Samantha burst into tears as soon as Allie had finished speaking. Her heart felt like it was being wrenched from her chest and torn into pieces. She struggled to even continue holding the phone up to her ear, but somehow, she managed. Allie’s heart broke as she listened to her best friend sobbing on the other end of the line.

“Sam…,” Allie tried to get her friend’s attention, but she was still too upset. “Samantha. I don’t think Alex is the father.”

That definitely got Sam’s attention. Her crying died down and she struggled to regain her composure, subduing a couple last heaving gasps.

“W-what? What do you mean? How could Alex not be the father?” Even just saying that made the young snow leopard’s eyes misty with tears again.

Allie took a deep breath, steeling her resolve and swallowing her fear. “I-I think my dad is.”

There was silence on both ends of the line.

Samantha eventually spoke first. “R-really?” She sniffed, wiping away some tears.

“Mhmm,” Allie came clean, finally admitting to someone else about her and her father’s trysts. “It started pretty much right after I...mated...with Alex.”

“[i]Started[/i]?”

“Yeah…” Allie could feel her face flushing. “We’ve been...doing it...pretty regularly actually. Like, [i]a lot[/i].”

Samantha was stunned; she had had no idea. “And you...didn’t use condoms?”

“We did at first...like once. But, then, after that…”

“But...your [i]dad[/i]!?” Sam asked incredulously, still not quite believing what she was hearing. “Did he tie with you?”

Allie blushed harder. “Yeah. Pretty much every time. So… you can see why I think it’s probably his: much more likely that I got pregnant from him. I don’t think it’s Alex’s,” she reiterated.

Sam didn’t dare admit it, but she was actually starting to feel rather relieved. “How are you doing? Have you told anyone yet?” With her own anxieties diminishing, the thoughtful snow leopard turned her thoughts back to her best friend.

“No, not yet. And...I’m...doing okay I guess. I think it’s still kinda...not real yet, ya know?”

“What are you gonna do?”

“Well...I’ll probably tell my dad first.”

“That makes sense,” Sam acknowledged, nodding on her end.

“Can I ask you a favor?” Allie pleaded.

“Of course, anything.”

“[i]Please[/i] don’t tell Alex?”

“I won’t. Promise.”

“Thanks Sam,” Allie replied with a smile. “Do you want me to give him the phone?”

“Only if you’re sure you don’t want to talk about anything else?”

“Nah, I’m okay. I just need some time alone to think.”

“Okay. Well, I’m always here for you, Allie,” Samantha said warmly. She wished she was there so she could give her friend the big hug she knew she needed.

“Thanks Sam. I know.” Allie smiled and left her room. She knocked softly on Alex’s bedroom door.

“Yeah?” Alex called out from inside his room.

Allie opened the door and entered Alex’s room. He was sitting on the edge of bed, eagerly awaiting his phone call with Sam.

“Thanks!” he said cheerfully to Allie, hopping up and taking the phone from his her.

The teenage fox cub smiled at her little brother; she was so glad that him and Sam had finally admitted their love for each other. It was rewarding to see them both so happy and know that they had one another. Allie turned and left his room, closing the door behind her.

“Hey Sam!” Alex announced into the receiver, excitement causing him to be a little louder than he intended.

“Hey cutie,” Samantha replied, giggling at little bit at her lover’s exuberance. It was subtle, but Alex could tell something was up with her tone. Had she been crying? Was she upset?

“What’s wrong?” he asked sincerely.

“Oh nothing. I’m alright. Promise.” Samantha smiled and felt her heart filling with love and warmth for the young fox cub on the other end of the line. While there was still a small chance that Alex [i]was[/i] the father of Allie’s secret cub, she trusted in Allie’s intuition and the odds that it was indeed her dad’s.

“That’s good! I’m doing great! I had so much fun with you today!” Alex was super excited and over the moon with happiness. Samantha wanted nothing more than to give him a big hug and a kiss; he was so adorable! 

“I had a lot of fun with you too, Alex.”

“Hey...are we gonna do that stuff tonight? Like we did on the phone last time?” Alex inquired, a hint of eagerness to his voice.

Sam thought about it for a second, but her mind just wasn’t in the right place tonight; not with having had the shock and scare that she had just had earlier. “Not tonight. Sorry,” she apologized, frowning a little and hoping he wasn’t too disappointed. “I’m still a little sore from earlier.”

Alex blushed. “That’s okay, I understand. We probably should give our private parts a chance to rest, huh?” He was still as enthusiastic as before. All that mattered to him was that he was spending time with his love – even if they were just talking on the phone normally.

The snow leopard cub smiled, glad that Alex understood and pleased that he didn’t inquire further. “Yeah,” she agreed. “But...maybe you could come over after school tomorrow? Claire will be at daycare so nobody else will be home.”

“Yeah!?” Alex’s excitement was clearly evident. “Sure!”

Samantha giggled, “’Kay.”

The two cubs stayed up a little past their bedtimes, chatting on the phone. They were each making the other yawn as their eyes grew heavier and heavier. Both of them were tuckered out from their intense mating in the field. They both said goodnight and their “I love yous” before finally drifting peacefully off to sleep.

------------------

In the next room over, however, it was a much different story; Allie was struggling to fall asleep, tossing and turning, unsure how she was going to approach telling her father. She did eventually dose off, but her sleep was restless and uneasy.

When 11:30 rolled around, Allie’s bedroom door silently opened. Her father entered and pushed the door quietly closed behind him. His daughter was asleep on her back, having kicked off most of the covers, as she tended to do. Her pajamas were askew, with her shirt riding up some, exposing her bare midriff.

“How’s my Allie-cat?” her father asked in a quiet, sing-song, playful voice, as he tipped-toed over to her bed. She was still asleep as he started to pull down her pajama bottoms and underwear. Allie didn’t wake up from her light slumber until her pants were already down around her ankles. Her father finished removing them and tossed them to the floor.

