Tangled Hearts - The Alpha's Baby Mama-Chapter 286: A new baby is here...

Selene POV

But the pain was all-consuming now, a relentless force that dragged me under with each surge. I could barely breathe, barely think. I could feel the baby pressing down, my body giving in to the inevitable.

Kragen... I whimpered through the link, my hands clutching at the sheets as another scream tore from my throat. I can’t... I can’t do this alone.

You’re not alone, Selene, he said firmly, his voice breaking through the haze. I’m here. I’ll be there in a second. Just keep holding on.

But I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on. The pain was too much. My vision darkened at the edges, and I felt myself slipping, my mind drowning in agony.

Another contraction ripped through me, and I screamed again, unable to stop it this time. The sound echoed in the empty room, and for a moment, all I could feel was the overwhelming pressure and the searing pain.

Hurry, I begged Kragen, my thoughts barely coherent. Please.

The room spun in and out of focus, pain crashing through me like violent waves, pulling me under with each contraction. I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything but grip the bedsheets in agony as my body betrayed me. Time had lost meaning—it could have been minutes or hours, but the pain kept growing worse. I clutched my belly, feeling the pressure mounting as if my body was being torn apart from the inside.

I heard a knock on the door, distant at first like it was underwater, but then it grew louder and more insistent. "Selene! Selene, open the door!"

Kragen’s voice. The sound of it sent a jolt of relief through me, though the pain didn’t lessen.

"I’m... here," I managed to croak, my voice hoarse and weak. My body shook with another contraction, and I gasped, my fingers digging into the mattress. "The door’s unlocked..."

I couldn’t even open my eyes properly, the tears blurring my vision as the pain consumed me. I heard the door creak open, and heavy footsteps approaching, and then I felt his presence beside me. Warm, steady, like an anchor.

"Selene, I’m here," Kragen said, his voice urgent but calming. He crouched beside me, his hands hovering over my arm, unsure where to touch. "You’re in labour."

"No... kidding..." I gasped, my head falling back against the pillow. The pain surged again, and I clenched my jaw, trying not to scream.

Kragen’s face was pale, his normally unshakeable confidence wavering for a moment as he glanced around the room. "There’s no time to take you to the Pack hospital."

I nodded weakly. Even if there was time, I wasn’t sure I could make it down the stairs. Every part of my body felt like it was on fire, and the pressure was unbearable. The baby was coming whether I was ready or not.

"I need to help you deliver here," he said, his voice firmer now as he took control of the situation. "But I need you to focus, Selene. You can do this."

I nodded, though the fear gnawed at me. I had no other choice. The pain had me trembling, my body slick with sweat. I could feel the contractions growing stronger, more urgent. The baby was coming. There was no stopping it now.

Kragen’s hands were surprisingly gentle as he helped me shift on the bed. "Breathe, Selene. Focus on breathing."

I tried. I did. But the contractions were relentless, my body forcing me to push, my instincts taking over. "It hurts," I whimpered, biting my lip to stop the scream that was building in my throat.

"I know it does," Kragen said softly, his eyes filled with an intensity I had never seen before. "But you have to keep breathing, okay? We’re doing this together."

I nodded, my breathing erratic but trying to follow his lead. I gripped the edge of the bed so hard I thought my knuckles might break through the skin. The next contraction ripped through me, and I screamed, unable to contain it this time. My whole body convulsed, and I felt the baby shift, moving lower. freewebnσvel.cѳm

"You’re doing great," Kragen encouraged, though I could see the worry in his eyes. "We’re close. The baby’s coming."

I wasn’t sure how much longer I could do this. The pain was unbearable, and I was terrified. But Kragen didn’t leave my side, his presence steady and grounding, giving me something to cling to when I felt like I was drowning in agony.

"I can see the baby’s head," he said suddenly, his voice a mix of urgency and awe. "Selene, you need to push now."

"I... I can’t," I sobbed, shaking my head. My whole body was trembling, exhausted beyond anything I had ever experienced. "I can’t do this, Kragen."

"Yes, you can," he said firmly, his eyes locking onto mine. "You’re the strongest person I know. You can do this. Now push, Selene."

His words cut through the haze of pain, giving me something to focus on. I took a deep breath, gathering every bit of strength I had left, and pushed with everything inside me. The pain was blinding, ripping through my body like fire, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.

Kragen’s voice was steady, encouraging me with every push, and guiding me through the pain. "You’re doing great, Selene. Almost there. Just one more push."

I screamed, pushing with all my might, feeling the baby move through me. My body felt like it was being split apart, but then, suddenly, there was a release, and the pressure eased. I collapsed back onto the bed, gasping for breath, the pain still echoing through me but dulled now.

And then, a sound filled the room. A small, piercing cry that sent a wave of emotion crashing over me.

The baby.

Kragen lifted the tiny, squirming bundle in his arms, his eyes wide with something I couldn’t quite place—relief, wonder, maybe even fear. "You did it," he whispered, his voice soft, reverent. "It’s a boy."

A boy.

Tears streamed down my face as I reached for my son, my hands trembling. Kragen gently placed him in my arms, and I stared down at the tiny life I had just brought into the world. His skin was flushed, his little fists curled as he cried, and he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I couldn’t speak. I could barely breathe. The pain, the fear, the exhaustion—all of it melted away in that moment as I held him close, my heart swelling with a love so fierce it nearly broke me.

Kragen knelt beside me, his eyes soft as he watched us, his hand hovering protectively over my shoulder. "You did it, Selene," he said quietly. "You’re amazing."

Before I could respond, the door burst open. The sound startled me, and I instinctively clutched the baby tighter, my body still trembling with adrenaline.

Noah stood in the doorway, his face pale, eyes wide with shock as he took in the scene before him. His gaze flickered from Kragen to me, and then to the tiny baby in my arms, and I saw the world tilt in his expression—surprise, awe, and something deeper, something more primal.

He didn’t move at first, frozen in the doorway as if he didn’t know what to do. But then, as the baby let out another sharp wail, reality seemed to snap back into place.

"Noah," I whispered, my voice hoarse and weak, but filled with everything I couldn’t say. "He’s here."

Noah took a tentative step forward, his eyes locked on our daughter. And just as he reached my side, the baby let out another soft cry, his little lungs filling the room with the sound of new life.

"That’s a good sign, Noah!" Kragen straightened from beside me, making a chance for Noah to come closer to where I was. "It means you’re the father of the baby. He cried as soon as you entered."

Noah came closer to the bed, staring at the boy, who was still crying his lungs out. He stretched his hand and I placed the baby in his arms. He had to sit close to the bed as the placenta of the child had yet to come out.

As soon as he held the child, he stopped crying. He cooed gently and then brought his hand to his mouth and started making suckling sounds with it.

Kragen chuckled, his gaze coming to rest on me softly. "You’ve got a eater, Selene but I think it’s a reward, the girls gave you hell."

"You can say that again." I chuckled.

When I turned, I saw Noah, staring at us sceptically, almost with suspicion, that was when it dawned on me. When he didn’t see Kragen or me, the only reason he had rushed to my room was because he thought we were doing something.

I opened my mouth to ask him but that was the exact moment, the placenta was choosed to be delivered. Almost immediately, the door opened and several Hospital staff, rushed into the room, carrying bowls of hot water, sheets and everything needed for delivery.

Their presence triggered the baby to start crying again. I was still seething with anger as Noah handed back the child to me, to allow the hospital staff, to do a proper cleaning on me and the baby. I was dying so much to confirm if my thoughts were true.

But before I could open my mouth, Kragen’s voice filtered into my heart.

"Don’t ask him, Selene... let it go!"