16

"Pregnant?" Lily echoed.

"Yeah, there's no mistaking it," Luke said.

Confused, I looked at this device again.

What the hell are you looking at to tell that Lily was pregnant?

To be honest, I only saw different light and dark spots.

"Here.", Luke said and adjusted something on the machine and marked a few points.

"Three fetuses."

Fascinated, Lily stared at the screen.

,,In the sense: Congratulations. You're going to be a mom in just under five and a half months."

I looked back and forth between Luke and Lily in horror.

"5 months?" I slipped out.

Lily didn't react to this at all, but still looked at the marked points on the screen.

Luke, on the other hand, seemed rather surprised that I spoke. However, seemed happy about it.

"Yes five months. A werewolf's pregnancy lasts just over 180 days, so let's say six months on average.

In two to three weeks we could probably tell the sex of the children."

To be honest, I was still horrified.

After all, people were nine months pregnant. And I couldn't imagine how it could work a third faster.

"Yes, for humans that must sound violent. But that's normal for werewolves. You may need to look at it from a different perspective. Werewolves and humans are basically different species. Other mammals have different gestation periods. Some longer others shorter. And we're shorter than humans." "

Oh man." Lily interrupted Luke's monologue.

"How am I supposed to tell Tyler."

Luke looked at Lily confused

.

"Do you really think so?", she asked uncertainly.

"Of course. That's the consequence when two werewolves of different sexes have fun together.

Anyone who wouldn't count on me is naive. There are probably at least 20 people in the pack who are betting with each other when it's finally time for you." "Are

you serious?" I interjected in horror.

,,Yes absolutely. Especially with the alpha couple, this can escalate to the point where several hundred people are involved in the bet. Sometimes this happens to normal couples too. Sooner or later there will be bets like this for the three of us. After all, Jared is Beta and I'm one of the pack doctors, both of which are important positions for the pack. In addition, it is often the case that the beta has children close to the alpha and they grow up together."

"By you, beep!" I yelled at him and backed away from him.

"Hey, everything's fine." He said, raising his hands defensively. Even Lily seemed startled and looked back and forth between us, wide-eyed. She was the

next to speak again while she was gelling off her stomach Strich, pulled her opera part down again and got up. "

Calm down. What Luke is talking about is just how it is often in other packs. Nobody in the pack, not even your companions, would force you to do something like that. Our pack thinks in many ways are quite different from other packs."

"So that's pretty common in other packs." I wanted to know from her, unsettled.

,,I do not want to lie to you. Even if Tyler is gradually displacing this view in other packs as well, it is far from being the case in all packs. But please believe me when I tell you that Tyler himself would rip off any werewolf's head who would even think of it.

Add to that the fact that Jared and Luke would never do that. The vast majority of young adult werewolves today have a very different attitude than their parents' generation, let alone older generations."

We, or Lily, had decided that it was probably for the best if I got some air.

So Lily and I decided to take a little walk while Luke stayed at the office for his work.

Outside the weather was nice. Sunlight shone between the leaves of the treetops.

"What's the best way to tell Tyler?" Lily mused aloud. "Do you think I should just tell him like that or do it more as a surprise?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

,,I don't know that. I mean, I don't even know him. I also have no idea how it usually works with werewolves." "

Yes, you're right.", she sighed.

"But somehow I still can't quite believe it."

,,I believe that from you. Even if I have no idea about the whole subject. After all, I was my parents' last child," I slip out.

"Oh funny. We have one more thing in common. I'm also the youngest child.." "

You Lily?" I asked hesitantly, " You don't happen to know what they did to my family?"

"You mean after they committed suicide that you barely survived?"

I nodded, unsure if she would answer my question.

"Yes, I know that. Although Tyler's predecessor, who was still the acting alpha was against it, Tyler got his way at the twins' request and had them buried at the Pack Cemetery."

I had to swallow.

They didn't just throw them away after all, which to be honest, I expected a lot more. But instead they had even buried her.

How do you think they did it? One grave for all or one for each?

In that case I don't even know what I should find better or what they would have found better.

Each in honorable rest or all three together for eternity.

"Do you think we could go there? I'd like to see that..." "

Yes, no...", Lily stuttered a bit: "You're welcome to go there, but you should probably ask the twins about that."

I looked at her, confused.

"Why?" I wanted to know and could tell from Lily's expression that I had obviously made a huge mistake. "

Sorry," I mumbled softly. I didn't want her to feel bad. After all, she was currently the only person I found somehow nice here.

Lily took a deep breath.

'Oh all good. You can't even know my problem with the place.

I mean, I told you that my family also died because of werewolves and that my sister wasn't that long ago?”

I nodded. I remembered that well.

"Well, my sister's murder happened in my old home and she would have actually been cremated there. But Tyler made sure that she was brought here and buried there as well.

I was really upset about her death and out of respect Tyler had told me recently.

I've only been there once since then, but I couldn't last five minutes there. It's just still upsetting to me," she said, tears glistening in her eyes. "I

get that," I said quietly, "again, sorry for bringing up the subject.

" Everything's fine.", she just said and we just walked side by side in silence for a while.

We just walked somewhere. Without a real goal or without agreeing on where we wanted to go.

At least we did, until a woman crossed our path, who started growling at us in her human form as soon as we saw her.