The Alpha's Temptation

Taiyi tossed the blanket away and got up with a start. "What happened to her?" she asked, her eyes wide with unknown dread. She got out of the bed and grabbed her shawl as she walked towards the door. "The last I saw her she was doing fine. Her contractions had started. But she hadn't gone into extreme labor!"

"I think she has gone into the last stages of labor," Eltanin rasped. "She is getting contractions at shorter intervals. Flora isn't allowing her to go to the healer's room. And Tania is only listening to Flora. You must convince Tania to go to the healer's room. The pups will pop out soon!"

Taiyi was so worried that the pace of her footsteps increased to a marathon. Alrakis joined her. Soon, the king along with his two parents were seen running down the corridors of the palace. When they reached Tania's room, they saw her eating porridge and chuckling at Flora's jokes. "And then instead of two, there were three!" Flora said and she laughed.

"Mother! Father!" Tania said with amusement in her voice. She glanced at Eltanin who appeared like a dumb fool with a gaping mouth.

"Wh-- what about your contractions?" he asked, circling past his parents and reaching her.

Flora shook her head and got up from there. She bowed to Taiyi and Alrakis and then walked out of the room saying, "It is not the time. It will take at least six to seven hours."

Taiyi pursed her lips as she narrowed her eyes on her son. He was such a worry wart! She was there for the entire night taking care of Tania. Alrakis would join her often to keep company while their dear little son slept soundly. The moment his wife's contractions increased, he couldn't handle it and called her all over again.

"Son, you are being uselessly worried!" Alrakis chided him. "Can you stop your panic?"

"B--but father, she should be having the pups soon. You both can't leave. You have to stay here!" Eltanin argued.

Taiyi crossed her arms across her chest as she narrowed her gaze on him. In a very angry voice she said, "We are going back to sleep. Let Flora make decisions for Tania and then call us. Is that clear?"

Eltanin jerked his head back. His mother was cruel. He was about to say something to his parents, but Alrakis grabbed Taiyi's hand and dragged her out of the room. "Come love, you need good sleep. Our son has gone bonkers!"

Eltanin stared behind their back, speechless. When he returned his gaze to Tania, she was blushing out of embarrassment. "You are vexing!"

He placed his hand on her tummy and whispered to his pups, "Come out soon. Your father wants to see you." While Tania laughed, Eltanin experienced a kick on his hand.

In two hours, the contractions increased and this time Flora was genuinely surprised. "How is this possible?" she said with surprise. "It's as if the babies want to come out fast." She looked at Eltanin who had an expression of pride and worry on his face.

"Well, they are my pups. I asked them to come out fast. So they are listening to me," he replied with a shrug.

"It's time to take Tania to the healer's room," Flora said, her voice urgent.

Eltanin stabbed his fingers in his hair as goosebumps lined his skin. So his babies were coming out. He went to Tania and scooped her up in his arms. "Come baby, let's have kids," he said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her face twisting with pain as another contraction came.

Very slowly and carefully, Eltanin took his wife to the healer's room. He made her lie on the bed. This time Taiyi and Alrakis came immediately.

Tania was in great discomfort. Her contractions started coming in very short intervals and then soon it was like they wouldn't end. Tania shrieked in pain, making Eltanin worry as hell. He prayed to the Moon Goddess to give her strength. He promised himself that he wouldn't have more pups after this every time he looked at Tania who was suffering from so much pain that it was beyond his imagination.

"Hold my hand Tania," he said and gave it to her. She grabbed it hard and Eltanin stopped himself from crying out loud because her grip was like that of iron. Goddess, where did she get that kind of power from in her pregnancy?

"The head had formed," said the healer who was sitting at the base of the bed. "Push hard, my queen. As soon as you feel the contraction, push hard, okay?"

Tania nodded. As soon as the contraction came, she pushed hard with a scream.

"Oh, you have to try harder," the healer said, a frown forming on his face.

Tania was getting worried. She could feel that the baby was coming out, but she had to try harder. In the next cycle of contraction, she used every bit of her strength and pushed hard. Suddenly, she heard a loud cry.

The healer cheered her. "My queen, this was wonderful," he said as he picked up the pup in his hand. Flora rushed to him and took the pup as Eltanin saw his first born with wide eyes. He was numb. Taiyi walked to her grandchild and her lips curled up. Tears moistened her eyes. "Son, you got a son, Eltanin," she said in a hoarse voice. "We got Draka's heir."

Eltanin was speechless. He had so many words to say but he didn't know where to start. He looked at Tania and kissed her forehead. "Thank you," he said. Tania smiled but all at once she screamed again.

"Another head is forming!" the healer said. "Push hard!"

Tania pushed harder than before and soon she heard another cry. The healer said in a cheerful voice, "You got another son!" He handed the pup to Flora who took the second born to clean up. Both Taiyi and Alrakis were with their grandsons already.

Eltanin was now totally flushed. He wanted to cry, he wanted to shout, he wanted to kiss Tania senseless. As soon as he leaned over to do so, she screamed again. "No!" he said with a shock, but Tania pushed her third pup out.

"You got a princess," the healer informed.

Eltanin stood like a statue as everyone else celebrated. Triplets?