Twenty-Six
Arwen went into the examination room with Ylva, but when Tate moved to follow, Ylva held up her hand. "If your mate needs you, we will call. Give us a moment, Enforcer. This is women's business." The door closed with a click.
So Tate sat at the kitchen table with one of Sienna's amazing cupcakes, and poured himself another cup of tea.
He had all the time in the world for Arwen, and once Ylva gave her a clean bill of health, they would go to the pack leader's office to choose a house in Hea Sanctuary. One fit for their new family.
The door slammed open and Arwen stormed out.
"This is not funny, Tate. There are some things it's okay to joke about, but if you knew how many times my mother miscarried, and how much it broke her heart...
no. I will not believe it. It's not possible.
" She looked from Ylva to Tate and back to Ylva again.
No one was laughing.
"It's not possible," Arwen whispered.
"Knotting during a female's fertile time has a very high success rate, especially among newly claimed mates.
Knotting whilst under the influence of that fertility spore drug...
I'd be surprised if Tate didn't get you pregnant, to be honest. One grain had a ninety eight percent success rate on normal couples after one successful ejaculation.
Knotting can multiply that by ten or even twenty, in particularly virile males.
You did knot your mate, did you not, Tate? "
"Multiple times a day. More times at night," Arwen whispered. "For two weeks."
Ylva slapped her hands on the table. "Well, that would explain it, then. It's rare for a female wolf shifter to go into heat, but it's not unheard of. That, too, almost always results in pregnancy. More often than not, a litter. Multiple births."
"I might have children? More than one?" Arwen looked like she might faint. "But what if I miscarry, like my mother?"
Ylva wet her lips. "Well, if your mate takes good care of you, and you stay well rested, with regular health checks, we'll minimise the chance of that.
There are always a few old folk remedies that I'm told work, though I've never tried them myself.
Every patient I know who has used them has carried their child to term. "
"Anything. I'll do anything to have children."
"Frequent sex with your fated mate. Knotting, several times a day, or night, so that the operculum in constantly bathed in your mate's seed.
Tate would have to be your constant carer, and abandon most of his enforcer duties for the whole pregnancy.
You'll need to leave work before the start of the third trimester, and possibly even close to the start of the second.
I don't imagine you'll want to carry to term, but if you stay rested, you should make it to at least seven months, maybe even eight, when a safe delivery is more likely.
That's normal with multiple births, not just when there's a history of miscarriage. "
"Multiple births? I'm having twins?" Arwen's eyes had grown huge with wonder.
Tate couldn't suppress a smile. His mate would be a wonderful mother, and they'd have all the help they needed, living so close to the pack. And if she needed to spend half her days and nights riding his cock, who was he to deny her? He'd enjoy every moment, and so would she.
Ylva's eyes darted to Tate. "Can you pull out a chair for her? I want to make sure she's sitting down."
Ah. Ylva hadn't told her this part yet.
When Arwen was firmly seated on Tate's lap, with his arms around her, Ylva sat down, too.
"Yes, you're having twins. Two sets of twins, actually, and what appears to be triplets, too. You're carrying septuplets, Arwen. Possibly the most fertile wolf shifter our pack has ever seen. Congratulations."
Arwen twisted in his lap. "Tate, we're having seven babies. Seven! Where are we going to put them all?"
Tate grinned. "We'll build them a house, baby, in Hea Sanctuary. Big enough for our whole family. We'll be our own little pack."
"Hea Sanctuary...that's where Diana was going to open her animal shelter, I remember now. Oh, I want her there for the birth. Do you think she and her mate will be back from their honeymoon by then? She's been gone so long!"
"Diana who?"
"Diana Argyros. She's a dragon shifter who couldn't shift, though I guess maybe she can if she found her fated mate. Do you know how I can contact her?"
Ylva shook her head. "I know Diana Argyros, and no one has heard from her in months.
Her brother went looking for her with his mate, and no one's seen them, either.
It's like she's disappeared entirely. But don't worry.
I'll take care of you, and Tate will rally the rest of the pack.
Wait until you meet his sister. Sienna is lovely, and her cooking is just divine.
If Diana is meant to be at your birth, fate will find a way. It always does."