"I saw the home of Qingqing when I was out today. It looks like they have built a little lean-to on the side of their home and have a short winged bird there."

Chiaki gave a short laugh. "Maybe it will become popular if others see more then one female keeping birds for their eggs."

Qianhuang nodded. "It's been rainy, but the temperature is nice. Would you like me to take you to the river to play?"

"Uh, not really... I admit with the rain starting I'm a little afraid to swim in the river."

"I understand." He said as he brushed her hair behind an ear. "It seems that one of Qingqing's mates was in a fight, the healer from the leopard village was there, too."

"Harvey?" His ears twitched, she remembered the males name? Perhaps she had feelings for the leopard male healer. Chiaki placed a hand to her abdomen. "I wonder if he has time to..."

Qianhuang's ears shot upwards. "Are you?!"

She nodded. "I think. My period is late... and with so many times." She blushed. "With so much sex, even when I'm not in the highly fertile time, there's a chance. Of course it would end up happening again. You guys have like super sperm... I swear!" She laughed. "Human female plus beast male, I will probably spend more time pregnant than not."

"Do you know who's cub it will be?"

She shook her head. "Not a clue. Let's go see Harvey." She smiled and headed out of the house.

Outside she picked up the rest of the family, the males working on various projects in the large yard. Several suitors were waiting around nearby as well. Seeing Chiaki come outside had them perk up and start to vie for her attention. She sighed and touched Winston's arm. "Can I ride on your back? You are the tallest when transformed."

The white tiger male smiled brightly and quickly took his beast form. Chiaki hugged the large scarred face of her mate. So many female were brats, how could they not see how sweet and loving and caring that Winston was? She grabbed fistfuls of his fur and mounted him as if he were a over-sized horse. Over the past two years in the beast world she'd gained more muscle mass as she refused to let her mates do all the work without her.

With a few soft warning growls the entire group left the property and through the males outside the boundary. Winston walked proudly through the streets, his beautiful female mate on his back. Look at me! His aura called out. He couldn't contain it, his mate had asked him to carry her through the city. All the others who said he would never have a mate could see!

The neared the home of Bai Qingqing, deeper in the rings of the city, without any trouble. Chiaki saw the little lean-to tacked onto the side of the house. Was it Parker's work? Or perhaps the other mate Qingqing had? Chiaki couldn't remember if she'd learned his name.

"Hello?" She called out as they neared.

Soon though they realized they weren't the only ones paying a call on Qingqin's home. Rosa, several of her mates and the older male she recognized as the Ape King were all pressed in near the entrance to the home. An angry male with short black hair and another with long blue hair were blocking their way in.

"I said that female is not welcome here!" The blue haired male shouted. "It's her mates that attacked Parker!"

"Please, please... let's be calm about things." The Ape King said with raised hands, keeping the two groups apart.

"No!" Rosa stomped her foot. "Qingqing is a mate-stealing bitch! Her mates attacked mine, not the other way around!"

Chiaki sighed, thanking Winston for halting so quickly. They had been completely ignored so far. She leaned down to speak into her mates ear. "Winston, it looks like Rosa and Qingqing have not got off on any better terms than Rosa and I. Is there any way to defuse the situation?" Winston knew his niece better than Chiaki.

"I'm afraid not. If the Ape King has shown up, it must have been a big event."

They stayed back, waiting for the event to fizzle out. Neither side seemed completely willing to start a fight with the Ape King there. Bits of yelling, filled with threats and accusations, drifted into and out of an understandable volume. Chiaki was convinced that Qingqing moving to the city might be the catalyst for her own departure. Only time would tell. Finally the groups split, Rosa and her mates heading home, the Ape King and his guard likely back to his own, and the two males into the house.

With the way clear, Chiaki slipped off her tiger mount and approached the home. The males paused at the boundary to the property. To pass into another males territory was rude in most cases and a declaration of a challenge in many. But Chiaki only took a few steps alone towards the door before all of her mates pushed past the boundary and walked the rest of the way with her. At least they were now in human form, less threatening.

Chiaki knocked on the door. "Hello? Qingqing?" She called.

The were a few startled noises and growls, and the scramble of feet on the wooden floor. Then the door was jerked open by the black haired male. "Who are you?" He asked harshly, eyeing the group with hostility.

"I'm Chiaki, I know Qingqing and Parker... and Harvey." She added when his eyes only narrowed. "One of my mates said the leopard healer was here and I want to see him."

"Who is it now, Muir?" Came Qingqing's voice form further in the house.

|Another female who says she knows you... and says she want to see the leopard healer."

