Chapter Twenty-Eight

Parker sighed as he finally reached his father's home. He had finished up hunting and put the kill in their home after breaking it down and putting the hide away to make into furs for later. He came to pick up his mate...he knew how much his mother liked to shop. There was no doubt in his mind that Kagome was going to have a lot and it would be hard for her to carry back herself.

"Mother..." Parker called seeing her sitting in the garden, playing with what looked like to be new jewelry. There was cloth and jewels spread out all over the table, making him shake his head. His mother loved clothes and jewelry. Things that represented wealth and beauty. She may be a bit vain but at least she was kind as well...something not all women were.

"What are you doing here, cub," Meimi asked, her eyes glancing at her son with a smile on her face before going back to her shopping treasures from the day.

"Kagome isn't here anymore?" Parker frowned, worry filling him. He knew she could protect herself, but he had thought the two would still be together.

"She was insistent and headed home already...she probably wanted to go put her feet up. I remember when I was pregnant my energy levels were always low..." Meimi spoke, as she put down the jewel and let her son have her attention.

Parker's mine blanked and he froze, repeating the words in his head over and over again...pregnant...Kagome was pregnant? Why hadn't she told him yet? This was great news. When she had told him she was almost always fertile, it was hard to wrap his mind around...but to get pregnant this fast...was great!

"She's pregnant?" He uttered out loud, his tail twitching behind him as his eyes lit up at the thought of Kagome with a litter of cubs.

Meimi paused frown tugging at her lips, "Yes. I have been pregnant more than enough times to notice..." She sighed as she shook her head, "You haven't been around someone pregnant unless in passing...so I guess it is understandable you don't notice."

The smile grew on Parker's face, and he could hear the sound of his mother's voice as he turned and left without saying goodbye. Parker knew she wouldn't mind the rude way he left because of the circumstances.

Parker transformed and quickly ran through the village to make it back home, he was excited and couldn't wait to see his mate. To see Kagome and see when she found out. They would be having cubs...he would be a dad. He always dreamed of getting to this day, but he never thought he would find a suitable mate. But he did.

Kagome was humming to herself, a habit formed due to lack of liking silence when she sensed Parker's aura make a beeline for her. It was bursting with energy, joy, and love and it made her smile as he burst into the house, picking her up and spinning her around.

Laughing she threw her arms around him, his good mood contagious, why he was in such a good mood didn't matter, all that mattered was that he was home and they were together. She giggled as he peppered her face with kisses, dusting her cheeks and closed eyes with them before pulling her into a long loving kiss.

He broke it, breathing harshly as he still held her in his arms, her feet barely touching the ground as he pressed his forehead into hers, his eyes sparkling with joy and love. "What brought this on my love? Not that I'm complaining." Her voice was light as to not break the joyous mood, her eyes catching sight of his ears that were twitching two and fro with his excitement.

"You're pregnant my silly little mate! We are going to have a litter!" He practically yelled out the words, had they had neighbors everyone would have heard his joyous shout.

Kagome blinked, running over his shouted words...

Pregnant...litter...pregnant!

"I'm what?!" Her voice was layered with shock and it made Parker pause and set her on the table behind them, one hand shoving the goods that littered it out of the way while the other still sat on her waist.

Worry bloomed in his chest, did she not want to have cubs with him? The thought stabbed at his heart, deep and twisting.

Sensing his change in emotions Kagome was quick to grab the hand he used to make space for her on the table. She willed her powers into him, letting him know she wasn't upset, just surprised and shocked.

This was news to her.

"Are you sure, how do you know?" Mentally she tried to recall her last cycle, it had ended just before Curtis had kidnapped her and Bai so it made sense...

Parker nodded, settling his hand on her stomach. "My mother has had enough litters to know but if you want to be sure we can call a healer to come confirm...you do want to have cubs with me right?" His ears were plastered his head, dark thoughts and doubts forming in his thoughts.

Kagome was quick to cup his face and make him look at her, willing him to see the conviction in her eyes. "Of course, I'm your mate, Parker. I want to bear your cubs. I just wasn't expecting it to happen so soon. I figured that we'd have time to plan and prepare." She licked her lips, she had hoped to have had more time to settle into her life in this new world before bringing life into it but she above everyone else knew nothing ever went according to plan.

"I just didn't expect your swimmers to be so potent, I guess the lack of children in this world isn't due to the lack of vigor but literally the lack of females..." The last part was muttered out loud mostly to herself than to Parker.

Parker gave a small bark of laughter and leaned down to press a kiss to her lips, male pride stoked. They did after all mate three times their first night together and a few more times since that. He assumed she was aware that the males of his clan had very potent sperm, and was taking certain precautions using her magical grass, well she certainly knew now!

Mood once again filled with happiness and mirth Parker nuzzled the top of his mates head. He was going to be a father!

Kagome could only smile as she placed a semi trembling hand on her stomach, there inside of her life was growing...she was going to be a mother...

"I'm going to be a mother...Parker...we're going to be parents!" Tears of joy gathered in her eyes as she threw her arms around her mate and hugged him tight, her heart overflowing with love for the lives growing inside of her.

Parker purred as his mate clung to him, her happiness and love projecting into the room,, this is why he went out every day with his father. To grow stronger to be able to protect his mate and now he would have to work even harder!

They would have more mouths to feed, more lives that depended on them and he was so very glad that he wouldn't have to do it alone. He had no doubt that his little mate would not let him shoulder the burden alone and it made his heart sing. How she had changed him since their first meeting all those months ago and she would keep changing him. As he would her.

His life with her was an adventure he never wanted to end and if he had his way it wouldn't, they would continue to grow as mates, as parents, and as individuals. They would continue to bring out the best in each other and if anyone had a problem with it that was too bad because he would never try to make his little mate change, not for anything.

Though he knew they would have disagreements, they came from literally different worlds, if they made the effort and were willing to compromise and understand the other's point of view then they would be fine. Even so, he knew the second he gave voice to his newest worry it would spark a disagreement, so for now he would bite his tongue and just enjoy and bask in the fact that they were going to be parents.

Tomorrow, tomorrow he could broach the subject of her staying behind while he made the trek back to the old village. He knew she would be upset but he would not put her nor their cubs in danger, this was one of the very few things he would not budge on. He was sure as time went on there would be things that she herself would not budge on and they would have to tackle them as they came. For now, he just wanted to celebrate the fact that their love would breathe new life into the world.