Chapter 5

“Alright, girl; I've helped deliver dozens of lyccan pups, so you have nothing to worry about. I promise you: you're in the best hands in all of Howling Grove!" boasted Marjorie as she helped Elise to a different part of the den, so that they wouldn't disturb Littlepaws' sleep. “Fleetpaw, can you go fetch Rose and Fang, please? I could use a second set of hands, and I'm sure Handkerchief Boy will want to witness the birth of his son."

“O—of course, my Margie-vanni! I will go right away!"

As the speedy werewolf departed into the night, the gray lycca-vanni instructed Elise to sit down and relax. “You're going into labor soon, girl, so you better get comfortable," she said.

“Is it going to hurt?"

“Well, the contractions can get somewhat unpleasant, but it shouldn't be too bad. After all, it's nighttime, which means both the moon and its healing light will protect you."

“Oh, you're right! I hadn't thought about that! I was just worried because I had heard giving birth can be very painful..."

“Were we talking about the average pregnancy in the outside world, sure, it can be like that sometimes. But here you're going to give birth to a tiny little puppy thing that will be about half the size of a human newborn. It's a lot less demanding on a woman's body, is what I'm saying."

“Ah!" gasped the brownish she-werewolf. “I... I think it's starting now."

“Okay, don't panic. Focus on taking nice, deep breaths like I taught you before, and just let your body do what it's meant to do."

A few minutes later, Rose entered Fleetpaw's den.

“So the time has come, huh?" said the jet-black huntress. “Rats. I guess I'm not spanking Daggerclaw's sexy muscular glutes tonight."

“Stop being weird for one second and bring me a bucket of water and some clean cloths, will you?" Marjorie exclaimed as she rolled her eyes.

“Aye, aye, cap'n!"

“What's the water for?" asked Elise in between her breathing exercises.

“We'll need it to clean your pup, girl," explained Marjorie. “You see, it's going to come out all wet and covered in a slimy liquid. It's kind of icky, but you need not to worry about it yourself. As your midwife, it's part of my job to deal with that stuff so you don't have to!"

“Wait. Elise, you were there when Littlepaws was born, weren't you?" asked Rose as she returned with a bucket of water and a few cloths. “Don't you remember what he looked like when he came into the world?"

“Y-yes, I was there... But I kind of looked away when Anabelle was delivering her son, so there's a lot I didn't see."

“Ah, so you didn't have the stomach to see the whole thing through, hm? Heh, well, I suppose I can't fault you for that. It is a pretty gross sight!"

“What a charming thing to say to a pregnant woman who's about to give birth..." said an unimpressed Marjorie.

“What? But it's true!"

“It— it's fine, Margie!" tried Elise with an awkward smile in an attempt to defuse possible tensions. “I didn't mind it!"

About five minutes later, Fang rushed into Marjorie and Fleetpaw's den, followed by the latter.

“Elise! I came as soon as Fleetpaw found me and told me the news! H-how are you feeling?" he asked.

“I'm fine, but Littlepaws is sleeping over there, so..."

“Oh! I am sorry, I did not realize! Y-yes, I shall keep my voice down!" exclaimed the male werewolf more quietly.

“Hnn... The contractions are getting stronger now," Elise noted with a slight wince.

“D-does it hurt?"

“Not really, but... it isn't exactly what I'd call pleasant either."

“That's your womb getting ready to push your cub out, girl," offered Marjorie as she unfolded some cloths and set them nearby. “You just keep breathing like I taught you, okay?"

“M-Margie-vanni," quietly began Fleetpaw as he approached the big, sturdily-built gray she-werewolf. “I, uh... I shall wait outside now, as no other male but the sire himself has a right to be present when a vanni becomes a mother."

“Alright, I understand. I'll let you know when it's over."

Thus, after sharing a little kiss with his mate, the lean werewolf with a bluish coat of fur exited the den. Meanwhile, Fang sat right beside Elise, letting her rest her head on his broad lyccan chest as he gently stroked her furry shoulders.

“Can you believe it, my wolfie?" she said in a calm whisper. “In just a few more moments, we'll be holding our son in our arms for the very first time. We're going to be parents, Fang."

“Yes, it feels so much like a dream that I still cannot believe it is actually happening. But here I am, fathering a child with the beautiful princess-vanni I am soma-bonded to. And it is... wonderfully surreal."

