9. Basket Case.

Damon spoke to Mariella as they were getting everything ready. Their birthing room was warm, light, and modern, meaning a bed of supplies, and Damon was not sure if Mariella would give birth in human form. Wolves had been hormonal, men almost had it and Damon had to go in there and give both of them a few flanks as cubs were in distress.

He had radar, so he felt as if the cubs were stressed, but with Mimi, somehow she blocked his radar and he let her. "Darling, wolves are fine, but I have no reading on Mimi, but I let her be. There comes out nothing good if we go into a hornet's nest right now. So we will have these cubs and then we see where we are."

Mariella wrapped around Damon. She was very affectionate and kissed him. Damon kept his mind cleared from her pheromones and calmed her down with a flank, too. He was worried about Mimi, but there was nothing he could do. He knew he was being selfish, not really an alpha male, but more of a husband to Mariella, and he accepted that because there was no other choice. If Mimi had done her litter first, that would have been a whole different thing, but not this. It was just what it was.

 When the last week was full, I knew it was about to happen. A dull ache emanated from my abdomen, spreading upwards along my ribs. It felt like something was being probed to open up the pit of my abdomen. The pain was there, but I did not use my rage. I would be soon in feline form, my alpha side up front, meaning the pain is there to be tolerated.

Before giving birth, I had to load the bottles ready and then, as close as I could, snap on the heater. I was feeling very full. I had purred to my cubs and got them to calm down with that, too. I had used my alpha power, too.

I waited as long as I could, clicked on the heater, and turned into a jaguar. I went into my cave. I let my instincts take over, so much as possible, because I was so damn near to calling out to Damon through our bond and asking him to come and help me. I rolled over.

The pain got more intense; it was now real pain, something oozing from my pussy. I panted, I walked, and I laid down. I licked my cunt, and the pressure just kept building and building. Soon, the pressure was at that point that I needed to push something out of me.

 I got into position and started pushing. I stood up. Moved some more, and pushed again, grunting softly. Feeling same time so many emotions and feelings, but one of that loneliness, the loneliness of an alpha female, is a very deep emotion. It burned its way into my soul. Changing me so fundamentally. Maybe it was meant to do just that.

Maybe this was the time when the alpha bond was formed, or sealed and if the male was not here, meant something to our bond, it probably would be not so strong or our union would not be close. Damon had chosen Mariella, and this was fact cold, cruel fact of my life that I needed to accept. 

Unfortunately, this was true. Just because he chose Mariella, not even trying to come up with a way to keep an eye on me, not caring for me, it changed our bond, driving me further away from him and it is just one fact that no time can mend. Our bond will be never what it should have been. His fault, not mine.

I worked, pushed hard, feeling my pussy stretching, something slowly moving and coming nearer, but every push needed to be long and hard. This took some effort, and I needed to do this, alone, as this was my body and there was nothing that others could help with. Now this stage was up to me.

I felt something move, and again, with a couple of long and hard pushes, my firstborn was out; I carefully washed him clean of the membranes—leopard boy and big. Lepard, I called him in my mind. I helped him to my teat to eat, and the same again with a couple of pushes, so the next cub was out. After ten cubs, I clearly felt how hard work this is.

Lepard had been huge, compared to my other cubs, but these still needed work to get them out and cleaned. My instincts got stronger by the minute. Soon my need for help was pressed down as I let myself tend to every increasing number of cubs.

Now I was so sure of myself and my ability to tend these incredible balls of fluff that were milling around me. These were my cubs, and I released a steady stream of pheromones to them, telling them I was here to care for them. I didn't even want to tell anyone. I'm doing this on my own. I persevered miraculously. There was plenty of milk in my teats, cub after cub, and it ate itself fully to make room for the next one.

They were wonderfully cute, with their little bellies full after they had dried. There were all sorts of cubs, and a few wolf pups too, which was actually very amazing, but those were mine. Even though they weren't mine biologically, they were mine to care for. That was all that I needed at this time.

