A couple of weeks had passed since Maverick had asked her to be his wife, she’d been mostly tight lipped so far about everything. The rest of the pack would know everything after the coming meeting, but her special man needed an update now. The heat of her body had subsided swiftly after the trip, and her scent was subtly changing. They were already confident in their actions when they left, but now Venom had full confirmation. Her womb was swelling with new life. The little thought brought a grin to her features. New life and new joy would be welcomed within Ashen. To two parents who so desperately wanted this family together.

The Empress sprawled out on the furs of the royal bed stretching as she woke later than usual. Already her body was diverting her normal strength to the puppies growing within. They were just barely detectable right now, but she still felt like she would be surprising Maverick. This evening was the first moment she was absolutely certain of her condition. A far cry from the first time a pregnancy was revealed to her.

She couldn’t stop grinning as her sunset eyes looked up at the ceiling. After so much worrying that this wouldn’t be possible they were here. There were a few obstacles to overcome still, but the current joy overrode everything else. Venom knew she should have gotten up to start the night, there was always work to do. As Maverick knew, by his missing presence in the den. He’d likely come to check on her soon, so she snuggled back into the blankets to wait with her exciting news.

"Venom & Maverick"

In the weeks that followed the special romantic night he had spent turning his Empress girlfriend into his Empress fiancée, Maverick had begun to notice the subtle signs of change occurring within Venom. It had begun simply with the fading of her heat well before the end of the season, the pheromone-laced perfume returning to Venom's normal alluring scent. Next came the shift of her natural smell as her hormones adjusted, almost imperceptible unless he was really looking for it, but growing stronger by the day. When Venom's energy levels and fatigue began to fluctuate, Mav dared to get his hopes up that maybe these were the first telltale signs that all of their attempts to conceive a family together had bore fruit this time, but he would not allow himself to get too excited—not until Venom confirmed his suspicions, at least. Besides, he was no healer and had no idea what the early signs of pregnancy would actually look like.

Maverick had begun his evening in much the same ways he usually did now that he'd adjusted to life with his nocturnal bride-to-be, rising at sunset at beginning with a leisurely stroll along the sandy beaches of the island while he watched the sun fade away into dusk. Venom had opted to sleep in today and he dared not disturb her; hell hath no fury like a woman woken too soon, after all! Maverick walked along soft golden sands until twilight had fallen over the land, then headed to the closest larder to fetch some food to surprise Venom with breakfast in bed. He returned just as nightfall was coming in proper, carrying with him two slabs of dried venison into their suite and into the bedroom. Once his eyes had adjusted to the candlelight, Mav found his beautiful goddess of a wolf relaxed in repose in the swaths of blankets and furs that made up their luxurious bed, grinning a huge dopey smile to herself while she stared into space.

"Must be one hell of an interesting ceiling," Mav teased with a husky chuckle while he carried himself across their bed to join his betrothed. Presenting her meal to her, Maverick settled in at Venom's side, allowing her smaller form to settle into the nook of his side while he virtually wrapped himself around her, leaning in to grace her lips with a tender kiss. "Good evening, my fiancée. You're looking especially giddy tonight. Don't tell me, lemme guess!" Maverick made a dramatic show of tapping his paw to his chin while hemming and hawing for a moment, brow scrunched in obvious mock concentration. "The pirates finally disbanded and let you take that beach you've always wanted?"

"Venom & Maverick"

Venom wasn’t particularly possessive of her sleep but as she woke that morning she appreciated the fact Maverick hadn’t disturbed her. Now that she had all but confirmed that she was pregnant the Empress was going to need all the sleep she could get. Growing puppies was going to be hard work, but it was not her only task to be taking priority over the rest of the season. Her mind was already going through the options and paths they would take. Soon enough, change would take hold of Ashen’s borders.

For now she was reveling in the good news and the relief that her fears were unfounded. The joy that built in her heart covered and banished any of the dark and worried thoughts that might have lingered in her heart. Mistakes, burdens, and responsibilities didn’t weigh on her the same. For now, nothing else mattered but the little family she would welcome alongside Maverick. Who was padding into the bedroom as her thoughts meandered through the future.

She could smell the breakfast before she saw Mav appear through the doorway and swiftly moved to surround her smaller frame. He commented almost offhandedly, astutely realizing where her gaze was lingering. ”The most interesting of ceilings.” She teased him back as she snuggled in beside him. She kissed him back before he asked her what exactly she was smiling about. He made a big show about his guess, but likely he had already guessed the truth.

”No, not quite yet.” She answered with a mischievous grin as her white gloved paw lifted to his cheek. However pleasing having the beach would be, this was far more important and exciting. ”I’m surprised you haven’t guessed yet.” Venom grinned up at him as her other paw grabbed his massive paw and lowered it to her belly. ”I’m pregnant.”

"Venom & Maverick"

Venom greeted him with that beautiful smile of hers, teasing him back with her own witty retort as he settled in to snuggle and surround her smaller body with his own form. Their bodies interlocked with ease, finding their comfortable positions with one another that they had long since discovered through their constant presence with one another. As she had guessed, Maverick had an idea of what was going on with Venom, but had held back on his assumptions until she confirmed his hopes for him. It seemed like today would be that day. With that familiar mischievous Klein grin of hers, Venom regretfully informed him that the pirates had unfortunately not yet fallen to become little more than a stain on the pages of history, but instead had grander news for him. Mav raised a curious brow, but already he was smiling, anticipating what his beloved would tell him next.