“Hey, Rose," said Marjorie. “Can you go check up on Littlepaws?"

“Uh, sure."

The huntress did as asked and returned shortly after. “Still fast asleep," she reported. “He's even kicking his legs a bit and all."

“Heh, sounds like Anabelle's little furball might be dreaming of chasing something!"

“Yeah, he sure be running! Well, I guess I'll keep an eye on him in case the noise wakes him up or whatever."

“That'd be great, thanks!"

And so, time passed in this manner as Elise's labor progressed. Everything was proceeding normally, within the expected time frames. Indeed, there was no cause for anyone in the room to suspect anything unusual at that particular moment. Eventually, about twenty minutes later, it seemed like things were finally moving onto the last stage...

“M...Margie..." said the panting she-werewolf.

“Yes, it's coming now. Hang in there, girl. Just a little bit more and you'll push this cheeky troublemaker out!"

“Ah, it's crowning!" dramatically gasped Rose.

“What."

“Heh, nothing! I've just always wanted to say that!" said the black-furred lycca-vanni.

“Lycca newborns are way too small for that to mean anything, Rose..." sighed the gray one.

“H-hold my hand, Fang..." asked Elise, turning to her big werewolf mate.

“Yes, of course!" said the male, intertwining his clawed fingers with hers. “It will not be much longer now, my princess-vanni. Let us welcome the fruit of our love into the world together!"

“Here he comes!" announced Marjorie.

“Okay, now it's crowning!" affirmed Rose.

“That's not... Ah, forget it."

“And now it's out! Congratulations, flower girl! It's a boy!"

“They always are..." muttered Marjorie to herself as she cleaned the diminutive newborn lycca.

“Yip! Yip! Yiiip!" went the little one while Rose deftly tied a piece of string around the umbilical cord still connecting him with his mother. “Sorry, but you don't get to live off Mommy's blood anymore!" said the huntress as she did so.

“Fang? Do you want to do the honors?" asked Marjorie, gesturing towards the cord.

Fang nodded, then quickly cut said cord with the nail of his index finger. After that, he gingerly took the newborn in the palm of his hand and brought it to Elise, who received it from him just as gingerly.

“Why, hello there, you tiny little thing!" quietly exclaimed the brownish she-werewolf as she beheld the fragile new life she had just delivered unto the world with eyes full of happy tears. “Welcome to our family!"

“Ah, the miracle of life..." wistfully said the gray lycca-vanni who had served as the midwife. “Beautiful, isn't it, Rose?"

“Yeah... Well, the gross parts not so much, but I have to admit that the end result does bring a tear to the eye."

As Elise helped the tiny lupine newborn find her nipple, Marjorie explained: “Yeah, all he will be doing for the next week is nursing and sleeping, girl. He won't even open his eyes once until the second week or so."

The yips stopped as soon as the newborn began to suckle his milky nourishment out of the maternal teat he had latched onto. “Look at our son, Fang," said Elise, smiling a very motherly smile. “We made him — the two of us, together. Our soma-bonded love gave him shape, and here he is now. Just by existing, he's made me a mother, and you, his father. I don't think I've ever been happier, but what about you, my wolfie? How do you like being a dad now?"

“I... cannot possibly express how happy I am at this moment, my princess," said the big werewolf as he sat beside his beloved vanni once more, holding her in his arms. “Here I see my son; a living, breathing little fragment of life I helped create myself, and I realize that nothing I might say could do justice to the glory of the warmth this sight brings to my heart. So, for now, I shall simply say: thank you, Elise, for honoring me with the sacred gift of fatherhood."

“No, thank you for being the gentlest, kindest soul I could have ever wished to have by my side as the father of my child," she responded while caressing the strong, protective arm that was hugging her.

“Ah, aren't they just adorable, Rose?" said Marjorie as she observed the tender scene.

“Eh. That's just what young love looks like. Anabelle and Darkhowl are pretty much the same too."

“Oh, right. I almost forgot that Rose LeBlanc, huntress extraordinaire, is too tough to appreciate a little romanticism..."

“It's more like I have my own way of doing things, but whatever. Daggerclaw gets me like no one else does, and that's all I care about."

“Uh, M-Margie?" suddenly said Elise, interrupting that conversation. “Th... the contractions are back."

“Yes, that's because you aren't done yet, girl. You still have to deliver the afterbirth, which is what you'll be pushing out in the next few minutes. Then you'll be done."

