Standing away from me, Amara asked the medics to hand me the other babies. We needed time to bond and mourn if the little Luma didn't pull through this.
"Hey… Please… don't go." I weakly voiced to the little luma in my arms, but she was slipping fast.
Fenris tried to do the same as he had to me, but nothing worked. Shade, who had recovered from our predicament, helped hold the babies before poking her head into the embrace as the other babies were being handed to me.
Soon, I had two baby boys and girls in my arms, helped by the feline and my wolf. The boys were significantly more prominent than the girls, but I felt a hole in my chest instead of feeling happy. I failed to protect one of my babies.
For a moment, silence surrounded us as the medics were on standby in case anything happened. Amelia and Melody both stood by the entrance, not wanting to impede anything, though they hoped for any signs of life to come.
Usually, losing a hybrid wasn't considered exponentially important. Yet the medics had tried everything to revive her. To them, it didn't matter that it was a half-breed; losing an innocent child affected them, especially when they came there expecting injuries from the battle.
They never expected to see the birth of life, only to end in death soon after. Fenris was trying so hard to be the strong one as I wept, unable to contain my emotions anymore. This should've never happened.
His tail wrapped around me, helping me hold the babies to my chest. Shade nuzzled them with her soft nose. It seemed everything was lost when suddenly my grimoire radiated a blue light. It triggered the baby Lycans to emit a red aura like their father, who responded similarly.
The baby human girl also released a purplish aura while I exuded my usual blue. There was a hint of purple, thanks to what Fenris had done earlier. Before we knew what was happening, a purple light consumed everyone in the room.
It shined brighter than anything else I had seen before. When it finally dimmed, I felt a little tug come from the little one who hadn't moved before erupting into a cry that caused all the others to weep, too.
Tears still rolled from my eyes, staring in disbelief at the miracle that occurred in my arms. This turn of events was too much as Fenris finally broke, too. He had tried so hard to stay strong, but hearing our little one's wails shattered him into a million pieces.
He wasn't the only one. Everyone had a tear in their eyes from hearing the little luma take her life back from the brink of death. My wolf hugged me tightly as our other babies made sure we knew they were alive.
However, we were far from safe; they were still a little undeveloped, so they needed immediate medical care that could be found on the ship, but that was when another problem arose. The airships couldn't land there thanks to the dense forest surrounding it, and I could barely move as it was.
Fenris had healed me, but I was too weak to walk, let alone hold onto him or Shade while he took me to safety. The babies were also delicate little things to care for, and we couldn't destroy the forest to clear a path, either. That would've started a war with the hybrids that hunted within.
Amelia and Melody swiftly went to try to solve this dilemma, leaving their little brother, who wouldn't leave my side. He had enough for one day and kept a hold on me to ensure I was warm and still with him.
One step at a time was good enough as the storm had given way to the calm. Around us, howls erupted as the other Lycans that had made their way there learned of the news of their heirs. When Amara removed the little luma from within me, she also cleaned me out of everything that could cause problems.
Even so, I was still bleeding somewhat from my private area—a normal thing after birth, but it was less than before. However, Amara kept checking on me and pumping me fluids to compensate for my blood loss.
I tried to feed the babies for the first time while they set everything for us. The two girls were first, then the boys, who were more robust than their sisters. While I fed them, Fenris held onto the two boys, who were adorably tugging his shirt, trying to lactate off him.
It was a fresh experience that erased all the bad that happened. I didn't know how I stayed awake after returning from the darkness. It must've been my maternal instinct on autopilot, yet my body felt like it was about to break any minute.
Even Amara was impressed that I stayed conscious after the adrenaline ran out, leaving me more than sore. It was hard not to fall asleep on Fenris once the babies were fed. Though everyone there was a mess, bloody or not.
By the time Amelia returned, she had a two stretcher with Liam and Ben, who would help carry me out of the forest on foot with Fenris's help. The babies would ride on one in what appeared to be specialized boxes for them while I took the other.
The entire way to the ship, I kept my eyes on the babies while Shade rested with them. It took until nightfall to get somewhere the ship could land for us to board. This was because they had to carry me and the babies out manually and carefully. Fenris didn't want to take any chances with the precious cargo they had in their hands, sending scouts before we moved towards safety. Even though they expected resistance, it never came.
