Aiden

For the second time in three months; I find myself a waiting the birth of another prince. My younger brother, Xavier, the prince of the Hell hounds; was the first. The second prince we await on, is the younger brother of my best friend, Gunner. Gunner, is the prince of all shifters. His father Kieran, is known as the Dragon King. I watch as both men pace back and forth with nervousness and excitment. 

Kieran stops pacing long enough to fix us each a glass of scotch. I have to admit that nerves are starting to get the best of me too. We have been waiting for news from the doctor for what seems like ages. Everyone that couldn't be here for the birth of the tiny heir text Gunner and I for updates. My mother, Cerberus, impatiently awaits the birth of her best friends first child. 

The screams and cries of Yanessa, the Dragon King's, new chosen mate, escalate. The walls and windows of the mansion vibrate with each wail. We hear the doctor and nurses as they count down her next contraction, and remind her to breathe. 

"Push! Push! Push!" The nurses encourage her. 

"Okay, Yanessa! You're doing great! We can see the head! Your next push will have this little prince in your arms!" The doctor says. And the nurses begin to count down again. 

"Push, Yanessa!" The nurses shout again. A scream unlike any I have ever heard shatters the windows of the mansion. It get's very quiet. Gunner and Kieran look at each other with pale faces. And then the most beautiful sound fills the house. The angry cries of the little prince has Kieran running across the house to the stairs. The Dragon King takes the stairs two at a time. Gunner and I cheer him on. 

"Congratulations, big brother! Now you will get a taste of my pain. Little brothers are a pain in the ass!" I laugh as I pass him a cigar and pat his back. 

"Mine won't be. As a matter of fact; I'm gonna teach him how to whip Xavier's ass!" Gunner exhails a puff of smoke from his cigar. 

"Please, there is no way a hybrid shifter will beat a pure bred hell hounds ass!"

"Bet! Put your money where your mouth is." Gunner reaches out to shake on our bet. 

"In all my four hundred and twenty-five years in this realm; I've yet to meet a creature that can beat a pure bred hell hound. May the best little brother win." I tell him; giving his hand a firm shake. 

Our back and forth banter is cut off when Kieran shouts, "Doc, something is wrong! What's going on?" 

"Nurse!" The doctor yells.

"Kieran, I need you to back up! There's another one! Baby number two is on his way!" The doctor and the nurse start telling Yanessa to push once again.

"Never again! Never again will you touch me with that thing!" Yanessa cries. She screams bloody murder and curses the Dragon King for all he's worth. 

"Gunner, your father is going to be castrated." I joked, but in all honesty. Yanessa, is the type of woman that will do it. She didn't give a shit who you were, what you were, or what title you held. If you crossed her, you paid the price. 

"Xavier, better get off the tit and start training. He's got two of my little brothers to defend himself against." 

Our joking a laughter is cut short when things sound like they're becoming hectic upstairs. Gunner's face pales when Kieran yells. "Why is the baby not breathing? Fucking do something!" 

"I'm sorry my king! There is nothing more we can do." The doctor cries. Kieran roars and the house shakes as if there were an earthquake. The world stopped spinning. Time stands still. Gunner's eyes become red rimmed. His knees hit the carpet with an audible crack. 

Yanessa wails, "My baby is gone! She's gone!" 

Gunner punches at the floor until his knuckles are bloody and raw. Kieran and Yanessa's wails filled the house. 

"It's not fair!" Gunner cried. And it wasn't. Yanessa had two failed pregnancies. The doctors told her she may never carry a baby to full term since she wasn't the Dragon King's fated mate. She deserved to have both of her babies live. Gunner and Kieran, loved the little prince since they knew he was concieved. 

I walked over to the sitting room's door and shut it. Gunner, needed privacy to let out his hurt. I kneeled down next to my friend watching his shaking back as he buried his face in the bloodied carpet. My heart hurt for the parents and my best friend. It hurt for the shifter community. Everyone was excited about the arrival of a new heir. 

I placed my hand on Gunner's back trying to console him. 

"Guns, I won't pretend to know how you're feeling. I can't imagine how much you're hurting. Let it out now. Because they're going to need you to be the strong one. They will need the future king. They just lost one of thier babies. Neither of them will be in the right head space to make it through this without you."

Gunner pushed himself up and wipe away the tears. I watched as he stormed out of the room. I pulled my phone from my pocket to text my mother and father the horrible news. Then i walked into the kitchen where all the staff waited for orders from the Dragon King or Gunner. Their soft cries and sniffles went straight to my heart. 

I then did something I never do. As hell hound I figure it's pointless, but I prayed anyway. 

"Everyone, I know it's going to be hard to do today. I know I'm not Gunner or the 

Dragon King. But I'm going to need you all to get back to work. Make sure they have everything they need or want before they know what it is they need or want. Today, is a sad day for all of us. But it's hell for them." The staff all start to work and I head out the back door. 

Three days after the death of the tiny princess we all find ourselves gathered around the cermonial pyre at the shifter compound. Everyone passes Yanessa, Kieran and Gunner giving thier condolences. They drop different kinds and shades of pretty pink flowers around the couffin sitting atop the pyre. 

I watched as my mother passed my three month old baby brother off to my father standing next to the Dragon King. Everyone watches as the two best friends hug and cry. Yanessa's wails seemed to have gotten worse with each passing day. But today the world was weeping with her. 

What was once a bright sunny day turned dark as night. Rain started softly falling. The loudest thunder seemed to roll across the sky. Lightening began to crack. Yanessa's wails grew over the sounds. My mother held her up as her body began to shake and fall. Lightening began to strike all around us, but no one dared to move. The lightening could strike us all, but we'd stand tall and brave for the tiny princess dressed all in white. 

When the lightening begins to strike around the pyre seeming to get closer and closer to the tiny casket; Yanessa looses her shit. Before anyone could stop her; Yaneesa climbs the pyre and holds herself over the casket to block the lightening. Gunner was handed the tiny prince. And Kieran climbs the pyre to retrieve his mate. 

"Come on love. It's time to light the pyre." Kieran tells Yanessa. They each place a kiss on the princess's head and Kieran leads her back down to her seat. Gunner passes the tiny prince, Romeo, back to his mother.

Yanessa holds her baby boy close as Waylon the Warlock proceeds with the ceremony. Waylon, places some of the pink flowers in the casket with the baby girl. As he starts to lower the lid a baby begins to softly cry. The lower the lid goes the louder the cry. Tears stream down everyone's faces. I watch Romeo and Xavier the only two babies in the crowd. Both are sound asleep. The cry gets louder and louder. Then a tiny fist shoots up. A tiny foot is the next thing to shoot up. 

Everyone is in shock as the tiny princess throws her first tantrum. 

"Yanessa! Kieran! Oh great goddess! She's alive!" Waylon shouts with joy. Gunner takes Romeo from Yanessa. Then Yanessa and Kieran are up the pyre. Yanessa takes her tiny baby girl from the casket and holds her close. Tears of sadness turn into tears of joy and relief for some. For others fear shines brightly in their eyes. 

Afterall, it's not everyday a baby comes back to life after being dead for three days. Most of the paranormal world would rejoice and celebrate the rebirth of the tiny princess. While some were preparing for the end of days.