Ultimatum, Anaya Phoenix [classic books for 11 year olds .txt] 📗

he was tired of being confused” the kids laughed and the pack chuckled, I realized I had the whole packs attention
“So the next night and the next night after that the lone wolf always tried to listen, to the moon but it never worked, he starved himself, stopped bathing and never talked. He wanted his heart to be as pure as the strongest river. One night while he stared at the moon an image shimmered in front of him, it was that of a beautiful lady. Her face was white and she wore a long silky gray dress, she was truly like the moon. She reached her hand out to him and said ‘come my love, you’ve waited long enough’ her voice was that of music and silk and love. The wolf walked up to her and lay at her feet. To this day that wolf was never seen again, but we always see his mistress up in the sky calling for us.” I looked to the sky and saw the moon hanging in the sky I howled and they joined me. Soon the whole pack chorused in and we ended in joyous laughter. You’d better enjoy it, my wolf says to me grimly, if you still plan to continues with your plan we won’t have much time to enjoy times like these. It almost makes me stop, but then Micah kisses me on the lips and the pack ‘woops’ and I start laughing, and she growls in contentment.
My nights sleep is peaceful, there is no screaming ladies or crying babies or blood. I can hear myself snore and just as I feel the sun rising I feel the wetness between my legs. Oh god, its happening, I relax and get up. I take deep breaths there is no immediate pain so I have time. Micah is as still as stone but he remains sleeping. I smile quietly and gather my berry basket. When I leave the den bright green eyes land on me, the children sit in a circle by the tree. They already have 2 baskets of berries in the middle just waiting for me. I walk to them and give out 2 handfuls of berries to each child. I sit down carefully and relax, no pain yet, I’m good. They all start to eat their berries and I relax, I can do this, this will be my one token before I go.
“Have you ever heard the story of the bunny and the frog?” they all shake their heads no. have their parents ever told them stories?
“Well not too long ago their was a pretty white bunny, and this bunny was the prettiest in all the world, but she was lonely. She was lonely because she had no family, her mother and father left one day to get carrots for her and they never came back. So everyday bunny hops around searching for a companion, and one day she stumbles upon a little green frog. The frog is lonely too because his pond went dry and he was the only one left. The frog and the bunny became best friends, but not soon after their friendship a mean grizzly bear trapped frog. ‘my my, you are a meaty little frog aren’t you?’ the bear asked and the frog shook his head ‘not I, I am weak and greasy you would not want me’ his voice was quivering and shaking ‘but I am not’ the bunny said. She hopped right in front of the grizzly and stood as tall as she could ‘I am strong and hearty, I would make quite a good meal’ her voice did not shake and she stared at the grizzly with bravery. ‘do not eat my friend, eat me instead’ she said to the grizzly”
“But, why?” a little girl squeaks out “why did she do that?”
“Well, she loved her friend so much that she wanted her friend to live, even if it meant she had to die” I say softly, she looks so distraught that I open my arms to her. She sits on my lap and then I feel a ripping. I whimper and hug the child, I try my best not to squeeze her eyeballs out and succeed,
“It’s alright, sometimes we have to sacrifice for those we love” I crron to her and rub her black hair. She nods but stays on my lap.
“The frog told her not to but she ignored him ‘eat me mr.grizzly’ and without hesitation the grizzly picked her up and ate her. The grizzly left and the frog cried, he cried and cried never forgetting his friend that sacrificed for him. He cried so much that his chin stretched out and a croaking sound came out. So now whenever a frog is sad, we know their mourning for their friends when we hear that croak, does anyone know what it sounds like?”
“Ribbet, ribbet” a boy says and they laugh at him. Another ripping sound startles me and I can’t hold in my yell, I hold on to the little girl on my lap and squeeze my eyes closed, why does it hurt so muc? It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
“What’s wrong alpha?” a boy asks, immediately standing to attention,
“Get micah,” I manage to say “tell him it’s time” I tell the boy and he immediately runs out. I look to the rest of the children and they all looked scared,
“Get your parents tell them it’s time” they all scatter into den’s and I can’t remember which pack member lives where. Another rip and I scream out, the little girl hasn’t moved and I’m afraid I’m giving her bruises. My teeth have sharpened and I’m afraid I’m on the verge of changing.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” micah roars from the den, running to us
“You sleep like the dead and I wanted to tell the kids a story before you started going all command on me” I tell him between clenched teeth. The contraction has long passed but now I’m angry. He helps me up carefully but I keep a hold on the little girl, she doesn’t complain but Micah eyes me wearily. I send him a pointed look then he looks around at the pack that’s just coming around.
