Azure blinked in surprise, never heard of it before, and went to check it out, and then paused, looking back at her mama who's sleeping, and Eli, still suckling on her belly, and promised herself that it would just take a minute...
Azure then ventured out, smiling wildly as she took in the smells of the forest, unknowing the Enchantress who's keeping a eye over her, trying to distract her with some breezy flowers or something, biting her lip in confliction, wanting to wake up Perla, yet knowing that she was exhausted from today.
She followed Azure as she was intent to find out the interesting sound, and she widened her eyes in horror as she saw the double-trailer wagons, with the mules, and saw the familiar face of Stromboli, one she learned of from viewing Evangeline's story of memories within Perla's adventure.
The Enchantress saw Azure staring at the mules, frozen in stunned curiosity in some bushes, and she saw that Stromboli hadn't noticed the cub yet, and she all but flew back to Perla, staying invisible to her as she slept, but caught Eli's attention with a twinkle of her wand, and then turned invisible as Eli was confused as he was going to sleep after a big meal, wide-eyed, having revealed to have one ocean blue eye, and one light green eye when they opened two weeks ago.
Eli looked around, and blinked as he realized that his big sister isn't around, and he wobblily walked, nudging Perla, "Ma, Ma, Az no here!".
Perla slowly woke up hearing that... before her mind suddenly clicked and she was now fully awake. "What?!", she cried as she sat up before using her nose and caught Azure's scent. As well as another familiar one that she couldn't put on the tip of her tongue. "Okay... okay... come on, let's hurry and get her then get back into a safer place.", she said as Eli made sure to hang on.
It took a few minutes since Azure was still very young and small and couldn't make that much distance before Perla finally reached her. "Azure, you know better not to-", she came to a stop when she realized what Azure was focused on... an all too familiar wagon.
"Damned fools... don't know how hard it is to put on a good show... French just have different tastes than Italy...", Stromboli growled as he was cooking a meal for himself. The years hadn't been really good for him. Once Pinocchio had escaped him; the loss of his star attraction really crippled his business. He did eventually recover; but in no way was his show as good as the walking, talking puppet boy, and audiences clearly just had seen normal puppet shows one too many times.
Perla was stunned by the familiar sight of the man who had jailed her in that damn birdcage when she was a wooden boy and was about to grab Azure by the scruff when her eyes widened in horror, looking everywhere, and then saw her coming closer to the mules who picked up the scent of her and started to panic, braying even louder as they tried to escape their reins.
Stromboli shouted in Italian, "Just as I was getting relaxed! Stupid mules, shut up!", getting up in annoyed anger, going to the tree that held the reins of the mules, seeing them stomp and bray at something that is making cries of fear.
He got closer, and his eyes widened in shock, seeing a creature, a little creature who was cowering in fear, "I'll be! In all my years, a wild animal nobody has seen...You'd make a spectacular attraction to my show.", chuckling as he reached down when an enraged roar was heard, and then his eyes looked up in horror and fear as a shadow came over him, unseeing little Eli tug Azure's tail, as Azure then carried Eli, running to a boulder, hiding as screams and roars were heard.
They heard the mules running away, as the roars and screams quieted down, and then chuffs came as Perla, with blood on her claws, came into view, glaring at Azure, and Azure flattened her ears in shame, realizing that she broke one of her mama's rules.
Saying nothing, Perla gently put Eli in the sling, and grabbed Azure by the scruff, as she left the forest, heading a bit higher into the valley hills, running, leaving a greatly injured Stromboli with mule-less wagons, fated to be discovered by a traveling nomad, but only to live, yet for a very short time, until his death, saying, "I was maimed by a monster beast. Never dare to cross a mother.", as his last words.
Perla ran for hours as best as she could in her condition, and then as she felt she was far from the last place, she settled at last, realizing that she is having contractions, her third child impending on her hips, the water bag not broken yet, yet feeling a boot bruise, realizing that Stromboli had fought in his losing struggle against her, hurting her baby.
Praying with hope in her heart, yet terrified for her baby, she found an old miner's storage house, abandoned as the mine nearby was closed and collapsed, she came in, panting as she put Azure down, who spoke, "Mama, I sorry! I not thinking...", as she put Eli down gently, taking off her sling.
The invisible Enchantress quickly did her thing with Evangeline, linking the event into Beast as he was half-asleep in the library as it was well past early evening.
"It's alright, Azure...", Perla sighed. "Just please... from now on, don't do that sort of thing again; you were this close to being taken by that man... and trust me, Mama's dealt with that man in the past... he hurt Mama years ago...", she told the cub.
