The Pups

Broadly smiling, we step into the large entertainment room of the Palace. The high rankings have been waiting for us for nearly an hour. The Alphas and their Lunas, and the Alpha Kings of the four regions greet us with their raised glasses.
Flanked by Jasper and Ralph, I walk down the hall. We welcome each one individually and thank them for wanting to leave their pack to share this great day with us. We stand by our thrones and toast once again to a great partnership within the werewolf community. Ralph delivers a short sermon in which he urges the Alphas to work together, treat their pack members with respect and be a good leaders so that the number of rogues does not increase further. He asked the Lunas to organize as many social activities in the packs as possible to strengthen the feeling of being a family. Ralph indicated that he will be in constant consultation on this with me as the Queen is also the President of the Luna Foundation.
When it is Jasper's turn to address our guests, he takes my hand in his and presses a kiss on it. "As the King with non-executive responsibility, I will assist the Queen wherever I can. My interest is in field visits with the Queen. If she is busy with the Lunas, I can assist the Alphas where they need it," he holds out to those present. "Storm Forest was the strongest pack, security was our expertise. So I think I can share a lot in that area. But of course, after the pups are born and the Queen has regained her strength to be able to travel."
The Alphas nod eagerly.
Now that Storm Forest has been incorporated into the Kingdom, there is one less rival. Midnight Moon is subsequently the strongest, but everyone knows its connections with the Queen. The doors open, Magda and Esis, rush toward us. Standing in front of me, they hesitate. Magda turns to her mate for advice on how to proceed as per werewolf traditions. "Magda, Esis. It's me, Saray," I call out to them. Magda emerges from her frozen state. "Oooohhh, thank goodness. I didn't know what else to do," she whispers with her arms around my shoulders. Esis nods at me. "Congratulations, Saray. I look forward to my godson". Everyone chuckles at his boldness.
Jasper shakes his hand. "Alpha, shouldn't you wait for the invitation?"
Esis doesn't let himself off the hook. "Aaahh, depends. If you don't express your wishes in advance, they won't be fulfilled either," he replies laconically. A banquet follows. I hold Ralph by the elbow so the three of us walk to the head of the table. And then I feel it. A firm sting on the side of my stomach. I try to regulate my breathing, but when another sting passes over my back, I can barely contain a cry. Jasper is right by my side, Magda's chair falls back as she runs in my direction. "The pups," I bring out wearily.
Out of nowhere, a female doctor storms in.
Ivor immediately clears the room.
"My Queen, I'm Doctor Eileen. I am replacing Marleen," she informs me. She asks me some questions and decides to go to the Royal delivery room for further examination. Jasper takes me in his arms and Eileen walks us out. The delivery room is on the same floor as the Royal wing. After Jasper puts me on the bed, he helps me out of my gown and puts on the hospital dress. Magda stands on the other side of the bed, massaging my back while Ralph looks on. Suddenly my amniotic fluid breaks. In terror, I stare at Jasper. "Don't worry, that's part of it. I've read that in the books. Now the doctor can tell us how long it will be before our pups arrive," he tells me with sparkling eyes, stroking my face.
I smile and relax right away.
But not for long. As Jasper helps me lie on the bed, I feel another twinge of pain, stronger this time.
"Aaahh, it hurts. A lot," I whisper disconcertedly as I hold Jasper's hand tightly. Two nurses come in. They introduce themselves as Anya and Romana. Eileen goes between my legs and touches me. "My Queen, how long have you been having contractions? We won't have to wait for long," she tries to indicate professionally, but she doesn't quite succeed. She clearly feels honored to help the Crown Princes into the world, a privilege that will surely be richly rewarded by the royals.
"I was tired and slept. Then ate something because I'm always hungry. And then it was time for the reception," I let her know. "Okay, the pups are arriving six weeks ahead of schedule. That's not surprising now that it turns out the Alpha is actually a Lycan. The King's reactivated connection with the Lycans probably affected the pups as well," she explains. "In that case, I expect a smooth delivery. They are powerful and will hasten their birth".

Magda and Jasper continue to sit next to me.
They distract me with all kinds of stories. Magda tells me about her entry into Midnight Moon, how the wolves looked at her suspiciously at first, but she has many friends now. Her Luna ceremony has yet to be held, but Esis has already marked her so there is no hurry. No one can steal him from her so the ceremony is just a formality, she claims. Every now and then, the contractions come on and I grab Jasper's hand.
And then Eileen enters again and checks my opening.
Surprised, she looks up. "My Queen, it's time. We're going to start at the next contraction," she declares tensely. She peeked at Jasper; it was clearly her first royal delivery and she didn't want to fail. The two are my biggest support in the coming half an hour of pain and tears. And when the first cry of a baby sounds, I can't believe my ears.
I did it!
Jasper rushes forward and cuts the umbilical cord. As he brings the pup to me, I see tears in his eyes as well. "Our oldest son, Rain. Look at him. I told you to be patient! Look how beautiful he is," he says in a thick voice.
I grab the miracle I gave birth to a few seconds ago and hug him.
But then it's time to bring the second one into the world. A nurse takes our son to wash and take care of him. Jasper and Magda help me through the pain again and then the second cry sounds. Overjoyed, Jasper unclips his second son. And now my family is complete.
For now....