Roza wished she knew more of what to expect when it came to her birthing. She had a general idea and she knew she had to take those herbs that Ara had left with her, but not knowing exactly what to expect made her a bit nervous. The last couple of days she had stuck close to her and Ganta's den, making sure everything was ready and the den was all prepared. She had been extra fussy over the bedding and she kept second guessing whether it was actually big enough even though she had expanded it enough to fit her and Ganta and two or three full grown wolves, much less a few pups. She was shuffling the dried grass she had scattered around the den floor with her forepaw when an unexpected pain caught her off guard and for a moment she just stood as still as a statue, barely even breathing. A few moments passed and another pain around her sides pulled at her, stronger this time, and she realized with a jolt that this was what contractions felt like. Her mind reeled for a second before she finally caught up with herself. She hurried over to where he had kept the herbs she had been saving for this moment and started chewing on the bitter leaves. It wasn't the tastiest thing in the world, but if it helped this whole thing along then she wouldn't complain. She went over to the entrance of the den and gave a quick howl for Ganta, hoping he was somewhere close. She heard Abbey chirping from outside, but she just let her bird friend be for the time being. Roza settled down on her side toward the back of the den and tried her best to relax and breathe even though both of those things seemed pretty hard right now. The best thing to do seemed to be letting her body do what it needed to do so she followed her instincts while the contractions grew stronger and more painful. Did birthing always feel like this? If it did how was it possible that there were so many pups in the world? Why would other women want to have so many children? Her ears folded back against her head and she whined as a particularly strong contraction passed. She honestly couldn't tell if the herbs that Ara gave her were helping or not since she had nothing to compare it to, but she had to take the healer's word for it. She held her breath for a moment while she started to push with one of the contractions. She didn't know how she knew to do that, but at this point she was just going with it. After it passed she panted for a moment until the next one came and she fell into this rhythm of pushing and breathing. Roza barely noticed Ganta joining her, just giving him a slight glance before letting her head rest on the ground again. The pain and pressure got worse and worse until she gave one more push as hard as she could and the first of their children came into the world. It gave her a moment of relief and she wearily pulled herself up enough to look down at the pup. Roza started licking all over the light tan and brown pup, realizing very quickly why it had been so hard. The little girl was huge! She glanced toward Ganta with a breathless chuckle. "Must be from your side of the family..." she said softly, trying to keep a good sense of humor despite already being very, very tired. She nudged her daughter up to her stomach so the child could rest there while she settled back down on her side just in time for the contractions to kick up in full force again. She comforted herself with the idea that the next child couldn't possibly be as hard to birth as the first. They couldn't possibly have two children that large, could they? Roza kept pushing, thinking that the second pup would come any second now, but everything seemed to stall out just as it had the first time. She whined and grit her teeth, putting all of her energy and effort into her pushing. Time seemed to crawl by until finally she gave another strong push, grunting as her whole body tensed with effort, feeling the second pup finally slip free. She collapsed on her side and panted hard for a moment before she could finally pull herself up enough to reach for their second born. This pup seemed even more speckled than the first and had more darker hues among the coloring. A boy, just as big as his sister, if not bigger. She pulled the pup up alongside the first and sighed. She waited for a little while to see if it was actually all over, but it seemed that was the end of it. Two pups, alive and well. They were quite the pair with their similar hues and sizes. Not quite twins, but undeniably siblings. It wasn't like her and her siblings. They were different enough that they could be mistaken as cousins if they came across someone who didn't know them. Roza gazed at the duo for a moment, the realization that she had just given birth to them settling in on her. A wave of emotions crashed down on her and tears welled up in her eyes. "They're beautiful..." she whispered, a smile tugging at her lips. She wanted to look at Ganta, but she couldn't bring herself to look away from their children. Suddenly she understood how mothers put up with so much pain to bring these children into the world. It was all worth it. All the discomfort and waddling around for the last several months and all the pain she just went through... all of it was worth it to see the two pups drinking at her stomach. She knew that she and Ganta had both taken a step in the right direction in keeping them safe with the creation of their pack, but she was still scared for them. There were so many unknowns in the world - most notably Ganta's family that hated her and her family. In a way she felt guilty to bring these two into such an uncertain and dangerous world, but they had been a surprise to them both and her heart was so full of love for them. "I want to name them something... strong." She finally looked up to Ganta, finding his gaze with her own. "I know a name doesn't change anything, but... I want them to have every advantage I can give them." She looked back down at the brother and sister pair, pondering names for them quietly. "Ulric," she said after a while, testing the name on her tongue. She liked how it sounded in her own ears and it seemed to fit the feeling she got from the cool-toned, speckled little boy. Roza looked to her daughter and it seemed even more important to find a name that was strong but still beautiful and regal. She had spent the last several months daydreaming of her children and thinking of different names, but now none of them seemed to fit. "Do you have any name ideas for our daughter?" she asked with a little smile. Talk Abbey Others

Ganta had been close, luckily, for he figured Roza was getting closer to her time of birthing. He had been collecting more bedding, noticing his mate fussing over it as she prepared for the little ones, so when he heard her call he dropped everything and took off towards the den at full speed. His heart was pounding in his chest, wondering if he’d make it before or after his beloved had already brought a new life into the world. Luckily it was the former and Ganta slipped into the den quickly, though carefully, and came near Roza’s head with a worried look in his gaze.