“Yep. It's going to be a bloody blob of chunky flesh — easily the grossest part of this 'beautiful miracle of life,' by far!" added the jet-black she-werewolf with a toothy grin.

“Stop trying to traumatize the poor girl, and just go bring us a sheet for the recoil transformation, Rose."

“T-the what now?" asked Elise.

“Oh, you haven't heard of it? It's something that happens to most vanni immediately after giving birth. As you've seen yourself, vanni get locked onto their werewolf forms at the very moment of conception, and stay that way until the cub and afterbirth are both delivered. Then, the 'lock' is released. But being forcefully locked onto a single form for nine whole months builds up a sort of 'pressure' within the soma, which is released all at once when this 'lock' is lifted. That causes vanni to automatically transform back into their human forms. They will then stay like that for a day or two, unable to change into any of their other two forms, until their soma gets used to the 'lock' not being there anymore."

“Oh. I don't remember Anabelle going through that."

“That's because she didn't! Like I said, it happens to most vanni. Not all," Marjorie clarified. “In her case, it might be because of how hard she had trained her soma. I mean, very few vanni can transform only a limb or two rather than the whole body. It takes a very disciplined mind to reach that level of control."

“Ah, yes, she once told me she worked so hard on that because it helped her keep the dark monster within her heart in check."

“Got the sheet," announced Rose before handing it to Elise. “Here. You can use this to cover yourself with if you get a recoil transformation."

“Thanks. Though I'm not sure how good it's going to be now since, you know, everyone in this room already saw all there is to see about me..."

“That might be true, but you have to agree it's somehow different when there's a layer of fur than when there isn't."

“Ah... Yeah, you do have a point there. That layer of fur does make the whole difference between feeling naked and not," conceded the brownish she-werewolf before suddenly wincing: “Ugh, t-those contractions again..."

“Patience, girl! It's almost over!" encouragingly affirmed the gray one.

And so, less than five minutes later...

“Alright, Elise, here it comes."

“Ungh!" grunted the already exhausted lycca-vanni as she pushed that last bit out of her body. But then...

“W-wait a minute," suddenly said Marjorie with a gasp as her eyes widened in shock. “T-this isn't— Oh, my goodness!"

“Oh, whoa..." said Rose in turn. “Elise, you... you won't believe this."

“W-what? What is it? What's wrong??" worriedly asked the brownish she-werewolf, who couldn't see anything from her angle. But Fang could, and he quickly knelt down next to Marjorie and Rose to have a better look at whatever had elicited such reactions. His amber eyes also widened as he confirmed what he thought he had seen.

“Elise, we... T-the Goddess has blessed us!" he exclaimed with a smile that was halfway between joyous elation and shocked disbelief.

“What?"

“Girl, you've got twins!" said Marjorie as she lifted the second newborn cub for her to see.

Indeed, on that night, Elise had delivered a healthy pair of lyccan twins. Once the second one had been cleaned, and his umbilical cord was cut, Fang brought the diminutive pup to his waiting mother, who placed him on her other nipple. At last, the afterbirth was delivered without incident, and a recoil transformation ensued immediately afterwards.

The new vanni mother — now in her original human form — thusly rested in Fang's arms, half-covered with the sheet Rose had given her, peacefully breastfeeding her tiny lyccan twins.

“By the Goddess!" exclaimed Fleetpaw, who had just stepped back into the den after being informed that the birthing process was complete. “It— it has been over four centuries since the last time Howling Grove was blessed with twins! T-this is cause for celebration!"

“Maybe later, my fluffball. Our girl here needs her rest," said Marjorie as she grabbed the smaller male's hand.

“Four centuries?" gasped Elise. “Are twins that rare among lycca?"

“Rarer than unicorns!" affirmed Rose. “You see, although regular she-wolves can have litters of up to a dozen cubs or so, vanni can only bear a single pup at a time. But I guess every now and then the stars will align just right so that a lucky vanni will bear twins anyway!"

“For us, having twins born into the pack is a portentous omen of good fortune, my princess," explained Fang as he gently stroked Elise's hair. “If you asked me, I would say it is a sign that Mother Moon is in particularly high spirits this year, and has decided to share her overflowing joy with all of her Howling Grove children by blessing us with this gift."

“Alright! Have you decided their infancy names yet, girl?" asked the gray female werewolf.

