Time seemed to pass so quickly and at the same time not at all. She couldn't believe how quickly her belly seemed to grow. It felt like just yesterday she was telling Ganta that she was pregnant and now here she was, waddling through their pack lands. She hadn't dared step outside of the weeping woods since Ganta claimed them for his own. She felt safe here. Ganta could protect her here and her father was just a short walk away. Even being near the borders that opened out into the unclaimed world made her nervous. She tended to stick either in the middle of the woods or toward the border that Fiori and Dragosite shared. In those areas she felt like Forsaken and whoever else seemed to want to harm her couldn't reach her. She paused for a moment to take a quick drink. At least winter was passing and now the warmer weather was starting to creep in. The snow was still clumped around the pack lands in places where there tended to be more shade, but this was certainly an improvement. She caught a glimpse of herself in the pool of water she was drinking from and smirked a little at how large she was. In a way it made her nervous. She didn't know a lot about birthing and how it all worked, but she had to assume that she and Ganta were either going to have lots of children or a few really large ones. She tended to lean more toward the first option just from how big her and Ganta were, but crazier things had happened. Roza had to believe that everything would be fine and go smoothly if for no other reason than to make herself feel better though. Talk Abbey Others

Ganta had been out and about patrolling, scanning the territories beyond his own for any signs of a threat. Sooner or later he knew he’d be seeking Forsaken out. He’d find his brother and make him pay for what he’d done to Roza. But Ganta wasn’t in any hurry to leave Dragoste at the moment either. Roza was pregnant, getting farther along each day, and the young man felt if he left her and missed the birth of their children he’d regret it. The thought of leaving Roza again, despite the territory being theirs, wasn’t exactly a settling thought either. He didn’t know enough yet about the new members of Dragoste to feel safe leaving her alone. When he caught his mate’s scent Ganta couldn’t help but wear a large smile on his maw. He padded towards her, ghostly gaze focused on the woman he loved. The attack from his brother had left it’s mark, but Ganta was sure that they were going to come out stronger. He brushed up alongside Roza, leaning in to gently nibble her ear before he spoke. “How are you feeling?” The young man asked softly. There was no question that his concern for Roza had grown… but he was going to stand by her now and make sure that all was well, come hell or high water. "Talk" "You" Think

Roza didn't notice Ganta approaching her until she felt him brush against her side, making her jump a bit before she realized who it was. Once her eyes found him she relaxed immediately and smiled as she leaned into him. It was moments like these that made her realize how unobservant she was. It was something she needed to work on, especially since every strange noise behind a tree could make her jump these days. She didn't feel too uneasy as long as she stayed within Dragosite's borders or perhaps if she went to visit Fiori, but she was still getting used to the new wolves that lived with them now. It made her wonder if she would ever be completely at ease again. "I'm feeling great besides the whole waddling everywhere thing," she replied with a soft giggle. All in all her pregnancy had been really easy so far - or at least she assumed so. There had been no complications or anything that she knew of so she liked to think they had gotten lucky in that department. She was excited to not be pregnant anymore of course, but all things considered she was feeling really good. "I'm ready to meet these pups. They keep squirming and kicking, especially when I'm trying to sleep!" She felt like that could only be a sign of the trouble they were gonna cause one day. She grinned as she got an idea and told him, "Put your paw on my side - you can probably feel them." Talk Abbey Others

Ganta breathed in relief as Roza responded. Her pregnancy thus far had not shown any complications, but Gods above he still worried for her. She was so big now… and the fear that his siblings might try and cross into the borders weighed heavily on Ganta’s mind. They knew Roza was pregnant. What if they tried to take their kids? Or worse? But the man kept on a brave face, especially as Roza said she wanted to meet their little ones. “Sounds like they’re going to be a pawful, huh?” If they were already this active anyway. At her request he shifted his ears curiously, sat, and carefully moved a forepaw to her side before quickly drawing back with surprise. “Do you have puppies or a storm in there?” The kick he’d felt was pretty strong for an unborn pup, or at least Ganta thought so. His ghostly gaze was bright, happy, and he leaned in towards Roza, licking her cheek. “They’re going to be beautiful, Roza… Just like their mother..” The brute canted his head to the side, a sly smile on his lips. “I’m sure one of them will cross into Fiori too. Give their grandpa a bit of a surprise.” He let out a laugh. He could hardly wait until the day they were born, when the little ones would come into the world and greet them with little tails a wagging. They’d be perfect, he thought. No matter how many of them there were… and he’d love them all. "Talk" "You" Think

Roza just grinned and nodded with a chuckle when Ganta mentioned them being a pawful. She was sure that pups in general were pawfuls, but if they were half as active as they were now when they're born she'd constantly be running after them. After a beat she corrected herself. They would be chasing after them. She knew Ganta had a lot on his plate now with the pack and the looming threats around it, but he hadn't failed to make time for her thus far and she didn't doubt that he would continue to make time for their kids. She giggled with amusement at his response to feeling their pups kick. "A bunch of little storm clouds, just waiting to come out."

She smiled happily when he leaned in to kiss her cheek. "And handsome like their father I'm sure, she added with a small grin. It didn't take that much to make her happy. Little gestures and compliments made her feel like she was glowing with happiness. That was the one thing above all else she was looking forward to as she thought about the future. Living her life with Ganta and getting to enjoy his caring, loving nature for the rest of her days. She laughed at the idea of their kids crossing over into Fiori to terrorize their grandfather. Of course she was positive that her father would love nothing more than to spend every moment with his grandchildren. Leo loved pups after all. "If my father doesn't come looking for them first," she added with a grin.

She chuckled and leaned her head on Ganta's neck for a moment. She could believe that they didn't have larger problems than this in these sweet moments. But whenever she saw her reflection she was reminded that this wasn't the case. They had enemies... Roza didn't know exactly how many, but Ganta hadn't told her and she didn't care to ask. One was too many for her taste and she had already gotten a taste of how effective his teeth were. She was quiet for a few moments before she finally added, "Everything is going to be okay, right?"

Ganta didn't like the moment of silence that followed his mates words. His smile faded, though it was replaced by a sure look in his ghostly eyes. "We'll all be fine... Every member of Dragoste. We're a big family now and we're going to protect one another." He gently nibbled her ear. "Inverno has already expressed he has our back as a fighter. Due to his age I've placed him as the senior fighting rank in the pack." Ganta found his smile again.

"I also plan to talk to your father soon to see where Dragoste stands in regards to Fiori. They're family too after all!" He gave a happy little sigh. "I know my family lurks in the shadows, Roza... And that's scary. But rest assured... Light always comes after night to chase the shadows away. That light will be our pack. We'll help everyone we can." He nuzzled her again. "So no more worries, okay? I'll fight the entire world if I have to in order to keep you all safe. Storm clouds included!" He let out a light laugh. Hopefully that was enough to reassure his beloved.