[HeIsKing]

Although Talon was trembling with a mix of fear and pain, he nodded hurriedly at Jax's words. It would all be over soon, he hoped.

Luckily, this first one's head didn't seem to be too big, and when he pushed down on the next contraction, he felt the head slide out. He still had the shoulders to take care of, of course, but he could be happy about this development for now, attempting to peer over his belly to look at Jax. "Is that -- oh, Jax, how does it look?"

[shooshoo]

Jax held the pup's head in his hands, staring in amazement. The pup let out a wail, strong and loud. Jax couldn't help but laugh in happiness.

"Do you hear him? He's crying before he's even out. He looks so good, Tal. He's perfect."

[HeIsKing]

A smile spread across Talon's face, but he knew his work wasn't done yet. This pup still needed to get all the way out.

The next contraction hit him quickly, and Talon pushed hard, trying to get the pup's shoulders out quickly. The first one popped out, along with a small rush of fluids, and then the second. He took the time after that to lean back a bit and pant heavily, his hard work nearly half over. As the next contraction came, he cried out to Jax, "It's coming!", pushing hard as he did.

Finally, the pup eased out of his body, a rush of blood and fluids coming out after it. Talon peered over his body to get a good look, panting heavily. "Oh, Jax -- a boy?" He asked, voice strained from the howling and crying he'd been doing.

[shooshoo]

Jax gathered the pup in his arms, checking him over briefly began setting him in Talon's arms. The pup was still crying, expressing his displeasure at being so abruptly removed from his comfortable home. Jax leaned his head on Talon's shoulder, staring down at their baby boy.

"He's beautiful," Jax sniffles, pulling a blanket over the pup. "Hold him for a moment and then I'll shift to clean him off since you can't shift yet."

[HeIsKing]

The reality of what he'd done hit Talon all at once as he gazed down at the pup in his arms. He had dark hair, like Talon himself, streaked with what looked like lighter brown stripes. His mother had been that way; they called her a "brindle", and Talon was black and brown himself, so it wasn't surprising. His skin was also dark, not darker than Talon, but dark enough to know that he was mixed.

Talon sniffled a bit himself, running his hand over the pup's head to try to calm him. Although he was the first, he was definitely not the bigger one. He was by no means a runt, but the pup still inside of his mother was much bigger. Talon could tell that as the second one twisted around inside of him, dropping into position.

"Of course he's beautiful, he's ours," Talon murmured happily, looking over to Jax. "I don't think the second one will come for a while. It is much bigger, and still high up in the womb."

[shooshoo]

"Let me clean him up so you can feed him and maybe we can rest for a bit before your labor picks back up again," Jax said, pressing a kiss to Talon's lips.

He shifted into his wolf form and nudged to blanket off the baby and began to clean him. The crying slowed down as Jax hummed. It made his heart clench when he realized the pup recognized him, recognized the humming as something that was familiar and calming. He definitely did something right there.

The pup smacked his lips as Jax finished cleaning him off. He shifted back to his human form and wrapped the pup in a blanket, handing him back to Talon. "You should feed him. I'll cut the umbilical cord once you deliver the placenta. It's best if he stays attached as long as possible."

[HeIsKing]

Talon remembered this advice from the Healer, and he nodded, holding the pup carefully to his chest so that he could feed. Although his eyes were still shut tight, the pup had an incredible sense of smell, and was soon attached to his mother's teat, suckling and kneading instinctively. It made Talon happy; the pup was nursing strongly, which meant that he was strong and healthy.

He delivered the placenta not long after, meaning that the twins had to be fraternal. It furthered his ideas that the second pup would be a female, despite its large size. She'd likely inherited her grandfather's massive size, which would be good in the future, but meant that the second part of Talon's labor would be even more difficult.

A half-hour went by, before the contractions started up again. "They've started again, strong," Talon huffed to Jax.

[shooshoo]

Jax took the first pup, settling him in a soft best of hay. He had fallen asleep after he had eaten, safe and comfortable in Talon's arms. Using a sharp knife from his pack, Jax cut the cord, bundling the placenta in one of the blankets. He would bury it later after the second pup was born.

Jax rested his hands on Talon's belly, trying to feel if the second pup was in position. The pup still felt high, but he knew Talon was not going to get up and walk again.

"I have an idea," Jax said. "Get on your knees and lean on me. Gravity will help and you won't have to walk."

[HeIsKing]

That sounded like a good idea. Talon nodded, forcing himself up onto his knees and leaning against his mate. Now, he was incredibly glad that Jax had agreed to be there with him -- without him, he was sure that the labors would last much longer.

The omega let out a soft groan as he rocked his hips with the coming contractions, feeling the pup pushing its way down to the birth canal. "This one's huge," Talon told Jax, gritting his teeth as he did. He wondered how so many omegas did this so often; some he knew were seeking to be pregnant again only a few months after they'd given birth. Talon was definitely going to be waiting a few years before the next litter, no matter how hard his hormones pushed him.

Soon, an unbearable pressure had been placed on Talon's hips, telling him that the pup was closer. "It hurts," he groaned softly, spreading his knees and rocking his hips a bit more to try to ease the pain.

[shooshoo]

Jax rubbed at Talon's hips, trying to help ease some of the pressure. He believed Talon when he said this pup was bigger. His belly hadn't gotten much smaller after the birth of the first pup. Talon was whining continuously now, even when a contraction eased.

