Chapter 26

Two weeks have gone by since the Little Snake King's brother tried to usurp the throne to the Snake Kingdom and two weeks since the little Snake Princess Eden hatched from her egg. Ezekiel has learned a lot more since then. He has become a little more tough and is determined to keep Artemis and her family safe. Artemis still gets visits from the head worker building her castle and he comes at least every other day. By now the first two floors of the castle have been finished. There are two levels underground for the majority of the bedrooms. The next level is the main part of the castle but for the rest of the details she had to use her imagination. As far as outside of the castle goes they made sure to dig up plenty of land for Artemis to continue to have her own farm. The workers have even started building a few barns on the land. The makeshift market has been upgraded to a bigger market with more farmers coming to sell food and supplies or people looking for work. Kasper and his first brother Prince Oliver and King Consort Bowen have been working together to build an army for the White Wolf Kingdom and train them. Bowen is helping train instead of Danny because dozens of Eagle Beastmen have joined The White Wolf Kingdom to pledge their loyalty to Queen Artemis. Prince Oliver trains the army because of his experience with leading the Tiger army and his experience training underneath his father the Wolf King. The White Wolf Kingdom was off to a great start and Artemis couldn't be more at peace.

The morning went by slowly for Artemis. She had eaten breakfast then bathed and even let the men wash and do her hair. After she was bathed she convinced the men to let her sit in her family room instead of laying back in bed. Artemis sat surrounded by all of her cubs as she sewed together more clothes for the Ape cubs she is about to have. Artemis wondered if the men somehow convinced the cubs to stay by her side instead of being out running wild. They have done that a lot more lately with Ezekiel following them as the eldest instead of waiting for Danny to find time to take them out. "Aren't you guys bored sitting in the house?" Artemis asked them. The oldest cub Christopher looked up at Artemis and shrugged his shoulders just a little bit. "Christopher!" Artemis sighed "You didn't really have to answer that. You're just being wise" Artemis said to him. "These new cubs have any type of fur they could need now. I think I'm gonna make you all new sandals. That'll be about eleven pairs of sandals then" Artemis said, folding up the last fur. 'Eleven' Artemis said to herself, recounting all of her immediate family members. "I wonder when I should start slowing down on collecting mates and cubs!" Artemis said to herself , rubbing her swollen belly she then suddenly felt a tightening feeling around her whole stomach. "Oh my!" Artemis said, taking a deep breath. All of the Wolf cubs looked up at Artemis with their ears standing up straight listening to something she couldn't hear. "What?" She asked them, confused. Then she felt another tight flex cover her stomach. This time it hurted. "Ouch!" Artemis grimaced out loud. Ben and Christopher stood up on all fours and came right before their mother whining and sniffing her. "I think I'm in labor. One of you should warn your fathers!" Artemis said, holding onto her stomach as if it would help. Ben nodded and then dashed through the doors disappearing. Thankfully the men weren't that far; they were only at the market and Ben knew how to get there by heart.

What Christopher did next will forever be implanted into Artemis' memories. He took his time but eventually shapeshifted into a human pre teenaged boy. Artemis gasped and looked Christopher over. "My sweet boy, look at you!" Artemis said, tearing up. "Did you do that for me?" She asked him. "Yes mama." Christopher said in a young manly voice "What do you need help with?" He asked her kneeling in front of her. "Okay. I need to get to my room" Artemis said cautiously "we can help!" Christopher said, looking behind him at his wolf brothers and sister. The other's must have taken that as their cues to shift as well. After a few growls and groans Artemis sat looking at her five naked children with wild white hair. "You all are so beautiful, my children. It's almost like I'm meeting you for the first time!" Artemis said emotionally. The third White Wolf Prince, Prince Walker, stepped forward closer to Artemis' feet and kneeled there as well. "Mother, we'd like to help!" He pleaded with her. "I'll let you all help if you go get your furs on first!" Artemis demanded turning her head. The naked children all scrambled away to go find some fur dresses and skirts then they went back to the family room to show Artemis. "You guys are so good when you work as a team!" Artemis said smiling. "Okay let's see if we can get me to my bedroom!" Artemis said, holding her hands out for Christopher and Walker the third White Wolf Prince. The two oldest took Artemis' hands and the others all either held onto her arms or her back. With not too much effort they actually managed to get her up out of her seat, now they just had to get her to her room. Artemis took a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other. It wasn't too hard so she easily made her way to the bedroom and got into bed. "We'll need furs. Then we'll need a tub of warm water!" Christopher instructed his other siblings. They nodded and then scrambled off to do as Christopher suggested. "You must spend a lot of time following Bowen!" Artemis said, rubbing Christopher's hair. "I follow all of my father's equally. I want to be just like all three of them!" Chris said smiling.

