by SJ Sanders
“Don’t get me wrong, the cuddling is top of the line” Sara offered.
Vidok chuckled in her ear, his breath warm on her neck, “I am glad you are enjoying my arms holding you.”
“Top quality stuff,” Sara affirmed. “But my pregnant-lady bladder is screaming so let me up.”
His arms tightened briefly around her playfully before releasing her. Vidok rolled up to a seated position, scratching languidly into his fur as Sara wiggled off the bed.
Her business done, Sara waddled her way back into their bedroom, crawling back into her mate’s welcoming arms.“You do realize Macy delivered her gargantuan three days ago, and I am carrying twins. Twins are supposed to be the early ones.”
“My love, as big as Torok’s son was, I don’t think Macy’s tiny body could have held that youngling inside her a moment longer,” Vidok chuckled, his tongue scraping her neck in a way that made her shiver.
Sara had to give him that. Macy had already looked like a balloon with legs at the last month’s full moon gathering. She couldn’t imagine how big she must have gotten in those last weeks. When Borax and Nadar stopped by to check on her and give her the news of Macy’s delivery, Sara was jealous of the other female. Sara felt like a whale, and it wasn’t getting any better. Over the last month her stomach got bigger every day. Every time Sara thought it couldn’t get any bigger, it did.
She squirmed as Vidok’s swiped his tongue again. “Ok you, stop that. You already said no nookie.”
She looked at his pelvis region longingly. As of last week Vidok had put a halt on all sex-ipades. He still liked to tease her and lick her overly sensitized flesh into orgasms, but that didn’t give her what she really wanted. Gods, she missed having sex.
At least she managed to enjoy a bit more activity the month before. A month of nothing but hot, steamy sex, in between their temple duties and her mate having to leave every now and again to either check his traps, or to join hunting parties for larger game. But he did take her with him on a few trips, which was not only great sexy times but she also saw a real live alpak.
Who knew that they were essentially big alien mammoths. Kinda. The overall shape was on point, if one ignored that the “trunk” on a mammoth is actually a large tooth of a muscular hinged antenna thing on an alpak. One that they shoot forward from a bulbous multi-eyed head in order to spear tender shoots and green things to eat. Although they could, and did, use their tooth to defend themselves, thank gods it was not predator, or it would be horrifying. She did admit it took her several days to be able to look an alpak steak in the eye, so to speak, after that.
But no more adventures with her mate until these babies dropped. Sara wrapped both arms around her belly so to roll it with her as she pushed herself over. To her relief--as she wasn’t sure how well she was going to do it in the first place--Vidok helped her roll and re-adjusted the furs around her, tucking others underneath her in supportive spots.
Sara waggled her eyebrows at her mate flirtatiously, “On the other hand I recall women from Earth swearing that the best way to get babies coming is to have a vigorous round of sex. What do you say big guy?”
Vidok frowned doubtfully at her. “Ulukska your species is small, even your males from what I saw. I am sure their cocks are the size of voratus fish. Too puny to cause harm to their mate or young if the tried that. I would be afraid that mine would cause you too much pain.”
Sara snorted with laughter. Vidok had shown her a voratus fish when he decided to set some netted traps down to catch fish swimming with the current down stream. It looked like a ridiculously small rainbow trout that she used to pull from Alaskan lakes as a child; except an ugly little thing with pea green scales and sharp, ridiculously over-sized teeth.
Her mate nudged the thick wedge of his nose affectionately against her forehead, the tiny studs of his horns there pressing against her skin as he purred to her. As she felt the heavy fog of drowsiness drift over she realized exactly what he had cleverly done. Distracted and sedated her back to sleep. She giggled as she drifted off.
It hardly felt like she slept at all when Sara woke with a cry of agony. Vidok jerked up instantly as she clutched at her tight rippling belly. Her womb spasmed horribly into her back. It was like a sharp blade stabbing over and over. Desperate for relief Sara tried to pull herself into a seated position. Halfway up, as her hips rolled under her, Sara felt a great release of pressure as hot moisture flood down from inside of her, drenching her thighs.
