Sorry, darling. :c 317 words.

The dog mutt had been preparing for this for some time now, as he had not known when, exactly, to expect their impending litter. Unlike some members of the pack, he was not good with dates, though he had been doing his best to count the days in hopes of knowing when they would expect the puppies to come. It had reached that point in time when he knew that they could be here any day now. The King had been spending most of his time close to the house in preparation, and he knew that the borders would still be well-protected. The pack had never really had much trouble as it was, and though he knew that Haven was spending his time taking care of the expecting Princess, he also knew that the Knight would not neglect his duties, and there were also many other members of the pack who took up the duty of border patrol. He was not terribly worried.

Vigilante's main focus was making sure that he was available to Ayita at all times. Though he was not inside the house when she spoke for him, the caramel-colored dog heard her voice, dark ears turning toward the sound. He moved with urgency, bulky and muscular secui form running at a brisk speed. It was only minutes before he was in the house, having left the back door open slightly so that he could pass in and out of the house with ease. The sounds of Ayita moving around came from the living room, so he entered quietly, coming to her side and nuzzling beneath her muzzle. "I'm here, darling. Do you want me to light a fire? Do you need anything?" The mixed canine wanted to do everything that he could to make things easier for his mate and their soon to arrive puppies. He was both nervous and excited for their arrival.

316 words.

Vigilante nodded and smiled at her encouragingly, nuzzling her shoulder affectionately. "Of course I am, darling." This moment was not one that he would miss for the world. Soon, he would be a father. He had adopted children, and he loved them dearly, that was not to be mistaken, but he could not get over the excitement of becoming a father for the first time. He had been there when Ayita had given birth to Amaranth and Kable, and it had seemed very stressful for her, especially given the former pack members that had been there at the time. This time, everything would go much more smoothly, and the atmosphere would be different. He did not mind that it would only be the two of them there, and in fact, he preferred it that way. He only hoped it did not bother Ayita.

Though he spent the majority of his time in his four-legged forms, he now shifted so that he could use the deft hands that were of his two-legged form, and he set himself to starting the fire once more. It needed to be warm and comfortable in the house for both his mate's comfort and for the safety of their puppies once they arrived. The air was cold, for winter was upon them, and he did not want to risk anything happening because the house was not warm enough. Once the fire was going strongly, he returned to his mate's side, having resumed his preferred form. He stood protectively by her, though he did not want to crowd her. He hoped that she would be comfortable enough. "Don't worry about thinking, love. It will all be okay. I am right here with you," he said encouragingly. This was something that wolves and dogs had been doing for all of time; he knew that Ayita would be okay, even if he was still nervous.

376 words.

"I know it does, darling," he whispered, nuzzling into the thick fur of her neck, "but I am here for you. It will all be okay, my love." The dog mutt was certain that everything would be okay as soon as the puppies finally arrived. This would be the hard part, but they would be able to enjoy their children soon. All of the pain and frustration would be worth it in the end. Vigilante only wished that he was able to take away all of her pain, to take it into himself so that he could carry the burden of it. If it were not impossible to do that, then the King would have done it in a heart beat. He hoped that the pain would fade swiftly for her.

He sat by her side as the contractions took over her now, watching her nervously and waiting for any sign that she needed him. This was a process that female wolves and dogs had been doing for all of their time, but it did not stop him from worrying about the worst. She will be fine, he assured himself mentally. He did not want to show her how fearful he was, so his expression remained brave, even if the nerves were visible. Though he had already gone through this process when she had given birth to Kable and Amaranth, it was different now, for these were his puppies, and he loved Ayita with all of his heart, more than he had ever truly imagined was possible.

As the first puppy came into the world, squirming and whining, and Vigilante watched as Ayita's instincts took over and she did what new mothers did. As she settled the pup by her side, the King looked him over with nervous excitement. The coloring of the newborn puppy's fur would likely change a bit, but already Vigilante could see a pattern similar to his father's, and he was surprised to see the german shepherd coloring in one of his children. "He is," he breathed. "We'll name them when they're all here. Does that sound okay?" he asked, jade eyes glancing up hopefully. He was excited to name them, to give them identities in this large and overly demanding world.

