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I lift her hand and kiss her knuckles. “Ever.”

The next contraction comes fast. I open our bond before Selena can scream and take what I can from her. Pain rips through me again, but this time I know what I'm doing. I hold on to the bed with one hand and Selena with the other.

“Push, baby.”

She bears down with a cry.

“That's it. You've got this.”

“I can't.”

“Yes, you can.”

Her nails dig into my hand as my Lycan pushes closer. Mate strong.

"Yeah, she is."

The doctor looks up. “Again. She's almost here.”

Our daughter is almost here. I lean over and kiss Selena's temple. “Come on, baby. Bring our girl home.”

Selena cries as she pushes again. I take everything I can through our bond, my body tightening under the pain while she squeezes my hand. I keep my eyes on her, feeling every breath and every push until suddenly the room fills with a tiny, loud cry.

Everything inside me stops as my Lycan whispers, Pup.

Selena collapses back against the bed, tears already streaming down her face. “Is she okay?”

Another cry fills the room as the doctor smiles. “She's perfect.”

A sob tears from Selena as they place our daughter against her chest. I stare at the tiny girl squirming against my mate, unable to move for a second. Dark hair covers her head. Her little face scrunches as she cries, and her tiny hands curl against Selena.

Our daughter is finally here.

Selena looks at me through her tears. “Rylan.”

That gets me moving. I lean over both of them, wrapping one arm around Selena as carefully as I can while tears blur my vision. I kiss my mate before looking down at our daughter again.

“You did it.”

“We did it.”

I shake my head. “You definitely did most of that.”

Selena laughs through her tears and pulls me down for another kiss. Our daughter makes a tiny sound between us, drawing both our attention back to her.

Pup, my Lycan says again, completely focused on the tiny life resting against our mate.

"Our pup."

I touch one finger to our daughter's hand, and her tiny fingers close around it. A tear drops onto Selena's gown before I can stop it.

“She has you wrapped around her finger already,” Selena whispers.

“She just got here.”

“And?”

I laugh quietly and kiss our daughter's head. “Fine. Diana Laurent has me wrapped around her finger.”