“Hey daddy,” Allie replied back cutely as she spread her legs open for him. By this point, the routine had become pretty much a nightly ritual for the father-daughter duo. He dropped his own underwear and climbed onto her bed. Allie lifted up her legs so he could get underneath them and scoot up close. A fair amount of her father’s pink cock was already sticking out from his sheath.

“You ready?” he asked, looking into his cub’s eyes. Allie nodded and looked down, watching as her father slid forward, penetrating her as he had many nights before. The young fox cub closed her eyes and sucked in a breath through her nose as she felt the rest of his length emerge inside her. She could feel his cock hardening and thickening, stretching her walls as her body received him. Allie moaned softly at the familiar fullness her father’s thick, red cock provided.

She had debated whether or not she would have sex with him tonight or not; the news of her pregnancy, of course, being prescient in her mind. But when it came down to it, she had quickly reasoned that she probably wouldn’t get any more opportunities to mate after she had informed him. Not to mention, when they were tied would be the perfect opportunity to tell him; they would be alone and quite literally, stuck together, for a while – long enough to discuss the situation.

As for the practically untouched box of condoms that was next to Allie’s bed: they were out of the question for both Allie and her father. For Derek, once he had felt the warmth and softness of his daughter’s cub-vagina wrapped around his bare cock, nothing else in the world could compare to the feeling. And the feeling when he knotted her and started to pump his load directly into her depths could only be described as pure bliss – it met a primal need within him that he was scarcely aware he had before.

For Allie, the feeling when her father started to ejaculate was magical; almost always, it would trigger her own orgasm, even if she was still in the midst of recovering from another. As she did, her pussy would clamp down around his full length, her body eager to coax all the seed it could from him. Shivers of pleasure would tingle up and down her spine. She had become experienced enough that she could not only make out the feeling of him pulsing inside of her, but could actually feel the individual jets of cum as they sprayed against her insides. The warmth as his cum pooled into her would radiate outwards and make her feel so peaceful and calm.

They fucked on Allie’s creaking bed, her feet bouncing as her dad powerfully pounded into her. Her soft, sensual moans filled the small bedroom as their bodies worked diligently to bring the other closer and closer to climax. Allie’s father could feel himself getting close.

“You ready for me to tie?”

Allie nodded. “Yeah daddy, please knot me!” Allie moaned, trying to spur him on and ensure they became tied.

Encouraged by his daughter’s seductive request, Derek thrust hard a few more times. With each thrust his engorged knot stretched her hole a little more until finally he was able to force it inside her tight entrance. Allie yipped with pleasured pain as her small vagina was suddenly forced to accommodate her father’s tennis ball-size knot. He immediately started to cum, inseminating his already pregnant cub for the umpteenth time.

Allie came too, their climaxes cascading into each other. The toes on her black feet spread far apart as she was racked with pleasure. Throughout her orgasm she could feel each and every burst of her father’s warm, thick semen as it erupted inside of her, coating her vaginal walls and cervix in alabaster fluid. Allie’s legs quivered as the pleasure made her muscles tense up.

Their climaxes settled and Allie’s father lowered himself down on top of her, taking a break and resting. Father and daughter lay there, panting together, coming down from their highs. The cock still trapped inside of Allie’s pussy would occasionally pulse, letting out another small spurt of cum here or there.

As she regained her composure, Allie summoned up the courage to face the music. She reached up and underneath her pillow for what she had stashed there earlier. She felt the small, plastic stick with her fingers and closed her paw around it, bringing it out from hiding.

“Daddy?”

Allie’s father had his eyes closed, his head resting on the pillow next to hers.

“What’s up Allie-cat?” he asked, not bothering to move or open his eyes.

“I’m pregnant.”

Derek shot up, lifting himself up off Allie, but of course staying knotted. His eyes opened wide. “WHAT!? Allie don’t even joke about-”

He stopped mid-sentence as he saw the test Allie was holding in her paw. Quickly, he snatched it up, using the dim light of her night light to examine the results. The results window on the test showed a very clear “+” in the space. Derek tried to dismount, forgetting that him and his daughter were currently tied. Allie yipped again as his thick knot tugged against her hole. Ironically, all the motion had done was cause his cock to spill even more seed inside his cub.

“Shit. And you swear this test is yours? Where did you get it?”

Allie nodded, “It’s mine. I took it today. Sam got it for me at the drug store.”

“Sam? Does she-?” Fear was plastered across her father’s face. Had Allie told her friend about their secret? The blood in his veins turned to ice as he saw his life swirling down the drain.

Allie shook her head, seeing her father’s obvious panic. “No. I just asked her to get me one because I had missed my heat. She knows about Alex and I mating, of course.”

A light bulb went on in Derek’s mind. “Alex. It could be Alex.”

Allie gave her father a skeptical look. “C’mon dad. You and I both know that Alex isn’t the father.”

“Yeah...but...I mean, he could be, right? You two mated while you were in heat, year? And you told mom and me that you didn’t use condoms.”

“Well, yeah but…”

“No, no, I know. I realize that it’s probably...mine,” Allie’s father spoke with some difficulty, looking down at his daughter’s belly, where the life they had created lay growing inside. He couldn’t believe that he had sired his own grandcub with his daughter. This was bad. “It’s just that...nobody can ever [i]know[/i] that it’s mine,” he continued, finally remembering his train of thought. “I’d be locked away for forever.”

Allie didn’t like the thought of that at all. She threw her arms around her dad and hugged him, pulling him down against her. “Don’t say that!”

“It’s true, Allie. That is if your mother didn’t kill me on the spot,” he tried to joke. Well, maybe it wasn’t that much of a joke...

Allie hugged him tighter. “What are we going to do? Do we have to tell mom?”

Derek hugged her back and looked her in the eyes. “Of course we have to tell mom. BUT! You have to announce it to both of us at the same time...And...we [i]have[/i] to let Alex take the blame,” he said mournfully, feeling bad for his son that was getting dragged into this mess.

“Alex? But...he didn’t do anything wrong.” Allie was starting to get upset, tears filling her eyes. She had already dragged her little brother through so much pain and upset with her selfish actions. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him more.