Azure flattened her ears, "I be not out of sight, promise, Mama...I sorry...", and Perla replied, "You realize you would have got hurt by those mules, or put your brother in danger...I can't lose you...And it's not your fault that you wanted to find out what was those mules, but you have to face the consequences...You are banned from foraging with me for a week...And this...You might have put your new baby sibling in danger too...", as she groaned from a contraction, as Beast soon appeared, "Perla, Perla! What just happened?", worried and shocked to see her looking like she was in a fight.
"It's a bit of a story...", Perla sighed. "Had a run in with someone in my past, but don't worry, he's so much worse off than I am... Azure just explored a bit and got too far away when I was resting.".
Eli piped up, "Ma?", looking at Beast with wariness, and Beast gasped softly, "Oh, look at you...You're so handsome with those eyes...You got your mama's eye color, and what did that light green color come from?".
Perla smiled, "My mother. I was surprised too when his eyes opened two weeks ago...", nuzzling Beast as she kissed him on the cheek before gasping in pain, "Ooh...Please, please let this one be alright...".
Beast kissed her on the forehead, "I'm here...What do you mean, Perla?", and Perla looked at him with worry, glancing at her cubs, "The man kicked me...He got me in the belly...I think he...", tears falling down her face...
"Don't think that way, Perla! You're stronger than you look! A simple kick isn't going to be enough to harm them...", Beast tried to tell her. He may have had a point; Stromboli's kick wasn't exactly the strongest since he was kicking at an awkward angle and unable to truly get as much weight and force behind it. Plus, considering her new cursed body; she certainly had a lot more strength now.
Perla gave a shaky nod, "I hope you're right...But the water bag hasn't broken...yet I'm in contractions...", as she breathed deeply, tears falling down her face, as Azure quietly explained to Eli that Beast is their papa.
Beast stroked her back, "Easy, it's okay...We can get through this, Perla.", and Perla held his paw, shocked to hold it at last, and Beast was overjoyed at the simple gesture, not knowing that with every visit, and the closer Perla is to her home, the magic of their love is stronger than ever before.
Perla labored for an hour before she cried out in pain, "Adam, they're coming, but the water bag isn't broken!", and Beast reassured her, "I will puncture it as soon as they're crowning, okay? Breathe and push!".
Beast was praying for the cub, watching his mate labor as she breathed, pushed, and cried out in pain, barely glancing to see Azure trying to distract Eli by playing a game.
With the contracting as Perla pushed for the next 30 minutes, she cried out in relief as the water bag was finally popped without needing to puncture it, as she was beyond stretched out, and she kept going for 10 minutes before she felt the burning pain of something crowning.
"I see it, my pearl! Almost there!", Beast encouraged, and Perla looked instinctively at her vagina, seeing the membrane holding over her baby, and she licked the edges of her vagina, and then took a deep breath, pushing, crying out in pain as the baby landed into the bed sheet pile.
Perla ripped the membrane, licking the cub fervently, and nothing was heard as she sobbed in grief, "No, no, please!", and Beast replied, "Let me try!", as he gently picked the cub up in his paw, rubbing the back gently yet quickly, both of them unseeing the Enchantress flick her hand at pulling the little water from the cub's lungs with her magic.
Thanks to her efforts, the little one was able to get the water out of their lungs, keeping themselves from drowning while the parents were still none the wiser.
The cub gave out a loud, squealing cry of life as Perla sobbed, kissing Beast on the cheek, "Adam, you saved her! You did it! Oh, I thought you were gone, baby!", tears falling in joy and relief, the little button of grief immediately dashed to nothing as she looked at their new daughter in Beast's paw, squirming and squealing.
Beast himself was in grieving horror when he thought they were losing her, and then he saved her...He saved his daughter...His alive, breathing daughter...Tears of relief came down his face as well.
She was a mix of bear and wolf with a hint of alligator, having shades of dark auburn, which Beast exhaled in shock and nervousness..."Adam, what is it?", Perla asked quietly, and Beast whispered, "She got my father's shade of hair...When I was a boy...I used to have auburn hair, but lighter, thanks to Mother...".
Perla rubbed his arm, "Adam, it's okay. We will teach her right from wrong, like the rest of our children. She won't be him...She's ours...", knowing that from past conversations those months before that day she was cursed, that Adam didn't have a good relationship with his father.
"I hope so...", Beast admitted. "Sorry, I know, I should be better and all, but I don't know, the whole strange thought that whatever made my father who he was is passed on...".
Perla chuckled. "There's no way that's true, traits like that aren't exactly simply passed on.", she assured him. Beast nodded and looked at his new daughter...Perla is right...This little one is innocent, never having done anything wrong...His beautiful daughter.
Beast felt determined to prove his damned father wrong, and he gently licked his daughter's back before settling her into the place she belongs, by her mama's side, sniffling and crawling as she squeaked before finding a teat and began to suckle.
