What We Must

Dear Readers,

More excitement with the McKenna pack.

Happy reading,

KemMyst

*******

Exhausted by the events of the day, Devon returned to their bedroom. Anne was still sleeping soundly.

He had had to make some hard choices since she was brought into his pack but he couldn't stand to think of letting her go. Shedding his clothing, he curled up behind her, curling an arm over her belly. The twins were moving, shifting around slightly, shouldn't they be asleep too? She was warm, she was his, and she was having his children.

He fell into an exhausted sleep, his dreams plagued by scenes of attack, and dissension in his pack. He rolled to his back, and laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Anne started making noises in her sleep. While she did breathe a little deeply in sleep, he wouldn't quite call it snoring, she didn't whimper. Her hands and feet start twitching. Suddenly she jerked, and came full awake, panting. "Anne?" He put a hand on her back and rubbed her shoulder slightly. "It's a nightmare. You're alright. Try to get some more sleep."

Grabbing her small pillow, she placed it under her lower back as she rolled to her back. She stared up at the ceiling as well. "How much trouble have I gotten us into?"

"Nothing we haven't dealt with before."

She took in a deep breath, sighed. "I'm not stupid, Devon. Tell me what's going on."

*****

It was true. Chances were there would be trouble. Her mind was quick, even though she complained the pregnancy had muddled her thinking, and she was taking responsibility for her actions. But it was his fault too.

"You were safe here. By running off you made us more of a target than we already were. We're a small pack, with a very nice facility, and, while some of the other packs have trouble getting enough food during the winter, we do pretty well. Some of the rival packs are jealous of what we have and would like nothing better than to take it from us."

"Ian's pack is one of the largest, so he has plenty of men to fight with. You've just made us a much more tempting target. It's obvious he wants you pretty badly. While we have had occasional skirmishes with them before, he is now likely to make a more concentrated effort at getting in here." Devon sighed. "Our defenses can handle small scale attacks but we may not be able to fend them all off if he brings most of his males against us."

"What's the alarm system like?"

"We usually just post guards and yell."

"If they're that much of a threat that won't be good enough. We'll need motion detectors, visual alarms, would they come at night?"

"Not likely, but possible."

"Big lights, then weapons."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where's all this gonna come from? We don't have that kind of equipment."

"Sure we do. You just don't recognize it." She started to get up, threw on some clothes. "Show me the weak points in the wall."

"What, now?"

"You're not sleeping and neither am I. No time like the present."

*****

The next day, they toured the outside wall. Anne took electrical components from the Science lab, set up several stations, and, after training some of the others, had several units assembled. Sam and Kevin were stringing wire. Amanda and Lily were cutting down the grass around the edge of the wall. Nick was up a couple of the trees, cutting branches considered too close to the wall.

The homemade motion detectors were set up, attached to homemade batteries. Alert lights were set up in the meeting room, the entertainment room, and Anne and Devon's bedroom. Tests were performed, positions shifted, until Anne, Devon, and Duncan were satisfied.

"I need about a gallon of gasoline."

"You're not thinking of Molotov cocktails?"

"No, poor man's Napalm. Harder to get off, if you hit anything, therefore, more damage. Less fumes to explode."

They watched with interest as she prepared the mixture, poured it into containers, and added fuses. She came up with a few more items of deadly or dangerous types as well as getting them to install a tire spiking system outside the gate, in case someone decided to try and ram through it.

"What did you do with my gun?"

"You had a gun?"

"In my truck, didn't you find it?" The men looked clueless. "OK, where are my keys?" She pulled the seat forward on the truck and rummaged in the emergency kit. The gun was still inside, wrapped in an oiled cloth with a full magazine. "Ten shots. I don't suppose anyone knows how to shoot?"

She showed them all the basic action, sliding in the magazine, where the safety was, and pulling the trigger. She cautioned against firing at a moving target since they had no experience with guns. It was decided to keep it inside, where the women would be, since Anne was well versed in its use, and as a last resort. Provisions were stored in Abigail and William's and Anne and Devon's rooms, as that's where the women would go during the attack.

They fell into bed, exhausted this night, but Devon now felt better about their chances.

