Chapter 98: The Pregnancy Confirmation And The Urgent Summons!
Neve wished he could use something to block out their voices.
They kept talking over each other, debating how it was even possible for a male to get pregnant. The noise was making his headache worse and his stomach was still aching.
"He’s a male, how is that even possible?" one of them asked.
"Is it because he has a female scent?" another suggested. "Maybe he really is a female and we’ve all been confused this whole time."
"But we saw him naked before winter when he shifted from his red panda form," Sorin pointed out. "He’s definitely male."
"So if he’s actually a male..." they kept mumbling and theorizing, going in circles with their confusion.
Neve groaned in frustration, pressing his hand to his forehead. The voices were pissing him off and making everything worse. He could barely think through the pain and their constant chatter.
Then Aldric raised his hand from where he was standing quietly in the corner.
"Is it perhaps because he’s from another world and also," Aldric said slowly, clearly thinking carefully before speaking, "the sys...tem?"
The word hung in the air.
Everyone went quiet as the realization hit them.
Aldric was right. Neve’s body was not bound by the rules of this world. He had told them that yesterday. The system had specific missions for him. The system had chosen him to carry cubs and build a tribe of two hundred litters.
"Thank you, Aldric!" Neve yelled, grateful that someone finally understood.
But then his stomach cramped and he groaned loudly, grabbing his belly. He did not understand why it was suddenly aching so much. Had he eaten something bad? Or was this just the pain of early pregnancy?
’I hope I’m not somehow pregnant from before I appeared in this world,’ he thought to himself with some panic.
Kelly suddenly burst into the cave with Gideon right behind him.
"He’s here!" Kelly said, rushing to Neve’s side, panting from the fast run. "Are you still in pain?"
"Yes," Neve moaned as he tried to sit up straighter. The pain was making it hard to move.
Gideon knelt down by his side immediately, his physician’s expression shifting into something serious.
He had that horrifying look on his face like he still could not quite believe what Neve had said yesterday about being pregnant.
"I heard you were pregnant," Gideon said, starting to examine Neve. "How is that even... No wait, I’m sure it’s due to what you said yesterday about being from another world and having a system."
He just exhaled, not thinking too hard about it anymore.
He took Neve’s wrist and started checking his pulse carefully. He dragged his knee closer and pressed his hand gently on Neve’s stomach, feeling around.
Everyone that had been busy making assumptions and talking about female scents and confusion kept quiet as they waited for Gideon’s medical report.
Gideon pressed on a specific part of Neve’s stomach and Neve winced loudly, the pain sharp and sudden.
Gideon looked at Neve and nodded once, his expression becoming certain.
"You’re indeed pregnant," he said simply. "I almost didn’t believe what you said yesterday when you first explained about the system and everything. But today, I finally believe you, Neve. Your body does not lie. Congratulations."
"Thank you," Neve said, still not entirely sure how to feel about it. The idea of having cubs inside him was strange. It was real now. It was happening. He was going to be a mother. Or a father. The terminology was confusing when applied to a male carrying cubs.
Gideon started to stand but then paused.
"Who is the father?" he asked. "Is it Vaelthorn or..."
Neve looked outside the cave, thinking about Cael.
"Cael," Neve said, and a smile appeared on his face despite the pain. "It’s definitely Cael."
He felt warmth spread through his chest at the thought of Cael. At the thought of telling him. At the thought of Cael’s reaction when he found out he was going to be a father.
"I’ll have to give him a surprise today," Neve said, wincing slightly as another cramp hit. He was trying to ignore the pain and focus on the positive. "So let me break the news to him myself. It should come from me."
They all agreed that Neve should be the one to tell Cael.
Gideon searched through his medical kit and pulled out a small green fruit. It was round and had a slightly bumpy surface. The color was a vibrant green that stood out against everything else.
"Here, it’s sweet and sour combined," Gideon said, handing it to Neve. "It’ll help with the pain and I’m sure you haven’t eaten anything this morning. Your stomach needs something."
Neve took the fruit and bit into it carefully.
He blinked repeatedly as the taste flooded his mouth. It was actually really good. Sweet like honey but with an underlying sourness that made it more complex.
"It’s good," Neve said, continuing to eat. The fruit was helping. He could feel the nausea starting to fade. The pain was becoming more manageable.
"I don’t feel nauseous at all anymore," he said, finishing the fruit quickly. "I should get more of this."
Gideon’s eyes darted toward the cave entrance, looking outside at the snowy landscape.
"It’s a rare fruit," Gideon said. "Since it’s winter, it’s very rare to find anywhere. Most of them grow around the outcasts territory. It’s a place where winter never reaches. Since both the snake tribe and the shark tribe are cold-blooded, they love hot places. It’s the perfect climate to grow fruits like this."
Neve tilted his head, smiling even though his heart sank slightly.
"Oh," he said. "I guess I should thank you for giving me such a super rare fruit then. Even though I really enjoyed it and it helped so much, I can’t risk anyone going to their territory just to get it for me. It’s too dangerous."
Gideon smiled as he stood up, hanging his medical kit on his shoulder.
"If you feel more pain, let me know immediately," he said seriously. "Since you’re from a different world and you’re a male, I can’t tell if the gestation period will be the same as the native females in the tribe. Everything could be different. Just keep me informed of any changes."
"Don’t worry," Neve said. "I’ll find out and let you know."
Gideon gave a short nod before turning to leave the cave.
But then Neve was already pointing his finger into the air checking information on his system.
Just when Neve was about to ask the system about the gestation period, someone burst into the cave violently.
A young messenger came running in, looking around the cave frantically like he was searching for someone specific.
"Uh," the messenger said, breathing heavily from the run. He looked confused by all the people in the cave. "The tribe chief has called for an urgent meeting. Everyone must be present."
The words hung in the air.
An urgent meeting. Called by the chief. Everyone must attend.
That could only mean one thing. Something bad had happened. Something serious enough that Soren felt the need to call everyone together immediately.
Neve felt his stomach tighten with worry.
What had happened? Was it about Bella? Was it about the outcasts? Had something gone wrong while he was dealing with his pregnancy?
Kelly looked at Neve with concern in his eyes.
"Do you feel strong enough to go?" Kelly asked gently.
Neve nodded despite the lingering pain.
"Yes, I need to go," he said, struggling to stand up. "If the chief called an urgent meeting, it must be important. I can’t just stay here."
Kelly helped him to his feet, supporting most of his weight.