Silvertip Mountain Gotta tell you something

@FitzDutiful, keeping this short so it isn't much effort to reply! :D

Zaria trotted towards the alpha den. After the whole ordeal with that pack thinking that she was poisoned, which in the end turned out that she was just pregnant, Zaria realized that she should tell Fitz at least. She wasn't sure if her mate had noticed, he might've, but maybe a confirmation would be nice from her side. It was close to having a good nap anyways and Zaria wanted nothing rather than just snuggle against her mate and on their bison skin. With that perfect image in mind she howled for her mate and went inside their home. She was four weeks in and her fur was starting to thin around her belly making the swell even more obvious. Her teats were starting to swell too. The little nubs weren't so little anymore. Zaria hated thee changes, she felt fat and tired. But at least her mate's reaction might leave her in good spirits.

Seriously 0 to 100! 30 Jan we go to look at a house, Feb 3 we put in an offer, then this Monday the offer was accepted so it's been all hands on getting the mortgage application and stuff arranged, which was finished yesterday! There's not much more we can do now 'til we actually move in (providing everything goes to plan til then) so I should be around a fair bit more til we have a move in date!

FitzDutiful was in the den when Zaria trotted towards it. As she came close it alerted him and he lifted up his eyes, taking in her features. Her curves were enticing and she was even more alluring to him now than normal. "You look very attractive today," he said as she came into view his face showing all of the love he felt for her. "You're almost glowing! Have you been out sneaking on some lone wolves?" He didn't call it poisoning; it was too final and seemed as though she only caused death. At least, he was pretty sure she didn't just try to kill wolves with her poisons; it was a question he would never ask for he didn't care either way what the answer was. She had been elevated to a position where even the worst occurrence they could work through.

OMG that is amazing! You bought a house? That is so good! I am so happy for you it worked out with the house!!

As she came in Fitz had already been there. He told her how attractive she was but she didn't feel attractive. It is that he showed her so much adoration that the female believed him. The normally slender female shook her head. "There is something I need to tell you," she spoke, keeping it rather short, not even commenting on his statements. She was laying down and slowly rolled more onto her back something that was very rare for Zaria to do. Now the thinning coat was clearly visible along with the more swollen nubs on her belly. Her belly itself was extended too. Bulging like she had too much meat, only the bulge was too far down for it to be food. "I'm pregnant," she spoke. She stayed on her back for now so Fitz could check out her tummy. "Very pregnant apparently."

He heard the words and yet it seemed as though he had gone deaf at the same time. Instead of responding in any which way he sat there, staring at his beautiful mate with a loopy grin on his face and his tail wagging rhythmically. He wanted to jump up and exclaim in glee, he wanted to go and howl at the moon in thanks but instead he just sat there.

FitzDutiful felt sure he should reassure his not-so-happy Zaria as his eyes took in the bulge of her stomach. The physical evidence that the pups were beginning to develop but then the fears began to set into his soul. What if he messed this up too? What if they had a whole bunch of stillborns? What if these pups didn't develop in the normal way? What if Mason and June hated their younger siblings? One after another, what if, what if, what if.

And so the happy, goofy grin remained and the tail kept on wagging.

Zaria was always surprised by how her mate reacted to things. She looked at Fitz as he just sat there and wagged his tail. He looked happy but he wasn't saying anything. Zaria pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked with a scowl at Fitz. "At least say something," the female let out, clearly a bit upset by his reaction. Honestly she was not sure what she had been expecting from Fitz. Maybe because she was being so unsure about the blobs growing in her belly she wanted Fitz's reassurance and that was something he was not giving to her.

She flattened her ears a bit, watching his goofy face, being very unsure what to do with this reaction. Her green eyes on fire. "They make me feel ill and ugly. I don't like them," she then let out scowling. As she sat it was only more evident that her belly was most definitely expanding.

FitzDutiful was told off as he just sat there with a lopsy grin and that made him come back to himself. "I, I can't believe it!" he said, his voice containing all the happiness and all the excitement that he felt. With that the lid on the bottle came free and he began bouncing around happily as though he were a pup again, not a wolf, soon to be three.