She was briefly embarrassed that when her water broke it soaked not only the bedding but also her mate, but he seemed unconcerned by it in his typical pragmatic way. Vidok, having been told what to watch for, braced her, and helped ease her to her feet. His massive bulk crouched behind her, supporting her so that she could squat easily, the brunt of her weight resting on him, and his tail wrapping securely around her. Sara gripped his legs for balance, her fingers digging into the fur there as she whimpered in pain.
Vidok’s huge palm caressed her belly. “Whenever you feel the need, ulukska. Udula will tell your body when you need to push.”
For hours Sara panted and groaned through contractions, sweat dripping down her face until the need to bare down seized her. With a groan, Sara’s body pushed instinctively for a long minute before it let up and she was able to pant and catch her breath. Then once more her womb locked up, pushing down on the young. Again and again she suffered through this cycle, crying out her pain. The pressure in her hips and pelvis was intolerable.
After twenty minutes of shrieking, cussing, and a bit of furr yanked out, her son finally slid from her body. Vidok, already prepared due to previous instruction from the healer, cleaned their son up and snipped the umbilical cord. He quickly swaddled him in a warm fur so his own damp fur wouldn’t make him chilled. He then settled the baby within a tightly woven basket as Sara prepared to deliver their daughter.
When all was said and done, Sara was exhausted, sweaty and absolutely in love with her family. Sara touched the soft, wispy pale down of her son’s fur as he blinked pale silvery blue eyes up her, his tail latched tightly around her wrist. His tiny facial horns gleamed in the light, and the slight buds of his primary horns had a bright pearl-essence to them. She couldn’t get enough of how beautiful and perfect he was. With a plaintive grunt, he nuzzled into her breast, his mouth latching on to the nipple and suckling it deep into his mouth.
Vidok smiled at his son, his eyes crinkling in obvious mirth at his voracious appetite, as he held his small daughter snuggled into the spaced between his palm and elbow. Her tail was hooked around her leg, and her mouth lax, her amber eyes closed in slumber. Her soft little belly rose and fell with each breath. As females lacked the primary horns, she had no buds, only the pretty little facial studs. Vidok drew his tiny daughter up to his face and nuzzled her jaw, his eyes tearing.
“Thank you ulukska for this beautiful gift,” he whispered, loving shining in his eyes.
***
In the early hours of the morning, Vidok lit a torch he had previously assembled days ago with Borax’s help in front of the den to signal the arrival of the new birth. With prayerful mind, he draped the doorway with raw white telinx wool and a woven garland of flowers loved by Udula that he had been working on all week. Such was a father’s privilege.
As he prayed, he scattered sacred herbs into the fire, and poured water on the flat stone sunk into the ground in front of his den, in offering to the gods of the house, to accept and protect to the newest members. Satisfied, he returned to the comfort of his den and joined his mate in their nest, marveling at the tiny bundles curled into their mother. Sara was reclined into a pile of the thickest, most comfortable furs, her fingers brushing over their young as she breathed in the healing herbs burning within the room.
Vidok purred as he curled up around his family, nuzzling his mate lovingly. “The after birth rituals have been finished ulukska. The birthing wastes have been burned, and the offerings made to the gods of the house and an
cestors to welcome and protect our young.”
Sara turned her head, her brown eyes opening as she smiled up at him. “That is good honey. I suppose that means we will have company today,”she laughed quietly.
“I would wager that we will have company from Borax within a few hours. Once he sees the torch lit up,” Vidok observed helpfully.
Carefully he laid a big palm on his son. The little male was aggressively kicking his legs out, his tiny, thin tail wound up behind him. His eyes still closed in slumber he rooted against his hands with hard thumps until he found a thumb and began to contently suck on it.
Sara snorted with laughter. “At least he is easy to please,” she observed. “They are so quiet though. Human babies are known to scream, but these two don’t make a sound, outside a bit of quiet mewling.”
