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.