“I know…,” her father started. “Well, technically you two [i]did[/i] mate…” he could see Allie grow even more upset so he quickly made his point, “But the point is that he [i]HAS[/i] to be the father. Okay? You understand why, right?”

Allie nodded wistfully.

Her father continued explaining anyway. “Mom already knows about you two...and you’re both cubs, so neither of you will get in trouble...legally speaking. Mom won’t be happy, obviously, but…” He trailed off as the reality of the situation sank in for both of them. There wasn’t much else they could say or do.

After several minutes, Allie finally spoke. “Does this mean...we can’t do [i]this[/i] anymore?”

Derek frowned and nodded. “Yeah. The whole thing with making Alex take the blame goes out the window if we get caught.”

Allie nodded in understanding, but she had a look of utter defeat and sadness all over her face. Her father leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead. “Sorry Allie-cat.”

“Me too.”

------------------

The following day, after school, when Allie and Alex arrived home, Alex announced that he was going over to a friend’s house. Allie knew what he most likely meant, but decided to act like she was none the wiser. After all, she was already feeling bad for the hellish evening that likely lay ahead of them.

Alex hurried over to Samantha’s and rang the doorbell. Sam answered the door, throwing her arms around Alex and hugging him tightly. “I missed you so much Alex!” The young fox cub was surprised by the intensity of the greeting.

“I missed you too,” he replied back with a smile.

“C’mon!” She took him by the paw and led him inside, up the stairs, and into her bedroom. Once they were inside, she closed and locked her bedroom door. Not that anyone was home of course, or was even expected to be home, but – just in case. Sam hugged Alex again, kissing him and holding him close. “I love you so much Alex.”

“I love you too,” the young fox cub replied. “Is everything okay?”

Samantha nodded and smiled. “Yeah, it is.” She was just so relieved that Alex was likely not the father it was spilling out with her emotions and actions. 

She laid down on her bed, pulling Alex down on top of her. The cubs started to make out, kissing each other passionately, their tongues intertwining as their hormones raged on. Their fiery love for each other burned bright as they fooled around in Sam’s bed.

Alex surprised the young snow leopard when he took the lead. While they were still making out, he took his paw and shoved it down under her skirt, bringing it up between her legs. Samantha moaned as he started to rub his paw against her underwear. She lifted her hips, pressing them against his paw, wanting more and more. Alex got the message and pulled her panties aside before slipping a finger inside of her.

Samantha moaned louder as Alex’s digit sank into her depths. She was absolutely loving the fact that he was taking control. Sam moved her hips around while Alex continued to finger her. The whole time the cubs never stopped kissing one another.

After several minutes, Alex pulled his paw back out, examining his finger; it was absolutely coated in Samantha’s juices. “Wow, you’re really wet,” Alex remarked, seeing his matted fur.

Sam just looked up at him innocently, blushing, and nodded.

“I guess you’re still in heat?” he teased.

Again Samantha nodded.

“...And you really want me [i]inside you[/i]?” He said it as seductively as he could, trying to tease her even more.

Alex’s words caused the young snow leopard to shudder and she drew in a deep breath. She nodded again, a bit more eagerly this time.

Immediately, Alex started to strip Samantha out of her school uniform, pulling her skirt down and off her legs. Next to go were her plain green panties, the crotch of them quite damp. Alex continued to undress his love, with Sam helping speed up the process when she could. Finally, Alex himself got naked, throwing off his clothes at a furious pace. It was like the two young lovers couldn’t get at each other soon enough.

Alex pounced on Samantha, kissing her again. The familiar smell of her heat filled the air and he drew it in with every single breath. An excited inch of pink cock was peeking out from inside Alex’s sheath, just waiting to probe Sam’s warm, silky folds.

However, just as he was about to line himself up for penetration, Samantha stopped him and frowned. “Wait.” She reluctantly hopped up off her bed and opened her backpack. She pulled out the ribbon of condoms, separating one of them from the others.  Her phone call with Allie last night had scared her and she still had enough reasoning to recognize that her and Alex should use one.

She sat back down on her bed. Alex was kneeling in front of her, watching her with confusion. Samantha took her paw and stroked Alex using his sheath, sliding it up and down over the cock that was still hidden inside. His hips started to give a few involuntary thrusts as the rest of his length quickly emerged from the stimulation. Sam placed the rubber over his tip and rolled it down his shaft, securing the base around his knot.

Alex tilted his head to the side, looking fuddled.

“Just in case,” Samantha supplied, laying back down and opening her legs for him once more. She took her paws and spread herself apart, presenting Alex the bright, pink triangle of flesh between her labia.

The young fox cub’s mind returned to the task at hand, quickly forgetting about the condom altogether. He climbed back on top Samantha and lined himself up before pushing into her. Sam moaned softly as she was joined with her lover once more. Alex leaned in and kissed her as he started to thrust.

He thrust slowly, making love to Samantha in the sunlight filtering in through her bedroom window. The slower speed was definitely a change of pace for the cubs, but they didn’t hate it. It felt more intimate, more sensual.  But it didn’t take long before Sam was lifting and grinding her hips and Alex thrusting all around at varying speeds; both of them were searching for the stimulation they desired yet couldn’t seem able to achieve.

Samantha turned around, getting on all fours. Maybe that was what she wanted? It was her favorite position after all. She lifted her tail and Alex mounted her from behind, quickly finding her entrance and slipping inside. He started to thrust but still the cubs weren’t getting their full satisfaction from their coupling. Still, it was pleasurable and they were enjoying ti, but something was missing.

A few moments later, Samantha finally urged Alex to stop. He stayed propped up on her back but pulled out, worried that he had hurt her. His thick, red cock flopped out of her, hanging between her legs. Sam reached back with her paw, underneath her body, and took Alex’s member in her grasp. She hastily pulled the condom off of him and tossed it aside before pushing his now-bare penis back up towards her entrance. Feeling the hole with his exposed tip, Alex pushed forward, sliding into Samantha once more.

That was the ticket.

