Page 25 of King’s Obsession (Obsessions #5)

Asmodeus

He wanted to protest as Dougal scooped him up and carried him effortlessly out of the house, except he was tired. The plan for a rose petal bath would need to happen another time, he didn’t feel in the mood for more than snuggling.

He gave a contented sigh as Dougal hugged him closer, taking his time moving through the forest. The sounds of the night creatures kept them company.

Asmodeus' eyelids felt too heavy to open, so he didn’t try.

The ache in his lower back didn’t let him drift off to sleep, and although he used his magic, it didn’t really help.

The baby appeared not to like it, or they absorbed it, maybe? Whichever it was, Asmodeus was feeling the discomfort grow.

“Nearly home,” Dougal murmured against his temple.

“Hmmm.” He nuzzled his nose into Dougal’s throat and inhaled, the scent always made him feel grounded. And it also worked for the baby, who stopped kicking his bladder.

He must have dosed off briefly because he was lying down on their fluffy mattress, naked when he came to from the constricting band of pain around his belly. It stole his breath, and he had to resist hyperventilating when something struck.

I’m having the baby!

The baby is coming… now.

Stop hiding, you’re doing this part.

No, I’m not, and you can’t make me.

At the next wave of pain, he ground his teeth together, struggling to sit up.

His stomach made it impossible to sit easily, the big mound too big to heave up.

So, he rolled onto his side, giving up trying to get up the normal way.

He perched on the edge of the bed, panting and counting the seconds until the pain released its relentless hold.

Wasn’t this what they were supposed to do?

Hadn’t Scott told them to count the seconds, then the minutes, between the pains?

Sweaty and panicking, his human half buried himself deep inside the demon, making sure he could not get forced out. And to avoid his questions, no doubt. He grunted in frustration.

Asshole.

The lack of response he expected. There was utter silence inside his head. If this ever happens again, then I’m going to magic you into our human half and see how you like it. The threat was real, and he hoped his human side would hear him!

Asmodeus couldn’t use magic now because he didn’t know if it would harm their baby. Scott hadn’t used magic, so he rode the pain.

When the cramping eased, he glanced over his shoulder, the dim glow from the bedside lamp revealed a sleeping Dougal.

How long had they been in bed? Longer than he originally thought for sure.

“Oufff,” he groaned, a hand going to his belly when the band tightened once more. The pain was nothing like he’d felt in his life, and he knew from watching Peni give birth he would need to relax and breathe through it.

How the fuck was he supposed to do that?

Gasping, his eyes screwed shut, Asmodeus moaned, and a large hand stroked the base of his back where the ache was unbearable. “I’m right here,” Dougal murmured sleepily.

A second later, the mattress dipped as he came up behind Asmodeus and cradled him. His large hands rubbed circles over the drum-tight, rippling belly.

“The baby… it’s… fuckkkk,” he groaned and twisted his head to shove his face into Dougal’s shoulder. “My human… is fucking hiding…”

“You need to stay as a demon to do this, my love.”

He frowned deeply, riding the pain, unable to answer.

“Just breathe with me, slow and steady.”

Asmodeus tried, he really did, but through each spasm of pain that lasted for around a minute, it got harder to listen. His large body tensed, and he couldn’t catch his breath. “N-need… t-to… m-move,” he stuttered in the end, pushing at Dougal’s arms.

“What do you want to do?” Dougal let go, crawling backwards to get off the bed, standing to come around to Asmodeus’s side.

“Get up,” he whistled through his clenched teeth. He staggered to stand, Dougal’s hands under his armpits. The second he managed to gain his footing, wetness gushed from between his legs, splashing the floor.

“Urggg,” he cried out, unable to step aside and avoid what his body was doing.

“It’s okay,” Dougal murmured, not stepping away even though whatever was coming from him was splashing his blissful one.

“I’ve wet myself,” he exclaimed in horror. “How… is… that okay?” He met Dougal’s amused stare, feeling pissed and weepy.

“We’re in this together.”

Dougal projected calm, and all that did was piss off Asmodeus. Memories of how Peni acted through the birth gave him all the justification to have a hissy fit… but it had to wait until after the next spasm of excruciating pain.

Panting, gasping, and sweating bullets, his lower body undulated as gunk followed the fluid.

He tried not to look at the mess he was making, or what was trickling down his thighs.

He was just grateful that Dougal had stripped him when they’d gone to bed.

Being trapped in his clothes right then would have made it worse somehow.

“You’re doing great.”

“How can you say that?” he gasped as the pain eased.

“I’m a mess.” He was, and the urge to move was back.

He attempted to take a few steps, only his legs were uncoordinated.

Dougal held most of his weight, compounding the feeling of being out of control.

“Let me go,” he snapped around a sharp exhale.

“No, my love, lean on me,” he encouraged and though Asmodeus cussed up a blue storm through each wave of pain, Dougal never let go. He rocked him, rubbed at where the pain was worse, and kissed his sweaty temple when he sobbed tiredly.

“I need to kneel down,” Asmodeus demanded when his body felt like it was being torn apart. Down on the floor, he lurched forward onto his hands, his back arching as he rocked back and forth.

His belly hung low and looked like a drum as he glanced down at it.

