The days drew ever closer to the time when Briar was due to go into labor. What had begun simply as the two new parents sharing happy tears at the revelations of their new family had soon grown along with the pups in Briar's belly as the days of preparation for the next generation of Carpathians became shorter and shorter. Artorias had spared no expense in making sure everything was prepared and ready for the coming birth and arrival of his children, ensuring the Hallows was set to receive their pups in comfort and love. He had also made sure Briar's need was tended to, from neonatal care to food to supplies for the children to come. One corner of the alphas' sizable bedroom had been made up into a little nursery of sorts, with a sheltered area for the whelps to occupy until they grew big enough to wander the room safely on their own, and then eventually the rest of the castle. Some would have said Artorias was being overly cautious or called him a nervous new father—those wolves would be 100% right.

Artorias busied himself triple checking the puppies' bedding, making sure the section that had been fenced off with a wooden frame was secure enough that no pup would be able to slip out before they were ready and that the soft bedding of chamois skin that had been gifted to them by Eligos was properly padded and filled for maximum comfort. With it being the middle of Auster's winter, the warmth and comfort of his children was the primary concern of the Aegis. Art fluffed up the bedding with large azure paws for the fifth time that day, looking over the space with an approving nod. That would do for now—at least until he checked it a sixth time later. "Okay, I think the puppies' bed is set," he called back to his pregnant wife who had better still be relaxing on the furs by the fire. The Aegis tossed a quick glance over his shoulder to ensure his mate was indeed resting. Giving Briar an excited and anxious smile, he padded his way over to join her by the crackling fireplace, moving to gently bump his nose against hers. "How are you?" His amber gaze drifted down to her swollen belly. "How are they doing today?"

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Briar watched her husband as he continued to fuss with he pen he had constructed in their room and then fuss with it again and again, looking on from where he had insisted she rest with exasperated amusement. The immediate existential worry that Artorias had shown when she told him the news of her pregnancy probably should have tipped her off for how much of a frantic new father he was going to be, but she wasn't sure she could have prepared herself for the level of concern and effort he was putting into every little detail. It was incredibly sweet seeing him be so excited and particular about everything that their pups might need and wanting the very, very best for them, but now it was starting to get obsessive and a little silly. She chuckled softly to herself and rested her head on her paws while she waited for him to finish, knowing that if she tried to get up to help or do anything she was going to get a very stern Artorias telling her to rest.

Eventually he did declare that the bed was set—at least until he noticed something was ever so slightly out of place or he thought of something else to add—and she smirked as he turned to look at her. She lifted her head, replying teasingly, "Are you sure this time?" He came over to where she was laying mostly on her side due to her large, swollen stomach making it nearly impossible to lay on her belly, just propped up on one elbow to keep her upper half turned upright and she tipped her muzzle up to return the gentle bump to his nose. The further she got into her pregnancy the more it became incredibly evident that the family trait to have large litters of large pups had indeed been passed on to them. She had gotten pretty large very quickly and as they began to draw ever closer to when Gwynevere expected she might go into labor that was only becoming more true. It was starting to get difficult to do more than move from one part of the castle to the other and even without Artorias' fretting she still didn't do much more activity than short walks through the garden simply because of how easily her paws and ankles got sore from it now.

When he asked how she and the pups were doing, she grinned and chuckled as she told him, "For the tenth time today, we are perfectly fine. They've mostly just been sleeping while you've been running around fluffing pillows all morning." She knew he meant so well by all of it and she knew he was just nervous, but how he ended up being far more nervous than herself when she was the one that was going to be birthing this large family of theirs was beyond her. She patted the fur beside her and added, "Come on, come cuddle with me for a while and stop worrying so much." She went to tug on his foreleg to pull him toward her, reaching up a bit to press her lips to his in a light, playful kiss.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Briar's teasing remark about being 100% sure that the pen was set this time very nearly made Artorias hesitate and go back to check again to verify he hadn't missed anything or messed something up during the construction. His mate didn't let him even consider that option though, as she was immediately returning his gentle affections and kisses with her own, helping to soothe his nerves and keep his mind off of everything he still had to do before their pups were born. Gazing down at Briar, Art reveled in how truly beautiful his mate was. She wore her pregnancy with grace and beauty, looking all the more angelic and surreal as her body shifted and transformed through the weeks to grow and home their children. Excited amber eyes drifted slowly from Briar's face down to her swollen belly again, still amazed at how big she had gotten throughout this process. His usually slim and slender wife was clearly carrying a large litter, and that litter appeared to all be sharing their families' traits of being sizable wolves themselves. Artorias' heart soared as he looked over his wife, his Briar, with nothing short of sheer pride and pure unending love.

