[System: Naga's Affection Level: 100% (MAX)! New Status Effect Acquired: "Aggressively Proud Parent-To-Be"! Warning: Expect increased territorial behavior, excessive bragging, and a complete inability to shut up about his babies for the next 5 months!]
"I'm happy you're happy," Alex managed, slightly muffled by Naga's chest. "But I still can't breathe."
Naga immediately loosened his grip, though he didn't let go entirely. His hands moved to hover over Alex's still-flat stomach, trembling slightly.
"May I?" he asked, uncharacteristically hesitant.
"They're the size of beans right now. You're not going to feel anything."
"I don't care. May I?"
Alex nodded, and Naga's hands settled gently on his abdomen, reverent and wondering.
"My hatchlings," Naga murmured. "Safe inside you. Protected."
Leo had been watching this entire exchange with an expression that cycled rapidly between joy, longing, and something that looked almost like... grief?
"Leo?" Alex asked softly. "Are you okay?"
The white lion startled, his ears flicking back.
"What? Yes! Of course! This is wonderful news! You're pregnant, Naga's going to be a father, we're starting a family—"
"But they're not yours," Alex finished quietly, seeing the pain flash across Leo's face before he could hide it.
"That doesn't matter," Leo said quickly. Too quickly.
"They're part of our family. Part of you. That's enough."
[System: Ooh, emotional complexity detected! Fun fact: Since you DID engage in mating behavior with Leo during your shared heat three weeks ago, there's approximately a 73% chance that your NEXT heat cycle will result in Leo's cubs. The timing just didn't line up this time. Serpent sperm beat lion sperm to the egg(s). Better luck next time!]
"Did the system just say 'better luck next time' about getting me pregnant?!" Alex demanded.
"What did it say?" both beastmen asked in unison.
Alex's face went scarlet. "It said... that Leo's contribution is still viable. And that the next heat will probably... result in his cubs."
Leo's entire body went rigid. "Next heat? You mean...?"
"I could get pregnant again. After giving birth to these two." Alex gestured vaguely at his stomach. "With your babies."
The sound that came out of Leo was somewhere between a roar, a sob, and a purr. His tail started wagging so hard it was actually creating a small windstorm.
"MY CUBS," he said, voice cracking with emotion. "You'll carry MY CUBS!"
"Not yet I won't! I haven't even given birth to these ones!"
"But EVENTUALLY!" Leo was vibrating with barely contained joy. "Eventually you'll have my offspring! Our children will grow up together! They'll be siblings! ACTUAL SIBLINGS!"
[System: Wholesome! Also slightly concerning given the sheer number of babies you're potentially going to have! Current projected offspring count: 6]
The moment Naga's triumphant hiss faded and Leo stopped vibrating with joy, reality set in for all three of them.
Alex was pregnant.
With six babies.
Six tiny serpent hatchlings currently the size of beans, nestled safely in his womb.
And his two mates had apparently decided that this meant Alex was now made of the finest, most delicate porcelain in existence.
"Okay," Alex said, pulling back from Naga's embrace. "Now that we've all processed the shock, I should probably go finish organizing those supplies—"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT," both Naga and Leo said in perfect, horrified unison.
Alex blinked. "What?"
"You are NOT doing manual labor while pregnant with my offspring," Naga said, his voice leaving absolutely no room for argument. His coils were already moving, gently but firmly steering Alex away from the pile of supplies and toward the soft nest of furs.
"It's not manual labor, it's literally just organizing—"
"Too strenuous," Leo declared, somehow appearing on Alex's other side and helping herd him toward the furs like an overly concerned sheepdog. "You need to rest. Immediately."
"I've been resting for THREE WEEKS!"
"Not enough," Naga said firmly. He scooped Alex up—princess-style, one arm under his knees, the other supporting his back—before Alex could protest.
"NAGA! Put me down! I can walk!"
"Walking requires energy. Energy you need to conserve for growing our hatchlings."
Naga carried him to the largest, softest pile of furs and set him down with the kind of care usually reserved for defusing bombs.
"There. Comfortable?"
"I was comfortable standing up!"
Leo was already fluffing the furs around Alex, adjusting them until they formed a perfect nest.
"Are you warm enough? Too warm? Do you need water? Food? Both?"
"I literally just threw up everything I ate—"
"Then we'll find something gentle on your stomach," Leo said, already moving toward their food stores. "Broth! Light broth with yellow root for the nausea! Naga, do we have yellow root?"
"I'll find some," Naga said immediately, already slithering toward the cave entrance.
"WAIT—both of you just STOP!" Alex's voice finally cut through their frantic caretaking. Both beastmen froze, looking at him with such genuine concern that Alex felt his irritation deflate slightly. "Look, I appreciate the concern. Really, I do. But I'm pregnant, not dying. I can still do normal things."
"Define 'normal things,'" Naga said suspiciously.
"Walking. Organizing supplies. Helping prepare for the Wolf Tribe expedition—"
"No," both said immediately.
"You're not going on that expedition," Naga continued. "Not while carrying my hatchlings."
"We literally just agreed three minutes ago that we'd continue the quest carefully!"
"That was before I knew there were SIX of them," Naga countered. "Six hatchlings, Alex. That's—that's going to be taxing on your body. You need rest. Protection. Constant monitoring—"
"I need to not be treated like an invalid!"
[System: Ooh, first pregnancy argument! How exciting! For what it's worth, Host, you DO actually need more rest than usual. Six babies is a LOT, even for a magical omega body. Your mates are being overprotective, yes, but they're not entirely wrong.]
"Whose side are you on?!" Alex demanded of the system.
[System: Team Healthy Pregnancy! Which currently means Team Overprotective Mates! Sorry, Host!]
Leo padded back over, carrying a waterskin in his mouth. He set it down gently beside Alex. "At least drink some water. Please? My father said a female need to stay hydrated during their pregnancy."
The please, combined with Leo's genuinely worried golden eyes, completely destroyed Alex's resistance.
"Fine," he sighed, taking the waterskin. "I'll drink water. And rest. For now. But we're still going on that expedition. I'm not staying cooped up in this cave for five months."
"We'll discuss it," Naga said in a tone that clearly meant "we'll discuss how to convince you to stay here where it's safe."
"Naga—"
"After you've rested," Naga interrupted gently. "And eaten. And let us take care of you properly."
[System: The Princess Treatment has officially begun! Current Pampering Level: 85% and climbing! Estimated time until you're not allowed to lift anything heavier than a spoon: 48 hours!]
Alex groaned and let his head fall back against the furs. "You're both going to drive me insane, aren't you?"
"Probably," Leo admitted, settling down beside the nest. "But you'll be safe and healthy and our hatchlings will grow strong. That's worth a little insanity."
"A LITTLE?!"