YaYa's POV
Little Pea was the fastest growing and changing baby I've ever seen. In one day, he tripled in size. In one week he was as big as a coconut. In one month he was as big as a newborn baby. He was like a sponge and grew according to his environment and his food source.
He ate and slept, and ate and slept, and when he wasn't eating, he was pooping. He pooped nonstop. His digestive system was on steroids. All his energy was spent on his body's rapid growth.
He didn't play, didn't cry or make a noise. It was as if he knew he was too busy to do anything else. His surroundings fascinated him, but instead of exploring, he was content to watch. When he looked at you, it was a deep, focused stare.
I sat by his crib, feeding him a mixture of ground shrimp and crab, letting him scoop the food from the bowl with his tentacles, and eat on his own. To think this cute baby boy was supposed to fend for himself in the vast ocean was crazy.
"Is his ancestry affecting him right now?" I asked Vick, watching how the baby surveyed his surroundings while eating, changing the color and the texture of his skin while doing so.
"Definitely," Vick said, "He is trying to connect what he sees with what he remembers, and is comparing it to his ancestor's knowledge. When the connection is made, he'll be able to use that knowledge, and if he doesn't find any, he'll make his own."
I switched my gaze from Little Pea to Vick. He didn't press on throwing little pea to the ocean in beliefs it wouldn't give our baby any benefits. The baby's survival instincts and strength would be tested, yes. But he would learn much more if he just stayed with his Papa.
Vick pulled me to his lap, "If you are worried about our son inheriting my memories and get traumatized by our relationship, you don't have to."
The regret began to gnaw at me. If I knew this would happen one day, I would have treated Vick better, and not make our adventures sound like a horror story.
"Precious," Vick called, tapping my face, "Hey."
"Hm?"
He laughed when he saw my frown, and then kissed it away. "The dragon stopped the hormonal shift that would've killed me If I passed on my ancestry, by releasing my sperms. But his actions also ended my bloodline. Little Pea is part of the old generation..."
He explained how he planned to get rid of the old batch of sperm that carried his and his ancestor's genes and start his legacy with a new one with the dragon. So that our baby didn't have to go through what he did, and I just had to destroy everything.
For my defense, I had no idea. Vick had vast knowledge in other fields other than war. I wouldn't say that I was the easiest to impress. I couldn't coexist with a brainless muscle, and this guy was more intelligent than most people I knew. Always piquing my interest and teaching me something new, or giving me a different perspective on things.
He continued, "My ancestors followed the same evolutionary path, always passing on their legacy and living through their offsprings because of their short lifespan. I wanted to break that cycle, start fresh, and not be trapped in the past."
A warm smile spread across his lips as he brushed my cheek, "What I find more odd is how he immediately recognized you as his protector and felt safe enough not to camouflage himself."
I stared at the little boy, whose skin was now pinkish white, matching his food's color. I lowered my eyes to his level, and smiled when his eyes met mine. "You were supposed to hate me for hurting your papa, but here you are, making me feel all special."
Little Pea shared a tentacle with me, and continued to eat the rest of his meal.
My heart melted, extending my pointer and high-fiving him. He clapped, and I melted into a puddle. He even wasted his precious energy just to be silly with me.
"Kase," Little Pea blurted out, making me freeze.
I blinked at the baby, and then I blinked again, and again. My heart raced, and the blood drained from my face.
Vick was the first to react, "Did you decide on your name already? You just developed your speech yesterday. Think it out properly before making such an important decision."
The little guy pointed at the thick mist which began to gather around the manor and the garden, "Kase."
The cubs in this world got to name themselves upon reaching maturity and shifting into their human form, and I thought it was too early for ours to decide on his.
Vick noticed my terrified expression and asked, "What's wrong, Precious?"
I stared at the little baby feeding on his own, and the words stuck in my throat, refusing to come out.
"Precious?"
I shook my head, unable to answer.
"Precious, you are scaring me."
"K-kase?" I stuttered, forcing myself to smile, "Why did you decide on this name?"
"Kase, Kase," the baby repeated in response, camouflaging himself to match the mist around him.
I swallowed hard, and then swallowed again. Memories of a little boy flashed before my eyes. A boy who didn't deserve what he got, and didn't deserve to die. "Kɑːsɛ...a term which represents fine mist created by a waterfall, a fog, a dense cloud, or a low-hanging smoke. Also, the state of being hazy, vague, or unclear."
My chest tightened, and my lungs refused to work. My son seemed to have no idea what I was saying, and continued to eat and look around, not the slightest bit fazed by the new revelation.
