I Was The Only Omega In The Beast World-Chapter 178: CP:180 The Due Date Is When?

Another Three Weeks Later:

By the time the leaves on the ironwood trees began to turn the first hints of autumn gold, Alex could no longer pretend he had much time left.

The morning Alex realized he had one week left—maybe less—started like any other.

He woke to the familiar weight of Naga’s coils around him, the serpent’s cool scales pressed against the overheated skin of his belly. Lucas was curled at his back, one large hand splayed possessively over the swell, his breathing slow and even. Leo’s hand resting gently on his belly, and Zale’s mist hung in the air, cool and soothing.

Alex lay still for a moment, cataloging his body the way he did every morning now. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

His back ached—the deep, constant throb that had become his baseline. His hips felt like they’d been wrenched apart in his sleep, the joints loose and unstable in that particular way that meant his body was preparing. The pressure low in his pelvis was intense, a heavy, pushing sensation that made him shift instinctively, trying to find relief.

His breasts were painfully full, the nipples tight and leaking faintly—a new development in the past few days. The soft binding cloth Sally had made was soaked through, and Alex winced as he peeled it away, the cool air shocking against the sensitive skin.

"Four of them." He wondered.

Four strong, active, rapidly growing cubs who had turned his body into a battlefield of discomfort and wonder. They pushed and rolled and stretched, their movements visible from the outside now—the swell shifting and bulging as they jostled for position. The smallest one—the one River had identified as most active after meals—was currently pressing something hard against Alex’s right side, making him gasp.

Naga stirred immediately. "Alex?"

"I’m fine." Alex’s voice was hoarse with sleep. "Just—someone’s found a new position."

Lucas’s hand moved over the swell, following the movement. "That’s one strong kick." His voice was rough with wonder. "They’re getting so strong."

"They’re getting crowded," Alex corrected, shifting again. The movement sent a fresh wave of pressure through his pelvis, and he groaned. "I feel like I’m about to split open."

Zale’s mist intensified, cool fingers brushing over the tight skin. "Your body is stretching to accommodate them."

"It feels like it’s doing too much work. Too fast."

Leo’s wing tightened. "How much longer do you think?"

Alex opened his mouth to answer—and stopped.

Because the question hit him differently this morning.

How much longer?

He’d been so focused on getting through each day, on managing the symptoms, on keeping the stones warm and the shadow at bay, that he hadn’t been counting. Hadn’t been tracking the weeks the way he had with the snakelings.

But now, lying in the quiet of the alcove with his body aching and his belly enormous and the small lives inside him pushing against his ribs, Alex realized something he should have realized days ago.

He was close.

Not "maybe in a few weeks" close. Not "sometime before winter" close.

Close close.

The pressure in his pelvis wasn’t just discomfort. It was the babies dropping. The heaviness in his breasts wasn’t just tenderness. It was his body preparing to feed them. The backache, the hip pain, the loose joints, the constant need to shift and move and find a position that didn’t feel like everything was about to fall apart—

These were the signs.

The same yet more prominent signs he’d had before the snakelings were born.

"Alex." Naga’s voice was sharp now, coils tightening around him with sudden urgency. "Your scent just changed. What’s wrong?"

Alex pressed both hands to his belly, feeling the familiar shape of four small bodies moving inside him. They felt lower than they had yesterday. Heavier.

"One week," he said. "Maybe less."

The silence that followed was absolute.

Lucas’s hand froze on his belly. Leo’s tail went still. Zale’s mist stopped its gentle circulation.

"One week," Naga repeated. His voice was carefully neutral, the way it got when he was processing something that terrified him. "You’re certain?"

"I’m not certain. Although I had them abruptly. The snakelings. The way my body felt right before." Alex swallowed. "The pressure. The dropping. The way my hips loosened. The nesting instinct—" He stopped, because he’d been feeling that too, hadn’t he? The urge to arrange things, to prepare, to make sure everything was ready. He’d thought it was just anxiety about the shadow, about the stones, about everything that still felt unfinished.

But it wasn’t.

It was his body telling him what his mind hadn’t wanted to hear.

The babies were coming.

"We need to tell the others," Lucas said. He was already moving, sitting up, his pale eyes sharp with the particular focus he got when there was a problem to solve. "Sally. Granite. The snakelings. Drakar. Everyone needs to know."

"We need to prepare," Leo added, his golden wings flaring. "The birthing space. Supplies. Helpers. If something goes wrong—"

"Nothing’s going to go wrong," Alex said, and his voice was steadier than he felt. "I’ve done this before. I know what to expect."

"You’ve done this before with six snakelings," Naga said quietly. "This is different. Four cubs. Different species. Different needs. Different risks."

Alex pressed his hand to his belly, feeling the small lives inside him. They had been so active lately, pushing and rolling and making their presence known. But now, as if they sensed his attention, they quieted. Settled. As though they were listening.

"I need to sit up," he said.

Naga helped him, coils moving with careful strength to prop him against the cushions. The movement made Alex’s head spin for a moment—blood pressure, probably, another sign he’d been ignoring—and he breathed through it until the dizziness passed.

His belly was so heavy now that sitting upright felt like a workout. The weight pulled at his lower back, and he had to brace himself with both hands on the mattress to keep from tipping backward. His breasts, full and leaking soft, warm white milk, pressed against the soft fabric of his tunic, and he could feel the dampness spreading.

Sally appeared at the entrance of the alcove as if summoned by his distress. She took one look at his face—at the expression he probably wasn’t managing to hide—and went pale.

"Alex. What’s wrong?"

"Nothing’s wrong." He managed a smile. "The babies are just... coming. Soon. Probably within the week."

Sally’s mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

"Within the WEEK?" Her voice climbed an octave. "You’re due within the WEEK and you’re just—just telling us NOW?"

"I didn’t know until this morning."

"How did you not KNOW?"

"Previously system was there to pinpoint my date!" Alex’s voice came out sharper than he intended. " But now it’s gone and there’s been a lot going on! The shadow, the stones, the construction, the—" He stopped, pressing a hand to his belly as one of the cubs gave a particularly strong kick. "Okay. Maybe I should have noticed sooner. But I’m noticing now."

Sally stared at him for a long moment. Then she did something unexpected.

She laughed.

It wasn’t a happy laugh—more the laugh of someone who had run out of appropriate reactions and was defaulting to hysteria.

"My brother," she said, "is about to give birth to four cubs in a foreign world on cursed land while a shadow monster watches from the hills, and he didn’t notice he was due until a week before." She shook her head. "This family is insane. I love it. I’m going to go make more tea."

She disappeared before Alex could respond.

The news spread through the sanctuary like wildfire through dry grass.

Granite heard first—because Granite was nearby when Alex was in the alcove, his massive beastman form a silent presence at the entrance. He listened to Alex’s explanation without interrupting, his brown eyes steady and calm.

"One week," he said, when Alex finished.

"Maybe less."

Granite nodded slowly. "I’ve prepared the eastern meadow. The cubs will have plenty of space to run. The ground there is soft, good for first steps."

"Granite—"

"And I’ll move my sleeping spot closer to the alcove. In case you need anything during the night." The bear’s voice was matter-of-fact, as though this was the most natural thing in the world. "The snakelings will need someone to keep them calm. I can do that."

Alex’s throat tightened. "You don’t have to—"

"I know." Granite met his eyes. "I want to."

He left before Alex could argue.