The Arrival

Melody felt huge as a house, and it didn’t help her mood any with everyone commenting on it. Her kit was just a large boy. That was all. When the men of the den found out she was having a boy, several single men flocked to her side to pressure her into mating with them. Their sudden change of heart had nothing to do with science and everything to do with old folklore. If a female birthed a male, then she’d keep doing it. They currently outnumbered the men of the den three to one. They wanted control of the den again from the women. This made Melody and Ellie want to leave faster than ever before. There was no way she would stay. There was already talk of forced mating and the arguments were getting violent in some households.

She was in the courtyard trying to get some air and to avoid Thomas Addlewood when she finally went into labour. It was all she could do to get inside before her water broke. Twenty minutes passed before she stumbled into the apartment she shared wi