There weren’t many moments she spent apart from Roman since the summer and her heat cycle started. Partially because he had become part of her everyday routine, he was supposed to be at her side. It was so much more than that though as she craved him deeply and needed him intimately. She hadn’t really left her bedroom for a few weeks now. She used the excuse that she didn’t want to bother anyone with her moodiness, or her stench, but the truth was she just wanted to stay tangled up in Roman for the rest of the summer. Of course that was a silly notion, but she daydreamed about the possibility more often than not.

So to say they had not become hermits and really were still a part of the Hallows she and Roman were in the great hall preparing a sweet little dinner date that evening. They would show their faces and enjoy a small romantic dinner by the fire. Lillith prepared their meal and Roman brought a familiar looking bottle of wine to their little dinner. There was a fire in the hearth that chased away any chill of the rain outside. The warm scent of fire filled the room as Lil took a seat by the fire. Her grin was bright as her garnet gaze fell on Roman’s form, a smile that never really left her lips while she was with her boyfriend.

While her heat seemed to simmer down over the last few days the not so innocent girl was still eager to finish their meal and retire to the bedroom for the night. Shyly Lil leaned against him when he sat beside her, nearly purring in delight of just being beside him. "Hello, handsome.” She giggled softly and reached up to kiss Roman’s cheek.


"Speech"

Summer had very quickly solidified itself as Romulus' favorite season, as Lillith had given him an even greater reason to love the usually sunny and pleasant time of year. The two wolves had spent virtually all of their time together cooped up in their bedroom, losing themselves to the pleasures and intimacies of their young bodies as they explored and enjoyed Lil's heat season to the fullest. Every so often, they would make occasional excursions out to show their faces and refuel, but for the most part, the two young lovers spent all of their time tangled up in one another in bed, filling the downtime in their refractory periods with pillow talk and loving whispers of the future and whatever was on their minds. If heaven were a place on earth, Roman had found it in that bedroom with Lillith and he never wanted to leave.

Tonight, the two had made plans to share a little romantic fireside dinner together while they kept themselves fed and hydrated. It also gave them the perfect excuse to do their daily bout of showing their faces before retreating back up to the privacy of their room for more salacious fun together. While Lillith prepared their food, Roman had ventured down into the wine cellar to select another one of the finer vintages of Hallowed wine. He was fast learning the nuances of winery thanks to experience and also some guidance from Artorias, who had become something of a sommelier himself. Picking a familiar red wine, Roman brought the bottle up to join his alabaster angel beside the fire. He walked past her with a gentle nudge of his hips against her side and a wink when she looked up at him.

"Hey, beautiful," he replied back with a chuckle of his own, leaning his cheek in to let her lips catch it before he quickly turned to snag a kiss from her lips before she could pull back. Lillith's love had become his everyday drug, a fixture in his daily life that he needed just to function. She brought him joy and peace and light. The wide smile he only ever wore for her was plastered across his face while he popped open the cork from the end of the bottle, taking a sampling sip of the wine before nodding in approval. "Oh yeah, you'll remember this one!" He passed the bottle over to Lil while he leaned back into her side, eager to finish their meal so they could retire to bed again to enjoy dessert together.

"Speech"

Syanna walked into the great hall headed for the kitchen to fix herself a snack while Ezra was busy resting off their most recent round of "catching up" since he'd gotten back home when she noticed Lillith sitting in front of the roaring fire in the hearth with two plates of food. No doubt she was waiting on her boyfriend. A little smile touched the vixen-furred fae's lips when she looked at the young girl, happy for the young couple that had decided to start the next chapter in their lives so soon. It was no secret what Lillith and Romulus had been up to, given that they'd both disappeared for days on end right at the start of the Adravendi girl's heat cycle, but now with her fading heat scent and the subtle hormonal change to her natural scent and complexion, it was very obvious what the two lovebirds had been doing upstairs.

Smirking to herself, Syanna slipped quietly by with a brief greeting to Lillith, then headed into the kitchen. While she was preparing herself a bowl of assorted berries and seasonal fruits to take back upstairs to share with Ezra, she heard paw steps coming up from the wine cellar and saw the brute in question coming back with a bottle of wine. She smiled and dipped her head in friendly greeting to Romulus as he exited the kitchen to join his girlfriend. Syanna finished her preparation on her dessert and took the bowl in her mouth, carefully carrying it back out and across the hall. She tried to pad silently past Lil and Roman again so as not to disturb the happy couple—when she saw Romulus take a long drink of wine and then offer it to Lillith.

