Surviving Zombies Was Easier Than Raising Beast Cubs

Chapter 168: Chapter 168: I’m having babies

Swanly stared down at the water spreading beneath her feet.

Warm.

Clear.

Definitely coming from her.

Her brain did absolutely nothing useful with this information.

Nothing.

She simply stood there, one hand on the wall, the other beneath the heavy curve of her stomach.

Kael looked up from where he had been sorting sharpened stone blades.

His golden eyes dropped.

To the ground.

Back to Swanly.

Then down again.

His black ears rose.

"Swanly?"

She looked at him.

"Yes?"

Kael pointed.

"You are..."

"I know."

A pause.

Neither of them knew what exactly she knew.

Swanly looked down again.

Then back at him.

Very calmly:

"I think I peed."

Kael’s face went blank.

"I don’t think you did."

"Pregnant females pee themselves."

"I know."

"How do you know?"

"I have three sons."

That was irritatingly fair.

Before Swanly could answer, footsteps approached.

Tilla entered first, carrying a folded hide beneath one arm.

Nahla followed behind her with a bundle of dried herbs.

Tilla was talking.

"I told Tavi that if he gives Miko another climbing idea, I’m tying both of them to..."

She stopped.

Nahla nearly walked into her.

"What?"

Tilla pointed.

Nahla looked.

At Swanly.

At the water.

At Swanly’s stomach.

Then back at Swanly.

"Oh."

Swanly smiled awkwardly.

"Hello."

Tilla’s brown mink ears shot straight up.

Kael stood.

Nobody moved.

Swanly looked between all three.

"What?"

Nahla put down the herbs.

Swanly’s smile slowly disappeared.

"What ’oh’?"

Then something tightened low inside her.

Not a kick.

Not the strange stretching she had gotten used to.

This came from deep within her abdomen and squeezed.

Hard.

Swanly’s eyes widened.

Her hand flew to her stomach.

"Oh."

Kael was beside her instantly.

"Swanly?"

She bent slightly.

The pressure rolled through her.

Painful.

Very painful.

But not unbearable.

More like someone had wrapped a brutal invisible band around her lower body and was tightening it while her back joined the argument.

Then it faded.

Swanly straightened slowly.

Tilla stared.

Nahla nodded once.

"The young are coming."

Silence.

Swanly blinked.

"Now?"

"Yes."

"NOW?!"

Her scream shook the shelter.

Kael’s tail puffed.

Tilla dropped the hide.

Nahla did not even blink.

"Yes. That is generally what happens after the waters release."

Swanly stared at her.

"But I was going to sit down."

Nahla frowned.

"You may still sit."

"That is not the point!"

Kael grabbed the bedding.

Then stopped.

Looked at Swanly.

Looked at the bedding.

Grabbed another hide.

Dropped both.

Picked the first one back up.

Swanly stared at him.

"What are you doing?"

"I don’t know."

"You’ve done this before!"

Kael froze.

His face changed.

He had.

Years ago.

Three tiny panther cubs.

Blood.

Screaming.

A female who barely wanted him near her.

Three babies arriving one after another while Kael thought his heart would rip out of his chest.

His golden eyes widened.

"That did not make it better."

Swanly’s stomach dropped.

"KAEL!"

"I mean..."

He looked horrified with himself.

"I mean everything was fine."

"YOU JUST SAID IT WASN’T BETTER!"

"You were screaming!"

"THAT DOESN’T HELP!"

Tilla grabbed Kael’s shoulders.

"Stop talking."

"I am trying."

"You’re making it worse!"

"I KNOW!"

Nahla shoved both of them aside.

"Female on the bedding."

Swanly pointed at herself.

"I have a name."

"Pregnant female on the bedding."

"Nahla!"

"Move."

Another contraction hit.

Swanly’s argument died.

"Ow."

Kael immediately caught her.

"Ow. Ow. Fuck."

His face went white.

"Swanly?"

"I’m fine."

"You don’t sound fine."

"It hurts!"

Nahla rolled her eyes.

"Yes. Birth is famous for that."

Swanly glared at her.

"I hate healers."

"You will love me when I have your daughters breathing."

That shut her up.

Her daughters.

The thought crashed through the panic.

Two little girls.

They were actually coming.

Today.

Swanly’s eyes widened.

"Oh my God."

Kael crouched.

"What?"

"I’m having babies."

Everyone stared.

Tilla slowly said:

"Yes."

"No, I know I’m having babies. But I’m having babies."

Nahla pinched the bridge of her nose.

Kael actually understood.

His expression softened.

Swanly looked terrified.

"I have to push them out."

"Yes."

"Out of me."

"Yes."

"Two."

"Yes."

"Nahla, stop saying yes!

...

The first horn sounded outside.

BWOOOOOO!

Every person inside froze.

Swanly’s ears rose sharply.

Kael turned toward the entrance.

Tilla’s tail puffed.

Then came another.

BWOOOOOO!

Not the infected signal.

The outer-ridge warning.

Swanly stared.

"No."

Of course.

Of fucking course.

She could not simply give birth.

No.

Apparently her womb had looked at the most inconvenient moment available and said:

Perfect.

Boots thundered outside.

A male shouted:

"Movement on the northern ridge!"

Another:

"Unknown beastmen!"

Swanly closed her eyes.

"Of course."

Kael stood.

Then immediately sat again.

"No."

Swanly looked at him.

"What?"

"I’m staying."

Another contraction gathered.

She grabbed his forearm.

"You are not."

"Yes."

"Kael."

"No."

His black ears flattened.

His claws were already half out.

"I am not leaving you during this."

Nahla looked toward the entrance.

"We need someone guarding this cave."

"I will."

Swanly breathed through the tightening pain.

It hurt.

A lot.

But strangely, it still was not the world-ending agony she had spent months imagining.

Not yet.

It came in waves.

Built.

Squeezed.

Made her want to swear at every male responsible for reproduction.

Then eased enough for her to breathe again.

Footsteps slammed outside.

Soren appeared.

His long white hair was loose.

Silver eyes sharp.

Pale scales lifted along his throat.

"What happened?"

Everyone looked at Swanly.

He followed their eyes.

Then looked at the wet ground.

Then at Swanly.

His pupils narrowed.

"The young?"

Nahla nodded.

"They are coming."

Soren stopped breathing.

For perhaps the first time in his life, the ruler of Ironwood looked completely useless.

Swanly almost laughed.

Then another horn sounded.

Soren’s head snapped toward the settlement.

Raku shouted outside:

"Soren!"

Soren did not move.

Swanly stared at him.

"Go."

"No."

"What?"

"No."

Kael looked at him.

For once, they agreed.

"I’m not leaving either."

Swanly stared at both males.

Another pain tightened.

Her eye twitched.

Fantastic.

She was giving birth to two snake daughters while their father and her panther mate had apparently decided this was the appropriate time to become decorative furniture.

Outside:

"More movement!"

"Archers to the northern wall!"

"Sunmane! Move!"

Arion’s voice thundered:

"WITH ME!"

Swanly pointed toward the door.

"Go!"

Soren’s tail coiled tighter.

"No."

Her blue-gray eyes widened.

"Excuse me?"

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