noun ~ the quality of being able to produce offspring

Phoenix knocked before entering, his hand holding mine gently. I followed him in, my eyes scanning the room. I found Kate standing from her chair with an unusual paleness to her skin. I wasn't sure if anyone had mentioned it, but she looked...different. Walking closer, I discreetly sniffed at her and Cel bristled to help me uncover it. Her nose was exquisite and her ability to connect to deeper things that I could, helped a lot.

Cel pulled back almost instantly, a satisfied purr escaping her mouth. She's with child.

My eyes widened and they fell to Kate's stomach on instinct. She was the same shape, merely covered in scrubs and a white gown. She must've noticed my gaze because her hands tightened her gown. I looked back to her face to see her eyeing me but when my green eyes met her brown they shifted nervously. She hadn't told anyone, or she had only just found out.

I glanced to Phoenix to see if he had picked up on the sweetness to her scent but he didn't let onto it. I knew Kate was half-human, so it intrigued me that she had fallen pregnant; it was usually difficult for half-breed wolves to populate. She was born from a human mother to a wolf father, from what I remember. She could shift but wasn't very strong. Her mate was also a doctor but spent most of his time patrolling. I had never met him, but to be a patrol wolf you had to be quick and strong; so I knew he'd protect her right away.

"Afternoon, Alpha, Luna." She spoke, snapping me out of the trance. "How can I help?"

"As I mentioned, I'd just like her to have a check-up. It's been a long time since she's had one." Phoenix spoke for me.

Kate cleared her throat and turned her gaze back to me. "You alright with that Nova? Are you feeling okay?"

I nodded. "I'm okay, never been better... Are you?"

She blushed and nodded, turning to her computer. "Shall we start with height and weight?"

Phoenix hummed an agreement and let go of my hand. "Want me to stay?"

I nodded shyly at him, feeling comforted by his calmness. He smiled at me before sitting down in one of the armchairs by the wall. I followed Kate over to the height chart and she recorded that I was still the same height; 161cm tall. Next was my weight and I hesitantly stood on the scales, my eyes falling to the numbers that materialised at the change. When it finally settled, I turned to Kate to gauge her reaction. She grinned, telling me to step away and go sit in the chair by her desk.

"So, when you came to me you were ninety-four pounds, and now you are one hundred and ten. That's a sixteen-pound increase, well done Nova." She smiled. "The scale estimates that you have a good amount of muscle weight there, so the training has been working well. How do you feel?"

"Okay, I suppose." I smiled nervously. "I don't feel like... like I have put on that much weight..."

"Baby steps, Nova. It takes time to regulate a diet and routine before you even gain weight. You've done brilliantly considering what you have been through lately." She soothed me.

I smiled at her before she continued to talk about my diet and exercise routines. It wasn't much different, she just wanted me to stick to the three meal diet Phoenix had gotten me into the past month. I exercise twice a week, intensely with Sean to make up for my slack. He had eased off however since I had mated with Phoenix I was slightly stronger. It was just my stamina and speed I needed to work on.

"Right, so just a blood and urine sample left." She smiled.

I nodded and like routine, excused myself to the restroom and left the sample on the toilet seat. I had felt awkward when doing this in the past, but Kate never showed any reaction to caring. It was just her job, I reminded myself as I left the bathroom. I saw her and Phoenix in hushed conversation which silenced when I entered.

I cleared my throat as I sat back down, giving Phoenix a narrowed glare. He shuffled and smiled gently at me, crossing his arms over his chest. Was everyone hiding something now? I shook the thoughts away as Kate came over with the needles to take my blood. I immediately felt the anxiety hit me at the sight of the needle, my heart racing in my chest.

I closed my eyes and practised the deep breathing routine we had gone through. The sharp pain in my elbow made me wince and I found my breaths coming out short and shaky, my palms sweating. Once the needle left my skin, I found myself feeling light-headed and bent my torso over my knees as Kate dabbed the blood drops away. I slowed my breathing, trying to get rid of the swaying of my mind. I was okay, I was okay, I was okay.

"Nova?" Phoenix's panicked voice met my ears.

"She's okay. We have practised this many times; to try to prevent a panic attack. It's just been a while since she's had blood taken." Kate explained.

I let out a shaky breath, swallowing the bile that wanted to come up. I smelt Phoenix as he crouched down beside me and sought him out. I leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around my body, pulling my hunched self into his chest. I breathed him in deeply, the scent of his cologne soothing my mind. We stayed like that for a while until I found my bearings. I sat upright and gave a reassuring nod once I felt fine.

I looked around to find Kate wasn't here and I tuned in my hearing to find her testing my samples. I looked down at Phoenix who was looking at me with concern.

"What?" I wondered.

He stayed crouched, scanning my features. "You sure you're okay?"

I nodded. "I am, thanks to your scent calming me."

He smiled softly, muttering a soft okay as he stood to his feet. He sat in the chair beside me, pulling my hand into his lap. He squeezed it gently before rubbing small circles into my palm. I could feel he was nervous about my almost-panic attack. He had never witnessed that before with me, so it was sure to concern him.

"Right, all clear. Both samples are showing you are in good health, good cell count and protein levels." Kate suddenly cheered, coming to sit at her desk. "Question time now, Nova. Okay?"

I nodded, shifting my legs so that they were crossed. "Okay."

"You feeling good emotionally? How are you handling the stress of the new Luna role?"

I frowned. "I feel fine, I quite like it. It gives me something to do for the pack."

She smiled at me, her hand resting on her chin as the other wrote on some paper. "That's good, have you mingled much with the pack?"

I shook my head, "Not much. When I train, I try too, but I feel...a little outcasted, I guess."

I peaked a glance at Phoenix when he shifted to face me, a frown on his features. "How so?"