His red skin shone in the light with sweat.

There wasn’t a part of him that didn’t feel like it hurt when the spasms didn’t give him any reprieve.

One morphed into the next as he felt his body prepare.

For what, he desperately tried not to think about with Dougal at his back end, stroking down his flank, murmuring words that made no sense.

His lips became glued together. They were so dry he didn’t have any spit left to make his tongue ask for a drink.

“Is everything alright?” Silas’s voice floated past the pain, where in the room he was Asmodeus couldn’t say when his entire focus was on how he wanted to push.

“Need to push,” he managed to gasp.

A cool wet cloth touched his brow, and there was Dougal. “Do what feels natural.”

He grunted and his eyes screwed shut as pain of a magnitude he’d never fathomed held him in its throes as he bore down. Time and time again he cried out, shouted, cursed and pushed with all his might when the pain consumed him, and his body told him what he needed to do.

“I see the head, just one more good push,” Dougal encouraged.

“You… do… it…” he growled, sweat blinding him, his arms shaking as he used what remaining strength he had to push the baby out.

The relief was mind-numbing as he trembled violently at the pain ceasing so abruptly. He chugged in the air as Dougal mopped at his face, pushing the hair back and grinning at him. “I love you.”

“Yeah, if that is true, then next time you do this part,” he murmured, barely having the strength to push up to look for their child.

“Oh, look at you, my little darlin’. Your daddy did such a great job.” Silas appeared, holding a swaddled baby in his arms. “She’s gorgeous.”

“She,” Asmodeus choked out, tears blurring his eyes as Dougal lifted him effortlessly off the ground and placed him on a cool cotton towel on the bed, sitting him against the headboard.

Now the birth was over, he used his magic to clean himself and the room with one quick click of his fingers, while reaching out to Silas for his daughter.

Silas wordlessly placed her in his arms, grinning.

Look at our girl.

Now you choose to come out of hiding. What a cheek!

You can’t be mad at me now. We have the most gorgeous troll-demon little girl.

That’s the only thing saving you.

He wanted to continue to gripe, but Dougal snuggled in at his side as Asmodeus looked down at their daughter. The pink-gray skin made him blink twice. She was most definitely the best of him and Dougal. Us, the best of me, too, don’t forget.

How could I?

Dougal’s strong jawline, Asmodeus’s nose and eye shape. Her lips were a perfect little bow. They moved like she was trying to talk, despite the eyes remaining closed. He traced a gentle finger over the soft downy, dark hair around the tiny little horns that were barely visible right now.

“Have you picked a name for her?” Silas asked, leaning against the bed frame, a soft smile gracing his lips.

We have, right?

We agreed on this.

Asmodeus looked at Dougal, his heart so full of love despite what he’d physically just endured.

“Yes.” He didn’t miss Dougal’s arched brows as he glanced down at their sleeping daughter.

“We are calling her Elara after Dougal’s mom.

She’ll be a queen for all humanity. The goodness that is needed to balance life, just like her dad is in both our realms.”

Dougal cough-choke-sobbed and slipped an arm around them and hugged him hard, but didn’t crush the baby while kissing Asmodeus’s head. “How lovely. You honor me.”

“That’s a beautiful name.” Silas looked at the doorway, wearing a hopeful look. “Are you up to visitors? Wanda, Christa, and Dakata are outside.”

He sighed and looked at Dougal. “How do I look?”

His glistening eyes took in Asmodeus’s face. “Beautiful.”

Blushing hard, he shook his head. “You’re biased.”

“That may be so, but mates don’t lie to each other.”

Love, god it could slay better than a warrior with a sword. “You’re a charmer, you know that?”

“Can we come in?” called Christa. “Wanda’s getting impatient.”

They all laughed when it was Christa who sounded impatient.

“Yes, bring the lass in to meet our little one,” Dougal answered only after seeing Asmodeus nod.

Wanda was the first into the room and Asmodeus grinned tiredly at her. He liked to spend time with Wanda, there was something about her peaceful nature that reminded him of Dougal, just in female form.

He considered if maybe Elara would be much like Wanda if they spent time together.

“Why isn’t she just the sweetest thing,” Christa murmured, grinning at them. He noted she kept her hands to herself and tucked them behind her back.

“She is,” Wanda agreed, coming closer, wearing a look that was all yearning.

Dougal scooped Elara out of Asmodeus’s arms, and he kept his protest to himself, knowing he’d get plenty of time to hold her.

When Dougal stood holding their daughter, his nose burned, and his eyes ached at the picture they made. Nothing was more beautiful. Dougal kissed her forehead, then went to Wanda. “Say hello to Elara, Auntie Wanda.”

Held to her chest, she glanced at Christa and gave her a trembly smile. “I’m an Auntie.”

Christa went to her and wrapped an arm around Wanda’s shoulder. “We both are.” Then she gave Asmodeus a cheeky wink. “Will that get me brownie points if I need anything?”

Dakata shook his head, laughing. “Trust you. Always the chancer!”

Dougal came and sat down next to Asmodeus so he could rest his head on Dougal’s shoulder. There, in the house in the forest, the place where he came to find solace from his grief, he found so much more. Acceptance. Friendship. And most of all, unconditional love.

Who could need or want more than that?