Skidding to a stop on a dime, Syanna very nearly dropped her bowl of fruit in her frantic scurry. She plopped the bowl down on the nearest table and turned a shocked, bewildered look to the two wolves. "You're not actually gonna let her drink in her condition, right?" she asked Romulus, shooting the brute a bit of a scolding look, followed by an exasperated sigh and roll of emerald eyes. "I know you're both young, but you should know better than that. You're both healers, for gods' sakes!"

"Syanna Alluráin"

As her mate, Ezra may enter her threads not marked as Private.
____________________

She had greeted Syanna almost lazily as the woman gave her a quick greeting on her way to the kitchen while Lillith waited for Romulus to appear. The knowing look the fox like woman gave her made Lil blush slightly. There wasn’t much private about their private time together, likely anyone in the castle knew what was up if they put a little thought behind it. Lilith was a little embarrassed but her time with Roman made any shame a distant memory.

He returned with the bottle of wine and made himself comfortable next to her, offering a cheek to be kissed before stealing one from her lips before she would pull away. She giggled into the affection again, her blush growing as Syanna was forgotten and it seemed like the whole world dimmed out so it was only the two of them there at the hearth.

She really didn’t know what she would do without him, he was her sun and moon and stars, her life had swiftly changed to revolve around him. He was her lifeline, more than a drug and more than an addiction. He was vital. She grinned up at him as he beamed down at her, a sly smirk playing on his features as he worked the cork off the bottle so he could sample the brew before passing it to her. The look of the bottle already alerted her, but the scent of it was truly familiar.

Before she could take the bottle from him Syanna’s voice broke through the spell and the quiet. Surprise overtook her features as she tried to grasp that the healer was talking to them. Garnet gaze lifted to the woman and she realized she was being admonished. Slate tipped ears fell to her skull and confusion filled her. Condition? She was old enough to drink and she hadn’t ever heard about staying away from alcohol while you were in heat.

"What?” She asked softly, worry all over her features as she looked helplessly to Syanna to explain, there wasn’t a single inkling in her brain about what she could be talking about. She should have though, after all as Syanna said they were healers after all.


"Speech"

Romulus had been in the middle of passing the bottle of wine over to Lillith to sample when Syanna's voice disrupted them from their own private little world. The young male turned to look at the vixen-furred fae with confusion in his silver eyes. Why was she so concerned about him offering a drink to his girlfriend? They'd both been drinking before their second birthdays, this was nothing new. And what did she mean by "her condition"? As far as he knew, Lillith's medical issues weren't exacerbated by alcohol, at least not from what he'd seen. Turning a confused glance to Lillith, who also apparently had no idea what the seasoned healer was talking about and looked equally as befuddled as he felt.

"What do you mean?" he asked Syanna, shooting a cautious, wary glance to the woman that had interrupted their romantic dinner. "Her condition has been getting better every season. She's never had issues drinking before." Roman had half a mind to just tell Syanna to mind her own business, but wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt that maybe he was missing something.

"Speech"

As soon as she addressed both younger wolves, the couple turned to look at her in bewilderment. They shared a look, and Syanna realized that neither of them had any idea what she was talking about. Emerald green eyes widened in incredulous shock. How could they not have noticed?! Were they too busy wrapped up in one another to notice the changes Lillith's body had started undertaking? The Adravendi girl questioned her first, followed by the Armada lad asking what she was talking about, referencing Lillith's medical condition from her illness as a pup. Syanna gave another laugh of disbelief and shook her head. They really had no idea!

"No, not her health condition," she retorted, taking a couple steps closer and motioning to the silver and snow girl at the brute's side. "Haven't you noticed any changes in her? Her scent?" Syanna took another step closer to Lillith and took a gentle, tentative sniff to confirm her suspicions. Yep, there were the distinct hormonal changes associated with pregnancy! She gave the young couple a congratulatory smile. "Let me give you both a quick little healing lesson. What happens when two wolves mate consistently until the fae's heat begins to end before the end of her season?" She gave them both a minute to process what she was saying before she continued, looking mostly to Lillith as she spoke. "You're pregnant, Lillith."

