Okay, I warned that Aladdin will be OOC last chapter. The length of time for pregnancy and birth were researched so to give authenticity to the story. Plus, Kona and Mia are my characters.

Chapter Eleven- Parenthood Fears

Aladdin was indeed hunting more as Jasmine expressed a desire for fresh meat. She did eat other food, but her diet was largely meat and water. The two masters were excited about becoming parents and soon their excitement infected their servant too. Aladdin got his humanity back after his week-long punishment was over, however Mozenrath had plans for the hero one week later.

Aladdin once more stood in the Throne Room, but this time both Mozenrath and Jasmine were on their thrones. Jasmine was absently stroking her still flat stomach while she looked at her mate, wondering why he called Aladdin here and feeling a desire for a fat juicy hare. Mozenrath, however, had his gaze focused on their servant. "Aladdin," he said. "I know you are also excited about Jasmine's pregnancy, but you do know that her cravings are not going to be limited to nighttime, yes?"

The dark-haired hero had been conditioned long and hard during his week as a full leopard and therefore said, "Yes, master. I do know."

"Good. Then, I order you to take your leopard form right now."

Aladdin bowed. "Yes, master." He closed his eyes to focus on shifting to leopard. He didn't want to change to leopard during the day, but Mozenrath had drilled complete obedience into him during his punishment and the spell inside him had strengthened from this drilling. Now, he couldn't resist any order given to him. His will completely belonged to his masters. He wanted to fight the order, but his resistance was weak and he'd rather please his masters than anger them and be punished. He felt his hands and feet conform into paws and he dropped to them as his fur spread from his head and down his body. He felt his ears, nose, and jaws move up and out and his tail growing out behind him. The soft growl that came out told him that he had successfully changed as was Mozenrath's laugh.

He opened his eyes to see Mozenrath's grin and a sense of pride welled up inside him because he knew that he was the cause of that grin. "Well done, Aladdin," he commented as he stood and shifted to leopard as well. "And this couldn't be better because Jasmine desires a hare and we're going to look for one. Come." He padded out of the room with Aladdin right behind him.

Jasmine watched the pair of them go and a low satisfied purr emerged. I've been so occupied with my pregnancy that I hadn't noticed how submissive Aladdin's become until now. He responded as a slave should and he obeyed Mozenrath instantly. Perhaps, he was conditioned in that week he spent as a full leopard. If so, this is perfect. He will never run away again and he will never refuse an order. His will is ours to command.

Aladdin eventually learned that by shifting in daylight for the first time that he could remain human at night. He enjoyed his time as a human because when Mozenrath wanted him to hunt, he had to change forms and follow the wizard into the desert. After doing so for a month, Aladdin found he enjoyed being a leopard more than he did when he only changed at night. His hunting skills were now flawless and he could run down any prey Jasmine desired. He missed Genie and Carpet, but had his hunting to keep his mind off it.

A month and a half had passed since learning she was pregnant and Jasmine was finding that new instincts were awakening: Motherly instincts. She spent time listening to them and trying to determine what they were telling her. She finally determined that one of them was telling her to shift to leopard and stay that way until after birth. She decided to do so since it was to insure that her cubs would survive. So when she awoke the morning after discovering this instinct, she immediately shifted forms before leaving the chamber to greet her mate and slave. She found them both in the dining hall and her presence was noticed by both. Aladdin seemed curious about her being a leopard while Mozenrath simply smiled.

"Well, my dear. You decided to stay in leopard form now. I suspected that you would at some point."

"My new instincts were telling me that now would be a good time to choose one form to remain in for the upcoming delivery. Obviously since these are were-leopards I'm carrying, it made sense to be a leopard."

Two weeks after Jasmine's decision to stay a leopard, the two males were out hunting. Her desire for fresh meat was daily now, but that didn't bother either of them. It was a clear sign that her pregnancy was progressing nicely and they were determined to make sure that the cubs were healthy when they arrived. Aladdin had his nose to the ground and then lifted it to smell the air. The scent of a gazelle wafted up to him and he sprinted after it. He soon determined that the prey he sought was over the next dune. He ran up the pile of sand and launched himself over the top to land squarely on the gazelle's back. The gazelle gave a mighty buck and actually dislodged the leopard, sending him sliding across the sand on his side. Aladdin growled in frustration. That never happened before! His hunting was flawless! That gazelle was going to be killed in a more painful way than usual! He turned back to his prey and paused. The gazelle was blue instead of the usual colors. Was its color the reason it was stronger than the rest of its kind? A puff of blue smoke engulfed the animal and when it cleared, Genie was in its place.

