked at Gregor first an expression of fear haunting her gaze. She did not fear Gregor, instead she feared for the life of her daughter.

Yuli walked before Gregor and stopped at his wife’s side as he peeked at the bundle she held in her arms. The baby was still crying, and though he had been born early he was surprisingly large and strong. The baby squirmed in her arms, and Ann’s mother fought his little wiggles fearing she would drop him if he kept up the struggle.

“My grandson,” Yuli murmured ignoring Gregor as the man approached from behind him.

 

[TonyDeeDee]

Gregor did not intrude upon Yuli's moment, instead remaining just inside the door and trying to sneak a peak over his shoulder. But something wasn't right. He could see it in the face of his son's grandmother.

He looked up to the loft and saw the Midwife working feverishly, but he heard no noise and saw no movement from her patient. He moved around the two grandparents and headed for the ladder, his heart already pounding with fear.

 

[Belvino]

Glynis was furiously working and yet as she pulled the cloth away from between Ann’s legs she could see that the blood was still coming. It was thin, and there was no evidence of clotting which meant that all her work had not been helping. Glynis groaned and looked at Ann’s face. The girl had turned almost a ghostly white and as Glynis reached forward she could feel that her heart was beating only faintly.

“This is no good,” Glynis said rising. She spotted the younger sister in the corner of the room.

“Go get more cloth,” Glynis said knowing it would be no help. She did not want the girl in the room if things went bad.

The young girl darted towards the stairs but smacked into Gregor who was climbing up the steps at the time. She dodged away from him and quickly slipped behind him. Glynis looked at Gregor and studied his face. He was different, and with all her worldly knowledge the old woman sensed that he was not entirely human.

“You!” she said stepping towards him, “Whatever you have done, I don’t care, but you need to know that this girl has just birthed your child and she is going to die if the bleeding will not stop.”

 

[TonyDeeDee]

Gregor had no idea how to help the Midwife, but he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, taking one of Ann's hands into his and pleading with her to wake up. He looked to the Midwife and pleaded, "Tell me what to do. I can not lose Ann."

He grimaced as a pain ripped through him. The Beast was there. He had control of it for now, but he couldn't guarantee that he could keep control. This was all new territory to him. If he lost Ann, would he erupt in anger and fury and kill everyone here?

"Tell me," he told the woman, looking back to Ann. She was white as a ghost and her breathing was so shallow that she almost looked not to be breathing at all. "Tell me what to do."

 

[Belvino]

Glynis went to Gregor’s side of the bed and carefully touched his shoulder. Her fingers gripped tightly to the meat in his muscle as her eyes closed. She felt a rush of emotion flooding her, and something like a deep uncontrollable animalistic anger, but this is not what Glynis had come looking for. She wanted Gregor’s memories, and just as he let her through the barriers in his head she could see the flood of things that filled her head. Deep, passionate sex with Ann, and the doting love he showed her through the pregnancy. Still Glynis searched and it was with a gasp of realization that she finally released Gregor from her grasp.

“Just as I thought,” Glynis said softly, and leaned in to touch Gregor’s forehead. “I think you know exactly what to do my dear.”