Of course Dexter had noticed very quickly that she was off. The pregnancy had gone just as smoothly as the first, and with Dexter’s help she had plenty to eat. She wasn’t overly demanding, though some days she was very tired some days she was in the den digging around taking out her black bear pelt and viciously shaking it to clean it of the dust and stray wolf fur that had accumulated on it. Nesting was a very real thing, and she went off and did all sorts of odds things around her den surrounded by pines. She knew it was close, both by her overly round belly, and her hunger having come to a head. She didn’t stray far from the den and hadn’t for a few days. Not wanting to wander far where she could risk accidentally giving birth not in the dry safety of her den. They had been so active through the pregnancy too. Too active sometimes, kicking her like crazy far more than her first litter ever had, not that she minded. Usually.

It was still pretty cool out, even for spring, though not cold. The snows from winter had only just cleared only to be replaced by a deluge of rain coming and going. Today a wind before a rainstorm was on the way. She laid outside her den feeling the wind through her fur when the first pangs of labor had struck her. Her head lifted up off her paws and she looked to her gut uncertain, though also very certain. Quickly she stood up, following the quick scent trail to her mate knowing she had some time and began nudging him urgently before quickly making her way back to the den. Each contraction feeling worse than the one before. He had been there for the birth of their daughters, or at least for the end yet she wanted him there this time for this. Outside or in he would be near and that would make it all the better than the first. She remembered how horribly it had gone the first time leaving her so listless, but it had been worth it and she was sure it would be this time as well.

The labor had come quickly and the first child easily, even though when the large mostly black form of the pup left her eyes large with surprise. Was she surprised though? With Dexter’s family, and even her own, for she had heard stories of how large her grandfather had been, she wasn’t surprised so much about that though it was she still was able to deliver him and it was going so easy. Experience perhaps was saving her. She cleaned him up seeing a few colors of tan-gold and white on him. He was of her color, as Petra was too. She smiled warmly before moving him closer to her side, her first son as well. That wasn’t to dispel her relationship to Dexter’s son Etzli or her own with him, but this was her first son of her blood. She knew there were more siblings for him though, as round and large as she was though she expected to have more, but his size made her wonder. She began pushing again, and once again it hadn’t been as difficult, certainly none of it was as hard as it had been on her the first time. She turned and began cleaning a boy this time much lighter than the dark formed brother. He was tan much like Dexter’s line and unlike her own. He had darker markings of black on him as she cleaned him. By the time she was done with getting all the red from his light coat though she knew she was done. He, like his brother was also fairly large for a pup, larger than any of his elder sisters had been but certainly not as big as his brother who paved the way for him.

Two handsome sons to add to her family, and she felt great and alive by the end too. Her first experience with birthing had been so rough, she knew it had been unusually bad, but this left her feeling spry and ready for a run. She was tired and sore to be sure, but she was still bright eyed and alert by the end of it. Her tail gave a few waves, looking rather proud of her and her mate’s newest additions to their family. She thought her life had been so full before, but now it just felt complete.