"Syanna Alluráin"

As her mate, Ezra may enter her threads not marked as Private.
____________________

The way Syanna’s expression contorted as the two of reacted in confusion only further worried Lillith. Like Romulus said, her condition had been doing much better the older she got. She was as close to fully healed as she ever felt. Roman said as much but the fox pelted woman did not back down. Lil was questioning her meager healing skills and her own experience as Syanna padded closer and fixed them both with an incredulous stare. Like they were missing the snake right in front of them. She was laughing at them.

Lil withdrew a little, confusion playing on her features as she held back a soft apology. Not even sure what she had done wrong. Syanna fixed a harder gaze towards Roman as she stalked forward, mentioning what he should have noticed. Lillith's silvery jaw hung open slightly as Syanna took her time getting to the point, her words brought a blush to Lil’s cheeks as her mind tried to put two and two together. She’d taken precautions, they should have been fine… Then Syanna finally came out and said the thought she hadn’t wanted to come to the conclusion of. Lillith squeaked in surprise, but as she sat there, staring through Syanna she couldn’t retort.

"Pregnant.” She said dazedly, sitting back in surprise. Her head swam and her ears rang as she repeated in her mind ‘how?’ She’d had those herbs and regimens… "Oh.” And she struggled to process for a long moment before her garnet gaze searched for Roman like she searched for safety and comfort in his gaze. She’d been completely vulnerable to him over the past few weeks but none of that compared as she looked up to see his reaction as she struggled with her own.

"Speech"

Syanna gave the two of them a baffled look, which only further confused Romulus. He felt like he was missing something glaringly obvious when she looked at him that way, and the cryptic way she mentioned Lillith's health didn't make things any better. But when the orange-furred healer began to explain a little more, pointing out what was going on with Lillith, the things he hadn't noticed or had noticed but had put out of his mind, slowly the puzzle pieces came together to make the bigger picture. Roman's mouth slowly fell opened in a shocked gasp, steel eyes growing wider with panic and disbelief until Syanna finally just came out and said the obvious diagnosis.

Lillith was pregnant.

Roman turned his eyes back to his lover just in time to meet her panicked ruby gaze. She looked like she was in a state of shock, looking to him for support and comfort. Their romantic dinner and the evening's events afterwards wholly forgotten, Roman reached out to take Lil into his arms, pulling her closer to his body while he gazed at her. Though he didn't necessarily need to, he slowly brought his muzzle down to nuzzle the side of her neck, breathing in her scent and really sampling it, focusing on all the nuances of her smell. She did smell different, but he hadn't known how to place the smell and had just attributed it to her fluctuating hormones with her heat. But now that Syanna mentioned it, even her heat scent had died down quite a bit, and well before the season had turned.

"It's gonna be okay," he tried to reassure her with his usual roguish grin, even though the look in his eyes betrayed his obvious shock and panic. "We'll figure this out, just like always." While he held Lillith in his tight, secure embrace, he turned to look at Syanna with a pointed glare that told her to leave them alone. They needed time to talk and figure out what they were going to do.

"Speech"

Syanna had been expecting reactions of joy, of jubilation and celebration from the young couple. She'd thought they'd been spending the past few weeks trying to get pregnant and have a litter. That's why they'd been keeping to themselves in their bedroom all hours of the day, wasn't it? But the looks of shock and panic on both youthful faces told her that this wasn't the case. Lillith looked like her world had just been brought down around her and Romulus wore an expression like he'd just been told he'd have to fight a dragon. Neither wolf was happy. Neither wolf was joyful or jubilant. This was not a planned pregnancy.

The realization caused Syanna's own smile to slowly fall from her lips. "Oh," she murmured as recognition dawned on her. "Oh, I see..." She certainly hadn't meant to be the bearer of bad tidings. Quite the opposite, she'd wanted to congratulate the young couple! But now it felt like she'd just undermined their entire world. Orange ears slicked back to her head and she cringed away when Romulus embraced Lillith and shot a glare her way, mouthing a silent apology. "I'll, uh... just be on my way. But if you two need anything, you know Gwyn and I can help you out." Whether they decided to proceed with the pregnancy or terminate it, she could assist the couple. But it had to be their choice. Gathering up her bowl of fruit, Syanna hurried back out of the great hall to give the pair their privacy.

- exit Syanna -

"Syanna Alluráin"

As her mate, Ezra may enter her threads not marked as Private.
____________________

For a long few moments fear filled her and Lillith sat there stunned as Syanna made her revelation. She had been doing everything right, there hadn’t been a moment when she forgot to take her herbs or see to contraception. This shouldn’t have been possible. Syanna had looked quite happy for them, but the couple’s shock quickly overwhelmed her joy for them. Obviously neither young wolf had really expected this outcome. She was pregnant.

