Thunder Dome no turning back...

Night fell over the forming pack of Midnight Scar. Many dens needed to be dug, but one was already there. After all... the she-Alfa and her mate were muscular, black boulders. Soon enough, though the thought still terrified her, there would be the pitter-patter of their first litter in the den and the mountainside. It was a scary thought, even if she was sure her body would know what to do when the time came. 

From her slumber, she awoke to a sensation in her belly. A quick motion, that caused pain to flower. Then another, resting her paw over the long, dark muzzle to muffle the resulting yelp and whine. 

She drew her body closer to @Void 's, before realizing something, and letting excitement parry the pain. Grá! Meylodi nudged her mate's muzzle with her own, trying to pull him out of his slumber, as little as he had gotten in recent days. It was one of the few times she had convinced him that Moorhen could watch over them in their slumber, and they could rest as mates. Grá, wake up. The li'er be - ow - movin' 'round- 

Her voice wasn't frightened, though a tint of nervousness had become increasingly prominent the longer her gestation when on.

Void awoke before she even called his name. Well, called 'gra'. As soon as he heard her yelp he was awake.

"What, what is it? are the babies coming?" He asked in a panic before she explained.

When she told him they were kicking, he relaxed, but his eyes lit up. "They're little fighters. Does it hurt?" He asked, and tentatively put his paw to her belly to feel for himself.

Meylodi chuffed as one of the pups indeed kicked her belly when her love put his paw to her. As if they had been waiting for that moment. Just like their fa'er... she trailed, her tail wagging silently behind the two. 

She even smiled, before her nerves caught up with her.

It was now or never, she thought. 

I- I be... scared, Void. I ne'er had a li'er befere, an' I ne'er been an Alfa either. An' with ta pack I - it's all a bit much fer me. I wan' i', don' get me wrong like. I wan' them, and you, and... we be here, ain't we? I be scared I ain't gonna be half ta ma'er me mum is, er be able ta keep them safe while we lead the o'ers... ya know?

Void listened to all her concerns, and licked her on the shoulder after she was done. "Yes, I know. But don't worry Meyl. You're not alone, we're not alone. We have our pack, albeit small, its still present. They will be here for us. We aren't raising the pups alone nor running the pack alone. I know you'll be a great mother, and we'll be great Alfas." He promised her. He shuffled closer to her, pressing his body against hers in a comforting way.

A whine trailed her voice. I' as if me whole world be changin' so fast, I can' keep up wi'h it. She kept going - quietly. About Kiche, and how it scared her that her own pups could meet the same fate. That now they were leaders and that they still needed to meet with the other packs, and generally how stressed she was inside. 

How new 'stress' was for her. 

She asked, Ya go' anythin' ya be a worrywart ab'ut?

“only your health and that our pack can gradually get stronger, but i know it will and i can pray you’ll stay healthy and have healthy pups” Void replied. He’d dealt with a lot of stress and pressure and feelings in the past, and he’d planned this pack out much longer than Meyl had been involved, so he was probably more at ease because of this

Beli've me, if I start ta 'ave problems, yer ears be knowin' it. I ain't a la'y tha' knows how ta shut me muzzle. 

Her side rested against his, nuzzling into his fur. It won't be long now, I feel. Just a bi' moar. Ten we be parents. Odd thought, eh? Ne'er though' I'd even want a mate, le' 'lone pups. Too much of a loner streak, Gran called it. 

She went quiet for a moment, resting. 

E'er wonder what grá means? I 'ear ya sayin' it af'er I star'ed callin' ya i'.

"I never thought I'd be this kind of father." Void said, after chuckling after Meyl said shes not the kind to shut her mouth, which he knew was true. "I thought I'd be the kind of dad that forces his kids to be super strong fighters and not care about anything other than being muderous and powerful. Not a caring, protective, loving, father, which i now know I will be." He said with a smile. "I always knew I'd have kids though, and a mate, and a pack. Its in my blood. Well, not really, but mentally its in my blood. It was my destiny. I need to keep my bloodline going, as well as keep myself going, and this is the best way to do all that."

It be the cycle o' t'ings. being a pack welf. Packs run in a welf's veins, as much as we run next to our kin. It be a feelin', somet'in' deep inside ya like. Can't s'plain i' but we know it be thar if we look. Gotta be a special kind of welf not ta want compan'inship.

She lifted her head to rest it under his neck, her face lost in his fur. 

As fer mates an' pups, well, I don't thin' all welves gotta do that. Like me befere - I didn't want one. Suppose some 'andsome black welf waltzed inta me life an'... ya know ta rest.

Void chuckled. "This is why I love you Meyl. You make me laugh. You get me. You're not perfect, like me, mentally and physically, but you're perfect to me."

She went quiet for a moment, enjoy the sweetness of this. But a thought came to her. I jus' 'ad an idea. Me ol' lands useta 'ave ta pack name on ta end o' ta name yer mam give ya. Ya got one-a t'ose? Frostcrest be tat name fer me. We could... call aurselves... aur family - somethin' like tat. Minnight Scar be a bit too long, don't cha think?

"Hawk. I'm Void Hawk." Void told her. "Its more of a middle name though, I don't think it was my mothers name. My brothers and I all called eachother 'Hawk though, as kinda a family name, I think. It was a while ago." He said.

Her head tilted. Ya cer'ninly got eyes like one. What ab'ut if we call aurselves... Hhawk... crest? Hawncrest. I like that. Do ya?

Void nodded. "I do. It can be our pups last names. We can give them middle and nicknames to if you want." He said, half wanting to and hoping she would too. "They can all have the middle name Frost, maybe, so that you don't lose that part of your name." He said, as the idea spawned. "I'd take that middle name too. Void Frost Hawkcrest."

You can if ya want, an' I'll take it, too. But I don't wanna put me history onto them - it's in thar names enough as i' is. They not Frostcrests, they be Hawkcrests. If we give mi'le names, I'd wannem ta be thar aun. We have ta t'ink o' names, too. But I'd prefer ta see what we werkin' wi'h first.

"yeah, thats all valid. Maybe thats too many names anyway, kinda a mouthful. if you're fine with just their first name and then Hawkcrest I am fine too." Void said.

An ta way I be with names... ta less chances ta mess up names tat impertant... ta better... she chuckled. Don't wanna have me tongue sayin' the names o' aur children wrong. Tell get confused.

Void chuckled too. "Right." He said. "though I find the way you say names cute." He added

She tilted her head in surprise. Really?