Immediately, the pleasure for both cubs easily increased ten-fold. Alex’s hips started to jackhammer, pistoning his length in and out of Samantha’s wet hole. Sam let out a loud moan as she finally got to feel the bare flesh of Alex’s cock inside her again. The cubs started going at it like a couple of rabbits. Samantha pushed her hips back and down, keeping them held firmly in place so Alex could easily buck against them. Alex’s foot slid along Sam’s comforter as he tried to find optimal footing, his subconscious trying desperately to climb further inside and onto his mate.

A thought flickered around in Samantha’s mind: She was so relieved that Alex was likely not the father of Allie’s cub. However, that made her want to take advantage of the opportunity all the more. If Alex could get [i]her[/i] pregnant, then [i]she’d[/i] be the one to have his cubs. It would be her and her alone. And nothing would make her happier.

Samantha could feel herself approaching climax the more she thought about Alex impregnating her. She didn’t have to wait long; the fox cub slammed forward, burying his knot deep inside of her and started to cum. Rope after rope of his cloudy, white seed erupted from his pointed tip, painting the entrance to Samantha’s womb. Sam orgasmed and her tail puffed up as she felt her lover’s warmth filling her. She had to restrain herself from letting her claws extend into her bed.

Alex’s throbbing died down after a short while and he relaxed, laying down atop Samantha’s back. His feline love purred underneath him. Her soft fur felt so relaxing and pleasing pressed up against him. The two just stayed like that for a while, silently enjoying the comforting presence of the other while they waited for Alex’s knot to deflate.

Samantha worried for Alex when he got home. She figured based on his demeanor that he didn’t know yet that Allie was pregnant. It would make sense that Allie would probably bring it up tonight; at least, she wouldn’t want to wait too long, Sam figured.

The young fox cub dismounted his mate, his now-small knot popping out of her, releasing the seal and allowing his cum to spill out. Samantha quickly reached back between her legs, catching Alex’s semen in her paw as it drained out of freshly fucked hole, preventing it from staining her bed. She turned around, unsure what exactly to do with her pawful of cum. Sam brought her paw to her mouth, lapping up Alex’s seed like it was a saucer of milk. Alex blushed as he watched his girlfriend lick up and swallow his load. Samantha noticed him watching and blushed back, finishing cleaning off her paw with a few more, grooming licks.

“What? It’s [i]you[/i]… silly.” Sam gave Alex a sly smile and then kissed his cheek.

The cubs got dressed again and laid together on Samantha’s bed for a while, holding paws and chatting. As Sam looked into Alex’s eyes, she wanted so badly to tell him about Allie, but she knew she had made a promise and she was sure he’d find out soon enough anyway. She just hoped that he wouldn’t be too upset.

Outside, there was the sound of car pulling up in the driveway. Both Sam and Alex jumped up in a panic, their hearts pounding fast.

“Quick! Out the back!” Sam instructed.

The two cubs ran down the stairs and to the backdoor of Samantha’s house where she had let him in that one night.

“I’ll call you tonight, ‘kay?”

Alex nodded and they kissed quickly with Alex dashing off just as Samantha’s mother started opening the front door, Sam’s little sister in tow.

“Oh hey Sam!” her mother greeted her warmly. “What are you doing over there?”

“Oh...I, uh, thought I heard something!”

The young fox cub had already started off at a full run back to his own house. It didn’t take him too long to make it home; in fact, he arrived right around the same time his mother did. She stepped out of the car in the driveway, closing the door and slinging her purse over her shoulder.

“Alex?” she questioned, seeing her son suddenly run up.

He was panting. He braced himself, planting his paws on his knees and bending over as he worked to catch his breath.

“Hey….mom…...what’s up?” he said breathlessly.

“Not much...what’s up with you?” she asked back, raising one of her eyebrows.

“Oh...I was….at friend’s….came home….dinner.”

His mother smiled and ushered him into the house. “Well, dinner should be ready in about forty-five minutes, okay? Why don’t you go get a glass of water and sit down before you [i]fall[/i] down.”

Alex smiled at his mom’s joke and stumbled inside. He flopped down on the couch and rested. His eyes started to feel heavy and before too long he had fallen asleep, snoring softly as he napped.

The smell of dinner cooking filtered through the air, making Alex’s nose twitch in his sleep, drawing him from his slumber. It smelled like maybe tacos or some kind of seasoning, Alex couldn’t quite place it. His mother had already set the table and his father had arrived home some time during his nap. As he stirred, his mother looked over and saw he was now awake.

“Did you have a good nap?”

Alex nodded, rubbing his eyes.

“Would you go get your sister? Dinner is almost done.”

“Okay,” Alex said with a yawn, standing up and stretching. He climbed up the stairs and knocked on Allie’s door.

“Yeah?” she called out from inside.

“Dinner’s ready.”

“’Kay!”

Alex headed back downstairs and took his seat at the table. He was shortly followed by his sister, who sat down nervously at her spot. The cubs’ mother brought all the taco fixings over and finally sat down herself. The family of foxes hungrily assembled and tore into their tacos, munching them down.

Eventually, they all started to slow down a bit. “Um…” Allie spoke up, having just finished her last taco. She wanted to make sure she had gotten dinner in before she broke the news, since she didn’t want to get sent to bed again without food. Everyone turned their attention to her, waiting for her to continue. “So...I have some...news.” She was going to say “[i]bad[/i] news,” but didn’t want to make things any worse than they needed to be.

Derek’s pulse quickened and he had to swallow. He took a drink of water to wet his suddenly parched throat. Their mother looked at Allie with a concerned expression, wondering what Allie could be going on about.

“I’m...pregnant,” she finally managed to blurt out. She had the test on her and had been clasping it in her paw ever since she finished eating. The fox teen slapped the plastic stick down on the table, showing that she was being serious.

The cubs’ dad choked on his water, coughing up some of it. He hadn’t quite expected that she would whip out the test right on the dinner table. Their mother gasped and dropped the last forkful of rice she had been preparing to eat, the utensil clattering loudly onto the table. She held a paw up to her mouth. It was honestly one of the last thing she’s had expected Allie to say.

