Broken by the Horde King (Horde Kings of Dakkar #4) - Zoey Draven Page 0,132

over to the table and she cried out, her body tightening, her eyes squeezed in pain. I quickly washed my hands in the water basin, rubbing dried honira over them before I returned to Addie.

Placing my hands over her belly, I pressed deeply. Then I crouched, lifting her dress.

“I need to check inside, lysi?” I murmured quietly to her.

She nodded, breathing deeply.

I pushed inside her as gently as possible, reaching towards her womb. When I felt the lining, my brow furrowed.

“How long has she been in pain?” I asked Jurin.

Guilt crossed his expression when I looked at him, as I pulled my fingers away from Addie and went to wash again. “She says since earlier in the evening. But she…”

“I didn’t tell him,” Addie gritted out. “I thought it was fine. I felt the contractions yesterday, remember?”

Lysi, Addie had come in early in the afternoon, though her womb hadn’t started to open yet.

“But tonight they got worse,” she said, panting, in between her contractions.

Essir raced inside the tent, huffing and out of breath. His eyes widened when he saw Addie and Jurin.

“Is it time?” he asked me. He’d never seen or experienced a baby’s birth before. The last mokkira had done them alone.

Addie turned her gaze on me and I met her eyes.

“Lysi, I believe so.”

My words sparked fear in her gaze. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel fear myself but I wouldn’t show her it.

Smiling, I squeezed her hand and helped her up from the table. “Keep moving. Some females find squatting helpful.”

“How long until the baby comes?” Jurin asked, his expression suddenly frantic, taking Addie’s hand.

“It’s hard to say,” I told him. Especially since I’d never delivered a hybrid child before. “It could be soon. It could take all night or even into the morning.”

The mother was human, not Dakkari. I didn’t know if humans tended to have shorter or longer labors. Sometimes it was strange, not knowing much about my own race.

Turning back to Addie, I said, “Don’t exert yourself too much. Save your strength because you’ll need it. I’ll have furs brought in so you can lie down if you need to.”

“Thank you, Maeva,” Addie said quietly.

Poking my head outside the voliki, I saw Gabe still continuing to pace, though Hinna had arrived as well and seemed to be keeping him company. The two of them had been close the past week. It wasn’t the first time I wondered if something would become of them.

“She should be delivering tonight,” I told them. “But I would like to keep the voliki clear. Only her and her mate, lysi? Go rest.”

Gabe hesitated.

“You can come by to check on her, I promise,” I assured him.

Finally, Gabe nodded and I watched him begrudgingly leave with Hinna, disappearing from view. When I came back inside, I told Essir, “Get a mound of furs, a lot of clean water, and clean cloths, lysi? I’ll start boiling the water we have.”

“Lysi, mokkira,” Essir said quietly.

Watching him leave, I knew it would be a long night.

Chapter Forty-Five

“Addie, push,” I urged, my own brow dotted in sweat. “You need to push now! Hanniva!”

Dread pinched my belly but I tried to keep calm. Before me, Addie was lying down on a bed of furs I’d had brought in for her. Jurin was cradling her between his legs and he was constantly wiping away the sweat on her forehead with a cool cloth. His expression was tight and drawn. Scared, I knew, though he was trying to be strong for her.

As for Addie, she was pale, trembling…and nearing exhaustion quickly. Blood covered my hands. She’d just begun bleeding. And I couldn’t even see the baby yet.

It was the early hours of morning, nearing dawn I knew. Next to me, Essir was still and quiet. He’d been a steady presence throughout all of this and did whatever I needed of him without question.

Addie’s next contraction came and her body seized up.

“Push,” I pleaded.

She cried out, squeezing her eyes shut, and bore down.

“That’s it, Addie,” I breathed, finally seeing the head emerge. “I can see the baby.”

“Really?” she rasped, her voice husky from her cries. Though she was fading, my words seemed to give her renewed strength.

“Lysi,” I murmured, wiping at my forehead. “You’re so close. I need you to be strong. Just for a little while longer.”

She nodded, resting her head against Jurin’s chest, breathing in deep, resting in between the contractions. She looked up at her mate, who murmured words of love and