Qingqing's tiny form peaked around an open doorway. "Oh! Chiaki! Muir, it's okay... she's my friend!" The black haired male, Muir, looked much more at ease with her words and he stepped back into the house, with a small wave to invite the group in. There was no apology or welcome.

The next room contained the blue haired male, now with Qingqing in his embrace, and Harvey wrapping Parker in bandages. The young leopard male looked rough, more beat-up than Chiaki had seen most males get in fights. "Are you sure he\s going to be laright Harvey?" Qingqing asked as her large eyes became watery.

"Males are hardier than females, even wounds such as these will leave little to no scars. It takes acid, fire, or the attacks of some gargantuan beasts to leave permanent damage to a young healthy male like Parker. He\ll be fine Qingqing." Harvey said kindly. Then he looked over to the group that had entered the room. "Hello Chiaki, Qianhuang, Curtis." He said as he nodded to them. He glanced at the other males. "I see you have taken more mates, that is wonderful."

Chiaki nodded with a smile. "I have wonderful mates, they have taken very good care of me."

"That's good." His eyes lingered on Curtis, but the snake male seemed calm with the group. Perhaps a feral could adjust to the group family life, though it had only been a short time last he saw them, so things could still change. "Muir said you came to see me?"

Chiaki placed a hand on her belly. "I think I'm pregnant, and want you to check."

The eyes of Muir and the blue haired male widened, and Qingqing looked shocked. Harvey himself looked surprised. Chiaki's first cub would be less than two years in age, so a second pregnancy so soon was indeed a surprise. Some females had back to back litters though, so perhaps Chiaki was on the more fertile side. He had no idea that she had already gone through a short pregnancy with snake offspring too, an impossible feat for a female born in the beast world. "If Muir and Bluepool could leave the room I can do an examination on you, I assure you Parker is medicated well and wont wake until tomorrow."

Muir gently lead Qingqing from the room, the blue haired male, Bluepool, following them. The door was shut and Harvey gently approached Chiaki and her mates. "If your mates will allow-"

"It's fine, healer." Qianhuang said quickly, knowing the leopard healer was trustworthy enough to be allowed to touch their mate, even if in privet places that still raised his hackles seeing the non-family male touch. He glared at Chiaki's newer mates. "You will let the healer do his work without being harassed." He warned. There were tense grumbles, but they agreed.

Harvey led Chiaki over to a few furs stacked in the corner. "I'm sure Qingqing wont mind us borrowing a clean hide for you to sit on." He said as he got a soft leather roll from the pile and rolled it out on the floor.

Qianhuang put an arm in the way of any male that made a move towards the healer and their mate. They knew it was for her health, but their instincts wanted them to run the other male away from their mate. He had to hold back Curtis when the exam when under Chiaki's lower wrap. It was only a moment though, Harvey simply checking for any blood or signs of her body opening too early.

He sat up, away from the female after spending as much time as he dared examining her. "Congratulations! You are indeed expecting a litter of cubs!" His face brightened. "And I can happily announce I counted several tiny heart pulses. I think you are probably six to eight weeks along. In another few weeks you will start actually showing and then quickly get bigger. If you know who the father is, I can give you a better estimate on the timing."

Chiaki shook her head. Other than who I can say it isn't-" Her eyes quickly darted to Curtis then back to Harvey. She wasn't sure anyone noticed. "I can't say." She blushed a little, admitting you didn't know who was the father of your baby was taboo in many places on Earth. It was pretty common on this world though, given the family structure. They knew when the offspring were born.

"Then I suggest letting your body tell you what it needs. Rest when it says rest, even in the middle of the day. Eat when you are hungry, I'm sure if you need anything your mates will be able to provide it. I do suggest the liver of an Aurochs be eaten, you are a little pale. I can also offer you some medications like your previous pregnancy."

"We can get her medical herbs!" Jiu Ruan protested. "Chiaki has taught us a lot of them that grow around here!" Qianhuang gave him a warning growl.

"No need to be defensive." Harvey said, though he was becoming increasingly nervous because of the barely restrained auras of most of the gathered males. "As a healer, it is my job to keep all females healthy."

"Ru, it's okay. Harvey wouldn't try something like that. I'm sure if he wanted to court a female he would never be underhanded and use his position as a healer." She offered the leopard healer a small smile in apology. His face heated up. Like Qingqing, Chiaki was much more free in her praise and smiles. They could draw any male towards them.

He fake coughed into his hand and looked away from her. "Yes. Of course. I would never risk such stupidity."