Perla smiled happily as she licked her daughter gently, nuzzling her lovingly, "What are we going to name her, Adam?", as Azure and Eli walked in their own ways, into the warmth of their mama, sniffing over their new sister before smiling up at their parents.
Azure piped up, "Mama, Papa, sissy pretty...", with Eli nodding in agreement, "Ya!". Beast chuckled, "Pretty, huh? Yes, your sister is pretty like your mama. Hmm, how about Jolene?", with a smile at Perla.
"I like that.", Perla gave a warm smile as she looked at her new daughter, "Jolene is perfect...", so relieved that she's safe and healthy, thanks to her Adam. "Do you have any idea where you are now?", Beast had to ask as the time was running out, for both of them.
Perla sighed deeply, "I suppose I'm closer to home, but I was in a panic to get the cubs to safety over a long way...I kept running for a few hours after I had...taken care of the man.", and Beast nodded, understanding how instinct would overtake logical sense in a situation like this.
He knew that summer is coming up soon, and of course, two more seasons to go then as the rose is wilting well enough to worry him. Beast rested his head on Perla's shoulder as he looked at his cubs suckling together, three different ages and sizes, but all beautiful just the same.
"I still can't believe it, you know? I'm a father...I...I know you are technically older than me, my pearl...I have to confess that I'm turning 21 by the winter...", Beast whispered.
Perla chuckled, "Adam, being 22, almost 23 myself, it's not far-fetched, and besides, beast or human, I know it's you, for you have this beautiful soul in those sky-blue eyes of yours...You are always mine, and I'm always yours.".
Beast nuzzled her lovingly, purring, stroking her back, taking into her scent, and he rumbled deeply as he heard his primal side roaring at him to reclaim her, to announce that Perla belongs to him, and she shivered at the sound of him, missing that sound as it has been so long since they last mated.
Perla replied, "I missed you, my beast...", as she gasped in surprise, feeling him nibble on her neck, feeling the sensation of pleasure she missed so much, and Beast growled, "I missed you too, my mate...", before sensing the tug, and he snarled, "No, not now!", before seeing a glimpse of Juliet in his mind's eye looking concerned as she was shaking his shoulder.
"Juliet's trying to wake me up...But I can't, I can't scare her! Not like this!", Beast replied as he was going into primal mode, feeling himself swell in the trousers, and Perla was surprised to hear that Juliet was there, "Is she worried for you?".
Beast replied, "Yes, like the others...", as he fought the tug, trying to stay, and Perla looked thoughtful before replying, "Adam, Juliet never broke a promise, and if you tell her about all of this, but not the others, and then you don't have to be alone...And...I want to be claimed by you again, Adam...so badly, but I think we aren't close enough for the magic to be helping you stay longer...You have my permission to mate her, but don't forget that I'm your true mate, got it?", looking at him sharply yet understanding, having a feeling that Juliet would understand, wishing that her Adam is truly, truly here without magic helping him to be here, hoping that maybe he could be stronger to stay longer next time she gives birth, if she keeps traveling.
"I... I understand...", Beast said as Perla smiled. "Please... just a little bit longer, Adam, I'm almost home... I can feel it.", she told him as he nodded.
Beast kissed her on the lips passionately, and she kissed him just as much in return, and whispered, "Go, don't fight it before you hurt yourself.", and Beast whispered, "I'll tell the magic to keep me longer next time, and we will have four children then.", with a smile before he stopped fighting the tug, and before he knew it, he is facing Juliet, wide awake, his shadow over her as he realized that he was in the library, instinctively pinning Juliet by her arms.
He breathed deeply, "Juliet, was I in a bad dream if you were trying to wake me up?", and Juliet exhaled, "No...No, you weren't definitely not...My mistake...I was worried about you...I'm sorry...It sounded like you were both crying yet happy...I guess it was one of those dreams that had a memory of you and Perla, huh? I should have realized that you were in that mood where you just wanted to...release tension and grief in a way...", glancing at the swelling sign in his trousers.
Beast took a deep breath, letting go of her, "The library is not the place to talk secretly...Come with me...I need to tell you something very important about Perla...Perla said you never broke a promise, that you're good with secrets...is that right?".
Juliet nodded. "Yeah... uh... something the matter?", she asked as Beast sighed. "Well... you'll find out soon enough for sure...", he told her as they walked together through the castle until Beast was sure that he was in a place that they could talk without being listened in on.
Beast was satisfied as the room didn't have windows or secret doorways, thanks to knowing the castle inside out, and then closed the door, glancing at Juliet, "Did you believe that Perla reacted properly when she was caught in the trap, and found by the wolves?".