“Are...are you sure?” she asked, hoping this was all some kind of strange joke that she didn’t understand. She didn’t wait for an answer, instead reaching over and picking up the test to examine it herself. Her eyes immediately darted between her two cubs, images of catching them tied together flashing through her mind.

Alex was equally stunned. His mouth was hanging agape, a look of fear and disbelief in his eyes. He felt like he was going to throw up. Tears formed in his eyes and his heart ached for Samantha; he didn’t know how he would ever explain this to her and felt as though he had betrayed and hurt her in every way possible.

“From when they mated?” their father needlessly suggested to his wife. Alex and Allie both shot him angry glares. Alex quickly stood up and shouted, “It’s not fair!” before stomping off up to his room and slamming the door. He threw himself down on his bed, crying into his pillow. His whole body hurt he was crying so hard. But like a flash, he suddenly remembered the times he had caught his dad and Allie mating, late in the night. Had [i]they[/i] been using condoms? Did mom know about [i]that[/i]? Couldn’t [i]he[/i] be the father?

Alex got back up and threw open his door, preparing to go back downstairs and drop this bombshell of information. Almost as if she had been anticipating it, Allie was already standing outside his door, waiting for him. She grabbed hold of her very upset little brother as he tried to storm past her.

“Let me go!” he cried, tears still streaming down his face.

“Alex. No,” Allie said calmly. She hugged him tightly and took him by his paw, leading him back into his room. Alex fought and struggled against her grip, but she had a firm hold on him. She closed the door behind them and stood in front of it. She wrapped her arms back around Alex and hugged him close. Alex just seemed to cry harder, sobbing against Allie’s chest.

“It’s not fair! It’s not fair!” he kept repeating, his attempts to escape dying down as he tried to take some comfort in his sister’s hug.

“I know, Alex. I know,” Allie cooed in a soothing tone. She brought her paw up to the back of his head, stroking him gently and trying to calm him down.

“What about Sam? Sam will…”

The pain hit him ten times harder as he thought about Samantha. He started to sob even harder.

“Alex...Sam already knows.”

Alex’s eyes shot open wide and he looked at his older sister with a look of absolute terror. A look of anger, confusion, and hurt spreading across his face.

“But, just listen,” Allie continued in the same calming tone. “I don’t think you’re the father. And I told Sam the same thing.”

Her little brother’s crying slowed down and he took a couple deep breaths, steadying himself.

“Dad and I...we’ve been [i]mating[/i],” she admitted, stressing the word and blushing as she did. “Like...a lot. I think he’s probably the one that got me pregnant.”

“I know,” Alex replied, wiping his tears away with his paw. “That’s what I was going to go tell mom.”

“You know?” Allie questioned. She had had a suspicion that he might have; they hadn’t exactly been quiet and her bedroom was right next to his.

Alex nodded. “Yeah, I saw and heard you guys a couple times.”

Allie blushed more at the revelation that her little brother had already known about her and their father’s secret. “Ah, well...You absolutely [i]cannot[/i] tell mom,” Allie’s tone became very serious. She held Alex by his shoulders, looking at him dead on.

“Why not?”

“Because if mom finds out that dad and I were...doing it...she’ll kill him. Or he’ll go to jail for a long time,” Allie explained to her naive little brother.

She could see the gears turning in Alex’s mind as he considered the consequences. She could tell the thought made him as uneasy as it did her, and he didn’t want that either. As much as he didn’t want to get in trouble with his mom or Samantha, he really didn’t want to lose his dad.

“What about Sam?” he finally asked, recalling what Allie had said about her already knowing.

“Sam knows that you likely aren’t the father. She’s okay.”

For the first time, Alex felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. He could finally breathe again and felt relief disseminating through his body as he relaxed some. “So...she’s not mad?” He wanted to double check. He was so afraid of losing her, of losing his true love.

Allie shook her head and smiled. “She’s not mad. I explained everything to her last night.”

“Last night??” Alex shot back, confused. “But...I talked to her last night and I saw her today and…” Alex stopped, realizing he had just admitted where he had actually gone after school. Still, his mind was more caught up on the fact that Samantha had apparently known and yet said nothing.

“I made her promise not to tell,” Allie clarified, seeing where her brother was going with this. “I wanted to be the one that told you. So don’t be upset with her, okay?”

Alex nodded. It was all starting to make so much sense now. He thought that Sam had seemed a little worried or like something was on her mind that afternoon. Allie led them over to Alex’s bed, holding onto his paw to encourage him to join her. They sat on the edge of his bed.

“What do you think mom and dad are saying?” Alex wondered.

“I dunno,” Allie replied, feeling a bit nervous and anxious herself.

Downstairs, Allie’s stunned parents were still sitting at the dinner table.

“What are we going to do?” Derek asked his wife. “Have Allie...take care of it?”

His wife looked at him, thinking it over. “I think it’s up to Allie. If she wants to go through with it, then, well…”

Their father’s mouth opened in surprise. Never had he considered that his wife would let Allie keep it. Not in a million years. His wife could see the shock and confusion on his face.

“It’s her decision,” she reiterated. “If she decides to have it then we can raise it as another one of our own cubs.”

Derek swallowed at just how much truth there was to that statement. Luckily, his wife passed it off as simple anxiety about the situation in general. He nodded in agreement.

“Do you think we should try to...comfort her...or something?” he asked.

The cubs’ mother shook her head. “No. I think they each need some time alone right now.”

Later that night, when Samantha called, Allie explained what had transpired at dinner. Sam sighed; she knew it was going to be hard on Alex, but she didn’t realize just [i]how[/i] hard.

“Is he okay now?” she asked, obviously concerned.

“Yeah, I think so. Here. I’ll give him the phone.”

Allie went to her brother’s room and knocked on his door, handing him the phone when he answered it. Samantha explained to Alex how she had wanted to tell him about everything so badly and that she knew he wasn’t the father, but Allie had made her promise not to.

“I understand,” Alex replied softly.

