Chapter 87: Baby Boom
Tera’s belly had officially entered its "visible from a distance" phase.
Despite being in her third month, her stomach was nearly as large as the other females who were nearly on their last month of pregnancy. This surprised everyone because, as a shiftless female who would be carrying a cub for six months compared to their four months, why was her stomach nearly as big as theirs?
It was at this point that Tera could no longer keep back the secret about the twins. It had been cute watching Xavi and Ermin squabble over one baby.
She chose an evening when the clan was settled. She had decided to sleep in Xavi’s shelter this evening, and Ermin, of course, had come to spend the night too. Xavi was running his hand through a recently prepared hide, and Ermin was lying on his side, his tail draped lazily across Tera’s ankles.
"There are two."
Both mates looked at her, confused.
"Two what?" Xavi asked carefully.
"There are two cubs inside me." Tera smiled fondly, rubbing her stomach.
The silence that followed was so complete that Tera could hear Puff Dumpling snoring from the neighbouring shelter where the cubs had detained him.
Xavi set down the hide, and Ermin pushed himself upright, his pink hair falling across stunned eyes.
"Two?" Ermin repeated.
"Two."
"Are you certain?"
She nodded. "Very certain."
Tera then looked at her stomach. "I can feel them. They move differently. One kicks here—" she pressed a hand to the left side of her belly, "—and one kicks here." She pressed to the right.
This was technically not a lie. They did kick differently, which scared her a bit about how fast they were growing. And she just happened to also have a floating screen that had confirmed it with biological scans and DNA matching, but that was beside the point.
Xavi was staring at her belly with the wide-eyed intensity of a male trying to see through solid flesh. His hand reached out slowly and pressed flat against the left side.
"This one is mine."
"You don’t know that."
"I claimed this side."
[( ˘•ω•˘ )]
[Here we go again]
Ermin’s hand was already pressing against the right side, his expression one of fierce concentration. "Then this one is mine."
"You also don’t know that."
"I have claimed this side."
’These two are impossible.’
Before Tera could say another word, both males were leaning toward her belly, each with a hand pressed against their claimed territory, both listening.
Xavi frowned. "Mine is stronger. I can feel it moving."
Tera forced herself not to laugh. ’That is gas.’
[This system can confirm that was indeed gas]
[ಡ ͜ ʖ ಡ]
Ermin’s ears perked. "Mine is quieter. That means it is smarter. Intelligent cubs conserve energy."
’Where the fuck did he hear that from?!’
"Or it’s sleeping."
"Intelligent sleeping."
’Oh my god.’
The bickering lasted for the next twenty minutes. Xavi insisted his cub would be bigger and stronger because bears were naturally larger. Ermin countered that panthers were faster, more agile, and significantly more handsome, which was not a relevant survival trait, but he said it with such conviction that Xavi actually paused to consider it.
Tera watched the most ridiculous custody dispute she had ever witnessed play out over two foetuses that currently resembled small beans.
But beneath the comedy, a warmer feeling spread through her chest.
They were both so excited. So was she.
After they had exhausted themselves arguing, Tera lay between them in the quiet shelter, their hands both resting on her belly like territorial markers.
But another concerning thought slipped into her head.
She was noticeably adding a bit more weight, and it wasn’t muscle as she expected. Her boobs had especially grown bigger, but most alarming was the lack of facilities in this world.
Even her old body would have struggled with twins, and that body had access to hospitals and epidurals and ice cream.
Her heart stuttered to a stop when she considered the lack of medicine and safety protocols here.
’How am I going to deliver these two without dying?!’
’OMG!!!!’
Why now of all times was she actually considering the reality of delivery?
’There is no medicine or doctors or sterile equipment! Wtf?!’
[Host’s concern is understandable but premature]
[(◕‿◕✿)]
[This system would like to reassure Host]
[Host’s physical condition has been steadily improving due to strong and healthy DNA from strong mates]
[Host’s body had been steadily fortified since conception]
’I do not understand shit except for the fact that their cum makes me stronger?!’
So her scheme to actually make Xavi and Ermin sleep with her had actually been true?
It seemed she hadn’t pulled that from her ass, apparently.
[The genetic material from strong, healthy beast males carries fortifying properties that strengthen the carrying female]
[Including developing cubs’ DNA]
[Host’s lack of morning sickness, healthy weight gain, and improved stamina are direct results of this]
[In simple terms, Host will experience a smooth delivery!]
[ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ ]
Tera felt a bit relieved.
’But sterile—’
[Beasts have been delivering cubs long before Host arrived in this world]
[Host is no simple human]
[You will be fine]
Tera grumbled internally. The system was not giving her any sort of leeway.
[This system hopes the twins inherit Host’s shamelessness]
[The world needs more depraved little beasts]
’What the fuck?’
[All is well]
[Host’s body is developing at a healthy rate for a twin pregnancy]
[But this system finds Host’s complaints amusing]
Tera frowned. ’I am glad my suffering entertains you.’
[( ◕▿◕ )]
During this period, the cubs were the most fascinated by the wave of incoming cubs they would get to befriend and play with. They were especially obsessed with Tera in particular, often pressing their ears against her belly without asking, then arguing about whether they could hear anything.
The most pressing concern of theirs had been one thing.
If the cubs would come out bald like her.
Meanwhile, as the clan members were looking forward to the increase of the Dow clan, there was a certain fox who had not yet gone through any change.
Kiri’s belly was still flat.