Kanah woke again later—this time to the faint sound of footsteps outside the den.
Helion's light, impatient pacing.
Yllas's slow, deliberate movements.
Gerrin's quiet murmured checks of the mana lines.
None of them entered.
They were waiting for her.
Owain was already awake, propped on one elbow beside her, golden eyes steady and impossible to read. He wasn't crowding her this time—he was giving her space to breathe. But his focus kept drifting to her stomach again and again, instinct overriding restraint.
"Sleep well?" he asked softly.
Kanah stretched carefully, testing her body. A soft ache pulled at her hips, but it wasn't unpleasant.
"I did," she murmured. "Better than I expected after… everything."
Owain's ears flicked slightly, wolf reacting to the memory with quiet pride—but he lowered his gaze respectfully.
"I didn't hurt you," he said, needing to hear it again.
She touched his chest. "You didn't."
Only then did his shoulders relax fully.
Kanah sat up, blanket pooling around her waist. The den's morning light glowed against her skin—and for the first time since arriving in Beastworld, she felt undeniably warm from the inside out.
Not heat.
Something deeper.
Steadier.
Like her mana field had thickened.
Owain's breath caught, hardly noticeable unless she knew him as well as she did.
"What?" she asked.
He hesitated. "You look… softer."
"Soft how?"
He slowly raised a hand, fingertips brushing her cheek, then her collarbone, then the gentle curve of her stomach.
"Your resonance is calmer," he said. "And your body feels like it's holding warmth in places it didn't before."
Kanah covered his hand with hers. "So you still think—?"
"I think," he said carefully, "that your body is preparing for something. But we wait for Gerrin to confirm. I won't assume before then."
A soft knock sounded at the den entrance.
"Kanah?" Gerrin's voice, low and respectful. "Are you awake? I'd like to check your mana if you're comfortable."
Kanah nodded. Owain made a soft approving noise and sat up straight, king-mode activating instantly.
"Enter."
Gerrin stepped in with quiet grace, followed by Yllas carrying a warmed robe for her, and Helion who stopped at the threshold—bright-eyed, tail flicking with barely contained curiosity.
Kanah wrapped the robe around herself, feeling oddly shielded. Gerrin knelt before her, hands warm as he hovered them near her lower stomach, never touching.
"Your mana feels thicker," he murmured. "Stable. Strong. Has your appetite changed? Body temperature?"
Before Kanah could answer, Owain did:
"She was warm all morning."
Helion leaned closer, eyes narrowed like a hunting cat. "Does she smell different to you too, or is that just the wolf?"
Owain growled. Helion raised his hands in surrender.
Gerrin continued, gentle. "Kanah, breathe slowly."
She inhaled.
The mana inside her followed the motion—full, heavy, yet calm.
Gerrin's eyes widened. "Your resonance is anchoring itself. I've seen similar shifts in expecting beast mothers."
Helion's tail shot straight up.
Yllas exhaled slowly, wings shifting with a quiet shiver of joy.
Owain went very still.
Gerrin didn't say the word. None of them did.
Not yet.
But the air in the den shifted.
Hope without declaration.
Joy without assumption.
A future forming in silence.
Finally Gerrin stood. "I want to check again tomorrow. But everything I feel is… promising."
Owain's hand found hers immediately.
Kanah's heartbeat fluttered.
"Promising," she echoed softly.
Helion finally couldn't hold himself back anymore.
He crouched in front of her, grinning wide. "Kanah, if this is happening—if this really is happening—we're going to spoil you. All of us."
Yllas nodded. "You will not lift anything heavier than a tea cup."
Owain scowled lightly but didn't disagree.
Gerrin added, "Your mana will need support. I'll prepare calming brews for you."
Kanah blinked, stunned by their immediate shift to instinctive care.
"…We don't even know for sure yet."
Owain's thumb stroked the back of her hand, tender and firm. "Whether there is life yet or not, you're ours. And you will be cared for."
Her chest tightened. Warm. Emotional.
She whispered, "…Thank you."
Yllas bowed his head, Helion smiled brighter, Gerrin breathed out in relief.
Owain pulled her gently into his side, as if reminding the world she was under his protection first.
And Kanah let herself lean into him.
Hope didn't feel frightening.
It felt… possible.