Shape-Shifter's Promise

Chapter 22

Until it was about three days away from the due date on a lovely March day. I'd watched my stomach grow. Seth and I were constantly preparing for the arrival of this new life. It was painful at some points and perfect at others, and on one of the good days we decided to visit his mother and tell her about her soon to be grandchild so we took my family and Siobhan and Percy with us. I carried Kira on my hip and my mother carried Kari. I had my mother bring the rest of them to my house and Seth helped my father find the appropriate clothing while I helped the others. I dressed in a white dress and black cape and had my mother put on a gray-violet dress and her gray fur cape. I dressed Kari in a red-orange tunic and pants with a gray fur cape and pulled the hood up, and dressed Kira in a red-orange dress and a cape like Kari's and left the hood down to show her red tinted blonde braid with a pink rose at the bottom. I'd also put Merry in a deep red-violet colored dress with a tan cape, also leaving the hood down to show the beautiful mahogany colored hair she had and I put a new white rose in her braid. I carried Kira while Seth carried Kari, they were tired because we got up early because it took a while to get ready. We carried the twins and let them sleep, they were technically only eight years old in human years, and that kind of messed up their energy. We walked from the middle of town to Seth's house and not long before we arrived the twins woke up. Seth's mother welcomed us at the door, all issues with me were forgotten.

“Seth! I'm so glad you came! And you brought friends.”

“Yes, we brought Mercy's family, along with Percy and Siobhan.”

“Okay. Introduce me.”

“Well there is her parents and three siblings, her parents are Maria and Var and her younger, fourteen year old sister, Meredith but you can call her Merry, and the eight year old twins, Kira and Kari, her youngest sister and only brother.”

“Oh, well then hello, I'm Ms. Charsha.”

They all said hello in return as we walked in the door.

“Ms. Charsha? We have a surprise for you.” I said.

“Oh Mercy call me mom. Now, what's this surprise?”

Seth and I put the twins down and they went over to the couch. I took my cape off and laid it over Kira as she fell asleep and Seth put his on Kari. I turned around and faced my mother in-law for the first time in a while.

“Congratulations Grandmother.” I said and she almost fainted.

“Oh, my stars! Really? When is it due?” She asked seeing my swollen abdomen.

“It should be due in a few days, Shape-Shifter children are in their mothers for two months.” I said as she hugged me.

“Well! Do you know what it is?”

“No, it's not like we can go to a hospital. Plus I want a surprise.”

“Awe, well then you'd better visit after it's born.”

“We will.”

She looked over at the sleeping twins and smiled.

“They're so precious.”

“They got up early. They slept until we got here. I dearly love my siblings.”

“I'm sure. Are they from different births?”

“Yes, I was first and then Merry and later on they came along.”

“Well I'm glad you visited, I still have those things we bought you when you tricked me and became a pet.” She told me pointing to a pile in the corner.

“Keep them, you might want a friend when we're away.”

“Okay.”

“One minute, I need to step outside for a moment.”

“Sure.”

I went outside and walked into the woods. I saw the statue I made and jumped on top of it it had a type of harmless ivy growing up the legs of the wolf. I yipped three times and howled and soon a young wolf hybrid pup walked in sight, I'd smelled the other half of his breed, he was a black and white Akita-Wolf hybrid. I jumped off the statue and picked him up and took him to the house. I knew this animal, I could smell his parents scent on him, and I saw them at the edge of the woods, a black male Akita and a white female wolf. They nodded in approval as I took their son inside, his mother used to roam the mountains when I was young, her name was Desiree.

“Make sure she cares for our little Luca.” she said in wolf language.

I nodded.

“We will keep an eye on him.” the father said to me.

I carried Luca inside and he licked my cheek.

“Ms. Charsha, I have a friend for you.” I called and she came around the corner.

“Who is this?”

“Meet Luca. His parents came and willingly let you have him. He is an Akita-Wolf hybrid. I knew his mother as a cub.”

“Thank you sweetie!”

“Your welcome.”

I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and went to sit down in between the twins who were curled into the fetal position on each side of the couch as my head began to swim.

“Mercy, what's wrong?” Siobhan asked.

“Nothing. I just think it's stretching.” I said and I sat down and gathered myself as my head stopped swimming. Kira rolled and ended up laying her head on my shoulder so I put my arm around her shoulder.

“Maybe we should go home.” Seth said with worried eyes and I saw his nostrils flare as he scented the air.

“No, no, I'm good. I just need to sit down for a while. Smell something?”

“When you first started feeling sick before you found out about the pregnancy you smelled different but still normal, the only difference is the subtle hint of baby powder. Odd isn't it?”

“Yes it is. When we get home remind me to ask Mora.”

“Who is Mora?” Seth's mother asked.

“The wolf Goddess. She is the creator of all female wolves, and our mother. Her mate is the wolf God Fren, he is the creator and father of all males.” My mother answered.

“Ah. Okay. So how are you planning on doing this?” She asked me pointing to my swollen stomach.

“The females are to give birth alone. Nobody is allowed to stay with her. It drives the males crazy with worry, because they are not to see their mates until she comes to get them.”

“What?!” Seth exclaimed.

“It is tradition in my life. It was made so since the beginning of time itself.”

“Oh God's! I'm going to go insane!”

“Seth, you will not. I will show you how to calm yourself when we get home. I have a good meditation idea.”

“Fine.”

I played with Kira's hair as we talked. We stayed most of the day and when the twins woke up they played with Luca outside. Seth came over to sit next to me when I had another strange pain in my stomach. He'd seen my thoughts when it happened. He put an arm around my shoulder and played with my hair while he talked to his mother. I saw her glance many times at his arm around my shoulder and his hand that combed through my hair. I scanned her thoughts and she seemed slightly worried.

“What worries you?” I asked her.

“Huh? Oh, nothing.”

And then I saw the real picture of what worried her. It was his arm around my shoulder and the look on his face when he looked at me. I saw in the picture of his face as he glanced at me how his face changed. It was a slightly worried expression but his eyes said otherwise. His eyes were serious and soft at the same time. I felt him sigh beside me and lost focus on her thoughts but I still knew she didn't like that her young son was with me, his wife, and that I was pregnant with his child. I looked up at his face and he looked down at me through the corners of his eyes.

Nothing. Was all he told me in his thoughts.