“Ah, yeah, well... They can't both be Kicky, so, um..."

“I know!" exclaimed Rose. “Just call them Kicky 1 and Kicky 2!"

“I'd rather not... But I was thinking that this little guy here will be Kicky, only because he came out first. As for his twin, um... Fang? Would you like to name him yourself?"

“I— I could not do such a thing! O-only vanni may name lycca, my princess. I am sorry..."

“Yes, but that doesn't mean you can't suggest a name anyway, does it?"

“I suppose it does not... T-that is to say, so long as you are the one who decides whether to use that name in the end," surmised Fang after what must have been an intense inner deliberation. “All right, well... In that case, how about Klawy? W-would that be an acceptable suggestion?"

“Kicky and Klawy, hm?" said Elise as she gazed upon the tiny twins latched onto her breasts. “You know what? I like it. So Klawy it is."

And that's how it was decided that the older twin's infancy name would be Kicky, while the younger twin's one would be Klawy. Along with Littlepaws, they effectively spearheaded the new generation of lyccan werewolves in the pack of Howling Grove. Indeed, in one way or another, the future lay in their tiny little claws. But, of course, it would be many years before the legend of their exploits could secure a place for them in the history books.

~*~

The next few days went by uneventfully. Elise waited out her recoil transformation in her den, in company of Fang and their twins. Of course, she had to stay there anyway because of Kicky and Klawy, who would spend their whole day only sleeping and nursing, and would yip incessantly if separated from their mother for longer than a few seconds. Not that the werewolf girl was complaining, as her maternal instincts — now in full bloom — would not let her even entertain the thought of leaving the safety of the den for any reason while her cubs were so small and vulnerable.

Fang took on the role of a guardian, staying in the den to ensure his family was safe; only leaving to procure water and food for his mate. Never mind the fact that there was no real danger within the confines of Howling Grove to speak of, but his wolf instincts didn't care. They simply wouldn't let him act any other way at such an important moment in his and his mate's lives.

Rose and Marjorie would visit them regularly during that time, bringing Littlepaws with them. The ten-month-old wolf cub, in turn, was fascinated with the twins. He just couldn't believe he once was as small as they were, and kept watching them with rapt attention, seemingly enthralled by their tiny sleeping forms.

“...And they will both grow to be big like you, uncle Fang? Even when they are so small?" sweetly asked Anabelle and Darkhowl's cub.

“Of course! We all start life this way, Littlepaws, son of Darkhowl. But one day they will too stand proudly on their strong lyccan legs just like me. And so will you, whether you believe it or not. It is only a matter of time."

The little one seemed to accept that answer, and simply returned to watching the twins, wagging his tail adorably every time they twitched in their sleep.

On the ninth day after Kicky and Klawy were born, Anabelle and Darkhowl returned to Howling Grove from their trip to Roud City. Littlepaws immediately jumped into their arms, licking their faces furiously. By that point, Elise's twins had already doubled in size, and were beginning to open their eyes, crawling about clumsily on their stubby little legs.

“Whoa, twins??" exclaimed the white lycca-vanni as she saw Elise breastfeeding her two cubs. “That's amazing, Elise! Fang must be over the moon! I mean, did they tell you how rare it is for a vanni to bear twins?"

“They sure did! And lots of lycca already went out of their way to bring me congratulatory gifts and other such trinkets — even though, you know, it's not like I did anything special to make it happen. It just happened all on its own! But I do appreciate the sentiment all the same, of course."

“Oh, yeah, they would definitely do that! Ah, well, I have lots to say about my trip too, but I'm afraid that will have to wait. Right now, all I want to do is crash on my bed with Darkhowl and Littlepaws," said Anabelle, showing a little weariness in the tone of her voice. “Well, see you later!"

“Have a good rest!"

Later that day, once the white she-werewolf had had her rest, she gathered with Rose and Elise at Fang's den while Fang himself was on patrol duty. All three of them were in their bipedal lycca forms.

“Ah, Anabelle!" said the huntress, turning to her. “It's good to see you again around here! I take it that Littlepaws is with his father?"

“Yeah, Darkhowl took him on another of his hunting lessons, so that they can have their father-and-son bonding time. It had been a while since the last one, and he was missing it."

