"No, wait, Elibur! He's powerful even without his spellbook!" I warned, but then I squirm in pain.
"Strange," Haiban mumbles, "the moon isn't calling anymore. It seems whatever I do next is solely my decision."
He's right. And I'll never notice that until he mentioned it. What could've happened with Linly? After the brief silence, an enchast rapidly expands from Haiban's toes to the whole city! The ground sprouts grasses—the same grasses in his world, the shade of the super moon turns to light, and the air suddenly feels cold—
"Aaah!" I hold my baby bump tight, the belt is already disjointed, and my back is getting even stiffer. "Wait! Wait, I need a moment of silence!" I screamed in the middle of silence.
However, Haiban folds his sleeves up and exposes the book tattoos on his arms, then manifests another 4 spellbooks with both hands. "I told you, my child, you're delivering the worst to yourself," he said. The terrifying rumbling sounded from afar, then all of our jaws dropped when we saw the earth folds like a scroll! The houses, roads, and even the lakes are rolling and squashing! Am I giving birth at the end of the world!?
When Elibur attacks, the whole pack follows. But we all—except Haiban—glide to the right as the whole city turns sideward! I can't defy the pain nor alter my situation right now anymore. I felt no hands or material to cling to as I fall just beside the ground that is supposed to catch me. It was helpless... until I felt strong arms catch me. He's a dark guy wearing the coat, the sweetest cabbage in the world. He lands on the wall of a house while carrying me.
"Dan... Are you..." He looks uneasy. And I can't lend my breath to speak anything, just for panting! "Acro!!" he called. Acro shifts bigger and Hessuel hops on behind the owl flying to the outside of the city boundary. He was holding me tight throughout the hastening flight until we landed on an open hill where the white wolves are. He lays me down on the grass and gets fidgety. "W-What should I do? The clinic is standing upside down! There aren't any doctors here—!"
"I don't need that," I groaned in pain.
"Why? How do werewolves give birth?" he asks stupidly. He knelt in front of me and I'm startled when he opens my legs! "I'll just have to cheer once I saw the head, right? Go—"
"What the hell! This isn't cheer dancing!! Aaah!!" I can feel it coming out! Nobody told me it hurts like death!
"Calm down, Dan!"
I screech, "You're the one who's panicking—!"
"Stop panicking! The twins might panic at first sight of life!"
Sherizzah and Zaeramil arrive for immediate assistance. She says, "L-Leave this to me, Hessuel. You can't do this if you're panicking." And she sat beneath my soles, and Hessuel moved away.
"But you're also panicking," he said.
"Because you're panicking!"
"Guys!" Zaeramil pacified. "C-Come on! Panicking won't help!"
"But you're panicking, too!!" Hessuel and Sherizzah shouted at him.
My back and neck stiff firmly, gasping the sharp cold air but the pain only gets worse!
"Zaeramil, enchant a mattress. Sherizzah, make sure the baby is delivered safely. Hessuel," Matheo taps his shoulder, "stay with her." Finally, the real help arrives. After Zaeramil enchanted the grass to transform into a mattress, Sherizzah politely removes my underclothes, some of the white wolves surround me, then Hessuel sat behind me where I can lean my back. Matheo is leading the pack now against the enemy and I can't warn them from the phantom pureblood since every noise coming out of my mouth is a scream!
I can see the destruction of the whole city, it's like an instant mountain arising from the earth's crust. Horrifying rumbling... The annihilation of every single werewolf... How shall I bring my children—flesh and bone—into this world? What kind of mother would I be if I took them into danger involuntarily? From the root of it all, this is my fault.
"Dan," that gentle whisper from my mate replaces my depression, "don't think about anything else for a while." From behind, he holds my hands and embraces me with his legs. "We won't let them see this world, we'll let them see our love. And this is their chance," he added. Such support burns my doubt away. We've never been this intimate to link our minds and emotions—one of the capabilities of the mate bond.
The only problem is how I see this blessing negatively. I gasp then push powerfully. This pain is describable similar to giant fingers tightly pinching and twisting my stomach! My fangs, claws, and emerald eyes are appearing altogether. Sherizzah cheers while clapping in joy when she can finally see the life I ever wished for.
"Awooo!!" Hessuel howls. I failed to notice my claws and grip of his hands—almost breaking his bones—until then!
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I pant.
"No, I don't mind—" he said but he bemoans again. I'll just take back what I said. We were together in pleasure so we should be together in pain! I heard my baby's wail, more powerful to my ears than the rumbling. I want to stop already but after Sherizzah clothed my firstborn, she told me to push again! Hessuel is wiping my sweat, telling me that this pain will not exceed 24 hours! So I pierce my claws into his hands and he howls again.
I lost cognizance of everything after I heard the cry of my secondborn.