“I need water, cloth and the hardest nuts you can find” he yells at them and they all scatter trying to find his needs.
“I get the cloth and the water” I take a few breaths “but why the nuts?”
“You’ll need to chew on something so you don’t hurt your jaw” he says to me softly. He turns back to the pack who has handed him all his needs,
“Is anyone here familiar with childbirth?” he asks and I balk at him. He doesn’t know how to deliver a baby?! Cora steps forward, rolls up her sleeve and smiles at me,
“I know how,” she pushes the sheet that covers my stomach and my legs up to my knees. All the pack moves to my back so that her, the woods, the little girl and my bulging stomach is in my line of view. Someone hands her cloth and water, they out the nuts next to me and she arches a brow at me,
“Ready to have a baby?”
There is no right answere to that so I just give her a weak smile,
“Ok pretty girl, lets do this” she dips the cloth in the water then rings it out. She wipes down there and it feels amazing. Like water on a hot summer day it refreshes me and I believe I can do this.
“Well your ready to push, so I need you to push on the inside as hard as you can, ok pretty girl?”
“Umm will it come out the first time I push?” I ask hopefully and she sends me a sad smile
“Hopefully” she mutters, she looks at me espectantly and I nod. I breath in and relax,
“Ok now push” she says calmly to me and I push. I wish I hadn’t. it feels like something is just cracking me open from the inside out. I feel myself stretch out and I start to freak out. I clutch the little girl to me and she tries her best to be relaxed but it doesn’t work. She puts a nut in my mouth and I instantly crush it and spit it out.
“Ok. You can stop now” Cora tells me hurriedly and I look at micah, who’s face has blanched like the whitest sheet.
“The nuts don’t work you jerk” I tell him in a low voice that surprises even me. We’re getting weaker, my wolf tells me, childbirth is hard. You think, I snort at her, I wonder if it hurt this bad for mom. Just thinking about her brings tears to my eyes, but it doesn’t matter she’ll be here soon.
“Ok, sweetie im gonna need you to push again” she says coaxingly after she wipes off what I’m sure is blood from down there.
“Ok” I say feebly then I push again. This time the ripping is more prominent and it burns me, I sit up
“Oh god, oh god, oh god!!” I scream but I cant stop pushing, it’s too painful.
“Ok your almost there sweety, just one more big push” I nod and oush again. I don’t have to push for long because I’m relieved with emptiness and a healthy baby’s cry.
The second one doesn’t hurt because his brother stretched enough room for him. 2 healthy baby boys, one with his fathers black hair and my green eyes and one with my blond hair and his fathers blue eyes. They both look up at me, coo-ing and smiling toothless smiles. Micah is behind me smiling down at them, the blond haired one links eyes with him and I don’t exist anymore. The black haired one is tugging my fingers trying to put it in his mouth but I tug it back. He giggles and tries it again , he gets it close to his mouth and I pull it away. He giggles but his eyes twinkle with mischief,
“Just like his mothers eyes” Micah syas from behind me his eyes has shifted to the blond haired one and the black haired one doesn’t seem to like it. He cries and it’s a deafening sound,
“Hush down you” I tell him and he silences. He looks at me and blinks, his green eyes sparkling, in that moment I know he’s mine. I knew it as soon as I pushed him out but now he’s officially mine. Mine to love, mine to protect, and mine to care for. Well me and Micah’s.
“He’s taken quite a liking to you” Cora says as she washes her hands off,
“Have you found a name yet?” Max asks I look at Micah and he looks to me.
“Alexander and Thomas” I say, I look to the black haired boy
“Do you like that, huh, do you like your name alexander?” I coo to him and he smiles, I look at Thomas who hasn’t stopped staring at me,
“Do you like your name Thomas?” I ask softly and his face scrunches up I know whats about to come so I fumble around for a better name
“Jacob, is Jacob better?” I ask getting a little scared and his face clears.
“Whew, that’s a relief, I thought he was gonna start crying” daddy says from behind me.
“You were terrible, your cries could kill a whole flock of eagles” he says with a smirk
“I hope they never cry” I say softly “even when I’m gone” I add silently. Micah looks at me and I hope he hasn’t heard me, I send him a smile and hold out an arm, the one holding Jacob. He looks at me for a little while longer then takes him. Jacob’s