Lil was decidedly not ready to be a mom, but she should have expected the potential of this outcome. There was much she should have done, or known as Syanna had so easily pointed out her new condition. Her emotions were clear on her features, and as Roman found her gernet gaze he didn’t hesitate to wrap her in his arms. That was her first relief. He didn’t rebuke her, he offered comfort and he didn’t run, he held her tight. His embrace was protective and safe and as he nuzzled into her fur she let the warmth of him chase away her fears.

His words assured her, and as she buried her features into his chest she could ignore the panic that lingered in his gaze. Lilith had nearly forgotten about Syanna when she reminded them that she and Gwyn were there if they needed assistance, and then she was gone. Leaving Roman and Lillith in silence, a million thoughts raced through her head as she lingered in her lover’s embrace. The father of her children.

"Roman.” She said helplessly into his fur, "I didn’t mean for this to happen. I did everything I was supposed to…” Lillith murmured mostly to herself as she tried to rationalize what Syanna said, but she couldn’t refute her. She knew it was true. There wasn’t anything to feel but her paw lifted to her stomach, as she grasped at what was growing beneath her toes. "Pregnant.” The word was repeated on her lips in disbelief.

"Speech"

Romulus barely heard what Syanna said to them. He was too busy focusing his energy on comforting the shell shocked Lillith and grasping at threads of ideas of what the fuck they were going to do now. The healer offered them support when she realized they weren’t celebrating, saying whatever they decided to do, she and Gwynevere would be there to help them. He gave her a wordless nod, and then she was gone, leaving the two young wolves to pick up the pieces of their fractured reality.

Lillith was pregnant. They were going to be parents. He was going to be a father. None of those facts sounded real in his head, and no matter how many times he rolled the words around in his brain, he couldn’t make them make sense. They were barely adults themselves, only just out of adolescence. They couldn’t raise babies of their own! Life, it seemed, disagreed. They were old enough to conceive children, and they had. Even with the precautions and contraceptions Lillith had been taking, they had still conceived a litter. Maybe something had been wrong with the medicines. Maybe something hadn’t worked right with Lil’s biology. Or maybe they were just that naturally fertile and he had super potent seed or something, he didn’t know! None of that changed the fact of the matter. They had a problem and they needed to decide how to proceed.

Lillith’s sweet voice called to him and Roman looked down at her with silver eyes that were trying their best to be calm, but the panic was evident in them. She tried to rationalize what happened, explaining away any fault of her own. Roman was quick to stop her, hushing her gently while he squeeze her in his arms. "Hey, none of that, okay? This isn’t your fault, Lil. You did everything you were supposed to. Something just… didn’t work right." It was a weak excuse, but right now, he didn’t have a better one.

He gazed down at her, his lover, his soulmate, the mother of his children. Gods, he’d wanted to call her that one day, but not now! Not like this. Trying to remain calm and collected, he gently lifted his paw to rest over her on her stomach—over where their pups were growing in her belly—and slowly pulled it away. "Do you wanna talk about this here or back in the room?" He’d let Lillith make that call. If she wanted privacy for this conversation, he wasn’t about to object.

"Speech"

Once she was well enough to start thinking about her future Lil knew that she wanted to be a mom one day. To be the woman her own mother never was. That had all been assuming everything would happen in the future. She had just become an adult, there was still so much she needed to learn and to do before she could think about babies. All of those loosely laid plans were disrupted now, because of… who would know what really happened. Maybe she took the wrong dosage, maybe her herbs were not the failsafe she thought they were. More than that she was ashamed she had been taken so off guard. She hadn’t thought about it at all she was just so caught up in Roman.

He held her tightly, the pillar of support she required even when he was feeling just as unsteady as she did. Lilith spoke with uncertainty and guilt but he stopped her before she could fall too deep. Something happened and it was out of her control. There was no real consolation but it wouldn’t matter anyway the fact remained true. She took in a shuddering breath as they both went quiet for a moment, their paws resting gently over silvery white belly fur. Lillith felt a short calmness fall over her for a split second as clarity reached her. Everything would be fine, as long as she had Roman at her side they could do anything.

