I woke up to find myself in Flegher's den. I felt slower than usual as I got up and stretched, my legs ached from the awkward position I had adopted while I had slept. My stomach felt different—almost like it was weighed down somehow. I shrugged to myself and turned around to see a gaping entrance into another room. I stepped inside and was surprised to see Phantom and his mother both in there, eating an old carcass that was long since readable on to what it could possibly be. Phantom's mouth was open and was just beginning to close as if he had been talking.
"Oh, I see what you mean. This is so exciting!" I heard Flegher whisper in Phantom's ear. Did she forget how good younger Wolves' hearing was? And what was so shocking that Phantom kept staring at me—? Well, not at my face, but…. I followed his gaze towards my stomach. I could feel my face grow warm with embarrassment as I saw the slight curve to my middle. And to think I hadn't even looked to check why I felt so sluggish? I shook my head at my own stupidity before I returned my focus towards them. I ducked my head in self-consciousness. I took a small nibble of the carcasses back, the strong odor of death created a stench in the air around it. I couldn't believe I was really… p… pregnant. The word tasted tart on my tongue as I merely thought of it. Sure, I knew it was coming, but it just came as a surprise, still. I couldn't understand why, but it just was unnerving. I wasn't sure whether it was the thought that anything from now and onwards that happened could kill not just me, but the pups and their entire future or if, maybe, it was something else.
I avoided the two Wolves' stares as I settled down to eat. Why did they have to look at me like that? I shoved my face into the carcass and took a huge bite, trying to stop myself from thinking that they were judging me somehow. For crying out loud, Phantom was my mate! Why was I so embarrassed? And that's when I realized how much I had been questioning myself. I just needed to calm down and take things as they went. Flegher was now my Mom and Phantom was my mate, there was no reason for me to get all worked up. I took in a deep breath and chewed on some of the carcass, my body soon cooling off. I looked into Phantom's eyes as they traveled along my body up towards my face where they then met. He smiled, his eyes soft and gentle.
"So," I began, trying to ward off the strangeness of the air, "are we heading back to our den." I knew it was probably rude to emphasize our, but I felt the need to do it. Phantom glanced over at Flegher.
"Yes," he said slowly as he continued to watch her. Flegher seemed slightly out of place all of a sudden. I gave myself an inward thumbs-up. I couldn't understand it, but anger boiled within me like crazy. I didn't care about the Deal or Flegher. I wanted to be alone with Phantom. She had no right to come in and…. She had all right—she was Phantom's mother after all. I could feel the anger lethargically seep from my body as my mind revealed this fact: she had full rights to barge in and help us.
"When are we going?" I woofed softer, my eyes focused on Phantom. Again he looked at Flegher.
"It's up to you, sweetie," she said in a small, croaky voice. I glanced down at the floor, ashamed. Phantom returned his gaze to me as he replied:
"Now." Flegher coughed and began to tidy things up, quickly racing around and shoving bones into a pile and old leaves, the bedding, into another pile. "Why'd you get so…" Phantom searched for the right word.
"I don't know, okay? Things are just weird right now. Everything's catching up to me, all the way from the fact that I'll never see my family again, all the way to the Deal…." I drop the sentence as my eyes search Phantom's. He puts a reassuring paw over mine.
"Everything is going to be fine," he woofed softly. "We're heading home. Nothing's going to get in our way." Oh, if only that was true. I could feel something wrong in my gut. The sensation was small, and almost unnoticeable. But the sense of something being off began to grow stronger as we traveled back to our den. Something very, very wrong.
I shook away the feeling as we reached the den. Flegher mused at its beauty and soon we all lied down and watched the vanishing sun behind the tree's weeping branches.
I could feel a small kick in my stomach. I smiled and nuzzled Phantom. I rested my head on his shoulder as the sun sank out of sight. Maybe things would truly be okay. Maybe nothing would really happen if I didn't give up my pup. Phantom and I could raise them—all of them—and we could be the perfect family.
A/N: It will be a little while until the next chapter. I know this one is pretty fast, but bear with me, okay? :) I'm planning on a long, drawn out climax, even though we're probably 5+ chapters away, more like 8 or so (as a rough estimate). And only a couple more chapters until puppies!