Ivan gave a low rumble that she’d learned to interpret as affirmation. She carefully climbed onto his back, settling between his shoulder blades where the fur was thickest. His warmth immediately seeped through her clothes, and she instinctively wrapped her fingers into his mane. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Everyone, pack up," Victor announced, his voice cutting through the tension. "We’re moving out, we’ll stop at nightfall."

The camp sprang into action. Dimitri moved among the cubs, gathering them with gentle efficiency. "Come on, little ones. Time to go."

Felicity watched as Voss methodically disassembled their temporary shelter. His movements were precise. She ran her hand over her growing stomach, feeling the gentle swell beneath her fingers.

"Ready?" Ivan’s voice came through their bond as a deep, rumbling presence in her mind rather than actual words.

"Always," she replied, giving his mane an affectionate tug.

They set off along the cracked highway, the group moving with practised coordination. Ivan’s gait was smooth despite his size, and Felicity found herself relaxing into the rhythm. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the broken asphalt, and the ruins of what had once been a city loomed in the distance.

"Maybe we should stop in that town ahead," Felicity mused aloud, stroking Ivan’s fur absentmindedly. "I’ve been thinking... we should find a doctor soon. Just to check on things." She pressed her hand more firmly against her belly. "Voss is brilliant, but he doesn’t know healing, and while my powers help, I’m still worried about the babies."

Ivan’s ears twitched, and she felt his concern through their connection.

"I know, I know," she continued. "We’ve been lucky so far. But what if something happens during delivery? What if I can’t heal myself enough?" The worries she’d been pushing down bubbled to the surface now that she’d started speaking them aloud. "This world wasn’t exactly designed for safe childbirth."

A low growl rumbled through Ivan’s chest, vibrating against her thighs.

"Don’t get all protective on me now," she said with a soft laugh. "I’m just thinking ahead."

They walked in comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds the soft padding of Ivan’s paws and the occasional conversation from the others. Felicity found herself rolling slightly with Ivan’s movements, the gentle sway lulling her into a state of contentment despite her worries.

"Remember when you first joined us?" she asked, leaning down to whisper near his ear. "You barely said ten words the entire first week, or looked me in the eye."

Ivan huffed, a puff of warm air that she felt against her leg.

"Victor was convinced you were plotting to kill us all," she continued, smiling at the memory. "And Voss kept trying to analyse your every move, but I knew from the start you’d be one of us."

She felt the warmth of his affection through their bond, stronger than words could ever be. It was one of the things she loved most about Ivan; his emotions were always so pure, so unfiltered.

The town grew larger as they approached, a collection of crumbling buildings that had somehow avoided complete destruction. Felicity studied it with a practised eye, looking for signs of danger or opportunity.

"Looks quiet," she murmured.

Victor appeared beside them, his wings partially extended as if ready to take flight at the first sign of trouble. "We’ll scout it before we enter," he said, his red eyes scanning the horizon. "If it’s clear, we can rest there for a day or two."

Felicity nodded, grateful for his caution. "Thank you."

Victor’s expression softened as he looked at her, a rare moment of vulnerability crossing his features. "You’re carrying our future, Felicity. We won’t take unnecessary risks."

The weight of responsibility settled on her shoulders, but it wasn’t unwelcome. These men, this family they’d built together they were worth every risk, every sacrifice.

Ivan increased his pace slightly, moving ahead of the group. Felicity tightened her grip on his mane, feeling the power coiled beneath her. Her fourth husband, her protector, her silent guardian, he communicated more with a single look than most people did with a thousand words.

As they approached the outskirts of the town, Felicity couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. She glanced around, her fox senses alert for any sign of danger. But all she could see were empty buildings and the rusted skeletons of abandoned vehicles. Ivan shifted into his man form and carried Felicity.

"Tell me about before," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling fire. "Before you found me."

Ivan’s jaw tightened, the memory of those first chaotic days after the world fell apart still raw despite the years that had passed.

"I was a mercenary," he finally said, his deep voice rumbling through his chest. "Special forces before that. Twenty years of killing for governments that didn’t care if I lived or died."

Felicity’s eyes widened. "You were a soldier?"

"Not the kind in pretty uniforms." He shifted, the worn leather of his jacket creaking with the movement. "I did the jobs no one else would take. The ones that happened in shadows."

"I was never in a relationship," Ivan continued, his voice softening. "Never had time. Always on the move, always on a mission." His hand moved to cup her chin, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. "Until I saw you huddled in that abandoned building, with the rest of the team, you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen."

She blushed under his probe, her pale skin flushing pink.

"You were so young, you are so young", he said, his thumb tracing her lower lip. "So small. I told myself I should walk away. The age gap was too much. You deserved someone who hadn’t lived through what I had."

"But you didn’t walk away."

"No." Ivan’s voice dropped to a possessive growl. "I couldn’t. You were mine the moment I laid eyes on you."

Felicity shivered, not from cold but from the intensity in his blue eyes. "Ivan..."

"Who am I to you, little sun?" His grip tightened slightly on her chin.

She swallowed hard, her doe-like eyes filling with that familiar mixture of fear and desire. "Daddy."

"That’s right." His lips curved into a rare smile. "You’re Daddy’s girl, aren’t you? My perfect little sun."