*****

The expected attack came two days later. Ian and ten males of his pack arrived at dusk. William and Nick were on guard when the alarms went off. Devon's voice echoed through the compound. "Everyone! Stations! NOW!"

The men ran out to take up positions on the wall. The gate was still closed since they had come in for dinner. Small flames sprouted at several points on the outside wall as the men shouted to each other. "How many?" Most shouted back seeing one or two. Devon figured at least eight of the Matlin males, maybe more. The intruders circled the compound, searching for a way in, testing defenses.

The women dropped the storm shutters on the windows and barred a couple of the exterior doors, leaving only one entry point. Anne sat in a chair, facing the front door with the gun inch at remained of her lap. The rest of the women clustered around. "Alright, Abigail, you and Lily, down to your room. Barricade the door. Go, now."

"Beth, you and Amanda will do the same in my room. Go."

"Jen, are you sure you want to stay up here with me?"

Her chest heaved, but she nodded. "I won't leave you alone up here to defend the rest of us. This is my pack. I'll stand with you." She hefted a skinning knife as they both watched the door.

*****

Some of the spotlights worked, but not all. But, it blinded some of the attackers, enough to corrupt a concerted attempt. They scrabbled at the walls, working on finding a way in. The men threw acid bombs, but they had little effect on the attackers. The rivals howled, and circled the compound walls. They searched the darker areas, looking for weaknesses. One of them found a hole against the wall and started digging. Another group was at the gate, since this opening had to be the weakest part of the structure.

Sam was at the gate. He lit and threw one of the 'napalm' bombs at the wolves collected there. It fizzled, and went out. The contents of the bottle splashed on the ground. Then his torch went out. "I need help here!"

Devon looked at where Sam has been watching the gate; the light that was there was now gone. He was trying to light his torch again, but having trouble. "Where are they?" The answer came from two points on the wall. "William, Kevin, go help Duncan! Nick, make circuits of the wall, watch for any other trouble spots! Marcus, with me!"

The men shifted position; Marcus and Devon went to back up Sam at the gate. One of the wolves appeared to be worming his way in. Devon came up with his torch. Sam, holding another incendiary device, lit the fuse. Watching it for a moment, he hurled it down onto the wolves below.

Success! Between the new bomb and the contents of the one previously thrown a large gout of flame erupted. One wolf caught some of the viscous, burning liquid on his side and ran off, yelping in pain. The one who was beginning to get through the gate got his head caught trying to back out when his hindquarters were burned. The others stood back from the flames, howling and waiting. One led them back around the compound for another attempt.

At Duncan's position, William handed off another of the devices. The first was burning the old grass left on the ground. Kevin watched a couple of the other wolves head further along the wall and took off after them. Duncan dropped the bomb and managed to hit the hindquarters of the digging wolf below him. A yelp and a howl as he ran off. The widened hole was now surrounded with bluish flames; the others moved back from the wall.

Their attention was now focused toward the back and side of the compound and they failed to notice the problem appearing just below them. The fire at the gate had caused the structure to warp, and a space had opened between the gate doors. A lean wolf worked his way through the opening.

Nick was on the other side of the compound when he looked across at most of the others. He was shocked to see a wolf inside the compound, headed for the front door. "DEVON! SOMEONE'S INSIDE!"

Devon shifted form and quickly ran down the stairs on the inside of the compound wall. He headed for the front door as the other wolf reached it, battering against it. Marcus and Sam descended to the ground as well, to prevent anyone else from getting in.

Anne and Jen heard the commotion outside, heard the noise at the door, and made ready. Anne cocked the gun and held it with her right hand. Jen stood to one side of her, knife at the ready. Slamming, snarling, the door began to splinter. Pushing herself upright, Anne stood, holding the handgun in both hands, pointed at the door. They heard the sounds of fighting just outside. The noise stopped, and the doorknob turned.

The muzzle of the gun was pointed at the center of the door and she began to pull back on the trigger. As the door cracked open they heard, "Anne, Jen, it's me!" She pulled the gun up towards her right shoulder and breathed heavily. Devon poked his head inside. "I think they're gone. We'll check and be back."