"Whoa, Al!" Genie exclaimed, waving his arms frantically in front of him. "Don't tell me you've gone feral again."

"I haven't, Genie," Aladdin assured him as he walked up to his friend. "It's good to see you. I missed you and Carpet, too."

"Well, Rugman's back home and I thought I'd come to see how you were doing. I thought I could get you alone by posing as prey. Obviously, it worked."

"I'm not exactly alone. Master is not that far away."

"Master? You mean Mozenrath?"

"Yes. He punished me the morning after we returned by removing my humanity for a week and during that week he drilled complete obedience into me. I must obey him and Jasmine, I have no choice."

"Oh, Al. I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's all right. I actually like being a leopard, especially since Master ordered me to change during the day."

"Is that why the two of you are hunting? Because you like living like leopards?"

"Oh, that's right. I didn't tell you: Jasmine is pregnant and she desires fresh meat every day now."

"She's…pregnant?"

"That's right. She'll be giving birth in about a month or so. She's definitely showing and we're all excited about the birth."

"Well, I guess I should head home and let you get on with your hunt. I'll see you again later, Al."

"Bye, Genie." Aladdin turned and padded away, searching for prey.

Genie flew toward home, his mind whirling over the conversation he just had. I can't believe that was my friend talking just now. He sounded like a slave would and he seems to enjoy being a slave as well as a leopard. That twisted wizard really did a good job on Al. I guess I have to accept that he's going to live like this the rest of his life.

One month passed and Jasmine sensed that she was very close to delivering. She spent time pacing around the bed chambers or lying in the fancy new bed that Mozenrath conjured on the floor since she was having trouble jumping into bed due to her slightly swollen belly. She was currently lying in this bed when Mozenrath padded into the room. He had decided two days ago that he and Aladdin should also be in leopard form until after birth so that they could see to Jasmine's comfort and cravings at a moment's notice. He rubbed her head and then her belly as he said, "Are you doing fine, dear?"

"I'm fine, just a bit restless and nervous too."

"I think we're all a little nervous."

Jasmine flexed her paws a little. "I can hardly believe that I've been in leopard form for about a month and a half. This is the longest time I've been like this. I kind of like it. It'll be hard to learn how to walk on two legs again."

"I imagine so. You may want to wait a little longer after birth before resuming human form. I've been doing some reading and learned that newborn cubs are blind until they are ten days old and they won't start transforming until they are three or four months old."

"I think I'll be human again after they can see. I will change when they're hungry, of course."

"Of course."

"How long is the pregnancy? I sense I'm close to term, but how long has it been?"

"About three months. My reading says that mothers give birth ninety-eight to a hundred days after conception."

Jasmine's mouth parted slightly. "I'm very close. In another eight to ten days, they'll be here."

"It could be just one cub or as many as four, there's no way of knowing."

"Well, I can tell you, it's more than one. Whenever there's movement, it feels like more than one."

Mozenrath nodded as he left the room. So, in less than two weeks he would be a father and the knowledge was making him nervous and a little scared. He didn't know anything about raising a family! What if he messed up? What if the children hated him? He had been brought up by Destane and look at how he had turned out! Yes, he was a powerful, intelligent, and resourceful young man, yet he was power-hungry and cruel. It was the cruelty he possessed that scared him. He did not want to be cruel to his children.

I wish I could talk to someone about this, but who? The only one who knows about Jasmine's pregnancy and the two of us being leopards is…Aladdin! Of course!

He walked into the Throne Room and was surprised to see Aladdin lying on the pillow beside his throne. He climbed into his throne and curled up in it with his head on the armrest and was about to close his eyes when he saw Aladdin looking up at him, concern in his green eyes.

"Yes, Aladdin?"

"Are you okay, Master? You seem…worried."

"I am worried. I'm about to do something unusual. I need to talk to someone about my troubles, but I don't want to discuss them with Jasmine. So, I going to talk to you.

"Jasmine is eight to ten days away from giving birth and she has stated that it will be more than one cub. However, now I am nervous and a little…scared. You know that Destane raised me to become the young man I am now. I know nothing about raising a family and I fear that I'll be cruel to the children and that they'll hate me. I also fear I'll mess up in raising them."