By the time all three of Artemis' mates finally came running in with Ben, Artemis was fully in labor and ready to start pushing. "Wow, look at all of you!" Danny said looking at the cubs who were currently human children. Danny kneeled down and opened his arms for a hug and all of the children came running over yelling 'Daddy!'. Artemis could not cherish this moment because as soon as they entered the room she started to push and her first Ape cub was almost out. "You and the cubs did great waiting for me to get back. I'm so proud!" Bowen said washing his hands in the tub of warm water. Thomas rushed in and came straight to Artemis' side. "How are you doing, does it hurt?" Thomas asked her frantically. "Of course it hurts Tom!" Artemis said crying. "Oh no I'm so sorry my Queen please don't cry!" Thomas said, hugging her. Artemis pushed Thomas away so that she could push again during another contraction and just that quick the First Ape cub was born. "Here you go dad!" Bowen said passing Thomas his first born son. "I have a son?" Thomas asked, looking down at the newborn White Ape cub. The cub looked at ThomasThomas quickly wiped the cub down with a dry fur then passed the cub to Artemis. "Oh my! How precious!" Artemis said, looking down at the little white ape cub cradled in her arms. At that moment Artemis felt a rush of love go through her and right to the cub. She felt like she was holding one of the greatest gifts in life ever. Danny came over and stood next to Thomas admiring the little cub as well. "You are truly blessed my Queen." Danny said, smiling and nodding his head. "As their second father of course I had to make the same necklaces that I made for our cubs" Danny said, going over to one of his chests. He came back over and handed Thomas a handful of little necklaces with little white ape pendants hanging off of them. "Danny, you are so thoughtful and caring "Artemis said, still emotional. As soon as Artemis started to feel another contraction and the urge to push Bowen helped her get the first Ape cub latched onto her breast to feed and Thomas picked out the necklace with one Ape pendant on it and put it around the cub's neck. He then got a fur ready to clean off the next cub. Danny went to take the Wolf children back to the family room and make another tub of water. "You're doing great okay!" Bowen said encouragingly. Artemis nodded while doing breathing exercises. The second Ape cub came out in two pushes and he automatically started wailing. "Wow! The lungs on this one" Thomas said, passing him to Artemis to hold in her other Arm. "Oh hush!" Artemis giggled. Settling the Ape cub onto her other breast.

When Artemis pushed out the third cub Thomas grabbed the First cub and wrapped him in a little fur blanket he then put the cub inside the bassinet that was made for the Ape cubs. Once the First White Ape cub was settled inside the bassinet Thomas pulled out a necklace with two White ape pendants on it and put it around the second cub's neck. Bowen passed the third cub straight to Artemis and sat back and sighed. "My Queen. You are not done." Bowen said nervously. "What the hell!" Artemis sighed. "They were so small. Maybe this next one could be the last one!" Thomas said, putting a necklace on the third cub. "Don't you say another word!" Artemis growled at Thomas as she was irritated. "My next child has got to be one little girl" Artemis cried out exhausted. "I won't be touching you!" Bowen said firmly. "Be quiet," Danny warned Bowen. Artemis was tired and in pain from already delivering three cubs. She prayed she would only have one more cub and she can be done. Just as she said a prayer a contraction came on. Artemis pushed and squeezed through the pain until the contraction was done as she lay there breathing and sweating a scratchy high pitched cry can be heard. "You just had a baby girl!" Bowen announced. "What! Again?" Artemis asked, shocked. "Three boys and one girl!" Thomas said to her "You can't deny now that you are a goddess. With your second litter you have given us two pure blood Princesses. Your presence even blessed the Tiger Queen with a Princess as well" Danny said to her "The future of the beastworld feels bright already!" Bowen said happily. "I have the cord in my hand. I can pull out the sac and then you're done" Bowen added. Artemis nodded and let Thomas take the Second Ape cub off of her breast so that he could replace him with the Princess.

As soon as the little Ape Princess settled into her mother's arms she immediately stopped crying and started gazing at Artemis as if she were drawing a mental picture. Artemis looked down at the human baby and smiled. The little Ape Princess had big grayish eyes and her white Ape ears stuck out through the small white curly hair covering her head. "All of my children are beautiful. I can't wait to see them all together," Artemis said. "Yes. The Wolf Prince's are waiting outside to see if you all are okay" Danny chuckled. "Well we can clean up and then let them in to meet their new siblings," Bowen said, as he was washing his hands and arms in the water basin. "Good idea," Artemis said, nodding. "You can get some rest and let us take care of everything else okay don't worry" Thomas said to her rubbing her head. "Bowen!" Apollo called frantically from the other side "Prince Apollo?" Bowen asked, walking towards the door. "Yes it's me! The little Wolf Princes said that Artemis is giving birth?" Apollo asked. Bowen opened the door and showed him Artemis laying in bed sleeping with two cubs in her arms, one a boy and one a girl. She was covered thankfully but the scent of birth was still in the air. "She is all done now" Bowen said. "Great. Princess Jennifer is in labor as well and we need you please!" Apollo pleaded. "Of course! Get on over there and good luck!" Danny said in the middle of cleaning up the wet and bloody furs around the bed. "Take care of the Queen and the Ape cubs please" Bowen said, bowing his head to Danny. "I will take over from here. She will be excited to hear the news of Jenny's birth as well" Danny said smiling.

Bowen and Apollo rushed off to take care of Jenny while Danny and Thomas finished cleaning up so that the Little Wolf Princes could come inside the room. After all of the cleaning was done Danny started cooking a nutritious pot of soup and a huge meal for Artemis for when she woke up from her nap. The Little Wolf Princes along with the Little Wolf Princess Winter were all still in human form standing with The Little Snake King Ezekiel holding the little Snake Princess Eden, they all stood in a circle silently admiring the Ape cubs as they peacefully slept inside of their bassinet. "Queen mother, are you okay? Did everything go well?" Ezekiel asked Artemis. She opened her eyes and nodded her head slowly. "Don't have any more cubs please!" Ezekiel said emotionally. "It's too much work for you Queen Mother!" He added. "It's okay Little Snake King. It's the way of life. Cubs are a blessing to this Beastworld. The process of having them is a bit tedious I will admit but seeing all of you standing there with the cubs gives me so much love to give back to you all!" Artemis told Ezekiel. "Besides, Papa Bowen is a great doctor!" Christopher said, smiling. "By the way you guys did a great job taking care of your mother until we got back. Tell me anything you want and I'll go get it for you!!" Danny said, hugging all of the Wolf Cubs and ruffling Ezekiel's hair. "Anything Papa?" Wolf Princess Winter asked, smiling from ear to ear.