His questioning of her condition and the pups' condition was met with an exasperated grin and chuckle, telling him that for the millionth time they were all doing fine. Art offered her a sheepish smile, ears lowering to flatten and disappear against his head with a bashful chuckle. "Sorry, love, I'm just... I want to be sure, y'know? There's not a lot I can really do when you're doing all the work making our family, so I'm just doing what I can." He realized that was no excuse to keep pestering her, but it was the truth. Artorias was nervous about the entire pregnancy process, and even though things had gone smoothly thus far, being unable to do much beyond cater to his wife's needs left him feeling more than a bit useless on the sidelines. When Briar asked him to come cuddle with her though, the lovestruck brute perked up in an instant, his expression lighting up and tail wagging behind him while he returned Briar's affectionate kiss before padding around behind Briar to where she'd patted the furs and laid down beside his wife, snuggling up close around her smaller (and in some ways larger) form.

Once he'd gotten settled in behind her, Artorias draped a strong foreleg around Briar, pulling her closer to tuck her body up into his own and veritably wrapping himself around her. A loving smile spread across his lips while he gazed down at her, dipping his muzzle to kiss across her crown and ears while his large paw slid down to rest over her rotund belly. He was still in awe at how round Briar had gotten with their pups! With gentle paw pads, he began to rub over her stomach, tracing warm skin through soft fur. The smile on his lips widened further, nuzzling into the back of her neck and breathing in her scent, already alluring and addictive to him it was made even more intoxicating with the added smell of her pregnancy hormones. There was a fatherly instinct growing within Artorias, an overwhelming urge to protect and love his mate, the fae carrying his children.

"I love you so much," he whispered against the back of her ear, holding her close and snug to him while they rested and basked in this surreal moment of almost being full parents. "Have they been moving much today, or are they giving their mother a break?" he asked with a little grin, wondering if he'd feel tiny paws kicking against his own through Briar's belly at any moment.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Briar couldn't help but smile as Artorias insisted he only wanted to be sure as he continued to worry over her and their children and spoke of how he only wanted to be doing something to help while she was doing all of the work to make their family. He truly did have the biggest, kindest heart she had ever known and it was one of the very many things that she adored about him so much—even if it meant calming his frantic concern over her from time to time. "I know, my dear, wonderful mate," she replied with a soft chuckle, tipping her muzzle up to press another kiss to his lips. "I love you and all of the care you have for me and our pups. I just don't want you to run yourself ragged doing it. Save that energy for chasing around little pups as they scamper around the castle." Her lips pulled up into a grin as she spoke, her tail wagging gently as she pictured the absolute delightful madness that was sure to come as their precious children were unleashed into the world.

As she instructed Artorias to come snuggle with her, she immediately saw how his expression perked up and she giggled softly as she grinned and watched him hurry to do just that. Sometimes her husband was the mighty and fearsome warrior, the Aegis that will protect his pack with tooth and sword... and then sometimes he was as sweet and easy to please as a pup and more madly in love than she sometimes gave him credit for. When his larger form settled in behind her own she happily leaned back into him with a contented sigh. There wasn't many ways to lay these days that were entirely comfortable, but when she was laying back into Artorias with his forelegs around her so that he was supporting her smaller frame that very much was as comfortable as she could be in this moment. Her long tail flicked to drape over the top of his thigh as he curled around her, her paws coming to rest over his own on her now very round and swollen belly.