After 20 kittens, I was exhausted but determined. Still, there was enough milk when the last of the litter, #37, finally popped out, and I got it cleaned up and directed to the teat. I was exhausted but super happy. I had a huge litter as my first one, so this would be wonderful to care for all of these wonderful specimens, just for me. 

Damon watched Mariella like a hawk when he noticed the first signs of labor, guided Mariella into her jaguar form, and changed himself. He washed and nursed Mariella, helping her through the opening stage. He purred and pushed and comforted as Mariella began to push, and he continued to lick her in encouragement. In his heart, he knew that he had let down his alpha female and he should have been there for her, but this was his human side's decision, to be with Mariella and Mariella only.

Their firstborn was a big black jaguar whose lustful energy was palpable. Mariella had already thought of a name. She washed her son carefully and said in her mind to Damon, "Welcome to the world, Demon." 

They released their pheromones so cubs would get a sense of them both right from the start. Damon knew that the pheromones of Adam and Charles would suffice what came to wolves pups, but for Mimi, well, he had just hoped that those could be taught then to listen to him too. A litter full of strong beings, obeying just Mimi, was not ideal, but realities took over. His love for Mariella took over.

Again, Lepard and others from my first litter, do obey and they are more loyal to me than Damon, no matter what he does. I am more important to them than he is. And again, it is his fault, his decision, and his responsibility. His choice, his burden.

As realized the name of their firstborn, Damon said in his mind, whispering almost, "Really? Really darling."

Mariella nodded and continued to give birth. She used energy to push cubs out, so it was a straightforward thing for her. No need to use so much physical force, as she was not muscular. When there were six kittens, Damon rolled onto his side, revealing the mammary gland, the alpha male's specialty of producing milk, or he was feeding cubs his bump.

Mariella made a little milk and her colostrum was quite weak too, so Damon supplemented the cubs with his very powerful bump. He did not know about Mimi's milk production. He did not have to worry about wolves. Boys were helping them and they had made plenty but not too much milk for their first litter.

Even though he had taken information about this thing from Mimi's mind, he had not gone through everything or did not even think. One purpose of the alpha female being first inseminated was that she usually gave the best milk and provided it to the entire pack, as it was one of her duties during breeding season, to ensure the health of all the cubs in the pack.

In a normal setting, birthing might be done in the mutual den, meaning females in the same space, co-parenting, and helping each other. Damon had been lazy, and he had not given that information from Mimi's mind to Mariella, who would have gone everything through.

Mariella then lifted the cub she had always cleaned under its father's tummy. Their 17 cubs are doing well. A few hours later, Charles announced that Mimosa had done 45 and Shadow 60. They would have their hands full of work. Wolves had milk but just barely, and it was probably because the litter was now bigger too.

Charles checked with me in three days to see how things were going. I told him that my 37 babies were doing very well. I did not ask him to come over. I kept my voice firm and told him everything was fine, no need to come check me out as I needed my own peace to care for these all. 

Charles said, "37, Mimi, that's quite a lot. Are you sure you have enough milk for everyone? Mariella struggles. She does not have enough milk and is weak, so Damon gives the cubs his bump. Are you in good enough condition to breastfeed? Honey, I am a little worried about you. Should I come and check you out?"

I said, "No, do not come, I do not want anyone here and I have milk liters extra. I could teleport some in the kitchen if you want to give some of the wolves."

Charles said that he needed to clear that up with the pack leader and protector of the cubs, meaning Damon. The mere thought of him coming here made my instincts rise properly. I spent the next three hours marking my room, peeing even a few spots, and spreading my scent to my cubs too.

The kittens grew up well and were almost plump and fluffy as all get out, but sinewy and mobile. I had leopards, black and spotted, some with jaguars, black and spotted, snow leopards, three white lion girls, and three wolves, almost peach-colored. They were darker now, but I knew how color could change when they grew up. I had normal and white tigers; I was a little amused by my five little clouded leopards even though I had not yet gotten that one inside me. I could have them, and then four red foxes—quite an array of cubs.

I was happy, purred with cubs, and gave them milk straight from my teat. My bottles were not used, and I teleported about 6 liters of colostrum into the kitchen. I don't really care if they use it or not.