Vidok nodded. “It is part of our ancestral memory I think. Our species is conditioned to be silent and disappear on the landscape. Even our young are quiet to draw little attention from predators, even though we live in closed dens these many generations pass.”
“You know,” Sara remarked. “I am going to have to trade A’Jular, when he comes through, for something I can use to record all of this. I am really thinking that writing a volume on the VaDorok culture would be interesting to many people, especially back on Earth.”
He raised his brows, intrigued, “You think this would be beneficial?”
“Oh yes,” Sara exclaimed. “I think people would find it fascinating! Perhaps even draw the attention of some females who may wish to come and try and find mates among the tribes.” She scowled, “A’Jular told me that Earth black-listed Dorok.”
“What does that mean, ulukska?”
She sighed, “It means that they made a notation to not allow the VaDorok tribes access to the Mating Index-thingy they are developing.”
Vidok frowned. That hardly seemed right, but he didn’t know how much good an index would do anyway. He decided to point this out to his mate. “Sara, you know how the ulukskinon happens. I do not see how looking at an Index would help us anyway.”
Sara gave him a disgruntled look, “Yeah, I didn’t think of that.”
“But,” he added, “I do think that generating interest of the VaDorok among humans may be beneficial anyway.”
Sara beamed happily, “Me too.”
Their little female youngling chose that minute to mewl in a breathy little squall. Her amber eyes were open, and her face wrinkled up in a show of temper.
“What is it little one,” Vidok crooned, scooping his daughter up into his hands. Her tail flicked angrily against his wrist. He could see that her little body already housed a big spirit.
“Are you hungry again?” Sara grinned over at their daughter as Vidok brought her to rest at her mother’s breast.
“Have you thought of a name for our daughter, ulukska? I know you were playing with a few ideas these last weeks.”
Sara hummed to herself as she settled her daughter into a comfortable position to latch on. “What is the word you use for flower?” she finally asked.
“Abora,” he replied.
Sara smiled, “Then her name will be VaAbora. Child of Flowers.”
Vidok stilled, a smile stretching his lips. “That is beautiful. I thought you were intent to name her a name from Earth to honor her human heritage though?”
Sara shrugged, “Yes, but as you pointed out, none of the names I could think of would make much sense here anymore than Lily would. And really on a genetic level she is all VaDorok. So I thought this was a good compromise. To name her for the season we came together.”
He thought about that and nodded. “Well then, we will name her brother VaUdol. Udol is a masculine name to honor the mother Udula, mother of life. His name means Child of Life to likewise honor the blessings we have been given.”
Sara gave him a thoughtful look, “What does Vidok mean?”
He grinned, “Nothing fancy. It is a common name of males in my family. It is a short form of ViDorok, the name of one of my ancestors that means Son of Dorok. He is a common ancestor of me and Borax, a chief of our tribe.”
Her eyebrows lifted, “I didn’t know that you and Borax were related.”
Vidok smiled, “Yes, our grandfathers were cousins. We grew up playing together. Our families were always close.”
He chuckled, “And before you ask, my very curious mate, Borax is a form of the word boraxi, a small, very loud bird. When he was born, his father said that Borax made a noise, twice the volume of any young in the tribe despite being the smallest male born.”
Sara’s eyes teared up as she laughed loudly, startling little VaUdol curled up against her belly. The infant began to angrily mewl until his father drew him against his chest, purring out a rattling purr until the little one fell asleep again.
She smiled fondly over at them. “He looks so tiny against your chest. If you hadn’t already melted my heart into goo, that would have done it. And they were born just in time to be named at the gathering with Macy’s son.”
Vidok frowned down with some worry at his younglings. “Sara, the gathering is in less than a week. Perhaps it would be better to wait until the next gathering, and you stay home with them this time. I can ask for Borax to send his son Balar to keep watch over you.”
Sara set her face in the stubborn lines he had become very familiar with over the months. “Absolutely not. I will rest today and tomorrow, and we will be fine to accompany you. Everyone takes their babies on their first full moons, to be blessed under the light of the Alak and Disparak. Ours will be too.”