☪ ✧ ✧
I next found myself lying down sideward on a large bed in a noble room. When my exhausted hand flops, tiny and sparkling dust afloat in front of my face. This isn't just a comfortable bed, it contains enchantment that recharges my strength back. I can smell my mate nearby, or in fact, he's sitting beside the bed. "Dan," he noticed me. To my surprise, my twins have been silently sleeping beside me.
"What happened?"
"You passed out. We're inside Asfara's castle. It's the safest place we can lodge in."
I arise and stare at my twins, reviewing closely every detail of their faces. They are so healthy and peaceful. Just the sight of them helps me ignore the howls and yowling I can hear outside. Sadly, I can only carry one of them in my arms. Hessuel carries my other baby for me and stays close. I kissed my little one on his nose, I did the same to my other little one, smiled, then snorted with a hum.
I've been thriving to live my life for this moment.
It is now in my hands.
I look at Hessuel and his eyes are teary already before me! A quick smack of a kiss on his lips is given to him too. And he draws an emotional smile on it. "Why are you crying?"
"You're crying as well."
"Because it's contagious." None of us can hold back our smiles. Later on, my baby in my arms starts to cry and his twin follows. Hessuel is trying to tame them by hush. It made me chuckle! "See? It's contagious!" I play my fingers for a sparkling enchantment above their heads and they tame.
"Sorry. I'm overwhelmed by how incredible this feels... that they both look like me~"
"Yeees... their perfect nose, skin, hair, so now I know how squishy you were during infancy. Don't these two inherit any of my assets!?"
"Your birthmark. One has it on the right side of his jaw, and one on his nape. That's how we'll identify them." He showers kisses on his mini versions. "They're the most fragile yet beautiful thing I've ever held. I've never been so careful with carrying anyone or anything."
I raise an eyebrow. "Are you saying you carried them both before I did?"
"Yes? I took the three of you here, and while you are resting. Why?"
"That's not the tradition. The one who delivered must be the first one to embrace them as an act of respect! I carried them for nine months... minus three!"
"You fainted. 'Twas not my fault."
"Never mind. Just think of good names for them."
We heard an explosion outside and a flash of light came in through the window before he answers, "... Linnaea and Borealis."
"What?"
"Uncle Cor had those twin flowers in his garden and since your name is after the name of flowers, we can continue that legacy."
"But it sounds womanly and hard to remember. What if their school teacher misspelled their names? That will be ridiculous!"
"How about Nine and Ten? Now you have ten dogs."
"Seriously? Who's Eight?"
"Me."
I slap his beefy arm. "That will be your assignment. Revise it…"
"That's awes—"
"... five times!"
My ears tickle by his chuckle. "I'm just kidding~ We'll think about it," he said. I asked him to lay down the babies. I propped my elbows on the bed and held my twins' hands only with my fingers. I can't wait to see them open their eyes. My tears are flooding my eyes again until Hessuel asks, "Are they allowed to drink cow's milk?"
"Cow's—? Of course, they will drink my milk."
"Automatic, yes! I mean once they grew up."
"Of course, they can. Our Intelligence form is the same as humans. You're so good at pulling back my tears."
"Am I not making sense?"
"Sort of. Just don't ask me if they are allowed to eat dog food with rice."
"Why not? That's half-wolf, half-human food."
"You—!" I snatch the pillow and strike it at him. He grabs the pillow and pulls me in his arms for a cuddle. "Teach them how to howl without grammatical errors," I said while pinching his nose.
"And how to dance in the kitchen. That's exciting."
He made me laugh, then another explosion from afar was heard.
"I already know from this point what kind of life I'll have with you. By the way, why are you wearing that coat again?"
"I found it in your wardrobe. So I thought of using it to conceal my wolf and resist the moon if she ever calls."
And speaking of which, the moon has been silent. I have to know what happened to Linly. "That was a wise move," I praised. I kiss and hug my twins throughout the moment of silence. I slid the sleeves of my dress until my bosom was out, and breastfeed them at the same time with Hessuel's assistance. Another pain makes me wince, but it's a wonderful pain. These two are greedy! I almost fell asleep again on Hessuel's shoulder after half an hour until I'm completely disturbed by the endless wailing of werewolves outside. It gets creepier!
"I wish I could stay longer. But this union will be shorter if we do not wean now. Hessuel," I lay down the twins and make them sleep. I set my feet on the floor while holding his hand, "please be here for them. Protect them at all costs." That's the best he can do for now. I changed my dress the moment I found something better in the wardrobe. 'Tho I badly want to bathe now!
He nods politely. I hug him and whisper,
"I love you."
He stops me by hand when I attempt to leave, but his lips are shut while looking at me. That speaks a lot of unspeakable words. "... You haven't eaten anything... yet."
"I can enchant my stomach to make it fill."
"... I'm so sorry about my father."
I tiptoed, clinging to his nape to kiss him and he responded affectionately. "I miss your dark skin," I said to cheer him up. I can understand his emotion: that he wants to do better than staying here. "I will come back."
"I will wait."
We kissed again before I left. I won't let this dream pass through my hand. I have to keep it in my clenches forever.