Chapter 242

"Is that Leon?" Dream is the first to ask.

"No." Ian says with a dead serious expression. "Leon never screams, I'm his twin, I should know."

Hayden makes the move, concern for his pet overwhelming whatever existential crisis Leon had going for him on the other side of the door.

He tentatively pushes open the door only to come face to face with the least possible scenario he could have ever come up with.

Leon was crouched over, phone discarded to the side as he tries to support Apple who was currently in labor.

"Oh my God!" Hayden whisper yells. "My cat was pregnant?! How did she get pregnant? I don't recall her ever having a boyfriend..."

Dream gives him a queer look, shouldering Leon aside when he looks like he's about to pass out from watching the birthing process. "That's all you're worried about?"

Hayden immediately hurries over to an exhausted Apple who had two little squirming babies beside her on the blanket and was in the middle of giving birth to another.

"Why are they so fucking... sorry freaking many?" Leon freaks out and Jaxon chokes on laughter, it was really weird seeing the usually grumpy and cold Werewolf get all panicky.

"I'll call up Suzie, she should know what to do." Jaxon informs the others, stepping out of the crowded pantry a bit.

Ian hadn't even gone in to begin with but that was fine, the pantry wasn't exactly spacious.

Hayden and Dream crouched around Apple, offering her support and petting her, the birthing coming along quite smoothly.

Jaxon wanders back in. "So Suzie said that she'll be by as soon as she's can but you should keep the place as quiet as possible..."

"Which means Leon and I will wait outside." Dream cuts in, not hesitating to push the older Werewolf outside.

If Leon is stunned by this, he makes no commentary about it.

Hayden croons softly to his cat and pets her wet fur, sitting back to allow her lick and groom her kittens. "Is there anything I should do?" He prompts.

"Actually, no, Suzie said that most cats can handle themselves but you might want to supervise, she said you might need towels if Apple isn't strong enough to clean up her kids but from the look of it, that might not be necessary." Jaxon quickly explains. "I'll just wait outside until Suzie comes, okay..." He adds, already making his way out.

Something clicks in Hayden's head then. "Wait, where's Virgil?" He asks with a frown.

Jaxon sports a similar expression, realizing that he hadn't seen the Alpha in a while. "I have no idea."

"Alright, thank you."

Hayden returns his attention back to his precious pet, he had long given up hope that Apple would ever get pregnant, first he hadn't come across any male cats and she usually just disappeared whenever she had her heats and now he's starting to wonder just where she went.

It had to be before he moved to the Pack House, could it have been a wild cat?

"Good girl, Apple." He croons to her, keeping his hands to himself although all he wants to do is take one of the yellow and black speckled babies and press them up against his cheek, they're definitely too fragile for that action though.

Suzie shows up not long after with a litter box complete with a heating pad and absorbent towels.

Hayden doesn't waste time asking of he could move his cat, Apple was already fast asleep from exhaustion, her four kittens blindly suckling, little baby cat sounds leaving their miniscule mouths.

Somehow they make it so that the entire litter and the "Queen" are back in the apartment.

Leon looked shaken but he'll recover and soon it's just Suzie, Hayden and Dream that's left, Jaxon leading the head warrior away probably to take a nap.

"I've looked her over and she looks perfectly fine, the kittens are too, their vitals are looking great, all four adorable paws and squirming around with energy." She annouces with flair to an exhausted looking Hayden that came off like he was the one that just had to push out four kids.

"She'll need more nutrients because now she's providing energy for five, including herself so I'll get some proper cat food and supplements, and don't forget to call me anytime." Suzie tags on, waving the two on her way out.

"Well, that was unexpected." Dream breathes out, fluffy up his tousled hair.

"Tell me about it, I never envisioned our day turning out like this, it's almost noon." Hayden mutters, checking his phone. "I still need to get you to the bakery..."

"I think I'll pass today." Dream cuts him off. "I've had enough excitement for a day, I'll just call up Mae and tell her what happened." He says kindly.

"Oh..." Hayden mumbles, caught off guard.

"And why don't I watch over Apple for a while, while you go find Virgil, I'm scared he's jumped out a window or something." He informs the other.

Hayden half laughs at this. "I don't think so but I'll still go look for him just in case, be back in a moment." He waves the other after checking on his peacefully sleeping cat one last time.

"Take your time." Dream reassures him.

Hayden nods and makes his way out, going straight to Virgil's office, he had been too busy to take note of but he's pretty sure that Virgil disappeared ever since the got to the pantry.

He glances at the lighted screen of his phone briefly, deciding to call his mom after he had checked up on his husband.

"Virgil?" He knocks on the door, very quietly pushing it open when there's no response. "V?" He pushes it open wider, stepping inside and swivelling his head around in search.

It's a surprise to not find Virgil sitting behind his executive desk as he did every other day, his laptop is still open on his desk, files strewn haphazardly like he had left in a hurry.

Hayden winces at this, remembering that he's the reason for all that but it was for a good cause too, now that he thinks about it, he hadn't seen his cat ever since he put her to bed the night before which was weird because she usually greeted him in the mornings.