Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Final Chapter

Ch. 15 - Recovery

Shadow's POV

Whispering. So many... whispers. "... baby... Claw... kitten... months... preg-"

"Hey, baby- that's it, open your eyes- take it easy." Shade's voice coaxed me from the void of painless black that I had been comfortably drifting in for hours.

"You took a nasty hit from that Stone Claw. He almost shattered one of your ribs." Bill said beside me, Fleur nowhere to be seen.

What had they been talking about before?

I lifted one arm gingerly and placed my hand against Shade's rough cheek. He leaned into my touch, kissing my palm and then lowering one arm around my shoulders. "You okay?" He murmured, his brows drawing together in concern. I tried to twist and smooth his frown, but a sharp jab from my side made me cry out and go slack against my mate. "Oh dear me that's painful." I gasped out.

Bill gave me a slight smile. "Fleur reckons you'll be out of action for at least a month."

"A month-?! Ah!" I shouted, clutching at my bandaged side with my slender fingertips. There was a creak, and my two cubs came slinking into the room, their eyes wide with anticipation and their heads low between their shoulders. "My little ones... come here." I breathed out, my voice almost a whisper.

Snowy burst into tears first, and she was joined by Tobias moments later. Shade sighed heavily, as if the whole world was chained to his shoulders, and lifted them to the sofa, where I lay, where they snuggled up to my good side and mewled for me. Bill left to find Fleur, after a soft, brief 'get better soon' wish.

All the bedrooms had been taken, I guessed. Mr Olivander mentally tortured, Hermione slashed at, and Griphook's legs crushed by the chandelier.

"Mummy, are woo otay?" Tobias snuffled, his words babyish - he tended to get more childish when he was shy or anxious. I drifted my hand over his fur, smiling. "I'm alright, Tobias. Mummy's all patched up, and daddy is right here, taking care of us all." I assured both of my kittens. Snowy still sniffled, but she seemed content that I wasn't going to die, and I could deal with that for now.

"Hush, hush, now my babies, don't you cry." I sang gently.

"I'm gonna eat you two up - hey Shadow - and rip out your insides and play with your intestines-" James stalked into the room, obviously looking for my kits. I scowled, clutching my babies tightly. "James! That's not language fit for my kittens!" I admonished harshly. He just grinned, standing up straight and lowering his hands to his sides. "You swear all the time at school." He teased.

Shade narrowed his eyes at me. I spluttered, "I have no idea what you're talking about, James." I gawked. He nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah but, you remember that time you called Millicent Bulstrode a specky, short-haired, bitch-witch, square-go-like vagina?" He questioned, but left no time for me to reply. "And when you said Draco could shove it up his fucking hairy-ass butt crack? And- and oh, yeah, you called Shade a jerk-faced, frosty-ass, cock-sucking, bitchy bastard-?"

I cut in quickly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, alright! You can shut up now! We get the picture." I hissed whilst covering my babies' ears, my cheeks flushing deeply as I turned to face a fake-hurt Shade. I slipped my arms around his chest and snuzzled down into him comfortably. "I didn't mean it when I said it." I mumbled, pouting childishly. He slipped a smirk and kissed me, "You have a colourful mouth, babe. Nothing's changed there." He ran his nose over my cheek.

"Where's Jenny?" I asked James, anxious all of a sudden. James paused in his advances on my kits, ruffling their fur and yelping when they nibbled his fingers. "Uh- Shadow, I don't think you want to see her right now..." He said slowly.

I swung my legs over the side of the couch, but Shade was at my side in an instant. "No way. You're not getting up. Not this time." He growled, edging my legs back onto the pillows.

"Shade-!" I complained, but he gave me a furious growl. I flinched. James jumped and skittered out, leaving the kits vulnerable on the floor. "No, Shadow. No. I won't lose you again. Never. It kills me every time you leave!"

"Shade- I had no idea-"

"I won't lose you, Shadow. I'm not gonna fuck this up again. I can't have you jumping in front of bullets and spells every time you step outside! We are raising a family in the middle of a war-zone, Shadow! Open your goddamn eyes for once!" He shouted vociferously.

My eyes watered, and suddenly my whole world stopped, the pain in my heart growing more significant than the injury on my side.

Jenny's POV

I didn't go to Dobby's funeral.

I didn't visit Shadow.

I did not speak.

I just gazed upwards, towards the stars I could not see.

I missed Draco, and I wouldn't deny it. Harry knew it, Ron knew it, Hermione knew it, Shadow knew it-... hm. Shadow. I thought I heard Bill say she was pregnant earlier.

I wouldn't tell Shade... I wouldn't tell him that it's not his cub. I wasn't malicious, nor vengeful, nor honest I shouldn't think, and I wouldn't ruin Shadow's relationship that had been cracked more than once. I had sworn James to secrecy too. A solemn oath that he took surprisingly seriously.

But Salem, oh, he wasn't just a crack. No, he was a split. A ravine. A goddamn clusterfuck that wouldn't end well either way.

I supposed it was lucky that Claws could give birth to various species of their own race.

If she kept it, that was.

Maybe she'd say she tripped and fell. Maybe she'd say her wound she received from Salem killed her kitten. Maybe she'd blame the Death Eaters.

I wouldn't blame her. I'd feel ashamed too, for silently breaking the relationship with her mate just because she was in a nasty position- though, I doubted it was silent. I wondered if she kissed him, and whispered to him. I doubted that as well. Shadow wasn't one for that, and perhaps only Shade was accustomed to it.

Disgusting girl- no, no, no Jenny. Shadow was our friend. Our closest ally. I could not turn against her at such a vulnerable time, for that might mean the whole Claw Clan would turn against myself too... Shadow likely knew I was pissed.

Had there ever been anything she'd done that hadn't pissed me off?

I doubted that, too.