“Heh, I suppose bonding over brutally snapping the necks of prey animals is a very wolf-like thing to do!" noted Rose, grinning as she pictured the large male and his cub standing atop a blood-stained pile of mangled rabbits. “But let's hear about your trip to Roud! How did it go?"

“Yeah, tell us, Anabelle! Was it dangerous?" asked Elise while holding the twins in her arms.

“Dangerous? No, not really. Well, we did run into a few vampbats and ratagors along the way, but we made short work of them," explained the she-werewolf with the white coat of fur. “Once we reached Roud, I changed into my human form, put on the clothes I had brought with me, then entered the city while Darkhowl stayed behind, hidden from view in the woods just outside the southern entrance."

“And then you met with that inspector, right?"

“Yes, we had arranged to meet up at the central fountain, and there he was indeed. He then took me to his office, where he showed me all the paperwork I had to sign. After that was done, and with the help of his contacts, I was given an official ID with my full name on it. It even had my actual last name, which I appreciated."

“Alright; so far so good, I guess. What happened then?" asked Rose as one of the twins played with her tail.

“Well, now that I had an ID, Mr. DuPont took me to the bank, where I signed a few more papers to claim my parents' account. Once that was done, and after withdrawing a handful of coins as a test, I asked him if he'd like to administrate my fortune for me. At first he was flabbergasted, but once I had explained my reasons to him, he accepted. And that's pretty much it! Not very exciting, is it?"

“Not very exciting? You're telling me that inheriting like a billion Gold isn't exciting??"

“I never cared about that money, Rose. I only bothered to go there and do all that stuff because I figured a good man like Mr. DuPont is more likely to give that Gold a much better use than the Crown possibly could," said Anabelle as she shrugged her shoulders.

“So, what is he going to do with it, then?" asked Elise.

“I don't know. That's going to be up to him. But I did tell him he can treat his family if he wants. Oh, and I also told him that it would be nice to make big anonymous donations to a charity once a month or so. Since I didn't know of any myself, he suggested the Starlight Haven Foundation, which is an organization that helps homeless children. I thought that sounded great, so I gave him my blessing to go ahead with it."

“That's awesome! I bet those donations will make a lot of children very happy!"

“Hopefully, yeah," said Anabelle, her snow-white tail shifting to the other side behind her. “I mean, I'll never know for sure, so I can only trust it will help make at least a little difference."

“Okay, so you did your good deed of the day," noted Rose, flicking her lupine ears. “That's fantastic and all, but I think it's high time I asked the most important question: how many bags of Gold did you bring in?"

“Zero. I wasn't interested in lugging extra weight on my way back here, nor was I having Darkhowl do it for me."

“Of course you would say that..." sighed the black-furred huntress, shaking her head dejectedly.

“How long did all of that take?" asked Elise, turning to the white she-werewolf.

“A whole afternoon. Which isn't too bad, all things considered. Then, once it was all said and done, Mr. DuPont and I parted ways, but not before I told him I'd be dropping by twice a year or something like that, to check up on things."

“Ah-ha! So you DO care a little about that money after all!" exclaimed Rose, jumping from her chair. “I'm glad to hear that, because I was already starting to think you were just going to leave that guy to his own devices with all your Gold!"

“Well, what I meant to say is that I wouldn't really mind if that fortune just disappeared overnight. It wouldn't actually affect me in any way. But it still was my parents' legacy, you know? While I don't have any real use for it myself, I'd certainly like to see it being spent on things that could maybe help the world be a better place, if at all possible. That's why I'll be going back to Roud every now and then, so that I can see how that money is being used."

“Alright, sounds sensible enough. And I'd imagine this DuPont guy will do his damndest not to upset someone who could easily rip him to shreds, especially if you'll be checking up on him regularly!"

“Ah, come on now. You know I'm never again ripping anyone to shreds no matter what, Rose."

“Yes, of course, but he doesn't know that... nor does he need to," remarked the huntress with an evil grin and a wink.

“...You scare me sometimes."

“Good! It means I've still got it."

“Yes, well... As I was saying, Mr. DuPont and I parted ways after that," said Anabelle as she resumed her story. “Then I headed down the path leading out of the city to reunite with Darkhowl, and... Guess what, Rose? Along the way, I passed by your ancestor's museum."

“Ah, yes, the Jean-Pierre LeBlanc Memorial Museum. I've been there a couple times," reminisced the huntress. “That was actually his home back in the Age of Knights, before the whole thing with the Chaos Gem, The Wyvern, and all that stuff. Now it's just a museum dedicated to him."