All the surviving enemy forces had disappeared and left little to no trace to follow. Again, Edna had burrowed underground for whatever reasons she had. Much to my surprise, Stella had been found dead by the entrance of the ruin.
She was dead before the cavalry had arrived, and Fenris hadn't cared to look for her in his rush to get to me. Liam had rushed inside with me to notice, too. Her throat was slit by someone when I left her, freeing me from the spell before the hex found me.
Edna probably did it herself or one of her followers to close loose ends—something I had no time to worry about with the little ones. Everyone called this a victory when we returned to the ship, but it felt so far from the truth to me.
Edna never tried to get to Alijah, which was odd.
If you weren't her goal, then… this was all a trap. You were bait to lure me in for what she tried to do.
What worried me more was what she did to my children. They were inspected right after, and it seemed like Edna accomplished nothing. However, the magic she had used wasn't typical witchcraft.
Why did it take the form of Layla? What's Edna after? I can't… understand it,
After the fact, that and many more questions bombarded me. Fenris tried to find and explain it, too, but couldn't come up with anything. From his report, the forces led them away from the source of chaos, which I found.
However, we weren't empty-handed. Many witches and warlocks were captured, but when questioned about their involvement. They couldn't remember anything at all. Nothing would come up, even if a moon elf tried to see their memories.
Something powerful blocked their memories, leaving us with more questions than answers. Luckily, I was fine, and the children appeared good as well. There were also minimal injuries during the raid of the Howling Forest.
Even though there were many setbacks, we had accomplished what we had set out to do: delaying Alijah's rage. We finally found Stella, though her place in this was more of a pawn than anything else.
Edna's intentions would have to be for another time, as I needed time to recover from my ordeal. A week later, while I still recovered. The babies were healthier than ever, too. The little luma appeared to have nothing to point to her close brush with death.
However, my little girls' bodies showed a dark mark that couldn't be explained. Vera, the human one, had a crescent moon sign on her back, while Rem, the little luma, had one that appeared to be a waning gibbous on her chest by her right breast.
Perhaps it was due to Fenris's attachment to the moon, or it could've been something else. All we could do was watch over them closely while they developed. The boys, Caden and Aiden, were almost a spitting image of their father, yet the one he was most attached to was little Rem.
I didn't know if it was because she was the most brittle of the quad, making him want to protect her more than the others. That didn't stop her from being the loudest of the bunch, though. She had heterochromia in her eyes, which meant her left eye was red while the right was blue like mine.
She also had little horizontal strips of brown in her hair, but mostly dominated by Fenris's silver. Every luma was different; some had fully Lycan ears, but Rem had pointy ears closely related to elven ones. However, what distinguished her the most from an elf was that she also had a tail, much like her brothers.
Shorter, though.
On the other hand, Vera had Fenris's hair color, too. Unlike her sister, her eyes were purple—a mix between me and him. She also appeared fully human, though she still possessed her father's traits within her.
My wolf pitched in while I was on bed rest, even though he had loads of work. His sister Amelia enjoyed caring for the babies the most, but she was also essential to helping me bond with the babies.
Sadly, I could barely do anything while I healed from the trauma my body endured. However, I enjoyed breastfeeding the babies, even though it was uncomfortable most of the time. I also used formula because my milk alone couldn't keep up with the need for four, especially the boys, who had too much of an appetite for me to keep up.
Even using the pumps to drain my swollen breast was something new, which made me feel somewhat like a cow, but it was for the best. With each week that passed, I became stronger, allowing me to enjoy the benefits of being a new mother.
With Alijah in mind, I slowly integrated myself into my new life. I was a mother and a leader for those who slowly joined us after the battle. I did most of my work from the bed, with the help of others who rose to the opportunity to help me.
Thanks to them, my foreseeable future was mainly filled with joy. I sometimes wished that I could've seen what would happen next. Perhaps if I did, I would've stopped someone I loved more than Fenris from going through the hardships they did.
Edna would've never touched my children with her darkness if I had been better, yet I failed to see it. Even so, I fought daily for a better future for all my children. It was all I could do, and I would never stop trying to protect them.
It's my sole duty. After all, only a mother can love like this.
They were my world from the moment I saw them.
For them, I'll give anything, including changing the world.