I shrugged, looking down at my feet and wriggly my toes inside my shoes. "Before I was Omega and they stared. Now I'm this big fancy wolf, they still stare. I don't know how to feel."

He sighed, squeezing my hand again. "You'll be a natural Nova, I have already heard great things about you."

"You have?" I wondered, lifting my gaze in surprise.

He nodded a small smile. "I have been told how kind you are, how polite and gentle you are."

I blushed, "Oh. I didn't think many people noticed too much. I thought they were too fascinated that I was the Alpha's mate, I guess."

"You're their Luna, not just my mate." He kissed my wrist. "You are your own person, Nova."

I smiled gratefully at him, before turning back to Kate. She was grinning, eyeing the two of us with contentment in her gaze.

"I love the fact you have a mate now, Alpha." She giggled. "About damn time."

He grumbled and averted his gaze to give me a sly smirk.  "Me too."

We laughed before Kate continued with more questions. They varied from what I was eating, what I was enjoying food and exercise-wise, to how I felt about eating so much. It was all positive until she mentioned my heat.

"What about it?" I wondered, cocking my head.

"How was it? Was it painful or anything? How did you cope?"

I shook my head, frowning. "Not painful at all really. We-I guess-well, we mated the night before Phoenix said it was due, and I guess I felt it then...But it wasn't painful, and it didn't come back."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "That's unusual, most she-wolves struggle for a good three days. Must be a Lycan thing... So after, you fully mated, it went away? No temperature, lingering cramps or...horniness? Did you bleed for long?"

I blushed and shook my head, which only made her hum before writing it down. "Strange... And your menstrual cycle? Has it returned?"

I shook my head again. "I've not had one in a while..."

Her eyes sparkled and I felt Phoenix shift beside me. I eyed the two of them and that's when it clicked; why everyone was staring at me funny. They thought I was pregnant...

I chewed on my lip, about to break the news. "I haven't had a period in nearly three years."

I felt Phoenix tense, and Kate stared at me confused. "How?"

I shrugged. "The doctor at my old pack put me on birth control from the moment I turned fourteen. I had irregular periods and he thought it may help them, and the fact I often passed out... but then before I turned eighteen they stopped all together. I guess, when I really turned eighteen, seeing as my birthday is actually different to my adoption day... Phoenix said pills wouldn't work when I shifted, but I stopped taking them obviously when I was taken...That's been nearly three months, and it's still not back..."

"That's...unusual. For them to just stop." She muttered. "I must speak to Gaia, see what she can come up with... I would love to do an ultrasound scan, Nova if you will let me. Doesn't have to be today, I have other patients to see after you... But I would like to know more."

"Oh, okay," I mumbled, nervously thinking about my next question. "How...how does heat compare to periods?"

"Heat is when a wolf is more than likely to catch a pregnancy. Scientifically, it boosts fertility, often producing multiple eggs in a span of three days in the chance one of them gets fertilised. It's nature's way of encouraging production, hence the...horniness." She blushed and laughed awkwardly. "It occurs a few weeks after bite marking, but regularly happens every six or so months. Wolf pregnancies only last six months you see, we develop faster."

I let out a small sound of disbelief, my mind muddled with the mass of information. I really didn't know anything, and recalling a conversation I had with Phoenix, I knew I needed to learn. I would bring it up with him once we are out of here.

"So... what...are chances of pregnancy?" Phoenix asked awkwardly.

I turned to him surprised, my heart fluttering in my chest. He was talking about pregnancy when we had not even discussed the idea of children. Heck, we had barely been together for half a year. I know wolves move fast, but damn, down boy.

Kate paused, glancing at me quickly to gauge my reaction. I was frowning, glaring really at Phoenix if you wanted to know.

"Well, since she has no periods, her cycle is not... fully working. So, therefore she may not be producing eggs...she has to be having eggs to then have them pass. The whole reason of a menstrual cycle. That's why I'd like to do a scan, just to see what's going on." She explained.

"That's fine, I'd like to know too," I spoke, drawing attention back to me.

Phoenix shifted under my heated gaze, and I knew he understood that I was going to ask him about this later. He had never mentioned children before, and it had thrown me off.

"Good I will set that up for..." She scanned her diary. "Tomorrow afternoon? What time do you train on Wednesday's?"

We arranged a time for after lunch and said our goodbyes. Phoenix's hand met the small of my back as we walked out of her room, and out of the hospital. Once on the field, I slowed my pace to stand beside him. I crossed my arms and stared up at him. I wasn't intimidated by him anymore; I could feel his every emotion and most thoughts.

"What's with the pregnancy questions?" I narrowed my eyes.

He sighed, running a hand down his chin. "I just wanted to know what the chances were."

I frowned, "Well, by the sounds of it. I am defective, so there is your answer."

He sighed, "Nova, my love, I'm sorry. I should have discussed this with you earlier, Charlie had just been pestering me for a while."

"So that's why he was all weird this morning? Why the doctor appointment was really arranged?"

He shook his head. "No, not at all. I arranged it because Sean made a point, but it also allowed us to understand more about your health."

I huffed and he took my elbows in his arms, his eyes seeking out my face. I couldn't stay mad at him for long, his soft puppy eyes always won. I sighed and sank into his embrace, inhaling the earthy scent from his t-shirt. His large arms wrapped around my shoulders, securing me against his chest where his heart beat in a soothing rhythm.

"Shall we go back to the office now, or do you want to do something else?"

I eyed the grounds as we walked down them, feeling overcome with mixed emotions. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, my head was foggy and muddled with too many thoughts. I was worried about keeping up with my nutrition, my exercise routine, and now I was worried about my physical health. Then there was that bad feeling deep down in my mind, that had not left me in two months now.

I shook my head, closing my eyes. "I... I need to paint."

•••
Surprise
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