“Well, I had time to spare, so I went inside for a few moments, mostly because I had never been to a museum before. I've got to say, most of the exhibits were just random junk like a compass, a sickle, a pair of gloves, a backpack, some kind of footwear with iron soles, a bracelet, and even a big white feather. What was up with all that?" asked the white lycca-vanni, understandably confused.

“All those things you saw used to belong to my ancestor. As I understand it, they were artifacts he had obtained during his mission to save the land. You see, things were pretty dire back then, as Galia was menaced by the evil machinations of a dark sorcerer who, in the end, was nothing but the unwitting pawn of the Chaos Gem's will. Of course, my ancestor was the hero who ultimately rose to the challenge and saved the day with the legendary power of his Zeus Blade! Anyway, in case you were wondering, many of those items — like the gloves and the feather — used to have helpful enchantments on them, but all their magic faded away centuries ago."

“Huh. I wonder what it was like to live in that era, when magic was still a thing."

“Well, it's not like it went completely extinct," noted Elise. “I mean, there's still the invisible barrier that protects all of Howling Grove. That's got to count for something, right? And who can say there aren't other pockets of magic like this one still left in the world, waiting to be discovered?"

“Hm, I suppose you're right," conceded Anabelle. “Still, you've got to agree that Jean-Pierre LeBlanc lived in a world that simply doesn't exist anymore."

“Well, yeah... I suppose that's the difference seven hundred years can make."

“In a way, you could say that that little museum is a time capsule of that era," added Rose as she sat back down, allowing the twins access to her tail again. “It also has the full suit of armor he wore on his missions, assembled on a mannequin. Did you see it, Anabelle?"

“I sure did, and let me tell you; that thing looked pretty damn heavy!" replied the white she-werewolf. “Oh, and if I'm not mistaken, there was a saddle in the exhibit right next to it too."

“Ah, yes, that belonged to his horse, Soleil," explained the jet-black lycca-vanni, as Elise's playful twins continued to paw at her bushy tail. “You know, no royal knight worth their salt was complete without their trusty steed!"

“Makes sense, I guess. And what about that weird thin sword on the back wall? I remember thinking it looked very flimsy..."

“Oh, that wasn't a sword, but a foil. It belonged to a man who fought alongside Jean-Pierre in the decisive battle against The Wyvern. I believe his name was Jacques Fontaine. If I remember the stories well, he died in that battle, and my ancestor kept his foil as a remembrance of their friendship."

“By the way, Rose," began Elise; “I don't know if I ever told you this, but I'm seriously impressed with how much you know about your ancestor."

“Oh, I know this much only because of my parents. They both were history buffs, and loved to read me bedtime stories from a big book called 'The Chronicles of Galia,' which was all about the Age of Knights," said Rose, leaning back on her chair as she crossed her strong werewolf legs.

“That sounds like an interesting book! Can I borrow it?"

“Sure, why not? But you'll have to ask Marjorie, because she borrowed it first!"

“Ah, well, I suppose I'll ask her later," said the grayish-brown lycca-vanni. “Anyway, what else did you do after checking the museum, Anabelle?"

“Not much, really. I saw a hooded beggar sitting by the entrance to the museum, and decided he could have the few Gold coins I had withdrawn from the bank. After handing them to him, I just left the city and went back to Darkhowl, who had been patiently waiting for me in the woods. Then I simply changed into my feral wolf form, and the two of us started on our way back here."

“So, in the end, was the trip worth it?"

“I... think so?" replied Anabelle after humming for a few moments, “I mean, an afternoon of signing forms is, uh... Well, I can't say I'd recommend it. Not even for a billion Gold; unless being a slave to money is your only option, I guess. But the way to and from Roud City made it all worth it."

“Wait, so you enjoyed the actual journey better than the destination?"

“Oh, yes. It was ten days of just Darkhowl and me, trekking through the wilderness on the legs of wolves. No amount of Gold could possibly buy that. It was, hands down, the best part of the whole trip."

“Hah!" exclaimed Rose as her werewolf lips drew a knowing grin on her face. “One can only wonder how many times he must have knotted you out there..."

“Well, we had been a little starved lately, you know. But yes, the sex was fantastic, and I think the sense of adventure only heightened it."

