The past few weeks had been surreal. Every time he reflected on them, Serach could not help but question the reality of whether or not he had actually lived them. He was still furious with Aponi, but his anger had lost its rashness and harshness. Rather than yelling at her, he simply kept his distance. When they spoke, he responded curtly. In front of their kids, he would even smile, although he doubted the smile ever reached his eyes. He hoped that his loved ones were ignorant of what had occurred to between the two leaders, but they were all smart and he would be shocked if they did not suspect at least something was amiss. But as Aponi's belly began to visibly swell, the distance he was enforcing between them began to decrease. He dutifully helped her clean up the birthing den, and brought her the choicest bits of meat from their hunts. He enforced the pack's borders with his scent, furiously marking every tree and brush so any stranger - or former friend - knew that this was Serach's territory. Despite his anger, he was determined to stay true to his promise that he would father the pups growing in her stomach, even if they were not actually his.

A freshly caught rabbit hung from Serach's jaws as he walked towards the den this morning. He'd been stalking it for the better part of the early hours before he had finally cornered it in its warren, and while not the same as presenting Aponi with a chunk of meat from big game, he hoped she would be grateful for it. She was inside the den, which although surprising was not immediately concerning. Even having given birth inside the Bend twice in years past, Aponi still had her nesting instincts. So he approached the entrance of the den and set the hare down, only noting that something was different when the familiar smells and sounds of birth registered in his brain. Already? he thought, scrambling down onto his stomach, his head in the entrance of the den so could peer inside. "Aponi? I'm here. Everything alright?" he asked into the darkness, his voice earnest but also excited about what was to transpire.

SERACH & APONI DONATA

 

Things had been getting better between the mates, there was no more yelling and that had been replaced with a cold distance. Even that, i time had shrunk down as her sides had gotten swollen but Aponi knew that had more to do with the growing lives than with her. Serach was a good husband but he was a tremendous father. The den had been cleaned and a mixture of their fur lined the bottom to add warmth and a soft carpet for growing paws and tumbling bodies. Everything had been falling into place and sometimes the man even smiled half-heartedly at her and the woman returned it full force. She had become the picture of a complacent little field mouse in his presence, waiting on scraps of affection or even slight friendliness.

It was a pathetic form of existence and she knew it but Aponi couldn’t muster up anything more than that. She did her best to act normal around the rest of the pack but thankfully given her current condition a sullen mood wasn’t unexpected and could be excused, she hoped.Her milk had come in a couple of days ago and her hips had widened but the pregnant wolf figured she would had about another week to go.This was based on how long she had waited in previous years but her physical symptoms told another story.

When the first strike of pain split her belly wide she was sure it was another false alarm, becoming more and more frequent these days. It would give a couple of contractions and then she could go about her day as if nothing had happened. So, she laid herself out in front of the den entrance letting the sun warm her sides, usually a trick that comforted her. For a few minutes it worked and Aponi almost allowed herself to doze off and take an afternoon nap. Licking her chops lazily she sighed, however the gentle expire of air turned into a short woosh when her sides visibly tensed and flexed. This was no false alarm.

Crawling her way into the den Aponi considered calling for Serach but there was no time. Normally her labours lasted for hours, sometimes contractions happening almost all night but everything was happening so fast this time. She had barely gotten herself turned around so she could face the entrance when the overwhelming urge to push too her.

It was less than an hour after that when Serach’s approach lifted Aponi from the light sleep she had allowed herself to take. Lifting her head a few inches off the dirt the smile she showed him was absolutely beaming, pride and love written across her muzzle. Shifting her silver tail away and off of the cubs, ”Two, a boy and a girl.” Still, despite the children at her belly the blue eyes never once wavered from her mate. ”You’re a dad again Serach, another son and another daughter.” Her second son, her fifth daughter, ”I love you.” She meant it.

loving you is fire & then it’s rain.