Before she spoke the words, she lifted a white-gloved paw to his cheek, her alabaster toes caressing over his jaw while the other took his giant paw in her own dainty grasp, then slid it down her body to rest over her slender belly. Then came the words he'd longed to hear. Carried in Venom's blissful, dulcet voice, the declaration that she was pregnant felt like an explosion of joy and excitement in the dire brute's heart. His smile grew rapidly, spreading til he was grinning ear to ear like an idiot. His thick, bushy tail wagged without restraint and giddy giggles peeled from him as teal eyes darted from her grinning face to where his paw rested over her belly, back and forth while his brain processed their reality. Pregnant; his Venom was pregnant with their puppies! He was going to be a father!

"Pregnant! We did it!" Maverick breathed in ecstatic glee, still only half believing their goal was finally attained. With his paw still resting on his future wife's stomach where their children were growing within her womb, Mav shifted to bring his other stone foreleg around to slip beneath Venom's lithe body, pulling her tighter to him while he embraced her. He was smiling so hard his cheeks hurt and his tail still couldn't stop wagging! He laughed, bringing his lips down to claim Venom's with his own again, and again, and again until he was pelting her muzzle and face with a flurry of loving kisses. "We're going to be parents! I-I'm going to be a dad!" Another laugh from the huge wolf as he added, "Gods, am I glad to know all my parts are working right! Not gonna lie, I was starting to get a bit worried I might be broken or something!"

"Venom & Maverick"

As his own smile widened, so did Venom’s as she spoke the words she had longed for for very nearly a year now. Maverick’s joy spread over his features as naturally as hers, showing her that this was not only her desire. Maverick wanted this new family as much as she did. This huge step is fully entwining their lives to one another. She would appreciate the vow he promised, but having these babies together was something far more meaningful and important. He was giddy, as was she. Venom’s white tipped tail wagged along with his own.

His eyes shifted from her belly to her gaze as he collected himself enough to speak to her. They really were pregnant, after so much effort. "We did,” She whispered back as he wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her tighter to his body. Snuggling her protectively and affectionately as they celebrated quietly. They laughed and giggled together joyously, just reveling in the incredible moment. He leaned down to kiss her, and she returned his affection, squeezing his paw with her own as her cold heart warmed. He peppered her lips with sweet kisses, finally pulling away to speak again.

"You are going to be a dad, and an excellent one.” The bar was kind of low, but her expectations of him were not. She giggled as he mentioned the potential deficiency. "No, not broken.” Venom nestled in beside him a little closer, "We’re going to have a family together.”

"Venom & Maverick"

Maverick could never know the kind of life Venom led before he came crashing into it, how her relationship with Hattori had been or how much revelry they'd shared around the birth of the Empress' first litter. But he did know how much joy and celebration they would have for their own litter of pups. The sun would rise and fall a million times over before the glee he felt in this new stage of his life would begin to diminish. Venom had not only changed his life and his rambling ways, she had improved them far more than he even thought he deserved! The Klein Empress had turned the scruffy stray with a disregard for authority and his own well-being into a stable partner and lover-turning-mate. There had been a time not too long ago where Mav had been so sure he would wind up spending the rest of his days roaming the world until he eventually died alone and forgotten in some foreign land. Now, thanks to Venom's persistence, dedication, and apparent predilection towards brutes that irked her, Maverick had a family, a purpose, and a life once more.

The quiet bedroom was filled with their airy sounds of giggles and laughter while the two lovers basked in the glory of what they had created together. Deep down, Maverick still held a twinge of regret that he didn't have more to offer to Venom or their children in the way of physical gifts of his body like Hattori had with his magnificently mutated litter, but so long as the puppies were born healthy and Venom was happy, that was about the best he could give to them, and dammit he was going to give his family the best of him! In this moment, Mav felt as giddy as a puppy going on an adventure! His tail just could not stop wagging and he couldn't keep his paws off of his betrothed, snuggling his beloved Empress with tender nuzzles and kisses while one giant paw remained protectively resting across her slender belly that would soon swell with their growing children. Venom affirmed his happy declaration; he was going to be a father, and she had confidence that he would be an excellent one! While Mav didn't know if he'd learned how to be a good dad, he had damn well learned how to be a terrible one so he at least knew what to avoid. His pups would not have the same upbringing as he had.

"I'm gonna try my best, at least—for you and for them," the navy and alabaster man reaffirmed to his shadow and snow queen, bringing his lips down to slowly capture hers in a lingering kiss. His remark about the potential deficiency with his male anatomy brought a peel of giggles from his fiancée and a smile to his own lips, reveling in their own private jokes and humor with her. No, he very clearly was not defective in his abilities to reproduce. "We are!" he replied, squeezing Venom closer in a loving hug while she nestled herself into the curve of his side, the dire man's bushy tail lifting to drape over her hip and surround her with his body. "You're gonna have to take the lead and show me how this parenting thing works. My dashing good looks and overly hyped confidence is really effective at making puppies, but raising them...?" Maverick was a little wave of his paw as he teased his inadequacy of being a parent compared to the experienced Venom, but the smile that clung to his lips betrayed his humor—even though there was some truth to his nervousness.

"Venom & Maverick"