I beamed down at our little angel. "He is."
Orpheus made a sound in his throat almost like the raven equivalent of a purr. He used his beak to gently stroke the baby's fur. My heart soared. Watching the father of our child groom our baby like he did to me filled me with affection.
"We never did settle on a name," Orpheus said wryly. "Or did you pick one that you like more than Tonka?"
I flopped my tail across his face in a playful smack. "How about this. Whenyougive birth, you can name it Tonka."
"Ha! Done."
* * *
"Hey,Red? Did you have a baby yet?" Sage called later that evening from the mouth of the den, curious but cautious.
Since my vulpine bitchiness had mostly abated, I replied, "Sure did."
Sage inhaled a sharp gasp. "What? Really? Can I see?"
I would've liked him to but the den was barely big enough for me and Orpheus. "There's no room."
But Sage wasn't listening. He had already run off to announce the news to the entire world. I heard his voice echoing from above: "Hey, everyone! Red's baby! He had the baby! Come and see!"
"Our little Quinn is going to grow up with a lively bunch, isn't he?" Orpheus teased.
I chuffed a laugh. "You can say that again."
Quinn nestled into my fur with a tiny, high-pitched mewling sound. He was so small and vulnerable. Strong protective instincts flared up inside me, the parental ferocity of both an alpha and omega.
"But you know," Orpheus said softly, gazing at Quinn with a smile, "at least he'll never be alone."
A deep wave of calm washed over me. Orpheus was right. Unlike the two of us, he would have a good family, and good friends. He would never go through what we went through.
And that meant the world to me.
The pack arrived in an almost comically sized group at the den entrance. Obviously, none of them would fit inside as humans, and they were still too big in shifted form as well. I guess Orpheus and I being a fox and a raven had its perks after all.
"How are you, Red? Is everything okay?" Len called. "We can't see too well down there..."
"Everything's good," I replied. "Quinn is here."
Multiple excited squeals and gasps of excitement went up. I smiled, happy that they were happy.
Quinn was a rambunctious one. I could tell that already. He complained and fidgeted more than any other newborn I'd seen. Since he was so fit and healthy, I figured it would be okay to show him to the pack just for a moment.
"Come on," I said to Orpheus. "Let's show off our crowning achievement."
He puffed out his chest feathers and hopped up the tunnel beside me. The pack's presence created a wall of warmth that blocked off the evening chill, so I held Quinn gently in my jaws without fear of him getting cold. Everyone's faces melted when they saw him.
"Oh, Red, he's lovely," Morgan said with a smile.
Sage made a keening noise. "He. Is. So.Small.I love it when they're that tiny."
"Enjoy it while it lasts," Len said with dry amusement just as Lupa's eager head popped up beside him.
"Is that your baby, Uncle Red?" she cried. "He's sooo cute!"
I wagged my tail, unable to stop myself from containing my happiness. "Yep. I made him. His name is Quinn."
The similar-looking head of Leveret came up beside Lupa. He tilted his head, thinking. "If Uncle Red is our uncle, does that make Quinn our cousin, too?"