Serach was vaguely aware of movement behind him, but his attention was far too focused on the inside of the den. There was no missing the smile on Aponi's face or the quiet sounds of the new pups nursing and settling against the protective shelter of Aponi's body. As she adjusted her tail, he craned his neck forward to try and see better and was rewarded with seeing two blobs of fur nestled against her. Outside the den, Serach's own tail was wagging furiously, signaling to the rest of the pack that things were well. A boy and a girl, he thought, his heart already melting. "I love you too," he replied without even thinking, but it was clear by the tone in his voice that he meant it. It might not be as easy once the newness and awe of what had just transpired wore off, but he was too excited to care or to think much about it at the moment.

They'd been too caught up in their own tense relationship to have discussed names prior to the birth, but faced with the prospect of naming them now, Serach's mind quickly settled on one that he hoped would satisfy Aponi. "I'd like to name her Kisina, for my sister." In life, Kisla had been Serach's closest sibling and he could think of no better way to honor her memory than to name one of his daughters after her. He was less certain about his son, so he remained quiet to see what Aponi would say.

SERACH & APONI DONATA

Aponi watched as the tension on Serach’s face melted away to exuberance and awe and the mother knew in that moment everything would be alright. His words were like warmth against the cold exterior she had been trying to keep up. She knew it was only this moment that made him look upon her that way but it was enough assurance that it was possible. Even if he hated her, he still loved her.

In that moment the mother probably would have agreed with anything that he asked, if only to keep him happier than she had seen him in weeks. But, the name seemed to fitting for the sister he had lost. They had all been a little lost this year, and the pups were supposed to bring them back to where they were meant to be. ”Kisina is beautiful.” Just like you a thought that would never reach her lips but was truthful nonetheless.

Suddenly Aponi realized that she was crying and averted her gaze back to the pups at her belly, blinking hard. Licking her lips she prayed her voice wouldn’t break as she gave her own offering, ”And for our son, Azra?” There was no real meaning behind it as far as she knew, but it seemed to fitting somehow of the small bundle beside her. A name that meant pure to those who knew of such things, but alas Aponi was a wolf and had no way of knowing.

loving you is fire & then it’s rain.

Corsair hadn't really considered that the birth of his younger siblings would be a pack activity. Nobody had ever sat him down and really explained how this process was going to go. He had fallen asleep in the woods after a night spent stargazing, and so when he had made his way back to the main den to see what everyone was up to, his face had screwed up in confusion when there was no one to be found. Following his nose, his pace quickened as he approached the birthing den, a mix of anxiety and excitement building in his stomach.

The first thing he saw was his father's tail, beating a fast and steady rhythm against the ground. He didn't seem his mum, so he guessed that she was probably inside. Cham, Mabel, and Lila were gathered outside, although not too close. Deciding to follow suit, he padded over to them, nudging Mabel's hip before he plopped down next to Lila. "They're here, aren't they?" he asked, still unsure if he was excited or upset over the latest additions to the Donata family. Looking at Lila, he wondered for a moment if she had felt similarly last year when it had been Mabel, Ayla, and himself inside that den. Leaning into his half-sister he followed up with, "When will we get to meet them?"

Serach hadn't even realized he had been holding his breath until Aponi agreed to his name suggestion and he exhaled in relief. It had been a big ask, and he was grateful she was willing to give him this. In the darkness of the den, he didn't see her begin to tear up, but he felt the shift in atmosphere. Like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders or that they were on the same page for the first time in a long time. It felt good, and the cherry on top to an already happy event. In that spirit, he was quick to affirm that Azra was also the right choice. "Azra and Kisina, welcome to the world," he murmured to the bundles nestled at Aponi's breast and to the woman herself.

But it was time to let her rest. "I'll be right here, okay?" he told her before wiggling backwards out of the den. Once his shoulders had cleared the den's entrance, he twisted around and shifted just a little to the side of the entrance and cast his gaze upon the rest of the pack that had gathered there. His eyes were drawn first to Mabel, who looked like she was about to leave. He frowned in confusion for just a moment before woofing quietly to get her attention. Hoping she would turn to see him, he smiled reassuringly at her for a moment before looking to Corsair, Lila, and Chamomile in turn before going back to Mabel. "Aponi's doing well, and you've got two new siblings - Kisina and Azra," he announced, clearly filled with pride. "They aren't going to do much for a while but sleep and eat, but you can poke your nose in. Your mum will want to see you."