Aladdin stared at the sorcerer, hardly believing his ears. This was not the man he defeated on several occasions, who had turned Jasmine, or ordered him around. This was a man who was afraid of being a bad father. He wanted to console or offer advice, but he wasn't sure Mozenrath was asking for either and he sure wasn't going to ask.

"Aladdin, I want your thoughts on this."

And there's the invitation to speak, he thought. "I believe it's natural to be nervous or scared," he said slowly. "I had no one to raise me, so I don't know anything about families. However, I think once the cubs are here, some kind of natural instinct will kick in. You'll love your children and I suggest discipline in terms of gentle scolding."

"You really think that'll work?"

"Possibly. You'll also have Jasmine to watch them and she was raised by a father."

"Yes. Yes, she was. I think I will speak with her tomorrow and she could provide some insight into parenthood."

Aladdin nodded before laying his head down and drifting off to sleep. He felt as if Mozenrath had just shown something akin to friendship. Their conversation had not been one of master and servant, but one between friends. Perhaps, he would be kinder once he was a father.

Jasmine growled loudly as another stab of pain hit her. She gasped and panted as she pushed to get her first cub out. It seemed that animals suffered from labor pains too…or was she feeling pain because she was a were-leopard? Either way, it hurt giving birth. She growled again and actually felt something sliding into the birth canal. It was coming. Everything's fine, she told herself. It's just fine. My first cub is making its way out and I'll be pushing to get the others in line to follow the first. My instincts are a real help in this process. She knew that Mozenrath and Aladdin were in the hall, waiting for her permission to enter. She could imagine Mozenrath pacing up and down the hall while Aladdin stood against the wall opposite her door. She was pulled from her thoughts by another labor pain, felt further sliding in the birth canal, and then heard soft mewing.

She smiled; her first cub was here! She looked over to see the first one trying to crawl over her back feet to reach her nipples. She leaned over, gently grabbed it by the scruff, and gently deposited near her stomach. She hissed at another stab and felt more movement in her belly. The next one was coming and this one seemed more interested in coming out than the first one. She grunted and pushed as hard as she could and felt the cub slide easily out of the canal, most likely because its sibling had already pushed its way out. Another mewing announced its arrival and Jasmine brought it over to her side as well. While they fed, she cleaned them, checked for their gender, and once she was comfortable and knew that delivery was done, she called, "You can come in now."

Mozenrath paced up and down the hall, his eyes focused on the floor and his tail swishing in agitation. Aladdin stood against the wall opposite the door, his head going back and forth as his master paced. Jasmine had insisted that both wait in the hall during delivery and both had complied. Mozenrath understood the request: Female leopards do not require assistance in delivery; Jasmine would automatically know what to do, yet he couldn't help feeling anxious and agitated. He kept glancing at the door or Aladdin as he turned in his pacing. The other male looked calm and composed, but his twitching tail betrayed his own anxious state.

The barely audible sound of mewing caught their attention and Mozenrath moved to stand in front of the door. His heart pounded and he unconsciously licked his mouth. That had to be his firstborn: He was officially a father! The grunts, growls, and hisses he had heard while pacing had resumed, but this time he stood still as he absorbed the fact that he now had a family. He completely missed the sound of another mewing cub, but he didn't miss Jasmine calling, "You can come in now."

He pushed down on the handle and pushed open the door to see Jasmine in her bed with two small furry balls against her side, obviously feeding. He swiftly moved across the room while Aladdin stood in the doorway. Mozenrath rubbed Jasmine's head before looking at his children; they had the same sand-colored fur and black rosettes of their parents, but their ears were flat against their heads and their tiny eyes were closed. "Oh, Jasmine. They're beautiful," he said softly.

"We have one boy and one girl," Jasmine said in soft, exhausted voice.

Mozenrath nuzzled her head. "You're tired, my dear. Please get some rest. I'll watch over you and the cubs and later on, we'll name them."

"I've had some in mind for a while now. I was thinking Kona and…Mia," she managed to say before falling asleep.

"Kona and Mia. Sounds perfect." He gazed at the cubs. They were his children and in that moment, he realized that Aladdin had been right: He loved his children and he would do everything in his power to insure that they grew up healthy and happy.

The End