"Get into a squat," Jax said, helping Talon move. "This will open your hips more. I don't think you'll be able to deliver this one lying down."

[HeIsKing]

Talon was taking deep gasps of breath now, nodding along with Jax's words. "Alright, okay..." Steadying himself, he moved his body into a squat, pressing his back against the wall but keeping one arm around Jax.

The position seemed to help. The pup shifted more, pressing harder against the birth canal. Talon gave one long, low wail, looking over at Jax. "Check -- check to see where she is. I feel like pushing."

[shooshoo]

Jax slid a hand between Talon's legs, pressing two fingers inside of him. Talon clenched hard at that, moaning.

"You have to relax so I can check." Jax felt Talon loosen around his fingers and he slid them in enough to feel the very top of the pup's head. It felt weird though and he realized it was because this pup's amniotic sac hadn't broken. The pup was in position though so he pulled his hand out and wrapped his arms around Talon's chest to keep him upright.

"Go ahead and push. The sac hasn't broken but you can still push."

[HeIsKing]

Talon nodded hurriedly, ready to push even without his instruction. He bore down hard on the next contraction, groaning loudly as he did. A rush of fluids ran down his legs for the second time, telling him that the sac had finally broken.

This pup wasn't as eager to leave her home as her brother, and fifteen minutes later, her head was only just starting to crown. "Fuck -- Jax, she's so big," he nearly wailed, gripping onto his mate for dear life. "Help -- me!"

[shooshoo]

Jax moved Talon so he was on his hands and knees. It was the only thing he could think of. The pup was just starting to crown and Jax pressed his hands against the stretched skin, trying to push from the outside as well.

"You have to push again. I can't get my hands in to help pull her out," Jax ordered him. "Take a deep breath and push as hard as you can."

Talon did that, wailing the whole time. The head inched forward but still not fully crowning. The head was huge compared to the first pup and Jax was worried that Talon wouldn't be able to get the pup out.

[HeIsKing]

Talon pushed and pushed as hard as he could, stopping between pushes only to breathe a bit before going again. For a moment, he feared that he might never get this pup out, until finally he felt the top of her head all the way to her nose pop out. He let out a cry of relief, shifting his hips to aid with getting the rest of her out.

Even once her head finally popped out, the rest of her was just as huge. Talon groaned loudly, pushing hard as he tried to force her shoulders out. A rush of fluid came, followed by the first shoulder, and then the second. Unlike her brother, this one refused to come in one fluid push, so he knew he was going to have to push every inch of her out.

"Get -- a hold of her shoulders," Talon groaned, starting to push again as another contraction came.

[shooshoo]

Jax grabbed the pup by the shoulders and carefully tried to pull her out. With the combination of Talon's next push and his tugging on the pup, she finally came out. Unlike her brother, she made no noise. Jax turned her upside down and patted her back firmly. She was limp in his arms.

"C'mon, baby. Breathe for Daddy." He rubbed her vigorously, trying to get her to respond. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she coughed and began to wail. Jax's shoulders sagged in relief and he brought her up into his arms. "It's a girl. She's starting to pink up now."

[HeIsKing]

Completely exhausted, Talon fell onto his side, breathing heavily once it was over. He didn't relax, though, not until he heard his daughter cry out. Finally, the fear inside of him dissipated, and he felt like a huge weight had been lifted from him -- both figuratively, and literally.

The afterbirth came out not long after, and once it did, Talon's first instincts were to curl around his newborn offspring, to protect them from the harsh world they'd been born into. The girl needed to be fed, though, and he looked over at Jax, extending his arms so he could hold her.

"Let me see her, the poor thing is probably starving."

[shooshoo]

Jax handed her over to Talon and shifted to clean her off. She immediately latched onto Talon's test, sucking greedily. Jax tried not to disturb her eating as he licked her off. He moved onto Talon, cleaning every part of him he could reach. He spent a long time between his legs, cleaning off all of the blood and fluids from the pups birth. He should probably be more disgusted by this but all he kept thinking was that this was his mate who had carried their pups for nine months and just gave birth. This was the least he could do.

He picked up the blanket with both of the afterbirths and trotted outside. The ground was cold and hard but he managed to dig a large enough hole to bury the blanket. He headed back inside and found Talon dozing while the pup still fed. The first pup was starting to whimper again so Jax shifted and picked him up. He was surprised that the pup had slept through all the racket of his sister's birth.

With careful movements, he switched out the pups, getting their son to latch onto Talon's other teat. Talon barely moved.

[HeIsKing]

Unsurprisingly, it hadn't taken long for Talon to fall asleep not long after his daughter was born. Jax's soothing licks managed to put him to sleep quite quickly, and he stayed that way, at least until his mate came back to switch out the pups.

Almost immediately, his maternal instincts awakened within him, and his eyes sprung open. A short growl rose in his throat, but it was cut off when he realized it was only his mate. Talon relaxed, but curled protectively around the pups, sighing sleepily as his eyes closed half-way.

"Tomorrow, before the sun reaches its midpoint, we name them," he mumbled to Jax. "When they start to keep their eyes open, that's when they'll be able to shift. We can carry them home; the Healer will help us present them to the pack."

[shooshoo]

"Okay," Jax said, yawning widely. He settled himself around Talon, spooning him and the pups. He could feel all of the adrenaline draining from him and he really needed to sleep.

"Sleep now. They'll be up to eat again soon.".