Page 86 of Dark Witch Resurrection

"It will never happen again, Holy Mother."

Ell-rom jerked awake with a gasp, his heart pounding and his skin slick with sweat.

For a moment, he couldn't remember where he was, but then he recognized the white walls of the clinic and let out a relieved breath.

He was safe here, in this little room with walls that were white but not quite. There were shades of pink and yellow in the white, making the room feel cozy rather than stark.

Or maybe it had nothing to do with the colors but the female sitting in the chair beside his bed, her face soft and peaceful as she read a book with a tiny light illuminating the pages.

When he'd asked her what it was, Jasmine had explained that it was a story written on paper. Humans had special machines that printed many thousands of those things, and people purchased them in stores. She'd said they also had stories on electronic tablets, which he found much more logical, but many still preferred the paper books.

Humans were strange creatures, but he was eager to learn more about them, particularly about her.

Absorbed in her reading, Jasmine did not notice that he was awake, and he was glad that she didn't because he needed a few moments to collect his thoughts.

He was safe, surrounded by people who cared for him and wanted to help him heal. Not kill him and his sister because they were unlike everyone else.

But even as he clung to that thought like a talisman against the darkness, he couldn't shake the sense of unease that lingered, the feeling that something was lurking in the shadows of his past, something dark and dangerous that was more than his inability to tolerate the taste of blood.

What was it about him and his sister that he was not supposed to let anyone see?

63

ALENA

Alena liked having people around her when she was having her babies. It was a joyous occasion, especially for people who didn't get to celebrate births often, and she liked to share her blessings.

It got a little crowded with her mother and Kian there, but she was glad Orion managed to catch them in the parking lot before they left for the keep.

If they had left earlier and had been at the keep when Orion called, her mother wouldn't have made it in time to see the baby born, and she would have regretted it dearly.

Her mother had witnessed all her babies coming into the world, and this last one shouldn't be any different.

Hopefully, it wouldn't be the last, but Alena didn't want to be greedy and anger the Fates who had been so incredibly generous with her.

Also, Orion seemed much calmer now that Annani was there, and Alena hoped her mother wasn't thralling him to take the edge off.

He was probably glad to have someone with plenty of experience helping Alena.

"Breathe." Annani clasped Alena's hand as another contraction hit her hard. "In and out, slow and steady."

"Syssi and Amanda are on their way," Kian said, his face pinched with unnecessary worry. "They're coming from the university, but they'll be here as soon as possible."

Alena laughed, the sound strained and a little breathless. "They probably won't make it," she managed, shaking her head. "This baby is coming out fast."

"Not necessarily," Merlin said as he entered the room. "Your contractions are coming every two minutes, but that doesn't mean the baby will come flying out. It could still be a couple of hours yet."

Alena shook her head. "Wanna bet?"

Merlin chuckled. "Save your energy for pushing," he advised, his voice warm with affection. "I'll give you all a few minutes, and then I need everyone out for a little bit to check how things are progressing." He winked at Alena before stepping out of the room.

As she settled onto the bed, resting between contractions, she glanced at her mate, whose pale face was drawn with worry. He looked like he was about to be sick.

"Hey." She reached for his hand and gave it a gentle tug. "There is absolutely no reason to worry. I'm a demigoddess, remember? Nothing is going to happen to me."

"I know, but I can't stand seeing you in pain. It's killing me. And then I worry about the baby. He's not going to be born immortal even though we are both demigods, and if something goes wrong, all of our powers combined might not be able to save him."

He was wrong about that, but she couldn't tell him what her mother's blood could do, or his father's. If the baby was in trouble, Fates forbid, a small donation from either would bring him back.