She hummed happily while his paw rubbed over her belly, her turquoise gaze drifting closed while she enjoyed his affections and just having her husband with her. The days where they would be able to spend as much time as they wanted with just the two of them were growing very, very short so she was soaking in as much time with him now as she possibly could. Briar grinned happily as Artorias nuzzled the back of her neck and she gave his paw a squeeze with her own. "I love you just as much, darling," she whispered in return. To his question about whether they had been moving much today, she replied, "They've been pretty calm today, but you know they always-" Before she could even finish her sentence, one of the pups answered for her with a strong squirm and kick right into her ribs, nearly knocking the air from her lungs. She chuckled softly as she winced a bit, finishing, "-get more energetic when you're with me." Whatever nap the pups had been having was clearly over for now and they started to move and wiggle a bit and she guided his larger paw to where she felt them the most, resting her paw beside his on her belly and grinning as she felt them kick against their paws in response.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Briar's reassurances always put him at ease. She was what helped keep him grounded when he lost himself in the tizzy of doing all he could to prepare for any possible eventuality that may arise. He knew he could never be 100% fully prepared for everything, but that didn't stop him from running around like a chicken without a head trying to make everything perfect for their coming children. Fortunately, his wonderful wife kept him sane, calmed him down when he began to lose himself, and soothed away his worries, just like she was doing now. Briar suggested he save his energy for chasing around their pups when they were finally let loose on the castle, and already Artorias was cringing as he imagined the panic those little Carpathians would be striking into his heart. He'd been a pup running around these halls only a few short years ago. It felt surreal to realize that now he'd be watching his own little ones doing as their father had once done. The world was definitely not ready for them!

"Gods be good, what sort of madness are we unleashing on this poor, unsuspecting world?" he joked and teased while he nuzzled into the back of Briar's neck, all smiles and full of love for his family wrapped up in his arms right now. "I'm supposed to be a protector of the Hallows, and instead I'm about to unleash an unspeakable chaos onto it! We'll never recover!" He snickered again while Briar leaned back against his body for support, keeping her held snugly in his forearms. With how large she had gotten, he knew comfort was a rare commodity she found in short supply, so he did all he could to bring her as much as he could manage. Cuddles seemed to work the trick the best still. Together the two of them lay on the furs in front of the crackling fire, his large paws resting over Briar's swollen belly while her own paws rested atop of his, both mother and father cradling their unborn children. A soft, loving smile touched Artorias' face, amber eyes so full of paternal love for the pups he hadn't even met yet. His mother had told him once that he would need to be a father himself one day to fully comprehend the amount of love a parent could have for their child. Now he was starting to think that he could understand what his mother had meant.

Briar answered his curiosity; their pups had been mostly calm today. That was good. It meant they'd be giving Briar plenty of chances to rest. That is, they were calm, until Artorias suddenly felt a flurry of kicking paws beating against the inside of Briar's belly, catching both parents by surprise. The smile on Artorias' face expanded into a wide, excited grin, his tail wagging in a blur while Briar guided his paw to the points on her belly where she felt the kicking and squirming the most. Feeling their active pups made Artorias' heart flip in his chest, he was so indescribably happy and excited! "Oh my gods, feel them go!" he remarked with a giddy giggle, feeling tiny invisible paws pushing up against his own from within his mate. It was so bizarre and alien, and yet at the same time, so incredible and awe-inspiring! "I guess they just know when we're together, or when we're trying to snuggle," he chuckled, then felt another especially strong kick against his paw and his eyes flashed mischievously. "That one is gonna challenge me for Aegis, I can tell already."

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Briar couldn't help but grin and laugh at Artorias' lamenting about the chaos they were about to unleash onto the world, enjoying his affections as he nuzzled the back of her neck. She for one couldn't wait to go chasing these pups down the halls, to play with them in the gardens, to show them all kinds of different sights and smells... Yes, it would be absolute chaos to which she was sure their parents were going to have a moment of "I told you so" for them over, but she was so eager and ready for it to happen. Still, as she leaned back into her mate and enjoyed the comfort his embrace brought her, she knew that deep down she was going to miss this too. This was a moment she would never experience again—laying here with Artorias and their first ever litter of unborn children, the two of them looking into a future full of unknowns and excitement... She knew they would have more children in the future, but it would never be this exact feeling again and she felt wistful about it as she enjoyed the warmth and relaxation of this moment with her one true love.

Briar grinned as she looked back over her shoulder at Artorias while he felt their pups move and squirm against his paw, watching his excitement and awe with pure love in her turquoise gaze. She had always known that he would make an amazing father, but actually getting to see and experience just how happy and eager he was to be a parent with her just validated every choice she had made that brought them to this point. She had loved him for most of their lives at this point and had been dreaming of a day just like this one and now to actually live it was even sweeter than she could have ever imagined. It made her want to make him a father again and again just so she could see this kind of pride and joy in his face for the rest of their lives. "I guess they do," she agreed with a chuckle, already foreseeing the idea of getting alone time with him once the pups arrived to be a difficult thing to accomplish. She grinned and chuckled as one pup in particular seemed to really be giving their all into kicking their father's paw and Artorias joked about them challenging him for Aegis. That reality felt so far flung in the future that it was hard to imagine, but she knew that in reality that was something that could happen in just a few short years. Time really was a wild concept these days with how fast it was flying by.

