Chapter 132: Host should prepare for population increase
Swanly’s heart broke.
"What?"
Miko’s little hands tightened in her clothes.
His golden eyes were already wet.
"When new babies come..."
His voice dropped until it was barely more than a whisper.
"Mama no love Miko?"
Swanly stared at him.
For one terrible second, she could not even answer.
Kairo looked down.
His tiny toes dug into the dirt.
"You have new cubs."
Nilo’s ears drooped.
"Maybe less room."
Swanly’s chest tightened.
"What do you mean, less room?"
Kairo rubbed one foot over the other.
"New babies little."
"Yes."
"Little babies need Mama lots."
Nilo nodded.
"Need carry."
"Need sleep Mama," Kairo added.
Miko’s mouth trembled.
"Then Miko sleep where?"
Swanly’s heart cracked straight down the middle.
These ridiculous little creatures had been thinking about this.
Not for five minutes.
Probably since the moment Soren shouted her pregnancy across half of Ironwood Basin like an announcement carved into the sky.
She immediately crouched.
"No."
Three little faces lifted.
"No, no, absolutely not. Come here."
She dragged all three cubs against her.
Kairo squeaked.
Nilo disappeared beneath one arm.
Miko was crushed directly against her chest.
"Mama!"
"You ridiculous babies."
She squeezed harder.
"No one is replacing you."
Miko struggled enough to poke his face free.
"Even new babies?"
"Even new babies."
Kairo looked suspicious.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Nilo studied her with those serious little eyes.
"Mama still sleep us?"
"Whenever you need me."
"Still kisses?"
Swanly gasped.
"Who told you I was taking away kisses?"
Miko’s hand shot up.
"Kairo."
Kairo’s head whipped around.
"LIAR!"
Miko immediately buried his face against Swanly.
"Protect Miko."
"You just accused your brother!"
"He angry."
"You deserve it!"
Kairo lunged.
Swanly caught him around the waist.
"No murder."
"He lie!"
"I know."
"Mama!"
"I know!"
She kissed Kairo’s forehead before he could continue.
He froze.
Then she kissed Nilo.
Nilo’s ears flicked.
Then Miko.
Miko grinned.
"Again."
"No."
"Again."
"You got one."
"Baby get many later."
Swanly stared.
The manipulation.
From something that still occasionally put his little hide clothes on backward.
"You little criminal."
Miko smiled proudly.
"Again?"
Instead, Swanly attacked his ribs with her fingers.
Miko screamed.
"MAMA!"
He kicked wildly, laughing so hard no sound came out for several seconds.
Kairo ran.
Swanly caught his ankle.
"NO!"
He hit the grass dramatically.
"BROTHERS! SAVE!"
Nilo immediately turned to escape.
Too late.
Swanly grabbed him around the waist.
Nilo’s serious expression finally shattered.
"Mama, no!"
"Oh, now you can talk."
"MAMA!"
Within seconds, all three were rolling through the grass.
Miko crawled over Swanly’s stomach.
Kairo tried hiding behind her tail.
Nilo attempted to use Kairo as a shield.
Lumi stood nearby, laughing so hard her rabbit ears bounced.
"You all lose!"
Kairo pointed at her.
"Help!"
"No."
"Lumi!"
"You said little females cannot fight good yesterday."
Kairo’s mouth fell open.
"That different!"
Lumi folded her little arms.
"Then save yourself."
Swanly nearly collapsed laughing.
Kael watched from across the settlement.
And something inside him hurt.
His mate.
His cubs.
His family.
He had dreamed about this.
Long before Swanly ever woke with different eyes and no memories.
He had dreamed of seeing her laugh with their sons.
Of watching her kiss Kairo without being asked.
Of Nilo crawling into her arms because he knew she would hold him.
Of Miko screaming for his mother because he wanted her, not because he feared her.
There had been nights when the old Swanly walked past their cubs without even looking at them.
Kael had pretended it did not hurt.
It had.
Now he finally had everything he once begged the world for.
And somehow his happiness had arrived carrying another male’s mating mark.
His gaze drifted toward Swanly’s stomach.
Another male’s young.
He hated himself for the bitterness that followed.
Those young had done nothing wrong.
Swanly had done nothing wrong.
He wanted her happy.
He wanted all her children safe.
But some selfish, wounded part of him still whispered that every new place made for Soren meant less space for him.
Soren looked across the settlement.
Their eyes met.
The snake’s mouth curved slightly.
Kael’s eyes narrowed.
He mouthed silently.
I will kill you.
Soren’s expression said quite clearly:
Try.
A tiny body marched between them.
Lumi planted both hands on her hips.
"No killing."
Both males looked down.
She pointed at Kael.
"Mama Swanly gets angry."
Then she pointed at Soren.
"You already make everybody angry."
Soren blinked.
Kael almost smiled.
Kairo came running.
"Lumi, move!"
"I fixing."
"You cannot fix Papa."
"I can."
"No."
"Yes."
"Papa big."
"So?"
"He not listen."
Lumi looked directly at Kael.
"Listen."
Kael closed his eyes.
Swanly laughed so hard she had to sit down.
By evening, Ironwood looked different.
Drainage lines crossed the shelter area.
Food racks stood between trees.
Cooking pits had been marked.
Waste areas had been moved far downhill from the spring.
Fresh planting rows darkened the soil.
Druun had moved several stones that would have taken twenty males to shift.
Tovan had followed him around for half the day looking frighteningly happy.
It was still primitive.
Still dangerous.
Still surrounded by a world where infected things wandered beyond the trees and ancient creatures were waking from places nobody understood.
But Ironwood had shape now.
Rules.
Routine.
It was becoming home.
The system appeared beside Swanly’s shoulder.
{Host should prepare for population increase.}
Swanly frowned.
"Why?"
{Safe settlements attract survivors. Clean water, food production, smoke, tracks, and travelling information may bring additional groups toward Ironwood Basin.}
Swanly looked across the valley.
"More people?"
{Possibly many.}
Her smile faded.
Then shelters were not enough.
They needed training.
Everyone capable of fighting had to understand infected weak points.
They needed bite protocol.
Alarm signals for cubs.
Hunter rotations.
Quarantine for strangers before anyone entered the main settlement.
Because one infected newcomer could destroy everything they had built.
And beyond Ironwood, ancient things were waking.
Their peaceful week was borrowed time.
Nahla ruined what remained of the peaceful mood before sunset. She had insisted on examining Selka herself, especially after Selka had spent half the week loudly announcing to anyone with ears that she was pregnant.
Most people already believed she was, it just needed to be confirmed.
"Selka is truly pregnant."
Silence.
Everyone turned.
Selka sat restrained beneath a tree with two guards watching her.
Brann stared at Nahla.
"What?"
"She is carrying a cub."
His knees nearly folded.
One hand covered his mouth.
Then a broken laugh escaped him.
His eyes became wet.
Varek was dead.
So many of their people were dead.
But another piece of his family was alive.
Kael’s expression darkened.
"Wonderful."
Pregnancy changed everything.
And Selka knew it.