Chapter 38
Eran
Canton Valley Farm
Vatten paced for three days and half of the following night before his water broke. Jacand was already back home with our parents, and I didn’t send for Evie right away. She’d feel what was unfolding over the group and family links. She’d come if we needed her.
Instead, we waddled over to the birthing area together and I dimmed the lights and lit scented candles that reminded him of home.
Then I turned on the glacial ocean sound track we found at the thrift store.
I stretched out just outside of his space, waiting with stuff we might need if any of the babies came out in mermaid purses or in need of help, a bowl of water, and my phone.
I panted with him as Evie suggested I do until he started cracking up over our mating link. Then I exaggerated the panting, sticking out my tongue as far as I could just to keep him laughing because with five babies in the works, we could be here awhile.
“I want to be spritzed,” Vatten said after he had laid still awhile in between contractions.
“Spritzed like I’m a water dragon. It’s so hot!
It’s like I want to strip out of my fur and roll naked in the snooooo---” the word snow spoken over out mating link morphed into a screaming howl that I never heard from him before.
I didn’t dare leave to find a water bottle with him howling in that much pain.
He snarled and gnashed at the air as if chomping down on invisible attackers.
Then our first baby was mewling with his eyes shut.
He was a little kitten with fur the color of Vatten’s.
I wiped him down and put him against Vatten’s belly.
He rooted for a moment before he found a teat and began to suckle.
A second later, I nearly threw the armchair across the room as the front door cracked open. Then my carrier’s scent hit me and Vatten licked my hand.
“I come bearing a spritzing bottle,” he said, holding it out in front of him. “I know your parents were unable to come down but I’m here, if you want me.”
Vatten’s tail wagged a tired wag and my carrier joined us, spritzing my mate every time he panted a little too much. As the night wore on, our first puppy was born. He was definitely ‘toller-shaped’ like Vatten, but his fur was the color of mine.
“Icy little toller,” Vatten said, licking him.
The third, another puppy, came shortly before sunrise, looking for all the world to see as if Vatten had been cloned into a little girl puppy. Then there was a pause which wasn’t too uncommon for large litters from what I read. I even dozed off while the little ones and Vatten napped.
I woke to Vatten gnashing the air again. Things were on the move again. I stroked his face and breathed with him as our last two babies came out back-to-back as if they were trying to stick together on their journey into this world. Two little boys, a kitten and a puppy, with white and brown fur.
We dozed on and off with our babies for hours.
Eventually, Evie did show up to perform an ultrasound to ensure no sneaky babies were still hanging out inside of him.
Once the all clear was given, we made sure everyone was cleaned up before we moved carrier and babies to the nursing area, we’d spent so much time setting up, not once but twice with the uncertainty of the move.
“Who’s who?” my carrier whispered to me, his eyes glistening with tears.
“The little girl who looks like Vatten is Voda, the kitten who looks like him is Amanzio,” I said pointing at them. “The white and brown puppy is Kaja and the white and brown kitten is Kytten. The all white puppy is Polar.”
“I feel like I need to take notes,” he chuckled and gave me a tired one-armed hug.
“Do I need to call someone to give you a ride home?” I asked. “Not kicking you out, but you look dead on your feet.”
“Brent’s going to drive me home. I don’t think I could keep my eyes open to drive. That is, unless you guys need me to stay.”
“Give him a little time and you can both come and visit,” I said.
“We’ll call or text. You have bottles, right? In case the kittens shift?” he yawned.
“We do. I have enough bottles and diapers for all of them just in case. I probably went overboard.”
“You can never have too many diapers with babies,” he hugged me again.
“Thanks for coming to help,” I said.
“Don’t do that. You know it was an honor to be here. The next few months won’t be easy but you will only vaguely remember that part. Mostly you’ll remember being tired but loving every second of them being tiny.”
After he left, I settled down with Vatten and the babies.
They were all asleep with their little faces tucked into his furry belly.
I was in love. Not only with him but with them and my life and my family.
Things had been challenging and uncertain.
From the tornado and murders the day we met to moving at the last minute, but I wouldn’t trade our time together for anything.
I was as smitten with him now as the day I met him and I hoped to stay that way for all the days of our lives.