Beasts (Hybrid Sequel)

8 - Growing

A week later, Patricia comes over.

James and I are in the living room and the pups are asleep in a basket next to the couch.

Patty sits in a chair and smiles. But it doesn’t reach her eyes. “How are you guys doing? Daniel wanted to come but something came up.”

I smiled. “We’re doing well, the pups have doubled in size. What stopped Daniel?”

Patty frowned and looked at James. “Do you remember how Daniel asked you to be his heir?”

James nodded slowly. “Yes… Is something wrong?”

Patty sighed and looks down. “Our Alpha has fallen ill. It started as a cold a few days ago. But this morning he was too ill to get out of bed. One of the pack doctors is with him now. I would advice that Whisper and the pups stay here to keep them from getting sick.”

My hand flew to my mouth in surprise.

 James cursed. “Well I don’t think I can take his place. I may have Alpha blood but that doesn’t mean I can run a pack.”

Patty nodded. “Well you two are the only ones who could. Noone else in the pack has the genes and I’m only a beta. There aren’t enough wolves in the world for anyone else to do it either.”

I looked at James who had suddenly stood up. James shook his head and looked away. “I never wanted the Alpha place. But if I have to then I will.”

Patty nodded and looked at me. “I’ll be here to help as much as I can. But I must start training my own heir soon too.”

I looked at Patty confused. “What do you mean?”

Patty blushed and laughed. “I forgot you never meet or knew about Mark. I have a son who has been doing border patrols.”

James sighed. “Well that’s fine. I guess I need to start working with Daniel when he is well.”

Patty nodded. I’ll call as soon as he is feeling well enough to talk.”

I nodd. “Ok well just keep us posted on his health too.”

Patty nodded and left. I sighed and looked over at the pups. They were starting to wake up.

I picked up the basket and went to the nursery. After placing each in the large crib, I shifted and lay next to them. They both nuzzled up to my belly.

James came in and looked over us. I sighed and laid my head down.

James turned to leave. “I’m going to call Sky. Maybe she can offer some advice.”

I nodded as James left the room. My mind wonders over the past. It’s hard to believe it was almost a year ago that I first shifted. Next month was my birthday. A few weeks after that and it’d be a whole year.

 Sighed and shook my head. Only feels like a few months.

A sudden feeling has me look up at the door. James appeared and sighed. “Sky has a few problems of her own at the castle.”

I cursed. ‘How are we supposed to help now? I need to stay with the pups. Daniel is ill and you have to start getting ready to take his place in case something happens.’

James knelt down and put his head in his hands. “I don’t know. I just know that it has to do with Celesta and that she couldn’t talk about it. I don’t know who to go to about it.”

I sighed. ‘Well we can’t just sit around. But I can’t do anything till the pups are old enough to stop nursing.’

James nodded. “I know Whisper. And we don’t know when that’d be yet.”

I got an idea then. ‘Why don’t we ask Dr. Liz about it? She should be able to tell us. Call her and put her on speaker o I can hear.’

James nodded and pulled out his cell phone. A few moments later Liz answered the phone.

James smiled at me and put it on speaker. “Do you have any idea on when the pups will be old enough to stop nursing?”

Dr. Liz paused. “Normal pups take a month. But if the pups are growing rapidly, I would need to bring them in for a checkup for sure.”

I nodded and watched James. “Well we can bring them in a little bit if you don’t mind?”

“Yes, I’m at the office doing a few tests so yes, bring them in. My co-worker Chas is with Daniel.”

James nodded and hung up the phone. He got the basket ready with clean blankets and placed the pups in it while I left the room and shifted then came back, dressed.

When we got to the doctor’s office, Liz was waiting. She took the basket and took measurements on both pups. Light was longer then Shadow but he was wider.

After that she put both pups back in the basket and handed to me. I took the basket and touched both pups lovingly as she spoke.

“Well both pups are much larger than they should be at a week old. But it also means they are growing fast. They are already the size that normal pups would be at a month.”

I nodded. “So that means what?”

Liz smiled. “It means that they are old enough to be bottle feed now. They should open their eyes soon. At this rate they should shift in a few months. And from there we will have to just see how it goes.”

I had a thought. “Does that mean that they will age quicker even later in life?”

Liz frowned then shook her head. “I’m not sure. They should slow down once they shift. Both you and Shay have normal life spans so I’m guessing that the pups should definably grow normally once they hit their teens.”

I sighed and James patted my back. “Well either way it’s kinda a good thing that they are growing like they are.”

I nodded and looked at them. They were sleeping, muzzled against each other.

Dr. Liz shook James’s hand. “It is at this point in time. I’m going to set an appointment up in a month.”

James nodded and after arranging the appointment, we left.

Once at home I put the pups in the crib and turned to James. “I want to stay home for a day or two to make sure that they can be bottle feed. Then we need to head to the castle and check in with Sky and Celesta.”

James nodded. “After we get done there I’ll need to start working with Daniel.”

I agree and head to the kitchen and pull out some wolf pup formula that had been given to us and two bottles. I make up the bottles and go back to the pups.

I pick up Light as James takes Shadow. We each start to feed the pups. At first both fuss over the change but eventually take the bottles.

 I smile at James. “Looks like Liz is right.”

James nodds. “If they can handle this till tomorrow afternoon then we can pack and leave.”

I agree. Once the pups are full and sleeping, we put them back into the crib and head to bed.