The cubs continued chatting for a while, both of them wondering what would happen next. They noted that with the school year coming to a close, at least Allie wouldn’t look pregnant during school. And because of the short gestation period for foxes, she’d just get big over summer break and give birth before her and Sam started high school. That part of the conversation made Alex sad again: remembering that starting next year Sam and Allie would be going to an entirely different school.

“Don’t worry silly! We’ve still got all of summer ahead of us! And it’s not like that means we won’t still be boyfriend and girlfriend!” Samantha reassured him.

It helped, but there was still a part of him that was unsure. Wouldn’t there be a lot more boys in high school? Teenagers with cars and muscles and stuff that she’d find way more attractive?

Next door, in Allie’s room, her mother entered just as her daughter was climbing into bed. She sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled warmly at Allie.

“Hey sweetie.”

“Hey mom.”

They both sounded a bit somber, but you could hear the love in each of their voices. Her mom put her paw on top of the blanket, resting it gently atop Allie’s leg.

“Your father and I spoke, and, we decided that we will support you with whatever you choose to do. If you want to go through with it, we’ll raise your and Alex’s cub as one of own – like another little brother and sister for you two. Nobody will ever have to know any different, okay?”

Allie nodded. She had already made up her mind that that was what she wanted to do. After her mom said goodnight and left, Allie placed her paws upon her tummy. She thought warmly about the tiny fox cub growing inside of her. She already loved it dearly. Allie rubbed her abdomen and smiled, wondering if the cub inside her was a boy or a girl.

[ONE MONTH LATER]

It was the last week of the school year and Allie and Samantha were busy finishing up their final year of middle school. Classes were chaotic and the whole building was abuzz with excitement as summer break loomed just around the corner.

Sam was excited, and a little bit nervous – not to start high school – but for an entirely different reason. She had been counting the days, keeping track of her heat cycle. By her calculations, she should have gone into heat several days ago, yet there hadn’t been any signs that her monthly estrus  was coming. Her and Alex had still been fooling around, of course, though admittedly less than the week or so she was in heat.

“You gonna walk home with us today, Sam?” Allie piped up from behind Samantha as she dug around inside her locker.

“Nah, I have something I need to do after school…” Sam tried to state it as plainly as possible as to not pique Allie’s interest.

“What’s up?”

Damn. It looked like she was curious anyways.

Samantha hated to lie to her friend, but she didn’t want to start any worries or rumors when she didn’t need to. “Just an errand my mom wanted me to run,” Sam replied, turning to give Allie a sympathetic smile.

“Bummer.” Evidently, Allie had bought that and was willing to drop the subject.

“I’ll call tonight though?” Sam tried to make it up to Allie in some way.

“Cool!”

The teenage snow leopard closed her locker door and shifted the weight of her backpack on her back. Allie and Samantha both walked towards the school’s entrance, stepping out into the beautiful afternoon weather. It was definitely summer – or at least it felt like summer. There was a gentle breeze, the sun was shining brightly, and there wasn’t a cloud in the clear blue sky.

“Catch ya’ later!” Sam bid Allie as she turned to take a slightly modified path home.

“See ya!”

As Samantha walked, her paws up near her shoulders, idly holding onto her backpack straps, she was mostly looking down at her feet. She watched as crack after crack of the hot sidewalk passed underneath her as her feet carried her closer and closer to her destination, almost as if on autopilot. Her mind was racing and her pulse was not far behind. It was like she could [i]feel[/i] the drug store getting closer, could feel her own destiny closing in around her.

Before she knew it, the white facade of the building was right in front of her. She closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath through her wet, black nose. When she let it out, she opened her eyes back up – a look of determination and courage behind them. The familiar chime sounded as she entered and she made her way directly back to the aisle where she knew the pregnancy tests were located.

She quickly snatched up the very same test she had bought Allie only a month earlier. Holding the box down by her skirt, against her leg, trying to obscure what she was carrying as best she could, Samantha quickly made for the front of the store. When she came up to the registers, she was relieved to see there weren’t any other customers.

Standing behind the counter was the same, kind mouse that had helped her locate the tests the first time – Liz. Sam smiled and felt a bit of relief; at least it wasn’t that cheetah that seemed to idolize molasses. The clerk smiled, recognizing Samantha from before.

“Hey! Find everything you needed?” she asked in a cheerful tone.

“Y-yeah,” Sam nervously set the box down on the counter. As kind as the female employee was, Sam was a little bit wishing it had been someone else entirely – at least then they wouldn’t remember her buying the same thing a month ago.

Liz looked down and scanned the package. “Oh – did the last one not work for your friend? If not I think we might have some sort of refund policy…”

Samantha cut her off before she could launch into a nervous explanation. “No. This one’s….for me.”

The young snow leopard could feel her cheeks becoming intensely warm. Her brain was recognizing all the things she had just admitted to someone who was essentially a total stranger: you’ve had sex recently, [i]unprotected sex[/i], you are missing your heat. Samantha’s ears became hot as they too flushed.

She wasn’t the only one feeling embarrassed either; Sam could see the clerk’s face redden as she suddenly fell silent. “I-I see,” was all she said, trying to remain as polite and non-judgmental as she could. They hastily finished up the transaction and just as she had done before, Samantha shoved the test kit into her backpack and left as soon as she could.

Once she was back outside she felt like she could at least finally breathe again. But, the anxiety still lingered as she headed off briskly towards her home. When she finally arrived, she was relieved to see that she was the only one who had made it home so far. Samantha ran up the stairs, threw her backpack on her bed and opened it. She snatched up the test and rushed into the bathroom, knowing there was a chance her parents would be coming home at any moment.

Using her claws, she tore into the box, being sure not to damage the instructions inside. She laid the paper flat out, next to the sink, and started to unzip her skirt as she read. Her skirt fell down around her feet, leaving her standing in a pair of red panties and white school shirt. “Urinate directly onto stick for…” Samantha mumbled the instructions to herself, under her breath, as her eyes quickly darted back and forth over the page.

She removed the plastic stick from the package and walked over to the toilet, slipping her underwear down with her other paw as she did. Sam stepped out of them completely after they slid down to her feet; no sense keeping them on to accidentally pee on them or something.

