Under Centaurian Protection Ch. 03

Lila shook her head, and Callum wrapped his arm around her shoulders for support. He saw the tears glimmer at her eyes.

"I am here, my love." He murmured. With another contraction, she squeezed his hand so tightly; even he had to admit it was painful.

"Push, Lila."

The midwife repeated this, encouraging the young woman to listen to her body.

"Callum, I-I cannot do this anymore -- " Lila said weakly, after two hours. Her dark hair clung to her damp forehead and she was tired, so exhausted from this pain.

Her head rested on her mate's shoulder. If only he could give her his strength, Callum thought.

He whispered encouragement to her, held her hands as they sought support and leverage.

"Push again, Lila. I see the child." The midwife announced happily.

Lila pushed. Callum held his breath every time she did this. And then his heart swelled when he heard the cries of his child fill the longhouse. Lila slumped into his arms, exhausted.

The midwife lifted the swaddled child to the table to be cleaned, but from where he stood he could tell he had a son.

"My love." He said, looking down on his mate, wanting to inform her of their son. Her eyes were half open, almost dazed. Her face had grown incredibly pale. Too pale. He looked down at the rest of her, and knew something was wrong.

"Why does she bleed so much still?" He demanded loudly.

The midwife turned, but already Laura was grabbing clean sheets and trying to stop the blood flow. Julia too grabbed for more cloth to stop the bleeding. As Rose stayed with the babe, the midwife gently touched Lila's stomach, muttering something to herself.

"The child must have been too big for her."

Coldness ran through Callum's veins as he held his mate tighter. He had known from the beginning she was too small. During her pregnancy, he had often wondered how such a small woman would be able to give birth, but he hadn't thought...

"Lila," he said loudly, trying to get his mate's attention. He felt her stir. "Lila, look at me."

Around him, the other women exchanged words, one ran to the entrance to call out to someone outside. But all Callum could see was his mate, lying so pale and weak in his arms.

"Stop her bleeding!" He demanded harshly.

Lila lifted her gaze slowly to his.

"Callum," she whispered.

"Lila, stay with me, my love." His throat tightened with emotion. She was still bleeding so much. Gods, so much blood. It soaked through the bed, the sheets, all the cloth that Laura and Julia were using to stop it. He shook his head. By the gods...

"She needs horsetail or grape leaves." Callum heard the midwife call out. But the voices around him grew distant as realization started to hit him.

"Lila, stay with me." He demanded. He glanced down at the blood, then back up into her pale face. Even her lips had gone so pale. By the gods, Lila was his mate. He just found her. He couldn't lose her now.

Callum's throat clogged and for the second time in his life, he was blinking back tears.

"Lila," he murmured. Her hands were cold and he wrapped his large ones around them, hoping to warm her. He touched his lips to her damp skin, murmuring her name.

"Do not leave me, my love." He kept whispering. "Do not leave our son."

It would kill him. He could hear his son's lusty cries and it only made the tears spill from his eyes. A life for a life. He couldn't lose his mate. Not Lila.

He couldn't let her go. Her breathing was growing weaker and her eyes started to close.

"Help her!" He ordered desperately.