Wolf Like Me

Leah POV (Age 23)

Leah assumed perhaps it had not taken. Some wolves tried for months, years, or required help to conceive their offspring. So, she thought nothing of it.

That was what she told herself at least- think nothing of it. Regardless of telling herself that Leah did think about it with the heavy weight of worry constricting around her chest. Worry it wouldn’t take. Worry she wouldn’t be a mother. 

Because Leah still craved a child of their own, a family, and every second more where she knew that may not be likely felt as if she was breaking in two. 

Days passed and she went numb and hollow because there was no reason to care now. Leah was off her heat and being ridiculous. They were too unprepared, too young, and busy to deal with more yet.  

“Are you okay?” Fatin asked one night, reading her mate’s emotions. It was weeks after they came out of their mating nest and Leah had been oddly silent. 

She tried to keep it in, but Leah was never good at hiding emotions from her mate. As much as she tried it was written across her face and between their bond. 

“I’m fine.” 

“Leah-”

“I’m fine.” 

Fatin watched her worriedly as Leah went about making her breakfast, a hand wrapping around her stomach as she poured her cereal. As much as she tried not to her hand would return to her stomach, holding it as if envisioning something there. 

The issue was that Leah’s wolf craved it still, a family. Even though her height of need should have passed, and technically had as far as the heat was concerned, her bond's want still remained. The bond's desires were still felt so strongly that she was ready to cry whenever she thought about the fact her scent was yet to change. 

They hadn’t mentioned it to anyone, but even Toni and Shelby had noted how withdrawn Leah had become since. 

She was a shell of her former self and Fatin was beginning to get fearful. 

What Leah didn’t realise was that Fatin had mentioned it to her doctor that morning, a doctor who had pointed out that some omegas struggled with a failure to conceive. It could cause depression and mood swings, especially in wolves who had been mated as long as they were. Her wolf was still pushing her to have a family, yet her heat scent had returned to normal. It was not their heat that caused the craving now, but the change in their bond. 

The same change that made Leah need the bite in the first place. 

Whenever Fatin tentatively asked if Leah was feeling off she denied it and said she was fine. Yet clearly here and now she was anything but, Leah was shit at acting let alone hiding the fact her sadness felt as if it was about to swallow her whole. 

The smell still lingered in Fatin’s nose, remnants of Leah’s heat that spoke of the same need even if she was less vocal about it. Leah could smell it herself and had hoped Fatin wouldn’t note it. The initial pain during her heat that caused the want turned to depression, and Leah was breaking before her no matter how much she tried to put on a brave face. 

Shaking her head, Fatin picked her up, carrying Leah to their room. 

She melted into strong arms, nose seeking out Fatin’s scent to dull her sadness. “I thought you wanted to get to work early.”

Fatin ignored her and sat Leah down on the bed. She ran her nose along Leah’s neck then without hesitation pushed her fangs into her neck, dropping a hand into the front of Leah’s sweats as she urged her to come. 

For a brief moment that sadness dimmed, and Leah’s body accepted that they were still trying. 

It was gentle, quiet aside from the sound of heavy breaths as Fatin guided them both over the edge. 

Afterward, a tongue lapped at her neck, and Leah sighed as tears trickled down her cheeks. 

“We will get there.” 

“I’m no longer in a mating state. You don’t have to.” 

“Honey, you are. I can smell it on you. You may not be in the sex-crazed part like we were last week but I can still smell the scent on you.” 

Fatin continued for the next two days, anytime Leah got low she rested her down and bit. 

Her emotions grew more controllable, and calmer whenever her mate told Leah that they would get there. 

“We don’t have to do this. I’m just being ridiculous.” 

“We do. I spoke to the doctor and this is needed.” 

“I’m not in pain.” 

“You are- mental pain is just as valid. I don’t want you suffering, and I feel it too. Your scent is driving me crazy, I couldn’t keep my fangs away if I tried.” She pressed her fingers into Leah. “Now you should think about coming for me. I want to feel you tensing around me when I bite you.” 

“Fuck Fatin.” 

“God I love the feeling of you when you’re close.”

It turned out Fatin hadn’t even needed to remark her. 

The next morning Leah awoke to Fatin growing angered in her sleep when she tried to get up. Her arm was protectively slung around her as she slept, and Leah noted it immediately. Her scent had changed. Fatin’s hand held her stomach, splayed across it as her nose nuzzled against Leah in soothing motions along her neck.

Leah grabbed Fatin’s arm, squeezing her until she woke. 

“Leah, it's early,” Fatin groaned. “Go back to be-” Her nose pressed against Leah’s neck, nuzzling closer as the arm around her stomach tightened. “Babe-”

“I know.” 

She felt Fatin’s tears warm against her neck before she heard the sniffling, it was odd for Fatin to cry. Yet this time her tears brought safety, a knowledge that Fatin wanted this just as much as her. Her mate’s joy bloomed in Leah’s chest through their bond. 

“Leah-” Fatin rolled on top of her, leaning down to place kisses all over her face before moving down to her belly. “You’re- We’re- Holy shit.” 

Grinning, Leah tugged her back up to kiss her. “I wanted this so much.” 

“I could feel it. I wanted it too.” 

“We have so much shit to prepare for,” Leah realised. 

“About that...” 

“About what?” 

“I may have… not been like totally honest with you the past two years.” 

“What?” Leah looked up at her with worry, face falling. 

“No, it’s nothing bad,” Fatin said, running a hand through her hair to soothe her. “I uh, my work has this thing where you can start a family prep support pack. You can put in money each month and they will add 20 percent once you withdraw it. It’s capped, but I put in almost the most they would allow each month.” 

“But you bring home the same amount you always have?” 

“I’ve been getting raises and bonuses for two years. I didn’t want you to feel pressured or feeling like we had to start a family. But there was also something there in my brain preparing. I think I knew somehow that we would end up here when we did.” 

Leah could have cried again. The prospect of costs over her pregnancy and after birth had been scaring her. They had savings but babies were expensive as hell.

“How much is in there?” 

“About ten grand, I shoved pretty much every bonus and the extra in. So we have twelve grand plus the other bonuses and raise money over the course of your pregnancy. Then after you pop this one out we will be better off each month than the books are currently too.” 

“Fatin- that’s-" Leah tugged her mate’s head against her, kissing her deeply. “I love you.” 

“There’s more. I banked a lot of my holiday days, the ones they gave me when you had to work. It means nearer the birth I can take off a lot more than the allotted new parent time.”

“Fatin?” 

“Yeah?” 

Leah tugged her head towards her neck until Fatin got the idea, remarking Leah with her fangs as Leah whimpered happily. 

It was the next day they told the first and only people that they would tell before their parents, mainly because Shoni would figure it out regardless. Toni had a great radar for bullshit and Leah went from moping to smiling like she had won the lottery. 

“God you two are so fucking clingy today. You’re acting like a damn mating couple.” 

Fatin raised a brow at Toni, who looked between them and then at Leah’s stomach. “Fuck right off.” 

“What?” Shelby asked as she sat down. 

“The assholes beat us to it.” 

Shelby’s eyes widened as she stared at the pair. “I thought you were waiting?” 

“Leah got sick when we reached our puberty, we didn’t have a choice. Regardless though we both wanted it.” 

Leah traced a finger along her stomach. 

“Can we go shopping?” Shelby screeched, walking over to the pair to hug them as Toni rolled her eyes at them. 

The next day came their first gift, a tiny pair of Nike basketball shoes with a note reading:

Guys, 

Don’t listen to Toni’s lies, she came home with these today and I had no part in it. 

Love from,

The Beans Favourite Aunts.