B+Bs: To Stand In A Beast's World

84. It's Always Something, Isn't It?

With one more test of my new long-distance chat feature, I sent Muir off on his mission. I planned to take daytime naps when I could if the meditation failed so I could see his progress.

It wasn't peeping since I had Muir's permission to do it anytime I wanted. It was just too perfect. I could weigh in my opinions and relay information almost real-time to the rest of my mates once I woke up. I did have to wait to fall asleep again to send word back to Muir, but still, this was quite convenient.

With Winston's new penta-marked status, I didn't hesitate to send Muir. Even if Winston wanted to go instead, I wouldn't be so troubled. No one outside of my family knew about the extra benefit of instant transmission that a penta-marked male could do for their mate if her life was threatened. That meant that anyone trying to pull something over me would be in for a rude awakening.

Of course, we had a small celebration beforehand. Muir's mission was a covert one, but my stripe status wasn't. I think the tigers were getting too into partying, but I didn't deny them. They had a good time, and I went along with it.

Although it was a bit early in the season, we got to work on preserving and pickling fruits and vegetables. Using a sweet root that Harvey found, we didn't have to risk bee harassment and death to make something that would last.

The days stayed a pleasant kind of busy. I never felt overworked, but I always seemed to be doing one thing or another. With my mood as good as it was, I never denied any of my mates their time. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised when Harvey started sniffing me one day.

"Grace..." Harvey wasn't sure how to break the news. He knew she preferred not to have another litter until they moved.

My breath hitched and I forced it out. "Should I guess?" I don't think I needed to.

Shuu started sniffing the air and his eyes dilated. "You're pregnant!"

I figured as much.

Cooper jumped and Winston's face became alert. Mitchell looked confused.

"Any idea whose?" Mitchell asked.

The males all exchanged looks as the truth of the situation hit them. It could be any one of theirs.

"But estrous...? No estrous? How?" Cooper asked. He wasn't upset, just very confused.

I gave him the crash course in human female anatomy before taking a breath. No, this wasn't ideal, but it wasn't shocking. I could understand Bai's original fear of being a breeder. I don't even have good fertility and I'm on my third pregnancy already.

Shuu and Cooper were tripping over themselves to get things for Grace, even though they didn't know what they needed at this point. Mitchell had to sit down. Winston remained standing and composed, much like Harvey. The cubs ran after Shuu and Cooper finding it all so exciting.

"Well, I suppose we have a mystery for now..." I honestly wasn't upset. "Is there anyone who minds having a litter?" A resounding disapproval at the thought that any of them wouldn't want one was made clear to me. "Then we are fine."

I wasn't lying, and I really felt that way. By my calculations, the city doesn't fall until later in the year next year.

I planned to ask the ape king to use his power in spring to try and see. I was banking on my second mark being enough of a reason for him to assume I wasn't talking out of my ass. After he confirms it, evacuation can happen and then we move. If he can't confirm it, I bribe him with the emerald I have. He found a reason to throw Bai under the bus in the original, so he can damn sure craft a story that will save the city's residents.

That was still the plan. The pregnancy changed nothing. We'd just be more careful when we move to accommodate the babies.

The ape king came over soon after to check on me. I don't know how his power seems to pick up on pregnant females, but I wasn't close enough to him to ask.

"Grace, i-it's good to see you." Bard almost lost his composure for a moment there. He was just overwhelmed by everything. Grace had a second mark, Winston a fifth. The human clan and the world they came from appeared more astounding with every look he took. He ran through his crystals quickly because of that. He was also out of hair.

But Grace got pregnant which gave him another opportunity to collect. Bard eagerly reached out his shaky hands. "Can I check on them?" He swallowed as he focused. What would the cubs be like? How strong would they be? He was as excited as he was scared to find out.

The ape king was... creeping me out for some reason. Why did he look like an alcohol addict going through withdrawals?

"Okay." As strange as he was acting, I wanted to know.

The ape king's trembling stopped while he concentrated. But he shook again after a gasp. Then he checked again, and again until his nose bled.

Grant stepped up to catch the ape king before he collapsed. Why was he acting this way?

The ape king started laughing, ramping up the unnerving feeling by 11. "Amazing. Amazing." I had a suspicion that this was a bad idea after all. I was afraid to ask and was glad Winston did that for me.

"What is?"

The ape king laughed as he found his balance. "You." His voice shook as he raised his head, his unfocused gaze bore into Grace's. A third mark appeared on his haggard face. "Two females. Two."

...Twins? I stood rooted in the spot. That could be bad.

Besides the ape king's labored breathing, the room was dead silent. No one knew quite what to say at first. It was Mitchell, who had very little knowledge or exposure when it came to pregnant females to understand why things were complicated.

"What's wrong?" Mitchell asked. "Isn't that a good thing?" Two is better than one? They had the resources to raise the females and the birth of two should be a great thing, so why?

The energy in the room undulated. It was a good thing... if the queen survived the birth. It was a very rare thing to bear two females at once, but the mothers didn't usually survive it.

The ape king found his balance. It was an amazing thing, but also a shame. Would Grace survive it? If she didn't, wouldn't his problems disappear without him having to do anything?

A sour feeling of conflict swirled in his gut.

But what if Grace survived? Then two more females could be safely brought into this world... The ape king wasn't sure which outcome he should hope for.

Winston broke the silence after no one responded to Mitchell. "Are they healthy?"

Bard glanced tiredly from Winston to Grace, then to Mitchell and Harvey. "They are too young to tell, but their life force is strong."

Bard took a shaky step to leave. His congratulations failed to come from his heart, but he gave them anyway. The exhaustion crashed down on Bard like a giant sea wave. "I want to go to my mate," he told Grant. Then he passed out.

Harvey checked the ape king immediately and told us all that he had pushed himself too far. He will need a lot of rest to recover.

Grant took his king and thanked Harvey for the prescription he shared. The rest of us remained shaken.

Thanks to the ape king, the whole castle had heard their conversation. I didn't celebrate. Instead, me and my family went back to the room. I laid down while Harvey pulled Mitchell aside to explain why this could be dangerous. I was not able to fall asleep.