It was 9 a.m. in the morning when the room was in total chaos. The once Bikini Bottom-themed room had become a disaster. The Patrick Star cutouts were ripped to shreds, pink paper scattered all over the floor like confetti, and the smiling face emojis were torn right off the ceiling tracks.

It started when Faye’s contractions began.

And no, that girl wasn’t having it. She was unhinged and a bit violent. She was in pain, and no matter how her best friend and girlfriend tried to calm her down, that girl wouldn’t stay still. She thrashed against the white sheets, her fingers bunching the fabric up until it ripped.

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts... make it stop!"

Faye cried, groaning in pain. She arches her back off the mattress, her chest heaving as a massive wave of pressure rolled through her belly.

The maternity class did say something about this, but no, she didn’t put it in her head. She had been too busy zoning out, thinking about what flavor of ice cream she wanted after the lecture was over.

Nurse Lela told her that it would be a bit painful, but that’s the beauty of becoming a mother.

All those stories that nurse told her were lies. Where the fuck was the beauty? There was no fucking beauty, only pain. Her lungs burned with every sharp breath she took, the sweat breaking out along her hairline in heavy beads.

"Get me that nurse Lela!" Faye growled. Her voice dropped into a dark, scratching sound, her teeth bared toward the hallway.

"Do you need her to answer questions?" Princess asked. She rushed to the side of the bed, her own chest tight with panic as she reached out to grab Faye’s shoulders.

"I want to rip her apart. She lied to me... she fucking lied. This hurts like hell..."

Faye cried, like an actual one. Real, heavy tears flooded her eyes and washed down her pale cheeks, her mouth twisting in pure agony.

The girl had swung her legs over the metal guardrail, trying to escape the bed entirely, her knees buckling instantly under the weight of another sudden cramp. Princess caught her under the arms, lifting her up against her own solid chest.

"You, this is all your fault... you had to go and fuck me. You could have just walked out of the room when you realized my boobs wasn’t your fucking girlfriend’s, but no, you didn’t... and then you stopped me from getting an abortion..."

Faye cried, her nails digging into her girlfriend’s skin. She clamped her fingers around Princess’s forearms, her sharp nails puncturing the skin right through the fabric of her shirt.

Then another contraction hit, and the girl kept screaming in pain. It was beginning to become unbearable for the poor girl. Her voice cracked from the sheer force of the scream, her head throwing back into Princess’s shoulder as her stomach hardened like a rock.

Princess tried everything in her power to help her girlfriend ease the pain, but Faye’s suffering was only getting worse by the minute.

As an Alpha, she was trying her best not to break down. It was overwhelming for her too, the heavy scent of distress filling the small room and setting her wolf on absolute fire. But her girlfriend was the one carrying the pain, not her. She had to stay strong, her arms locking tight around Faye’s waist to keep her upright.

Faye continued. She kept saying unhinged things as the pain grew worse. Her thoughts were completely scattered by the agony, her mouth moving without any filter at all.

The decorations were already ruined. Faye clawed at the walls, scratching anything her fingers touched, even Princess. Her face was covered in bruises and scratch marks. Blood welled up in thin lines along Princess’s cheeks where Faye’s fingers had raked across them during the last big wave.

The doctor in charge suggested that Faye should be taken to the Cave Room, a room meant for violent patients who couldn’t control themselves. He stood near the doorway with a metal clipboard, his eyes wide as he watched the destruction. The patients in the Cave Room were usually chained to avoid causing damage to themselves or the staff.

Faye was showing signs of becoming one of them. The room had already been damaged and scratched. The drywall near the bed was gouged deep, white powder settling over the floor tiles.

The only word Princess said to the doctor was:

"No."

It was loud and clear. Her voice boomed through the space, dropping into a terrifying Alpha command that made the medical equipment rattle on its wheels.

She was not ready to see her girlfriend treated like some wild beast.

Faye was just in pain, and it was her first time giving birth. She wasn’t going to let anyone put chains on her girl while she was bringing their pups into the world.

Faye had never experienced pain like this before. This was all new to her. Every sensation was magnified, tearing through her small frame like a storm.

Princess demanded another doctor, kicking the doctor out of the room. She pointed a blood-stained finger toward the door, her eyes flashing a dangerous gold until the man scrambled backward into the hall, dropping his pen in the process.

Malo, who had been hiding behind a couch because of how aggressive Faye had been earlier, peeked out to check on the condition of his best friend. His yellow SpongeBob shirt was wrinkled, and he looked completely terrified as he stared at the messy room. He had seen his mom give birth a couple of times, but he had never seen her act the way Faye was acting. His mom usually just groaned and held his dad’s hand.

Faye was extraordinary. She was a complete force of nature, tearing down the room with her bare hands.

It was total chaos inside the hospital room.

"I’m going to die, Princess... I’m going to die..."

Faye cried.

She was a bit calmer now and was leaning against Princess, Princess sat on the edge of the mattress, letting Faye sit between her legs, her large hands lifting the heavy weight of the stomach to take some of the pressure off Faye’s lower spine.

"You are not going to die, okay? I won’t let you die," Princess said softly. She pressed her lips against Faye’s damp neck, whispering the words repeatedly into her skin to soothe her.

"You are not the Moon Goddess. You don’t know anything, Princess... you don’t know how I feel right now. This is worse than cramps... 1000 times worse. You wouldn’t know either because you don’t have menstrual periods... I don’t want you to come close to me after today. Your scent, your breath, anything that has to do with you should not come close to me ever again... You are dangerous... You are a dangerous Alpha."

Faye continued lamenting while Princess simply listened as the girl placed all the blame on her. Princess didn’t argue, her chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm to provide a calm anchor for the smaller girl to lean against. She just kept her hands steady under the bump, absorbing every harsh word without a peep.

Watching the pain Faye was going through, Princess had already made up her mind.

Four was the limit.

She couldn’t bear to watch her girlfriend go through this again. The sight of Faye crying and shaking in her arms was tearing her own heart into pieces.

Four was enough.