Anne and Jen both blew out big breaths.

*****

The attack was over and, while they kept watch still, the men of the Matlin pack did not try again that year.

*****

She was big as a house and horny as hell. She was wet, seemingly all the time now. Since her shorts and pants no longer fit, she had made a deerskin skirt to fit over her big belly, and she found her fingers creeping under the hem on a regular basis. It was difficult to find any privacy now as her room was, of course, no longer her own.

Why was it you never heard about this aspect of pregnancy? Varicose veins, hemorrhoids, stretch marks. But you never heard about feeling like just a light touch would set you off. Devon noticed her hungry looks but she never approached him with her needs. She knew he would likely oblige her but she stubbornly refused to ask him for the relief she craved.

Aah, but there was the pool, although there she'd have to be quiet. And there were other rooms.

Devon was regularly distracted by her now. She had been shooting him these looks, lately, that seemed, well, lustful. And the smell coming off her now... She was aroused, almost constantly, it seemed. He could smell the fluid seeping from her, almost feel her wanting a male to touch her, stroke her, bring her the pleasure that could only be had from being filled by a man.

Oh, gods, she was even dreaming of sex now. She woke in the night with her hands in intimate places and her nipples rock hard. She looked over at Devon. His eyes were closed, his breathing regular. It wouldn't take her long to do what she needed to. Her fingers rested just above the hood of her clitoris as she considered pleasuring herself while he slept beside her. Another glance at him and her fingers pressed deeper. She gasped lightly at the feeling and snuck another look at him. She then started stroking and her hips began moving. The feeling began to build in her body as her hips continued to shift under the bedcover.

He woke to an increasing smell of female arousal and noted the rolling movements on the bed beside him. Keeping his eyes closed, he rolled to his left side, so that he faced her. She stopped, briefly, panting lightly, and looked at him again. He was still again and she took a breath and laid her head back down on the pillow. She resumed rubbing and his hand crept over toward her side of the bed.

Her breathing was faster and her neck arched just before he reached over and covered her hand with his as he whispered to her, "Let me?"

He was hard, and aching, but had no thoughts of asking if he could feel her around him. He was afraid of hurting her, or the babies, this late in her pregnancy. He simply wanted now to help her get some relief, so that she could sleep easier. Not that he minded being able to touch her.

She gasped, whimpered, and pulled away from him. "Don't..."

His hand now rested on her thigh. "Anne. If it will let you sleep, if you will feel better, I want to help you."

"I'm... fully capable of helping myself. You've touched me quite enough, thank you."

His hand was on her belly now, feeling the movement of the twins, caressing her. His voice was soft, low, seductive. "I'm not looking for anything in return. I only want to help you rest easier." The hand caressing her moved lower. "To make things more pleasant for you here." She was looking at his eyes as his hand moved lower still and he touched her. She was so very wet and smelled so very good. He began to stroke lightly and she closed her eyes. He transferred some of that wetness to her clitoris and began to rub and circle. He hesitated slightly when her hand moved down to cover his, but she didn't stop him, so he continued on as he listened to her heart speed up and a slight moan escaped her lips.

With Beverley's pregnancy he had become practiced at providing this type of pleasure and the intensity of his touch was building the feeling in her body. Her hips were rolling again, and she had trouble containing some of the little sounds of pleasure. Ah, yes, move more of that slick fluid to that spot. Her breathing came faster and her head started twisting; he knew she was starting to crest. He quickly moved more of her slickness to that spot and vibrated his finger quickly over her sensitive bud.

She sucked in a big breath and gave a shuddering exhalation as she pulled his fingers away from her. He watched her chest heave in the aftermath of the orgasm, wishing he could have slid a finger inside her, at least, to feel it.

Quietly, he asked, "OK?"

Her eyes were sliding closed as she nodded and made an affirmative-sounding noise, "Nnnh."

The release had allowed her to drop quickly into sleep and her body relaxed as she took the shorter, shallower breaths that had come with her advancing pregnancy. He put his hand back on her belly where his children were growing and quietly commented: "And just maybe you'll hate me a little less."