She was obviously in pain, and that worried the man. He licked her between the ears, waiting, hoping, watching… Seeing Roza getting so worn down from the process scared him. Surely he wouldn’t lose her? Females gave birth all the time… this… this was normal, right? But when he saw the first child emerge, a little beauty of tan and brown, Ganta’s breath was taken away. Not only was she huge for a pup, but he also noticed what looked to be the start of a mane on top of her head. There was no denying that little girl was his.

“Must be… Mom’s side perhaps.” He chuckled a little at the thought. Arietta had been a runt, didn’t talk about her family much… but who knew what genetics that side of his family held? He settled down, watching over his newborn child and his mate, every so often feeling a tinge of worry over Roza’s condition, but he did his best to handle it. If Roza could get through this process then he could as well!

Then, after some straining, his mate produced a second child to the world. A little boy, and undoubtedly the sibling of his sister. They were both large, the boy just a tad larger, though it was obvious both children were going to be very special from the moment they were born. His heart swelled with pride; two beautiful children, brought into this world by his lovely mate. Ganta knew he was truly blessed.

Then came perhaps one of the harder parts of new life. The naming process. Ganta settled down slightly behind Roza, curling around her front and laying his head on his paws so that she might be able to rest her head on him when she was ready. His gaze was fixed on the two little balls of fluff, turning over different possibilities for names in his mind until one finally struck out to him. “She’ll need strength, courage, purpose, and love…” Ganta began. “A friend to her brother, a friend to the weak… I think… Philomena might suit her.” The little pup seemed flipped her head a little at this, though in reality it was just her trying to get a more comfortable position to drink.

“You did so wonderfully… Roza… I... “ Ganta turned to his mate before nuzzling her nose. “I love you so much… and thank you… for standing by me.”

Roza relaxed into Ganta's form as he settled around her, leaning her head on him where she could still look down at their children that were having their first meal at her stomach. She didn't rush him while he quietly thought on a name for their little girl. After all, this was what she would be known by for the rest of her life. Part of her hoped that their children would take more of an interest in fighting than she had - especially her daughter. Of course she would never push either of them to do something that they didn't feel drawn towards, but she had encountered first hand what it felt like to be staring down the jaws of a beast and not having the slightest idea how to depend against them. The world was dangerous... more dangerous than Roza had ever let herself believe. These children would coming into a world where half of their blood relatives could possibly want them dead. The thought scared her, but with Ganta there beside her in the safety and warmth of their den it eased her worries tremendously. Her ear turned toward her mate as he began to speak and a smile pulled at her lips at his decision. "That's a beautiful name... Philomena and Ulric... Our first children and heirs to Dragosite. They're going to be quite the pair when they get older." Roza leaned into him as he nuzzled her, her eyes closing for a moment and her smile widening at his words touch. "There's nowhere I'd rather be," she replied, letting her eyes open and giving the end of his muzzle a gentle lick. She was quiet more a moment as she started thinking. "I want them to have your last name," she said after a while, turning her head a bit so her gaze could meet his. "And if you'd let me... I'd like to take it as well. I love my family dearly, but if we're going to face your siblings and whoever else might oppose us for whatever reason... I want our family to be a unified foundation of our pack." Of course a name wouldn't form that on its own, but in her mind it would certainly help. Talk Abbey Others

Ganta felt happy that Roza liked the name that he picked. Philomena… he was sure that it had a good meaning, a meaning to be proud of. The heirs to Dragoste… Ganta’s gaze softened as he looked over each child in turn. “No doubt about that, my dear.” He was so glad that she was here with him… that their family was here with him. He felt so happy… almost like all of this was surreal. He was a father… he had a beautiful mate, two lovely children… a pack of his own… did life get better than this? Perhaps, he thought, it might, but those thoughts were broken Roza’s voice rising up once more.

“My last name, huh?” He asked softly. He had denounced the Hellstrom part… the only bit that remained was Arietta’s surname; Lore. But to hear that Roza wanted to take his last name as well surprised him. Still, he understood why as she explained. A unified family… he gave a small nod, giving his beloved a gentle nuzzle. “It’d be an honor to have three more Lore family members in this world… specifically you three.” Ganta couldn’t be happier now, he was certain. His family was growing… and not through blood, but love!

“Oh Roza…” Ganta wrapped his head around the back of her neck and breathed out slowly. “We’ll be able to face anything, so long as we are together. We’re strong… and our children will be even stronger. We’ll make sure that the world knows Dragoste is not just some pack to pick on.”

Roza was relieved and happy when Ganta agreed to her idea. She smiled and felt a bit of a swell of pride. It was one thing for their children to have his surname. It made sense really for them to follow after their father in that sense. What made her happy was knowing that Ganta loved her enough and saw her as worthy to carry his surname as well. She really hadn't thought that he'd respond in any other way, but to hear it confirmed made her happy and excited all at once. Roza Lore had a nice ring to it. Roza let her eyes close for a moment as she leaned into his touch and relaxed into his side. Their children were fast asleep now with their first meals done. Both of the large pups here curled up against her stomach and with them on one side and Ganta on the other she had never felt so surrounded by love. "I love you," she said, nuzzling her face into Ganta's fur with a content sigh. She felt herself slipping into sleep and with her mate wrapped around her she felt more than safe enough to do just that. Bringing pups into the world was tiring work. Talk Abbey Others