Broken Boulder oh, give me a break already

Oh, poor Alarian. All he'd ever wanted to do was help! How was he to know that Queenie was a lost cause? He came to the mouth of the den with his usual, well-meaning curiosity, only to be met with a bubbling growl and a very unhappy momma. He was a welcome guest any other day, but this time? Not so much. I'm fine, she gritted between tight teeth, pushing her body further back into the den.

Another pain came then, and Queenie's vicious growl was replaced with a pleading whine. They were short and came with plenty of recovery time in between, but the contractions still hurt like a buttcheek on a stick. Delight came then, relieving her of some of her edge. I don't know, she answered honestly, finding herself creeping back toward the mouth of the den to meet her friend.