Eventually the pups seemed to settle back down again which allowed her to settle as well, reclining back into Artorias with a content sigh. She turned her head a bit to look back at him with an adoring smile, tipping her muzzle up to catch his lips in a tender kiss. "I'm so excited for them to finally get here," she said with a little chuckle, her paw trailing along his foreleg as she added, "Although I am going to miss getting to be alone with you whenever I want." Her smile shifted into a bit more of a sly grin as she shifted her hips a bit to press back into him with a knowing glance. With how the symptoms of her pregnancy had been keeping her in various forms of aching, queasy, restless, and tired the times when she had felt well enough to really enjoy her husband had been more few and far between than she would have liked. Today was certainly one of her better days and as they crept closer and closer to her due date she knew their chances to savor these moments alone were numbered. Her tail teasingly slipped from over his hip to slip between them and brush over some much more sensitive parts of him as her grin widened. "You know, there is something else you could do for me besides just cuddle," she purred with a soft chuckle.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Lying with Briar in his arms, their unborn children nestled safely between them in his wife's belly, it was this moment that made Artorias realize he'd made it. When he'd been a pup, all he could think of was being a knight like his parents. A mighty warrior fighting for righteousness and justice, defending his pack and his family. That had been the pinnacle of his life at the time, the moment when he could say he'd accomplished his dreams. Oh, but how life had changed him from that naive little pup to what he was today! Now, all he needed to be content and happy was this. A peaceful interlude with the fae he loved more than life itself, on the precipice of welcoming their children into the world. This... this was perfection. Artorias savored every second of it that he could. The way things sounded, smelled, felt. He wanted to remember this moment for the rest of his life and carry the memory with him into whatever afterlife followed. This was the beginning of the rest of his forever with his Briar and his family.

Artorias giggled again like an amused puppy when he felt another strong kick against his paw, rubbing over the spot on Briar's swollen belly. Knowing that they were his pups he was feeling brought a swell of pride and love to his heart the likes of which he couldn't describe or explain. Both of them had been dreaming of the moment when they'd get to start their own family together one day, and now that time was finally here! From the moment he knew he was in love with Briar, being her mate and having a family with her had been all he could think about. Seeing the love and joy on his wife's face just made this reality all the more sweet to him. Perhaps he was getting ahead of himself, but Artorias was already thinking of how many times they'd get to enjoy this type of love together. They'd never have the same specialness as they did now with their first litter, but each litter would be special and unique in its own way, and Art wanted that moment as often as they could. He chuckled softly as he realized that he and Briar were likely going to have a very large family by the time they decided they were done having kids if they both enjoyed this moment so much!

After some time, the pups seemed to settle again, and so too did their parents, Artorias relaxing back into the furs while holding Briar close to him. He glanced down at her smiling face, meeting her lips halfway with a gentle kiss of his own. "So am I," he replied in soft, hushed tones, nuzzling just behind Briar's closest ear. Briar added on how she was going to miss having him alone whenever she wanted, and punctuated her statement with a sly grin and a suggestive press of her hips back into his. The motion caught Artorias by surprise, drawing a shaky gasp from the brute, meeting Briar's knowing glance with a dumbstruck grin. Neither of them had been intimate since the start of Briar's pregnancy, partially due to her earlier symptoms and partially due to how busy he'd been getting things prepared while she rested, but it also hadn't been a priority on his mind. Briar, however, was clearly feeling libidinous as her sex drive was returning to her.