Fear returned as Roman asked if this was the best place to talk. Slate tipped ears smoothed to her skull. They’d broken the law, and Artorias was going to throw them out. Lillith bit her lips to keep from crying at the thought of being banished from the Hallows to go raise her children in the wilderness with Roman. Separated from her family and pack…

"Let's go upstairs.” She whispered, her appetite long gone now and their perfect night together forgotten as well. So far Syanna was the only one that knew but that wouldn’t last for very long. Lil wanted to curl up in bed, with Roman’s arms around her, so she could feel safe as they approached the challenges ahead.

"Speech"

Just as Lillith had known she'd wanted to be a mother one day, Romulus had also known he'd one day be a father as well. Children and continuing the bloodline was a vital part of the family-oriented Armadas and had been drilled into their heads by their parents and grandparents from a young age. He knew one day he'd find a pretty girl, settle down and start building a family, raise a bunch of little Armada puppies together. But that had been a one day plan—not a right away plan. Hell, this hadn't even been a plan! Fate and circumstance had conspired to trap him and Lillith in this impossible situation, and now he was devastatingly caught between making a decision he couldn't make. On the one paw, he feared for Lillith's health and safety. His girlfriend had only just gotten strong enough to where she could travel long distances without being fatigued. How on earth would a pregnancy affect her? But on the other paw, those were his children inside of her. Their children. The most sacred thing to his family's beliefs. Considering the alternative almost didn't even feel like an option.

Then there was the legal ramifications of their accident. They had broken Hallows law by conceiving pups without the Aegis' consent. Roman was sure that if he went to Artorias right away and explained the situation and begged for leniency, the alpha would be understanding. He planned on doing that as soon as he could, before word got around to him in another manner. Best to get ahead of this runaway train before it ran off the tracks. But then there was the daunting task of telling Ulric. Gods, how did he even do that?! The Adravendi patriarch had just started to warm up to him, and now he had to go to him and say, "Hey, Ulric! Guess what? I got Lil pregnant. You're gonna be a granddad!" He might as well dig his own grave now.

Lillith answered his question; she wanted to go talk upstairs. Roman nodded, then quietly gathered up their food and began to lead the way back to their room. He would need to make sure Lillith ate, especially since she was eating for... gods, how many puppies would she be carrying? Roman's heart plummeted into his stomach at the idea of being a young father to a large litter. Fuck, he was going to ruin there lives, he was so unprepared! Romulus didn't say a word all the way upstairs, walking beside Lil while they hurried down the corridor and into the privacy of their room. Once they were both in, he shut and latched the door so nobody would interrupt them. He laid their meal out on the table, then took a long drink of wine to chase away his panic with alcohol, and then a second long drink before he turned to face Lillith again. "Pregnant..." he murmured under his breath, still trying to come to terms with it in his mind. A weak chuckle escaped the young brute while he turned steel-silver eyes up to his lover. "We're gonna be parents."

"Speech"

She almost asked Roman if he would carry her back to their bedroom but as he gathered up their forgotten supplies she quieted. Her mind still spinning as she followed Roman back upstairs. She felt both safe and sounds walking beside Roman and scared out of her wits for what was to come. As she processed what they had been told her mind explored many more possibilities before them. They were going to be parents, despite their best efforts they’d succeeded in the biological race. Far from thinking about giving birth she was still caught up on the next few days.

They had to say something to Artorias, they’d made a mistake and they’d broken the Hallows law. What would their alpha’s reaction be? Would he expect them to terminate… Lil’s whole body shuddered at the thought as they made their way to the top of the stair and followed the hallway leading towards the bedroom. And then she had to tell her Dad. He’d trusted her to be mature and responsible and this accident, twist of fate, mistake… was not indicative of those qualities.

She knew he would say that he’d support whatever decision she made, but that was different than being proud of her. She knew he’d be happy to step into that granddad role but what would he think? She was given the chance to grow and flourish and she’d so quickly failed and messed up. She followed Roman inside and let him close and lock the door behind her as he went to put all of their dinner supplies on the table. While he was distracted with the wine Lillith made a beeline for their bed. Also the place where their trouble started she felt immediate relief as she lifted herself into the plush bed and curled up.

She hugged a pillow to her chest and her garnet gaze hesitantly looked up towards Roman as he muttered to himself in disbelief before he lifted his silvery gaze up to her. She saw the nervous fear within his eyes because she felt it too. His spirits were much higher than hers though, and his hesitant chuckle and smile encouraged her far more than his words did. They were going to be parents.