“Ah, why am I not surprised that the very first thing I hear coming in is 'the sex was fantastic'?" exclaimed a sturdily built lycca-vanni with gray fur as she entered Elise's den to join her friends.

“Hey there, Marjorie. How's it going?" casually said Rose, followed by similar greetings from the other two girls.

“Doing good, thanks. Sorry for being late, though. Something came up, so I couldn't leave my fluffball's den until just now."

“Yeah, I bet I know what 'came up.' Probably something long and hard..."

“...Yes," she simply admitted. “I mean, at first he had only intended to give me an innocent good-bye kiss, but it was so darn cute I just couldn't help myself. Next thing I knew, I was tongue-bonding him very, very hard on the ground, and it just snowballed from there!"

“Hey, nothing wrong with having fun with your lycca-mate!" exclaimed the black-furred huntress with a big toothy grin. “It's kind of the whole point of Howling Grove, isn't it?"

“I guess so. But I didn't come here to talk about my spectacular matings with my handsome little fluffball," Marjorie stated right before turning to the white she-werewolf with green eyes. “Anabelle, girl, Fleetpaw told me that translating the book you found in your mother's safe is going to take him quite a bit longer than he originally thought."

“Ah, that's fine. There's no rush," said Anabelle while holding up an open palm in an 'it's okay' kind of way.

“Still, he at least got the first couple lines done or so. It looks like it's some sort of journal written by someone who lived seven centuries ago. Too bad the name of that person was scraped away, although it seems like it began with the letter M."

“Interesting. I wonder who that could've been."

“Oh, it sounds like we might have an ancient mystery on our hands!" enthusiastically noted Rose; her wolf ears pointing straight up.

“Well, I suppose we'll have to wait until Fleetpaw makes some more progress," added Elise as she picked up the twins from the ground. “Then, hopefully, we might even learn what that antique key was for."

“Maybe, but he can drop it anytime if it's too difficult," Anabelle stated, waving her tail lightly. “I don't want it to become a chore for him."

“Oh, he relishes the challenge, girl," Marjorie affirmed, patting the younger she-werewolf's furry shoulder in a reassuring manner. “Trust me; you have nothing to worry about."

“I mean, if you say so..."

“Yeah, it's fine. But now I want to hear all about your trip to Roud City, girl. How did it go?"

“Ah, I had already told the whole thing to Rose and Elise... But, sure, I can do it again."

And so, Anabelle recounted her journey once more.

~*~

The next days passed in relative tranquility in the forest of Lanea. The male members of the werewolf pack of Howling Grove went on their daily routines as usual, taking turns to patrol their vast territory and procuring sustenance. Afterwards, they liked to spend the rest of their day with their respective soma-bonded vanni. Sometimes that meant chasing one another in the woods, or sharing a moment of raw, intimate passion. Or both.

Littlepaws continued taking hunting lessons with his father, learning of the ways in which an apex predator was to fulfill its role in the sacred balance of nature, and what it meant to respect the life of prey in that context. “Be swift. Be precise. Be deadly. You must never allow them the chance to even begin to experience fear, for a death without suffering or pain is the best death we can grant our prey. It is the least we can do to honor the sanctity of the lives we must take to survive ourselves," Darkhowl would often remind his son.

Kicky and Klawy kept growing happily under the care of their parents. Fang particularly loved it whenever the two diminutive cubs tried to climb up his lying body to tug at his lupine ears with their tiny muzzles. “Look, Elise! I am a big wolf playground to them!" he would sometimes say between joyful laughs on such occasions. Elise, in turn, loved seeing him having so much fun with the fruits of their union. After all, it was little moments such as those that made life worth living.

About a week after Anabelle had returned from Roud, the twins yipped their very first words: “FAA-DAA" and “MAA-DAA," for Fang and Elise respectively. The latter was so proud, and the former nearly melted upon hearing it the first time. Many hugs and kisses were shared that day. Time, of course, did not stand still. Thus, by their seventh week of life, the twins had already tripled in size, and were able to utter full sentences. Moreover, they had become bouncy balls of canine fun, brimming with youthful energy and itching to explore the world on their little puppy legs.

Littlepaws, although still small, doubled both Kicky and Klawy in size. Together, the three of them could spend hours chasing each other in circles until tiring themselves out. Although not yet fully weaned, both twins had already begun to ingest solid food — meat, mostly. Also, since they were identical, both of them started seeing opportunities to play silly, innocent pranks on friends and family alike by pretending to be the other twin on occasion. Many a lycca was fooled, but never their parents.