The 13-year-old snow leopard cub sat down on the toilet, spreading her legs wide apart so she could see what she was doing. Samantha held her paw between her legs, holding the test underneath her slit. She did her best to relax, but the pee just didn’t seem to be coming.

Sam’s expression soured. “Dammit! C’mon!” But she knew that the harder she tried to concentrate on going, the harder it was going to be to actually go.

She tried to think of some way she could relax. “Hmm, there is one thing that usually makes me feel like I have to pee…” Sam thought to herself.

Samantha lifted her butt off of the seat so she would have more room and held the test a bit lower, giving herself better access. With her other paw, she reached down and started to rub circles over her clitoris with her fingers. She let out a soft little moan as she stimulated herself, waking up her young libido. Her eyes closed and she pictured Alex’s thick, red cock and continued to paw herself.

Within about thirty seconds she could already feel the side-effects of playing with herself. That familiar feeling of needing to pee that occasionally accompanied sexual pleasure was there, becoming increasingly loud. Focusing on that, Sam was finally able to start. However, she hadn’t actually stopped rubbing herself either. She started to pee; the stream of urine haphazardly splashed against the stick and on her paw some. That quickly snapped her out of it, reminding her that her primary goal here was not masturbation, but to take the pregnancy test.

Reluctantly she stopped and withdrew the paw that had been teasing her clit. She looked down between her legs, focusing on the test. Doing it this way, she was able to carefully direct the window of the test into the stream without getting any more on her paw. Once she had finished, she flushed and headed over to the sink, setting the test down on the instructions. Sam eagerly peeked over at the test as she washed her paws; it was still blank. Her eyes wandered over the directions once more as she toweled off her clean paws.

“Fifteen minutes!?” she said aloud, re-reading the part about how long she needed to wait before any accurate results could be determined. She let out a sigh, blowing it up against her bangs as she looked at herself in the mirror. 

“Well, I can’t just leave it sitting in here. What if someone came home?”

It was like she was arguing with her reflection about what she should do. Her mirror image grinned at her, its gaze turning a little sultry. This time, the reply was in her mind. “Weeeeell...you [i]did[/i] kind of start something there that you should probably finish…” Her young body was still wondering why the pleasure had stopped so abruptly – that’s not how this usually went. Samantha could feel the slickness and warmth between her legs as the need within her smoldered.

She hurried back over, taking a seat down on the toilet again. This time, her legs were spread for a very different reason. Sam picked up right where she left off and resumed rubbing her clit with a steady circular motion. She was rewarded with a burst of pleasure that forced another small moan from her lips. Again, she closed her eyes, imagining her lover’s cock in all the detail she could remember.

The young snow leopard cub was too caught up in pawing herself to hear the car pull into the driveway and the front door open and close. In fact, it wasn’t until there was a knock at the bathroom door that Samantha realized someone else was home.

“Sam, are you in there?” her mother asked from the other side of the door.

Sam’s eyes shot open and her heart skipped a beat. “Y-yeah mom!” Sam answered back, a little louder than necessary. She prayed that she hadn’t been making any kind of suggestive noises up to the moment that her mom had knocked. Her paw was still pressing against her clit, but all movement had stopped.

“Okay. I’m gonna start making dinner here shortly and wouldn’t mind your help. Your father is picking up Claire from daycare today.”

“Okay mom!” Sam responded, starting to get a little irritated at the interruption.

She listened as her mother’s footsteps faded down the hallway. Sam eyed the clock that was hanging on the wall; it still hadn’t yet been fifteen minutes. Not to mention...

Samantha started to rub herself again, her pawing become more and more rapid. She could feel a moan quaking in her throat and quickly reached up with her other paw to cover her mouth, muffling the sound. Heavy, labored breathing escaped through her nose. Her wet sex provided plenty of lubrication for her fingers as they vigorously slid back and forth over her stiff nub.

Her breathing became much more erratic as she approached climax. Suddenly, it was there; Samantha’s spotted legs straightened, sticking out in front of her. Her toes spread apart and muscles trembled, forcing the claws on her feet out. She was shaking so much she had to reach down with the paw covering her mouth just to hold onto the toilet for stability. Unfortunately, this meant that she was no longer stifling her sounds; she quickly bit her lip to try to stay quiet, but not before a small pleasured squeak had escaped, resounding in the bathroom.

Sam only cared for about a fraction of second before her attention was forced back onto the pleasure racking her body. She held on, occasionally rubbing her clit a little more, drawing out the feeling as she came. In her mind, she pictured Alex’s cock, imagining hot bursts of cum shooting from the tip. Her body responded in kind, her empty vagina fruitlessly clamping down, trying to milk the seed from a penis that wasn’t there. She shoved her paw back, quickly curling two fingers inside to satisfy the need to feel something inside of her. Her pussy contracted around her fingers, squeezing them rhythmically.

It was exactly what her body had been looking for; her orgasm seemed to flood over, reaching new heights. The teenage snow leopard moaned into her mouth, the sound still loud enough to be heard if someone was listening at the door.

After several seconds more, she finally seemed to be coming down. Her body relaxed and she started to pant, trying to catch her breath after all the exertion. Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the bathroom door.

“Sam? You alright in there honey?”

It was Sam’s mother again.

Samantha’s heart leapt up into her throat and she swallowed it back down. She quickly tried to steady her breathing and sound as normal as possible.

“Y-yeah mom. I’m f-fine!”

“Okay… I was just getting worried. You’ve been in there a while and I thought I heard some noises or something.”

Sam’s faced burned with the heat of embarrassment. “Had she heard!?” the young snow leopard thought to herself in a panic. There was nothing she could do even if she had though; finally, she remembered she should probably respond to her mother once more.

“I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute!”

This time was much more convincing and her mother shrugged, walking back down the hallway. Samantha looked up at the clock. More than enough time had passed. She slowly stood, finding her knees and legs still a bit weak and wobbly. She stumbled over to the sink, holding her breath with anticipation. She braced herself on the edge of the counter with both paws and loomed over the test looking down at it. The indication couldn’t have been clearer.