"We’re going to be parents,” She agreed softly, finally getting a hint of the joy that Syanna had for them. After she processed the hard parts, the challenges they had ahead of them she settled into a dazed amazement. "I’m going to be a mom.” Lil whispered afterwards, feeling her emotions bubble back up as she thought about her childhood without her own mother. Tears filled her eyes and she buried her features into the pillow, she was obviously overwhelmed.

"Speech"

Had he known she'd like to be carried back to the room, Romulus would have hoisted Lillith over his back in a heartbeat. Carrying her was easy, given their size difference, and he loved treating her like the goddess she was in his life. Either way, as soon as they'd entered the room, he'd been aware of the alabaster girl rushing to collapse on their bed as if she could hide away from their troubles within the pillows and blankets where they'd found so much passion and made so much love—amongst other things—together. He stared at Lillith where she lay on the bed, clutching one of the pillows to her chest while she gazed at him with those huge, doe-like garnet eyes that were as red as the wine he was drinking. In her eyes he saw that same nervousness, the same anxiety and fear. She was equally as freaked out as he was, if not more. Together they'd created the miracle of life, fulfilled their biological duty as living beings, furthered their bloodlines and spawned a new generation of wolves. Accident or otherwise, they had done something fantastic together.

Lillith repeated his words back to him, but this time, there was a trace of shocked joy in her voice, and perhaps a ghost of a smile on her lips. She murmured that she was going to be a mom, and then she buried tear-glistening eyes into the pillow again. Roman wasted no time in setting the bottle of wine down and marching over to the bed. He hoisted himself up onto the plush mattress and laid his larger body down beside hers, curling partially around her as if to protect her and their children. "And I'm going to be a dad," he spoke assent in equal parts dazed amazement. A wholly unprepared dad, but a dad nonetheless. The greatest thing an Armada could be. He wanted to be happy. He wanted this to be a moment of celebration for the both of them. But it had come so out of the blue and unplanned for, Roman was still struggling to process it. He'd always thought he'd be older and more ready when he finally had puppies, and so his brain was really fighting to grasp the reality of the situation.

Lifting a paw to touch Lillith ever so gently as if she were made of porcelain, Roman slowly ran his paw down from her shoulder, over her slim side and down the curve of her hip, following it until he was once again resting his paw pads over her womb. There was nothing there now—no telltale swell or movement inside—but he knew that his children were growing inside her belly. His sons and daughters. How many would they have of each? What would they name them? The more he pondered it, the more a stupefied grin slowly spread over his lips. "We're gonna have a family together, Lil," he spoke in a whisper no more audible than to the two of them. "You're gonna be the most amazing mom, and I'm gonna be the dopey clueless dad." He gave an incredulous chuckle, looking between her beautiful face and her stomach in between them. His smile faltered a little while he considered the alternative. They had options still. It was early in the pregnancy, and as a healer, he knew they had a choice to make.

Looking to Lillith with a grim seriousness on his features, Romulus asked, "Do you... want to keep them?" It was the great conflict for Roman, but if Lillith wasn't ready, he wasn't going to make her go through this just for him.

"Speech"

Lillith was scared most of all, that feeling drove and manipulated her reasoning and the trail of her thoughts. She knew the basics of reproduction and the process she was going to go through, those facts frightened her incredibly. The physical aspect was terrifying but more than that was the challenge of raising young puppies. What if she wasn’t a good parent? What if she screwed something up and her children were forced to deal with that mistake for the rest of their lives? What if something happened to them? There were a million what ifs that haunted her. Lil queezed the pillow tightly as she tried to banish the thought. If she thought too much about the future she’d become completely overwhelmed.

Despite all of those terrible thoughts there was one that brought warmth and joy, however obscured by fright it was. As Roman joined her there on the bed it became more real, the two of them wrapped around their own little family. Something of their own making that had nothing to do with the world outside. They were completely unprepared and this was so unexpected she found herself struggling to embrace that perfect picture that was being painted. Roman’s soft touch caressed her side and settled against her still flat stomach and with that touch brought her peace from the fear and terror facing her.

She leaned back into Roman’s embrace, shifting slightly so she could hold tightly to him. His sweet voice soothed her as he spoke the words again and she slowly processed and accepted what was ahead of them. She remained fearful, but she saw hope and she heard the subtle enthusiasm in Roman’s whisper. He was going to be the father of her children, and he was sure that she was going to be a great mother. Lillith wanted to believe him and embrace this future they were given by fate.

