Chapter 199
When Erik reminded them to get ready, his expression was serious–no trace of a joke.
Given the recent unusual weather, Bruce Cook, Archie’s father, felt that something big was about to happen. He needed to make preparations for his family in advance.
“Just do what you always do–stay close to them” Bruce instructed Archie.
Bruce thought that sometimes, being simple–minded had its advantages. Some people preferred dealing with the smart, while others valued sincerity. Nyx and her group were clearly the latter.
Following Bruce’s instructions, Archie went to find Nyx the next day, only to hear that they were planning to move. He immediately slumped in the corner, feeling dejected. “Is there something wrong with my house?”
“Of course not. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have stayed here for so long.” Nyx reassured him. “But we can’t keep living in your house forever.”
She actually didn’t care whether they rented or bought a place, but now that they had a child on the way, buying a home seemed like the better option to them.
Archie acknowledged her perspective and promptly shifted his mood back to normal.
The weather was getting hotter and hotter. Even in the usually cool northeast, temperatures were approaching 104 F. Air conditioners had long sold out, and finding an installer was impossible. The south had already exceeded 104 F, with no sign of cooling down.
Cases of heatstroke were surging in hospitals, and in such extreme heat, people were growing irritable, leading to a rise in violent incidents.
Rain was hard to come by everywhere. Across the country, and even across the globe, there had been a concerning lack of rainfall.
Farmlands were suffering from drought, major rivers had dried up, and online rumors about a catastrophic famine were spreading, causing widespread panic.
To stabilize public sentiment, the government intervened, adjusting food prices to keep shelves stocked and encouraging remote work to minimize unnecessary exposure to the extreme weather.
During this time, Archie and his friends had been stockpiling supplies, staying in shape, and even acquiring some weapons. “We’re planning to head to the orchard tomorrow to gather fresh fruit and store it in the cold room.” They invited Nyx. “Dear sister, want to come along?”
Before Nyx could respond, the males surrounding her chimed in, adamantly rejecting the proposal, “Nyx will not be joining
us.”
Lately, the males treated Nyx like fragile glass, keeping her strictly confined to their home.
They explained, “It’s too hot outside, the orchard is full of bugs, and the roads are dangerous.”
It was just a trip to a privately leased orchard, yet they acted as if she were heading into some perilous no–man’s land.
The moment Nyx stood up, Theon scooped her into his arms, not letting her walk away.
“Dear sister, you’re basically treated as a critically endangered species now.” Archie stared, dumbfounded.
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It was beyond Archie’s wildest imagination. He thought, ‘Sure, pregnant women need care, but this is over the top
Nyx also felt that her mates‘ protectiveness had reached an absurd level.
Ever since confirming that the baby was healthy, she had been at ease. But Theon and Erik seemed to have developed pregnancy anxiety in her place.
They had always pampered her, but now they wouldn’t even let her handle the smallest tasks–dressing, drinking water, etc. If she so much as sneezed, they reacted as if disaster had struck.
When Theon got anxious, he busied himself in the kitchen, whipping up a variety of nutritious dishes. In just a short time, he had mastered countless Earth recipes–he could practically apply to be a top–tier maternity caregiver.
Erik, on the other hand, kept reinforcing the house, turning their villa into an impenetrable fortress. Even if the world ended, this place would keep her safe.
Yet, despite keeping themselves busy all day, they still couldn’t shake their nerves.
“I’m not that fragile.” Nyx tried to reassure them. “And the baby is strong too–I even fought while pregnant.”
Not only had she fought, but she had also indulged in some rather passionate lovemaking with her mates. The fact that nothing had gone wrong proved how sturdy the baby was.
“Sorry, Nyx.” Theon and Erik were already filled with guilt for not being there sooner to help her fight. Thinking back to their reckless indulgence in banging her hard in bed when they reunited, they felt their remorse deepened.
They had been too careless. They hadn’t noticed her pregnancy and had still done fierce sex with her. If anything had gone wrong, they would never forgive themselves.
Nyx’s attempt to comfort them backfired.
Watching her mates sink further into guilt, she hesitated before grabbing their hands and pressing them against her belly. “Here, feel it.”
As if on cue, the baby inside gave a gentle bump against their palms.
Feeling that tiny movemalest, the two males’s expressions changed in an instant.
After a long pause, Erik stammered, “I–it… it’s… t–too much… treating you like this-”
The clumsy Pale Wolf got so emotional that he started stumbling over his words again.
Nyx couldn’t help but chuckle, “It’s just a little baby. Don’t talk bad about it.”
“Does it hurt, Nyx?” Theon’s voice was hoarse. He had systematically studied anything related to female pregnancy. When presented in theory, he accepted it well, but now that it applied to his beloved female, he found it unbearably cruel.
Especially after reading a few Earth–based maternal and infant care books, his mind became even more cluttered, and he grew increasingly fearful of childbirth.
The process of nurturing life was so painful, yet he couldn’t bear it in Nyx’s place.
In the past few days, Theon had been overly anxious, unable to sleep at night, and was on the verge of depression.
Nyx shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt.”
Compared to human women on Earth, female Beastmen had a much easier time carrying and giving birth to their young The embryo was actually quite small. Even at three months, near full term of her pregnancy, her belly would only be
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slightly rounded. Though the cub inside was lively, it wasn’t strong enough to hurt her. Most of the time, it just felt like gentle bubbles rising inside her.
Nyx did her best to comfort the males, and they managed to calm down–at least in front of her, they tried not to show any
distress.
But as the due date drew closer, their anxiety resurfaced.
Given Nyx’s special circumstances, she couldn’t go to a hospital to give birth and would have to deliver at home. She wasn’t afraid; rather, she was excited to finally meet her cub. Instead, she had to comfort her restless mates, urging them not to be
so tense.
“Do you want me to groom you?” she asked, pulling out a small comb invitingly.
Ever since they found out she was pregnant, Erik and Theon had stopped pestering her to groom them. Even when she took the initiative, they still shook their heads.
Nyx invited them several times, but since neither was willing to shift into their beast form, she had no choice but to put the comb away in resignation.
If they insisted on staying in human form, she would have to cave in.
She narrowed her eyes, sizing up her well–built mates before suddenly wrapping her arms around Theon’s neck.
AB