“No one would think less of you ulukska,” he tried. “Twins is unheard of for the VaDorok. No female would expect you to go after bearing two younglings into the world.”
“It is not about them,” she sighed. “I couldn’t care less what the other females think. I want this for our younglings, to enjoy the ceremony with Macy’s baby. Please Vidok.”
Vidok felt his resistance crumble into ash. “Very well, mate. But if you get tired I will carry you and the younglings if I need to. You will not overly tire yourself.”
She beamed up at him. “Of course honey.”
***
Borax arrived with Nadar, and their entire brood, around midday. Nadar fussed over the babies as Borax heartily congratulated Vidok on siring such fine looking VaDorok young. Sara watched Vidok puff out with pride, looking particularly magnificent. Borax’s son Orotok was seated on a thick pad on the floor beside the basket holding VaUdol, showing the baby the toy alpak as he told his tiny cousin all about how hunters hunt alpaks and how, when they were grown, they will go together to hunt alpak with his little brother Dorokol. Sara hid a grin behind her hand.
“This little female is so fierce,” Nadar chuckled, holding a fiercely scowling VaAbora. “Are you sure you named her correctly? She seems less a little flower and more like a little warrior.”
Sara laughed, stroking her hand down her daughters tiny back. “Nothing wrong with a little flower who is also a warrior.”
“Truly your son is the one who received all the mellow temperament of his father,” Borax observed cheerfully. “He will make a fine warrior-priest when he is grown if that is his path.”
Sara leveled a stink eye on the chief, “Are you saying I am bad tempered?”
Borax’s grin grew wider but he said nothing. Instead, he leaned forward tickling VaAbora. Her scowl melted away, as she stared in fascination at Borax. With a disgusted grunt, Nadar handed the baby off to her mate.
“See that,” Nadar muttered. “That male always has a way with younglings. I get their temper tantrums and misbehavior. And they all turn into perfect little ones the minute he is around them. It is disgusting. I breed youngling after youngling who all dote on their father.”
“Now Nadar,” Borax laughed. “Don’t be jealous. I can’t help that younglings are taken with me.
Vidok grinned, “Nadar, since Borax admits to have such a way with the younglings, why not leave t
hem with him for a few days so you can have Balar escort you to the hot springs at the southern border of our territory.”
Borax threw him a look of betrayal as Nadar’s face lit up. “What a lovely idea, Vidok! I think within the next couple of weeks I could use a nice little retreat to pamper myself.”
“Now Nadar,” Borax complained.
Sara chortled at the look of dismay on his face at the idea of being trapped for days in the den with their little herd of children. Nadar just flicked her shorter tail at him and smirked.
Chapter 10
Sara settled herself comfortably on her thick pad, happy to no longer be burdened with such a heavy belly at the gathering thing time. Instead, at her side slept her two babies, swaddled in their furs sleeping peacefully in their baskets. She had found the idea of infant baskets charming, but realized quickly just how practical they were. Slightly curved, they supported the newborns comfortably so it left the parent free to work or attend to whatever they needed to.
Not that Sara objected to cuddling her babies in her lap. She loved cuddle time. And, remembering once reading how important floor time was, soon she would be making sure to keep a small leather piece with her to stretch out to rest them on for minutes at a time. But for now, she was enjoying being able to rock her little ones in their baskets.
Macy sat beside her, her mate Torok crouched, hovering, behind her. Sara saw that all the remarks regarding the size of their baby were not over-exaggerated jests. Their boy was almost twice the size of VaUdol.
Sara missed the company of the other women, none of who were present this time. Macy and Sara had been the only ones to give birth among them, and the other women were judged as too close to their birthing time for their mates to be comfortable traveling with them. From what she had heard, jovial Ladox had turned tyrant on Trish, not allowing her to do anything he determined to be the slightest bit strenuous. Which was apparently driving Trish mad. And Katie, after enduring the cruelty of the Agraak, was enjoying being coddled and pampered by Kull.