"Alright, that should be enough for today." Vick reached over, taking the bowl, "Your tummy is bulging. You've had enough, Little Man."
Little Pea didn't waste his energy on arguing with his Papa and crawled over to the middle of his crib, squeezed in between his favorite toys, gray rocks, and hugged them to sleep, becoming one with them.
"Do you know why he named himself that?" Vick asked, trying to connect the blanks.
I nodded and shook my head at the same time, "Do you believe in reincarnation? Like, people get a second chance in life after their death?" I asked, my mind going places.
Vick paused for the moment, and then it finally hit him, "Are you saying─"
I covered his mouth before he could say anymore, "Let's not jump into conclusions, alright─" I felt the cub in my belly wanting to get out, and froze, "─alright?"
Vick frowned, his gaze shifting between my eyes and stomach before summoning all the available boys in the manor. He immediately picked me up and flew me into the infirmary.
Little Pea was tiny when he was born, and thanks to his octopus genes, he could squeeze through the tightest cracks, and find his way out of my uterus on his own.
Gestation period for wolf cubs was around two months. This little pup should have had another month to grow, but it had to come early. My body didn't stretch or dilate like it would in a normal pregnancy, which meant my womb didn't open and the baby had no space to grow.
· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·
Vick passed through the secret passage and entered the room. The infirmary was specifically built for this occasion, and contained the tools needed for the operation.
Skaris came rushing towards us, his face white and sweaty. Muir, Curtis, and Bart were close behind.
Vick laid me on the mattress, removing my clothes.
"Dear," Skaris called when he saw Vick insert needles in my vein. The dark liquid filled the line, and soon a cold sensation spread through my arm.
"Precious we have to cut you open. You are not dilating. Your body is rejecting the birth."
My breath hitched, and I let out a strangled sound, as my stomach twisted into knots, "Just make sure he comes out healthy."
Vick cursed as he tried to make an incision, and failed, "You are healing too fast."
My body's regeneration abilities kicked in, preventing me from bleeding, and closing the wound before the knife could even cut through. The liquid entering my body was helping a lot, and was slowing down the process, but not by much, yet.
"You have to focus, Precious." Vick said, in need of my help. He was inhumanly fast, and precise, cutting open my flesh just for it to match his speed and close up sooner.
I shut my eyes, trying not to imagine a scalpel cutting through my skin and organs.
Mitchell's, Romeo's, and Gold's voices kept flowing out of Karrak's phone, asking what was happening, and if everything was alright.
Vick inserted another needle, and injected more drugs, and this time, I felt my body shrinking, the muscles losing mass and density. I bit down a scream as the bones in my hand began to snap, and bend.
"I got him," Vick said and I finally lost it and began to retch. My stomach was doing cartwheels and flips as I vomited on the side.
Skaris held a bucket underneath my mouth, and stroked my back.
My eyes wandered and I saw Bart taking the whimpering cub from Vick. The cub rubbed his wet face with his tiny fists, his toothless mouth opening and closing, as he made an effort to breathe and make little noises at the same time. His tail curled between his legs, his skin covered in blood, and his ears flattened against his head.
He looked so fragile, so weak, and so vulnerable, that I forgot the pain and nausea. My vision became a blur. The blood still rushed out of my mouth, nose, and eyes, and I could barely lift my head from the bucket.
"You have no idea how scared I get every time you do something like this,' Bart croaked, his voice broken, "It's always life or death situation with you. If something happened to you─"
I tried to speak, but my body said no. It continued to convulse, and shake, trying to get rid of the toxins in its system. It was sad not to be able to witness the new cubs's first few moments and hold him in my arms. But, I was relieved. Relieved that he came out safe and sound.
Vick removed the tubes and went to deal with the clean-up. I heard him talking on the phone with the boys and reassuring them that everything was fine. He ordered Bart to stop stressing and take the cub to the nursery.
Skaris and the rest stayed, making sure that I was okay, and didn't need any help. Vick had already done the hardest part, and now they had to wait until the drugs were flushed out of my system. Substances that could wreck my body were quite resistant against the emerald's effects, which was why I was feeling like absolute shit even after consuming the green crystal.
My body was shrinking to conserve energy, and repair itself, like an immortal jellyfish, reversing the age of its cells.
For a month or two, I would have the figure of a teenage girl, and the thought alone made me throw up even more.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
I never really made others comment on YaYa's height since I didn't want to make it her whole personality. 😁 But the boys never calling her little should have been enough of a sign that she was indeed not little.
If anyone wondered how she could pass as a high schooler, the above should fill some of the plot holes. You all know she had been injected with her kind's version of a kryptonite, didn't you? 😁
╚════════════════╝