Chapter 16

Adrik

“Sir, sorry to interrupt.”

I hadn’t heard the guard enter. I swung towards him, seeing Granat standing there looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. “What is it?”

“You told me you wanted to know when Besi had begun the birthing process,” he said. “Well, it has begun.”

I looked back at Lise. “I must go to her. Would you like to come along and witness the birth?” Not the most romantic of places to invite her, but my mind was a jumble of excitements. First among them was the female in my arms. Not only had she not pushed me away, but she returned my affections. Added on top of that was a layer of fear and concern with what was going on with the females of my Thrail. And on top of that, Besi, my dear ugris, was giving birth to her third calf.

“Yes, I’ll go,” Lise said with a tentative smile. “You don’t think she’ll mind, do you?”

“She’ll love the audience,” I said. “Let’s go. Thank you, Granat.”

The guard left and I took Lise’s hand, and we jogged through the streets, out to the ugris’ fields. We entered the barn and Lise pulled in a little gasp.

A baby ugris squirmed in the bedding, nuzzling Besi’s abdomen. The little one tugged on a nipple, then bumped its head against her belly when it couldn’t find milk. It made a little noise of distress.

“She’s not making milk?”

Fear squeezed my chest. “No. See her milk sacks have not expanded.” The sacks were a lumpy intestine-like network on her underside that just looked like shriveled wrinkles under her skin, but were supposed to be expanded and plumped up after giving birth. “The milk sacks usually expand directly after giving birth,” I explained. “But hers aren’t. And she should not still be lying down.”

Besi was lying on her side and she appeared to be in distress. Her breathing was heavy, as if she was still in labor.

Lise looked her over, frowning. “I think there’s another baby in there.”

“Ugris only produce one calf.”

She shook her head. “Well, she’s trying to push something out of there. I think your Besi is having twins. It might not be typical but…” She shrugged. “That’s what it looks like to me. Not that I’m an expert.”

If that were the case, she was having a very real problem getting it out. I ran a hand over Besi’s still large belly. She let out an uncomfortable moan and her muscles tensed again as she tried to push. I didn’t know how to help her. Meanwhile the little calf that had been born was growing more frantic and trying to find access to milk. If it didn’t get it soon, it would grow weak.

“Maybe it’s stuck,” Lise said.

“Stuck?” I looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t babies ever get stuck here?” She gestured to the laboring mother ugris. “On Earth, sometimes babies just wind up in the wrong position and they need help getting out.”

I’d never heard of such a thing among Mitrans. “This happens to human babies?”

She looked at me as if I had lost my mind. “Yes, human babies, but also livestock, dogs, cats—everything that gives birth can have a problem.” She looked at Besi’s enormous back end. “You might have to, you know, reach in there and see what’s going on.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Reach in there. “I can’t imagine doing such a thing.”

“Do you know how many women have died in childbirth?” Lise asked. “Animals too. Before modern technology, many women died in childbirth or because of it.” She winced. “But I don’t blame you. That’s some birth canal. You’re going to need to put your whole arm in. Maybe two.” She peered around Besi’s backside. “Wow. You could fit your whole upper body in there.”

“Stop. Please.” I didn’t need that mental image, but if I had to reposition Besi’s baby, I would give it a try. The thought of watching her suffer and maybe die was far worse than what Lise was telling me to do. “So I just…reach in?”

“I’ve never done it before.” She put her hands on her chest and shook her head. “I’m just saying what I’ve seen in recordings and read about. Maybe because there were two babies, the second one just got stuck in a bad spot in there. Honestly, I don’t even know if it will help, but it might save her and the other calf.”

That was all I needed to hear. Besi couldn’t continue like this. She was struggling. Her purple plates, and the skin beneath them, were mottled and pale in some areas, bruised-looking in others. All six of her eyes were closed as she heaved.

“Skrah, help me,” I murmured and reached inside of Besi’s birth canal. Thankfully, I didn’t have to reach very far before I felt the calf. “It’s here.”

“Okay, see if you can move it,” said Lise. “What part is it that’s you’re touching?”

“I’m not sure,” I replied. Sweat dripped down my back. This was more nerve-wracking than a patrol with Dessicans over the ridge. “Maybe it’s a shoulder?”

“Do these usually come out headfirst?”

“Yes. I’ll just try to…” I stuck my other arm in, thankfully only up to the elbow, as I tried to work the calf’s head out front. Besi moaned and thrashed, making it more difficult. Outside the barn I could hear her mate, Indrin, bellowing in distress. And there were the small cries of the calf already birthed, still searching for milk and growing more frantic by the moment.

“I think you’re almost there.” Lise was right behind me looking over my shoulder. “Look, isn’t that an eye?”

I couldn’t see anything. It was so dark, but sure enough I pushed the shoulder back and managed to get fingers under something—it turned out to be two large nostrils—and pull. The head popped into place, facing outwards as it was supposed to.