Roman paused slightly, then continued quietly and asked her if this was the path she really wanted. They didn’t have to go through with this obstacle. Lilith froze there in his arms as he offered the alternative. Even with all the fear and uncertainty facing her Lil couldn’t stomach the thought. "Yes.” She said simply and with little hesitation. Lillith knew that even facing banishment from the Hallows she would have them.

A smile, a real smile, played across her features as she fully accepted the situation. None of this was going to be easy, but she was up for the challenge. She had Roman to support, help, and love her through every difficult bump. "You are going to be a pretty dopey dad.” She agreed with a soft chuckle as she was ab;e to break through the screen of fear that plagued her. "It’s such a strange concept, I can't wrap my head around it.” She confessed softly as she looked up to him, "I couldn’t…” couldn’t do anything. "I couldn’t without you.”

"Speech"

Lillith leaned into his touch when he went to embrace her, wrapping her own paws around his body to hold herself tight to him. She seemed so sullen, so afraid, that for a moment Romulus was expecting her to take him up on his offer. He wouldn't have blamed her in the least. Staring down the barrel of an unplanned pregnancy after the life she'd lived and her slowly improving condition was a daunting and impossible thing. But as she often did, Lillith Adravendi shocked him by not even hesitating when she said she wanted to keep their pups and raise a family. Roman's eyes widened and his mouth hung open, taken completely aback. She actually wanted to start a family with him. Then she smiled—a genuine, real smile—and Roman felt his heart melt. The corners of his mouth twitched upward in a little smile while he chuckled in disbelief, which slowly turned into an incredulous laugh when she agreed he was going to be a pretty dopey dad.

Roman didn't know what to even say for a long while. Lil had agreed to bear their children, to have his pups. This moment still didn't feel real, but in the aftermath of all the panic and fear, all he could feel was a loopy sort of giddiness and anxiousness. They were going to be parents! He had helped create the next generation of Armada wolves. His parents and grandfather would've been so happy to hear! "I know. It... It still doesn't feel real to me," he agreed when she mentioned the concept of them being parents felt strange. Molten steel met shimmering garnets in the low light of their room, gazing lovingly into the depths of her eyes. "You don't ever have to worry about that," he said with such resolution in his voice. His slate-dipped paw drifted up her body from her flat stomach to caress her cheek, guiding her muzzle to his with gentle insistence to kiss her long and slow. When their lips parted, he whispered softly again them, "I'm never letting you go. Remember? Never."

And he meant it. The words he'd whispered to her in the snuggled aftermath of their impassioned lovemaking that had created their family had been more than just sweet pillow talk. It had been a solemn vow from his soul to hers. He would never let her go. He would do whatever it took to take care of her—and now their children as well. He wouldn't allow Artorias to throw them out of the Hallows to raise their children in the wild lands. He would speak to the alpha first thing in the morning and beg for leniency and understanding. If he refused, then he would challenge the alpha for his family's right to stay. Even if it meant his own banishment—or if it came at the cost of his life—he would make sure his family was cared for and protected. "Y'know, I bet they're all gonna be as beautiful, smart, and kindhearted as their mother is."

"Speech"

Lillith looked up to Roman as she confessed her decision, maybe they had made a mistake but she would see it through to the end. She didn’t feel like she was near ready, but maybe she never would. Romulus proved again and again that with him by her side she could do anything her heart desired. And it desired to raise a family with him. She could see the shock in his features, and why shouldn’t he? Lil suffered through so many struggles to get where they were, she was so behind in living her life. That seemed so selfish though, the only option was forward. Despite her fear there wasa happy excitement, and Roman shared it with her in the way his goofy grin played across his features.

He chuckled along with her, sharing in the anxiety and uncertainty but also the joy of it. There would be challenges and sacrifices, but it was all worth it. Maybe they were ill prepared, but she wanted to think they’d learn together. For now, neither of them could even accept it as completely real. The reality was slowly settling in but everything felt incredibly surreal. Roman didn’t hesitate to encourage her, and reminded her there wasn’t anything to worry about, he was right there beside her, ready to support her however he could.

She smiled nervously, but the joy was obvious in the way her garnet gaze glittered up at him before her eyes fluttered closed as she melted into his kiss. She was tense and frightened, but he chased all of it away with the unconditional love he showed her. Lilith leaned into his paw against her cheek and returned the love she felt for him. As overwhelming pregnancy, birth, and raising a litter of puppies would be, the love she felt for Roman and the children they would have was much bigger. She peeked up into his eyes as he pulled away, just to whisper his renewed vow. He wasn’t going to let her go, he promised and he would forever keep his word.