The soft silken brush of her flowing tail over his more sensitive parts forced the dire brute to bite his lip to stifle a groan, his hind legs quivering from the teasing touch of his mate. "Oh is that so...?" Artorias replied to his mate's purring temptations with a half grin, slowly rubbing a paw up and down along her belly to her hip. He slowly brought his muzzle down to brush along the side of her own, lifting his snout to nip and kiss behind her ear while he asked in a whisper, "What else could your alpha do for you besides cuddle, my beautiful Queen?" He was teasing her, playing along with her just to work her up more. It was one of Artorias' favorite parts of their relationship, the playful teasing and banter they shared that led up to their steamy, heated moments together.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

That gasp that she pulled from her handsome mate made her grin and only made the need and drive she felt burn all that much more strongly. It had definitely been far longer than she would have liked since they were able to fully enjoy one another like this, but with the sickness and exhaustion that had come from growing their children and Artorias' own worries and frantic preparations for their pups it had gotten pushed down toward the bottom of their priority list. Now that she was feeling far better and simply waiting for their pups to be ready to grace them with their presence she was very much ready to pull Artorias away from his constant work to enjoy some time with him before they officially became parents. She gave a quiet hum of enjoyment as Art's paw slipped down her body toward her hip and she felt the nips and kisses he left behind her ear, grinning as she savored his affections and attention fully. She wasn't sure how many more times they were going to get to do this before the pups came so she was going to enjoy it all to the fullest while she still could.

Briar chuckled softly as Artorias questioned what else he could do for her in his teasing tone, a grin lingering on her lips as she pressed her hips back into his again, letting her silken tail tease certain parts of him as they continued to rile each other up. "You could give me more of what made these puppies to begin with," she purred seductively back to him, the grin on her lips showing just how much she was enjoying all of this. There was plenty for them to worry and concern themselves with these days and there was sure to only be more once their children were actually in the world so it wonderful to just let all of that be put to the side for a little bit to escape into one another for a bit. Her paw slipped down to where his was lingering on her hip and she started guiding his paw lower to other parts of her that were in dire need of attention. "Do you think you could do that for me, my Aegis?"

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Artorias never truly realized or appreciated how much Briar helped to keep him grounded and level until he was in a state of frenzy and she brought him back down to earth. Were it not for his wonderful and loving mate, he would have been happy to run himself ragged trying to do everything and spreading himself thin. Briar was the balance he needed in his life, the caring and compassion looking out for him while he looked out for everyone else. Whether it was making sure he was taking breaks to care for himself or helping him unwind after a stressful endeavor, Briar was his equilibrium without which he would likely burn himself to ashes. Instead, he burned with her, brighter and hotter than he could ever be alone. The Aegis loved his Queen more than anything else in the world. He was thoroughly convinced they were meant to be together, whether by circumstance or destiny, he needed Briar like he needed air. And right now, he needed her in a much more primal way—a way she seemed to be needed him as well.

The grin that lingered on Briar's beautiful features made eager butterflies rise in Artorias' belly, an excited tingle that quickly burst into warm pleasure and lust when he felt his mate press and roll her hips back into him again, rubbing his most sensitive parts against her own to a symphony of shaking gasps from the male. Briar kicked her movements up a notch this time by adding a gentle swish of her silken tail to tease those parts of his anatomy while she riled him up and they teased one another. The request Briar made through purred lyrics made a clench of heat grow in Artorias' belly, azure lips slowly pulling back in a sly, knowing grin. His seductive and sultry mate needn't say anything more. Briar was clearly having fun teasing him, but Artorias was also enjoying their playtime. It had been so long since they'd gotten to enjoy one another like this, between her early pregnancy and his frantic preparations, but now nothing was keeping them from losing themselves in one another. They could enjoy their own private world together before their pups arrived and changed their lives for the better forever.

Artorias' fire-kissed gaze never left Briar's cool turquoise, smoldering with a carnal hunger he hadn't gotten to sate in far too long. That sultry gaze was only broken when he felt Briar's paw capture his, glancing down the length of their bodies to watch while she guided his paw lower until it slipped between her thighs. The grin on Artorias' face returned, knowing what she wanted from him, and as his eyes returned to hers, he steered his touch down to where Briar wanted and needed it most. Once he felt her beneath his paw, gentle digits toyed with her, watching and savoring her every reaction while they neared what they both craved. "I think that sounds like a perfect idea, my Queen," he rumbled in response, leaning his muzzle closer while he spoke in husky whispers. "Mea." Then he slowly captured Briar's lips with his own, pressing into a deeply passionate kiss with his queen and true love. Artorias allowed his touch to become more venturous while he shifted his hips to better align their bodies, navigating by feel and intimate memory of her body. Keeping Briar wrapped up in his arms, Artorias brought their hips together in the intimate union that had created their puppies and family, drowning in everything Briar was.

- fade -

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"