“Back up!” Lise grabbed the back of my vest and tugged me backwards just as the calf shot out of its mother and landed with a wet plop on the grass bedding. Besi let out a noise of pure relief and struggled to her feet. She was wobbly and tired after all that work, but she stood.

As I watched, the milk sack plumped and engorged with milk. The hungry little calf instantly latched on and began drinking. The new calf shook itself off and tottered over to join its sibling. Besi gazed down at me with heavy-lidded eyes and a loud snort of exhaustion.

The ugris lowered her head and I rested my forehead against her snout. “You did well, sweet girl.”

I was sticky, covered in ugris afterbirth and blood, and I was so happy my eyes burned with tears. “Two calves,” I said in amazement. “This is a first.” I turned around to see Lise stroking the head of the new calf. She pulled a bit of afterbirth off of it.

She looked up at me, eyes twinkling. “Does this count as a date?” she asked. “Because if it does, this is the most disgusting and oddly rewarding date I’ve ever been on.”

I smiled wide. “I promise the next one will involve less bodily fluids.”

She laughed and gave me a wicked look. “It depends on the type of bodily fluids you’re talking about. Maybe if it was just ours…” She gave me a little wink and went back to tending to the babies.

“That sounds like more than a date.” I took an extra moment to look over my female—yes, my female. She had not shrunk away from the dirty business of Besi’s difficult birth. She’d actually helped save both my beloved ugris and her calves. And she wanted me. She had just declared it.

Besi let out a trilling noise, which was a signal for Indrin to come in and meet his offspring. The large male ugris lumbered inside, anxious to see his mate. He snuffled over her, sniffing and making placating grunts before moving to his two calves, who were still gulping down milk. He sniffed them over and ran his mouth over them as male ugris do with their young. Then Besi let out a loud snort and he took the hint and left.

Besi needed rest and Lise and I needed to leave the little family in peace. I looked down at myself and spread my arms. “I would hug you, but I am disgusting right now.”

She chuckled. Her eyes were happy, bright. “Yeah, let’s skip that for now, but you can kiss me.”

“I can.” I leaned down, claimed her lips in a searing kiss. I wanted more of this. More of her. More of everything. I stepped back with a sharp indrawn breath, determined to rein in my raging desires. “Come,” I said in a gravelly voice. “Let me walk you home.”

It was afternoon. Warriors that we passed asked me of Besi’s condition and I was happy to tell them. We had two calves, not one. The news was met with claps on the back and congratulations.

We passed through the center square and Lise looked up at me from the corners of her eyes. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think that this was your child that was born today, based on the number of times you were congratulated.”

“Yes, Besi means a great deal to me. She is far more than livestock.” That brought to mind another issue. I looked down at her, trying not to be too intense. “Do you want children someday?”

“Oh, I’ve thought about it, but I was never with the right person.” She suddenly looked a little nervous, a little unsure. “I suppose, if we were to ever be together, I would have to have children.”

I stopped her and turned her towards me. “I would never force you to have children if you did not want them. I want you either way.”

Thankfully, it was the right thing to say. The worry slipped away and she smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. But I know how important it is that Mitrans have babies, and—”

I shook my head. “It is important, but so is the happiness of all of my people, including you.”

“Better be careful, Warlord,” she said. “You keep talking like that and I’m going to fall in love with you.”

I smiled down at her pretty face. “Would that be so bad?”

“I don’t know.” She glanced up at me curiously. “Do you think you could fall in love with me?”

“Lise, I would bind myself to you today, if you permitted it.”

“But we haven’t even had sex yet,” she said.

“Do you think that would change my feelings?” I gazed down at her. “Or do you think our mating would be disappointing? I don’t. I know it will shake the ground we walk on.”

“Well, you’re confident,” she said with a chuckle. “Or you’re overestimating me.”

I winked at her. “Warlords are confident. Comes with the position.” She laughed, which was what I was hoping for. There were few more lovely sounds than Lise’s laugh.

We continued walking until we arrived at her door. She folded her hands in front of her and bit her lower lip. “Would you like to come in? I’m sure we can clean up enough.” She looked up at me shyly. “I don’t know what’s come over me, but I want more of you. More of whatever this is.”

“So do I. But I will not come in today.”

She looked up. Disappointment dampened her eyes. “I understand. I think.”

“Skrah knows I want to. But I have pressing matters to address right now that cannot wait. I also wish to be completely clean when I strip you naked and fuck you.” I leaned in and captured her mouth in a kiss. “And I will fuck you. Soon.”

Her breathing was shallow. “How soon?”

“Very soon. My restraint is reaching its end.”

She licked her lips. “Mine is long gone.”

Oh, this female. She turned me inside out and she was open with her wants, which made me desire her even more. Bedding her would be pleasure beyond imagination. “Soon, my sagria,” I said, and I got out of there before I gave in, burst into her house, and ravished her, ugris afterbirth and all.