Thalina struggled to balance Vanora in her arms as the women swarmed her like bees to nectar. The pink wolf blinked, tilting her head, clearly picking up on the energy but not understanding the reason for the chaos. Her soft fur bristled slightly as she clung closer to Thalina's chest.
Vanora's ears twitched.
She could sense that everyone around them was happy—but she could also feel Thalina's tension bubbling under the surface. Her mama's heartbeat wasn't calm. Not like it should be for someone being praised and pampered.
Thalina stared at the elderly women circling her, completely overwhelmed.
One was holding her wrist, another patting her back. One even tried to poke her stomach again.
"Have you been craving anything odd lately? Mud? Meat? Minerals?" a woman asked, deadly serious.
"She's glowing so much, it must be a female!," another declared.
Thalina's eye twitched. "I'm not pregnant," she muttered for the fifth time, but her voice was drowned out by their excitement.