*****

Anne now complained that her hips were bothering her. A look into the literature about pregnancy indicated that this was another sign that the time for birth was approaching. That the hips must loosen and widen to allow for the passage of the baby. Devon was solicitous, warming the pool, offering to rub her back, or do anything else that might make her more comfortable. Sometimes she even took him up on the offer. She walked, or more precisely waddled, around slowly now, a hand at her back, sometimes a fist against her belly.

The pack was all conscious of, and helpful to, their mothers-to-be. Happily awaiting, though with some trepidation, the arrival of the next generation. Will was beaming and was almost inseparable from his wife, putting his arms around her belly and pulling her into a kiss regularly. Abigail was keeping her fears to herself, or trying to. Jen was getting a little more frustrated and upset with the passing weeks. Devon was cautiously happy that they had gotten this far.

Anne looked huge, and was often found in wolf form, claiming that her back hurt less as a wolf. She had already taken several things and pulled them into one of the corners of the bedroom, building a nest of sorts. She napped there fairly regularly.

Devon understood what this meant, as his first mate had done something similar when she came close to delivering. But the act weighed on him as well. He had found Beverley, lifeless, in her nest, before she had given birth. Anne's questions came back to haunt him now. Would she be alright? Or would the virus that had taken so many of the women claim her, too? If she was having girls, as she thought, was that worse? There was one thing, no, three that he was thankful for: Anne was still apparently healthy, and the twins were still moving. She complained that every time she tried to sleep, that they'd wake and start kicking. It took time for her to climb the stairs now, as their size limited the expansion of her lungs. She was tired, sore, cranky, and craving a blue popsicle in the worst way.

She started to wonder what was going on with Devon. A couple of times he had caught her taking a nap in her nest. The first time he dropped to his knees, picked her up and shook her. She growled at him and opened her eyes to a look of pure fear on his face. The next time he again came down beside her and knelt back on his heels. He had seemed afraid to touch her, of what he might find. But he mastered his fear, and, as he was about to place his hands on her, she moved. He jumped back, almost guilty, and she opened her eyes to another look of fear, mixed with relief.

He was having trouble sleeping all of a sudden. He'd start murmuring, mumbling in his sleep. Then he would reach for her, pulling her back against him. She was usually so tired it wasn't worth struggling. Besides, it did feel good to be held, however unconsciously. But then, sometime later, he would jerk, come awake, and wake her, too. It wasn't bad enough that the twins would wake when she tried to go to sleep, or that he'd wake her every time he saw her in her nest, or that she had a hard time getting comfortable in the first place, or that she had to get up a couple of times a night to pee.

And they had no idea how long she'd be like this but she didn't think she could stand to be pregnant that much longer. Her back hurt all the time, she felt like she couldn't breathe, and she couldn't think straight.

*****

She and Abigail were in the warm pool, relaxing swollen, aching bodies and comparing complaints. With a lull in conversation, Anne decided to ask the question. "Abigail, do you have any idea what's wrong with Devon?"

Abbie looked at Anne and shook her head. "It's really his story to tell. You should talk to him."

"He just seemed so frightened the first time he found me asleep in the corner. Well, actually, I don't think he was been any less scared the other times he found me there. I think I should know what's going on."

"He's your mate; you should ask him."

"Abigail, please? You know what's going on. Tell me."

Enough command had crept into her voice that Abigail felt compelled to reply. "It's how he found Bev." She shifted in the water, trying to get a little more comfortable. "Why is it he picks now to start doing somersaults?" Put a hand on her belly.

Anne smiled at Abigail, her hand on her own belly, as her two were also moving around inside her. She looked at her, urging her to continue.

"From what I've heard, they'd chased each other around since they were pups. When they were old enough, she chose him. After the ceremony, well, I was pretty young then, but I thought I'd never see another two so blissfully in love. He adored her. Callum was still alive then so Devon didn't have the responsibilities he does now. It wasn't long before she was pregnant; Lea would have been so happy. Everything was fine; she started getting big." Then, her voice hitched a little and a tear ran down her cheek. "I'll never forget the howl when he found her. She had pulled together a little nest, like you have, and would go there to sleep sometimes. By the time Devon found her, she had been gone for a while."