"Never.” She agreed, and even if he hadn’t asked her in return she meant it. As long as he held her Lil would cling to him in return. She wasn’t letting him go. She didn’t know what he was thinking as she tried to drive her fears from her mind, Lillith couldn’t think about facing ejection from the pack. Even if they were forced outside the borders at least she and the puppies would have Roman to protect and care for them.

He succeeded in distracting her from the worrying thoughts that lingered in his mind as he mentioned all of the qualities they were going to take after her. Maybe it was the hormones or the subject matter, no one would really know, but she melted at the sound of his compliment like she normally didn’t do. She grinned up at him as a soft blush crept over her features.

”And strong, determined, and passionate like their father.” She promised as she lifted a tiny white paw to his cheek. They were going to be parents. As the shock wore off the sound of it became sweeter and sweeter. "Maybe it's a mistake, but it’s the most wonderful one.” She told him breathlessly even if the fear and anxiety remained her words were true.

"Speech"

When he reasserted his vow to never let her go, Lillith returned the same soft-spoken promise to him, warming Romulus’ heart while he felt himself getting lost in her glassy garnet eyes, looking more like the gemstones they took after now than ever before. Lillith’s unending and undying love for him was what kept Roman’s confidence in them alive. Together they could overcome any challenges they faced. All they needed was each other; so long as they stuck together, nothing in the world could beat them. He leaned into her dainty white paw when she reached up to stroke his cheek, squeezing her limber body in his strong forearms around her waist.

"These pups are gonna be little heartstoppers and lady killers, y’know, with all he good genes they’ll be getting. The world won’t be ready for them," he said, continuing their playful banter around their growing family. He grinned his signature crooked, roguish grin to his perfect lover, reaching a paw up to gently boot the end of her nose with a couple digits. "Not mistakes. Accidents," Roman corrected her gently, then slowly slid his paw back down Lil’s body to rest over her lower belly, as if he could already feel their children growing within her. "I knew I wanted everything with you already. I wanted to get married, go on all sorts of adventures, start a family together. It’s just happening a little out of order from what I imagined." His paw rubbed slow, comforting circles over her belly, tickling through her belly fur with his slate-dipped toes. "But they’re not a mistake. They’re our beautiful little surprises."

Roman didn’t know how Lillith felt about this entire situation now that they were sobering to the fact of it, but now that she’d confirmed she wanted to keep their children, all the Armada man could think of was the gorgeous family he’d get to start raising with the love of his life. He couldn’t bring himself to think of his puppies as mistakes. They were a part of her, a part of him. They would be perfect and he would love them. His surprise family, but still wholly and completely his.

"Speech"

Lillith meant what she said, the world wasn’t the same without Roman beside her. She really did feel like he was her other half, her soul mate. They were meant to be together. Lil never loved anyone like she loved Romulus, the emotion was deep and all consuming. He made her laugh, he comforted her tears, Roman made her feel so loved every moment they spent together. There wasn’t anyone else she wanted to make her partner in life, he enhanced her good qualities. He helped her with the ones she struggled with and she wouldn’t be the same without him.

He squeezed her tight and told her what they would have to expect from the children that were on their way. Beautiful children that the world couldn’t possibly be ready for. Lil chuckled along with him, and she couldn’t agree more. He booped her nose, gently correcting her fearful mindset. This was no mistake, unintended but never a mistake. Her eyes continued to glisten but she smiled and nodded along. Roman shifted his slate dipped paws to gently rub her belly, where their children were beginning to grow.

The confession of his original plan and how this only disrupted his timeline not his plans. This was everything they wanted together, just a little sooner than intended. He tickled her bely and Lil grinned up at him, overwhelmed by the shift from terror to joy. He told her they were instead perfect surprises and Lillith felt her love surge for him even greater than a moment before. She didn’t think it was possible but every day he made her love him more. "I.. want all of that too." Her grin was pure and untainted by the negativity she had been surrounded with at first.

She was crying for fear earlier but as she gazed up at Roman happy tears filled her garnet gaze. "They are, aren’t they?” She spoke warmly as she shifted a tiny white paw to Roman’s chin half guiding him into a kiss. "Our surprises.” A beautiful combination of the two of them, of their bodies and their hearts. After Lillith spoke she leaned forward to press her lips to his. The father of her children, her mate, her everything.

"Speech"