300+

The King nuzzled her affectionately, wishing that he could somehow make this easier for her. He felt as if he was severely lacking in control in this situation, but he simply did not know what to do for his mate. "I am sorry, love. The pain will be over soon, I promise," he whispered soothingly. His eyes travelled to the small wriggling form that had already come into the world and his heart swelled with love. It was a feeling like nothing he could have ever imagined, for he loved his adopted children greatly and this was such a different emotion. It was a love that he could feel only for his own children, a love sealed by witnessing the small puppy's birth and contributing this his creation.

A second puppy came after the first, though not immediately, and he felt such joy at seeing the second squirming little boy. Already names were forming in his mind, names that would flow together well. Though it was common practice for canines to name their puppies after important influences on their lives, such as their parents, Vigilante did not have those ideas in mind. Noah came to mind, and Liam. Fleetingly, he wondered why they had never discussed names together, but he did not have any time to dwell on such thoughts, for his attention was still focused on his mate now. The process was not done, it seemed.

"Do you think that there are more?" he asked quietly, though he did not know why he was being so quiet. The two boys that they had brought into the world could not hear him, and there was no real need for him to whisper. It simply seemed as if it were the appropriate thing to do. Curled tail wagged gently, his elation at becoming a father so great within him.

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Though they had been through trials of their own, Vigilante knew that he loved Ayita as completely as he could love any woman. The only other canine he had ever truly loved in the past had been his sister, and she was gone, had been for years now. The love that he felt within him for the two living boys was different from both the love he had felt for Martyr and the love he felt for Ayita. The King simply could not explain it, and thankfully, he did not have to. No one would question these things of him, and there were more pressing matters at hand.

The caramel-hued male lay beside his mate, watching her with worry-filled eyes as she went through another set of contractions. He was concerned for her, but he knew that she would be fine. Ayita was a strong woman and he knew that she could do this without problem, but he could not help but feel useless as he watched her struggle through the pain of bringing their little ones into the world. If he could take the pain away for her, then he would do it in a heartbeat, but unfortunately, that was the trial of a she-wolf, and males could do nothing to change that. It was simply the way of the world.

For possibly the first time since he had met Ayita, the male whined nervously, seeing the distress that adorned his mate’s face at seeing the third puppy. The King watched the sorrow form of her strong features, and he did not know if she was apologizing to him or to the little lifeless girl. The apology did not seem to require a response, for the sadness that enveloped the small family was great. “That is a good name for her. It is fitting,” he said softly, tenderly and tentatively. His daughter would never see the world, but she would have the name and the respect of life that she deserved.

Silently, the King nodded solemnly. There was little that could be said for the terribly sad situation that they were in, so he took the blanket without speaking and lay it open on the floor. The little lifeless girl was placed in the middle of it and he licked the top of her head sadly before he used his teeth to carefully wrap the blanket around her small, still form. This was not something that he had expected to have happened, and it pained him greatly to know that this small girl would never get to see life. He was not a religious man by any means, but he hoped she would have peace.

It felt strange to think of the two living boys and their bright futures when their sister would never have one, but Ayita seemed to want to talk about the boys now. Vigilante understood, as it was hard to think about the lifeless girl when they should be happy for their new sons. "I had been thinking of Noah and Liam," he said, looking at the two small wriggling forms and trying to picture them as little wolfdog hybrids, moving and talking and with their own little personalities. "Did you have any ideas?" he asked almost nervously, looking to his mate with a small smile.

Short to wrap it up. :3

The kingly dog mutt had wanted to have a family of his own flesh and blood since his arrival in this area such a long time ago now, and that desire had finally become a reality for the Haskel man. There would be time for him to mourn his lost daughter in solitude later, as was his usual way of coping with grief. It had been the same when he had lost Martyr, though it was certainly with different circumstances. For now, he would focus on his lively newborn sons, Noah and Liam. This was a time now for the living, not to grieve for those who had passed on. "We will raise them well within the kingdom and we will teach them to be righteous," he spoke softly to his mate, looking down at the two small boys, the two princes of Miracles, with complete adoration and love for the pair.