kingnovel Chapter 221: The Beginning of a New Life
Chapter 221: The Beginning of a New Life
When Isaac heard it wasn’t him, he felt a little empty inside.
But then he thought about it, and realized that Wyatt Yardley already had a child on the way.
Since others hadn’t even seen a shadow yet, he wasn’t in a hurry.
When Evan Orwell heard this, his eyes immediately lit up.
Since it wasn’t Isaac’s child, it was probably his.
He immediately turned around and deftly cooked another bowl of sweet soup for Seraphina Caldwell.
After the water boiled, he kept stirring to prevent it from sticking to the pot, and only turned off the heat when the soup thickened.
When he served it into the bowl, he even tested the temperature to make sure it wasn’t too hot to burn her.
"Would you like to try a bite of this sweet soup? If you still feel nauseous after drinking it, I’ll think of another way."
Seraphina actually didn’t want to eat at all; she felt stifled.
But she hadn’t eaten anything for several days, and the little one inside her belly needed to eat too.
She had dry heaved twice that morning.
Drinking water was difficult, let alone eating.
But she knew she couldn’t continue like this.
For the life inside her, she had to force herself to eat something.
She gritted her teeth and slowly finished the entire bowl of soup.
Afterward, she lay down early, closed her eyes, and rested.
Her body was exhausted, but her mind couldn’t completely relax.
That night, everyone was on edge, afraid she’d feel uncomfortable.
They took turns keeping watch, with one person asleep and another awake, not daring to let their guard down.
Evan sat not far from the bed, holding a wet cloth, ready to offer it at any moment.
Isaac dozed off leaning against the doorframe, his ears perked up, ready to wake at any slight movement.
Wyatt, on the other hand, kept watch on the other side, his gaze continuously on Seraphina.
She slept unusually long this time, nearly ten hours.
When she awoke, she was somewhat disoriented, not knowing where she was.
It wasn’t until she heard someone outside speaking in low tones that she slowly came to her senses.
Evan had already prepared all sorts of food on the side.
But Seraphina’s eyes scanned the entire table before finally settling in the direction of the door.
She just wanted to go back home.
To make her feel more comfortable, they traveled slowly along the way.
They didn’t rush or bump along, taking a full five days to return to the tribe.
As soon as they entered the tribe, Seraphina saw them happily playing with some baby rabbits in Zoe Vance’s yard.
"Felix! Liora! Elior! Silas! Dad and Mom are back!"
Felix was the first to react, jumping to his feet, not even bothering to put on his shoes.
Elior and Silas immediately dropped their toys and ran forward as well.
Liora, the youngest, ran unsteadily but just as quickly.
But Gideon Larkin stopped them.
"Hold on! You can’t pounce! Mom has a little brother in her belly!"
The children stopped in their tracks.
Felix pursed his lips, Liora’s eyes were watery, and Elior secretly tugged on his sister Silas’s sleeve.
Seraphina’s heart melted, and she stretched out her hands toward them.
"It’s okay, come and let Mom hold you. Mom missed you so much!"
The little ones looked at each other, sneaking glances at Evan, their hearts filled with conflict.
They wanted to pounce and act spoiled but were afraid of pressing against the little brother in Mom’s belly.
Seeing their hesitation, Seraphina simply walked forward herself, wrapping her arms around each of them in turn.
"Quick, tell Mom, have you been listening to Aunt Zoe these days?"
"We have! We were really good and even helped take care of the rabbit babies!"
"They’ve grown so fast, with fluffy fur that feels like clouds!"
They started arguing, each insisting their own sensation was the most accurate.
Seraphina listened and laughed, wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes.
"Uncle Asher Quincy taught us how to dig traps, and Felix even caught a wild rabbit himself!"
Felix blushed and kicked at stones.
"Really! He ambushed behind the bushes, waited a long time before moving, and then caught the hind legs all at once!"
"Mom, does it hurt? Did you fall?"
At this question, the surroundings instantly fell silent.
Everyone’s gaze focused on Seraphina’s face, and even their breathing quieted down.
"..."
It seemed like Evan’s business was handled.
She turned and went inside, bringing out freshly steamed pastries to the table and poured a bowl of warm water next to Seraphina.
Having not seen each other for days, Evan and Asher Quincy had already prepared a big table of dishes.
The children ate with oily faces, chewing while continuing unfinished stories.
The kids heard that Evan Dad could shape-shift, and immediately all gathered around.
They sat down around Evan, knees together.
"Dad! What do you look like when you shape-shift? Show us!"
Evan raised his chin, nostrils flaring.
"Alright, quit pestering, Dad will take you out for a stroll!"
The children cheered, unable to finish eating, they jumped off their seats and followed him.
...
"Wait, it’s been over two months, how is she not going into labor? It can’t be a mistake, can it!"
Seraphina sat on the edge of the bed, hands propped behind her, her brows tightly knit.
Zoe had been running around anxiously these days, with everything prepared for delivery.
But as the days passed, that cry still hadn’t arrived.
She excitedly shouted at Seraphina.
"Are you carrying a female? Otherwise, how could it take so long?"
Hearing this, Seraphina’s eyes lit up instantly; it seemed to make sense.
Chances were, the one inside was a little female!
That subtle fetal movement came again.
Once this news spread, the whole family was abuzz.
Evan puffed out his chest proudly, convinced it was his own flesh and blood.
Seraphina’s belly grew larger, counting the days; the birth had to be before the cold season.
They didn’t dare stay put for long, leisurely making their way back.
Eventually, they settled in the cliffside nest where Kaelan Hawthorne once stayed.
By the time they reached the cliffside nest, dusk had fallen, and a thick layer of dust covered the interior.
Everyone immediately started cleaning, lighting fires and cooking, quickly making it feel like home.
The mountain wind whistled through the cliffs, and occasionally the sound of animals calling came from afar at night.
Summer had barely left, and winter arrived in the blink of an eye.
Snow fell continuously for three days, covering the entire mountain tightly.
They took shifts at night, and during the day, some cooked while others cared for Seraphina.
Space was limited, but no one minded the squeeze.
In this bone-chilling season, Seraphina safely gave birth to a female.
Evan knelt by her side, tightly holding her hand.
Others helped on the side, offering hot water and changing cloths.
When the baby’s first cries rang out, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The child was born healthy, with rosy skin and robust limbs, crying one cry after another.
"Let’s give her a name."
The fire crackled, and the room was filled with the mixed scents of herbs and milk.
Seraphina leaned against a cushion, cradling the bundled baby in her arms, her gaze unwilling to leave her daughter’s face.
Evan crouched nearby, carefully touching the baby’s small hand with his finger.
"Let’s call her Annie."
"I want her to be safe and sound throughout her life, with all good things piling into her embrace."
Evan reached out to hug her shoulders, said nothing, and simply embraced the two of them gently.
The story does not end here.
Instead, it’s the beginning of their family’s new life.
As time goes by, things get better and better, and each of them will usher in their own warm spring.
[The End.]