Change in Life

Chapter 23. Good News

Sitting in the glade still ripe with spiritual glow and carpeted in a fine uniform layer of snow, where she had said her final goodbyes to her mother, Jade gazed blissfully at the same waxing moon Blake had gazed at through the tiny gap between the arching pines overhead. She had just finished eating her first catch for the night; a rather plump rabbit, despite the conditions. But even after eating every last bit of it and leaving only some bones and skin behind, she still felt as hungry as ever. It seemed no matter how much she ate, she still had cravings for more food. She drew the line at greens, yet given the choice and the circumstances, she wouldn't turn her nose at them.

She looked down at her stomach and smiled. The last three weeks had just been a matter of time before she discovered what was going on inside her. Every bit of food was vital now.Her stomach was slightly larger than what it was a while ago and was gradually swelling as the weeks went past. Although it wasn't fat that was making it big, it was the miracle of life. Her and Blake's intimate time together had been successful, and she couldn't be happier. Going to have some cubs of her own made her feel that she was more than just a vixen.

There was only one problem with her being pregnant. Blake didn't know anything about it, and he was the father of them. It wasn't that she had deliberately kept it a secret from him, it was more fact that... well... she shouldn't have to. Every other fox would have seen the signals long ago. She had decided to wait for him to figure it out for himself as the same. Every fox by now would have noticed their mate's emotional changes. Not him. She had to roll her eyes vexatiously as she reminded herself that she was dealing with a creature who had been brought up as a human.

Forbidding herself from journeying to the fields was the start, but biggest hint she - in fact every female - could give their spouse was her increased grouchiness. Her snap at him the night after her season was over was a mistake, and she knew that. But from then on as the likeliness of her expectancy became evident, her body suddenly became a temple and no one was going to mistreat it. Blake giving her some room to breath was the smartest thing he could have done.

But she had to tell him sometime, before he discovered at the last minute and got angry with her for not telling him. He would need ample time to ready himself for helping with the raising. The only thing that would avoid this theory from happening was to tell him as soon as she saw him next. She didn't know how, but she had to restrain her snarky attitude for a moment so she could give him the grand news

Raising a family of her own was a dream to Jade and indeed every other female in the world. Now that dream was about to become reality. From her tragic couple of weeks of trying vainly to raise a litter on her own the year before, to get another chance with an honorable mate sent delightful waves around her body. Her heart could be sound and her mind could stay focused.

Getting to her feet, Jade head for the river to wash the rest of the rabbit down her throat. When she arrived, she was a lot more puffed than usual and her back ached slightly at the onset of steady weight gain. It stood to reason. Carrying three or more cubs inside her stopped her from doing almost all the things that she would love to do. Hunting was no exception. The main reason she caught that rabbit was because of its greedy attitude that made it so obese. If it had been a slim rabbit, she would have had no chance in catching it. She got lucky this time. The next time she may not be. She had to rely on Blake now to help bring her food. Once again though, Blake didn't know why she couldn't hunt effectively.

She began to lap at the cool water, when she heard the branches in the tree behind her scrape against each other as they flicked around from the dismounting of a weight. Looking over her shoulder, she waited to see what was about to jump out of it. Her chest rose and a lump formed in her throat. Jade hoped it was Blake, as well as hoped it wasn't.