"Oh you're not ugly or ill, you're pretty and beautiful and carrying our future within you." he said, amazed by the miracle of life. He didn't understand it for he had never experienced the womanly cycle that was associated with childbearing. "Imagine it, these children are going to be part of me and part of you. Joining us together completely for eternity!" He looked at her, loving her more and more with each passing breath.

Zaria looked at Fitz when the male seemed to start saying things. He couldn't believe it. She couldn't either. She was going to be a mother and she no clue how to be a mother. She frowned lightly. She was not one to worry but it did bother her that she couldn't be amazing at motherhood if she didn't know what she had to do. The girl looked at her mate who as so happy. His happiness did cheer her up a bit. The female did love her mate very much and she battered her eyes adoringly at Fitz when he said that she was in fact petty and beautiful. "True. I wonder what will come from it," she stated skeptically, with their personalities being so different.

Then the female went quiet. She let out a soft whine and moved against Fitz. "I don't like being pregnant. But I am glad you are so happy," she spoke. The female then looked up at him her ears falling back. "Fitz... My mother. She died an hour after my birth. I never had a mother. I was fed milk from the ... slaves until I could eat meat. I don't know how to be a mother," she spoke, sounding bitter because she wanted to be good at everything, correction, she was good at everything. But this motherhood she had no clue about. "You will have to do all the other stuff one does," she stated, deciding that now. "I will do the milk part or something... The rest is your job." Zaria had already decided that these pups were 95% Fitz job and 5% hers, after all she was doing this pregnant shit for god knows how long.

Zaria announced her job and his and FitzDutiful didn't waste any time in replying to her. "No." He wasn't doing that again. No way. He stopped for a moment, before explaining his abrupt refusal. "I've done that once. With Mason and June. I raised them all by myself after their mother left and I don't want to do that again. That responsibility is too much to bear without me breaking. You saved me from breaking." He hung his head low, feeling as though admitting this was a failure of some kind.

"I still don't understand how to be a father, or what that means; but I hope we can figure this out together. I want to make decisions for our children's future together. I can't do it alone again, Zaria, so please don't ask me to." His eyes pleaded with her, letting her know the pain that he felt at the thought of having to take on that responsibility alone once more. He couldn't handle it.

Zaria did not realize that she had hit a sore spot. Now she looked back at her words she realized that she should have known about Fitz's ex-mate and her leaving him. The harsh woman looked over the defeated look of her mate. Something inside her made her feel strange. She knew it wasn't the pups. This was an ... emotion. If it had been anyone else she would have told them to deal with her judgement but this was Fitz. Zaria's face softened in the privateness of their den. She licked over his cheek to try and comfort him. "I will try to be a mother then, for you," she spoke softly, her green eyes looking at his. She didn't mean this in a way she would only do this motherhood for Fitz but more as a way of saying 'I love you and I won't leave you'.

Zaria was still not sure how she had fallen in love with probably the most sentimental male on these lands, but somehow her harshness and his sensitivity worked. By showing vulnerability Zaria instantly opened up emotionally for him afterwards. Slowly she rested her head against him. "Papa Fitz and ...." Zaria swallowed. "And Mama Zaria," she whispered, still not really believing it.

FitzDutiful smiled as Zaria spoke. it was a nice sound, even if she was struggling with it. He couldn't quite believe it himself but he was starting to figure out that although he had been a father once, being a father a second time was going to be different. And if he should be so lucky to have a third, fourth, or even fifth litter then he was certain all of those would be different experiences too.

He wasn't one hundred percent sure what the difference was. Whether it was whom the mother was, or whether it was the fact he was older and hopefully wiser. Still, he was happy about it. He rested his head on top of her own, melting into the embrace and closing his eyes. It was a happy time; the next chapter of their lives.

Zaria looked at Fitz and how happy he seemed. The female let out a soft sigh and then quirked up her lips. She closed his eyes when he did, letting herself rest in his warm embrace. The only good thing was that this damn winter was ending, and she could finally have some feeling in her paws again. She couldn't wait till full blown summer and the heat shining down on her back. As tired as she was it did take a while to get herself to sleep. All these things were haunting her mind but in the end she calmed down and fell asleep.

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