“Geez, guys, how do you tell them apart?" Rose asked Elise once.

“A mother's werewolf nose is never wrong," the brownish lycca-vanni simply replied, smiling.

About a week later, Littlepaws celebrated his first birthday. He was now the equivalent of a ten-year-old human boy, although still in the four-legged body of a wolfling. There was no celebratory cake, of course, as sweets weren't precisely a male lycca's digestive tract's best friends. Only lycca-vanni could consume those without risk of triggering intestinal consequences, by virtue of being half human.

“I am twelve months old now, Father!" the pup excitedly told Darkhowl that night, at their den. “How do I change into my two-legged form? Please teach me!"

“That is something that cannot be taught, my son. Your body will learn on its own when your soma is ready," the large alpha male replied as he gently knelt down to stroke Littlepaws' head fur. “It might not happen today or tomorrow, but I am sure it will not take much longer than a few more days. You only have to be patient."

“Awww..." impatiently whined the little one as his spirits visibly deflated. “But I was counting the sunrises down to this day! Why can I not transform yet? I just— I just want to be a big, strong, fearsome lycca like you."

“And you will be! That is a promise. But the more you try to rush your soma, the longer it will take to awaken your transformation, which is why I tell you to be patient. Remember: dwelling on matters beyond your control will only hurt you."

“Y...yes, but... I was really looking forward to impressing Mother with it today... I did not want to disappoint her..."

“Oh, Littlepaws, sweetheart..." said Anabelle as she took the crestfallen cub in her motherly arms. “I'm not disappointed. I love you whether you stand on two legs or four. You know that, right?"

“I... suppose I do. But..."

“But your father is right. Things will happen when they happen. In the meantime, why don't I give you a tongue bath, like when you were younger? You could even tell me all your plans for when you can walk on two legs while I clean you. Would you like that?"

“Yes, I... I would, Mother."

And so, Anabelle lovingly bathed her son with her lupine tongue while the little one told her grand stories about being a hero to a vanni. As the pup shared his innocent vision with his mother, the gentle, maternal strokes of her tongue on his fur slowly began to have a soothing effect on him. By the time the white she-werewolf was done, Littlepaws was fast asleep.

“Look at him, Darkhowl. Look at our little pup sleeping. Isn't this the most heartwarming sight you've ever seen?" asked the lycca-vanni.

“It would be, if it was not for the sight of you bathing him only moments ago, my adored angel-vanni," he answered, sitting down next to her. “It almost made me wish I could do the same to you, except more... thoroughly, perhaps."

Anabelle chuckled.

“You say that as if you couldn't!"

“Hence why I said 'almost,' as I know I do not need to wish for that," said the large male while giving a single lick of his broad canine tongue to Anabelle's thin werewolf lips. “Although now might not be the time. Maybe whenever we next find ourselves alone?"

“Yes, that would be a good idea. Ah, I'm already looking forward to it myself!"

“As much as Littlepaws looks forward to rescuing a vanni?"

“Hahah, it's very difficult to match that!" laughed the white-furred female. “He really can't wait to be a vanni's savior, just like you were for me. Well, in a way, I suppose he's just trying to be like the lycca he admires the most in the world."

“Am I, uh... Am I that lycca?" adorably asked the hulking werebeast, pointing a claw at himself.

“Of course you are, you silly goose! You're his hero!"

Darkhowl took a few moments to gaze upon his sleeping son as he felt his own heart swelling with fatherly pride. It felt wonderfully warm in his big lyccan chest. “So I am," he eventually spoke. “In that case, I shall strive to be a lycca worthy of his admiration."

“I think you already are," simply said Anabelle as she threw her arms around him. “Really, you only need to be yourself, as that's the lycca he admires... and the one I love."

“Well... Then it is a good thing that I happen to excel at being myself," he said jokingly. “After all, I have spent my whole life practicing exactly that!"

“Shut up and claim your vanni's mouth with that fantastic alpha-male tongue of yours already."

“Gladly."

Thus, Darkhowl proceeded to expertly turn Anabelle's inner self into mush with a spectacular, mind-melting round of tongue-bonding while their son slept peacefully next to them, perhaps dreaming of saving a vanni as the big, heroic werewolf he had always seen in his father.

To be continued...