100% pregnant.

Sam could feel tears welling up in her eyes, whether from excitement or sorrow or joy or anxiety she couldn’t tell. So many feelings were going on inside of her, some only lasting for a second or two before they were replaced by another. She looked down at her belly, bewildered. Slowly, she lifted her paw, placing it affectionately over her lower abdomen.

“Inside here...is mine and Alex’s...cub…” she said softly to herself. She felt a smile grow on her face and looked up into the mirror. But as soon as she saw her smiling reflection, she instantly felt guilty. Her expression soured and the reality of the situation sank in; she was still but a cub herself, as was Alex.

“I’m pregnant...H-how will I tell mom and dad?” Samantha looked down at the positive test. “Well, I can’t let them find out by finding this…” She reached down and picked up the white plastic stick, looking around the bathroom and trying to figure out what she was going to do with it. Her gaze fell upon the small trashcan near the toilet, filled with tissues and other small debris. The young snow leopard squatted down, burying her paw down towards the bottom to hide the test underneath the other refuse.

Samantha quickly got dressed again and washed her paws again before finally leaving the bathroom. She stashed the empty package the test came in, along with the instructions, back inside her backpack before heading downstairs to help her mother with dinner.

Her mother evidently was none the wiser as to her [i]activities[/i] in the bathroom. She started to ask Samantha about her day as she idly chopped vegetables and had Samantha get some water boiling.

“Whew...that’s a relief,” Sam thought to herself.

------------------

Later that night, Samantha was just pulling her pajama bottoms on when there was a gentle knock on her bedroom door.

“Just a minute!”

She grabbed the large, sleepy shirt off her bed and pulled it down over her head.

“Come in!”

The doorknob turned and her door swung open. It was her mother; she smiled softly at Samantha, holding both her paws behind her back. She entered and closed the door behind her.

“Hey Sam,” she started in a soothe, gentle voice. Her tone was almost [i]too[/i] gentle. “Is there anything you want to talk about?”

There was a short pause where Samantha was trying to read what exactly her mother was going on about. Had she figured it out already? Had she sensed it somehow with her mom-super powers!?

“N-no, I think I’m good!”

Her mother sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to her. Sam took the invitation, sitting down on the bed next to her mom. Her mom placed a paw gently on Samantha’s leg.

“Sam...I found this...in the trashcan…”

She pulled her other paw out from behind her back, holding up the positive pregnancy test. Samantha’s heart stopped for a second, before starting to pound furiously inside her chest. Her face reddened and her ears burned.

Her mother continued, “I was taking out the bathroom trash because it was rather full and...well, this fell out through a small hole in the bag…” Sam’s mom frowned.

Samantha burst into tears, throwing her arms around her mother. Sam’s mom pulled her cub in close, patting and stroking her head in a reassuring manner. “Shh shh shh,” she cooed, holding her daughter’s head against her chest. “So I take it it’s real then?”

Sam nodded, her face still buried safely, hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

“W-who’s the father?” her mother asked, an obvious hint of nervousness in her voice.

“Alex,” Samantha replied matter-of-factly.

“Alex…?” Sam’s mother had to think for a second. “Allie’s little brother?”

Samantha nodded again, squeezing her mother tight.

“Is he even old enough to-” Sam’s mom cut her own question short, since the answer was obviously yes. “And you’re sure he’s the father?”

Sam nodded again.

“Does he know?”

Samantha shook her head this time, sniffling.

“N-no,” Sam managed between softening cries, “Y-you’re the first.”

Sam’s fists were balled up, squeezing her bedding in her paws. Her mother held her tight and kissed her head.

“It’s alright Sam. We’ll figure this out. Okay?”

For the first time, Sam pulled back, looking up into her mother’s eyes. It was clear they were full of nothing but love and concern. She even smiled.

“Y-you’re not mad?” Samantha asked nervously.

After a brief pause, considering her response, her mother finally replied. “Well, I’m not [i]thrilled[/i], but I’m not mad either. I just wish you would have told me you were in heat so that I could have gotten you some condoms or something…”

A pang of guilt rocketed through Sam’s heart, remembering her choice to leave the condoms Allie had given her, unused in her backpack.

“Do you want to tell your father, or should I?”

Sam’s expression became very nervous and fearful. She really didn’t want to disappoint either of her parents, but especially her dad. Her and her mother had always been close, and while she had a good relationship with her dad, it wasn’t the same. She was worried that he would be mad or disown her or worse.

But, Samantha’s mother had already deciphered the look on her daughter’s face.

“It’s okay. I’ll tell him.”

“Thanks mom…”

Samantha’s mom stood, the positive test still in her paw. She started walking towards the door.

“Mom?”

Her mother stopped and turned back around. “Hm?”

“Can I keep it?”

Sam’s mom gave her a cautious, concerned look.

“We could raise it as a little brother or sister to me and Claire?” Sam continued, suggested something similar to what Allie’s family was doing. Nobody else knew of course that Allie was pregnant, and Samantha wasn’t about to give that up either.

Her mom’s mouth twisted as if in thought. “We’ll see.”

“Okay…” Samantha replied. It was much less of a concrete answer than she was hoping for, but she figured it was the best she was going to get for now. Her parents had always been fairly lenient, and they certainly had the money.

Samantha’s mom smiled at her, seeing her daughter’s concern. “I’ll talk it over with your father tonight and let you know in the morning, okay?”

“Okay. G’night mom. And...sorry…” Sam looked down at her feet, which were hanging off the edge of the bed.

“Goodnight darling. And it’s okay, I understand. I was a young cub once too ya know.”

The pair smiled at each other and Sam crawled under the covers. Her mother turned off the overhead light, leaving just Samantha’s bedside lamp lighting the room. She pulled the door quietly closed behind her and left.

Samantha only realized then that she hadn’t called Allie and Alex tonight. Ultimately, she decided that this was news she needed to deliver in person. It was far too late to call now anyway.

All night, her mind was racing and it took forever to fall asleep, but when she finally did, she dreamed of babies. Her mind was trying to conjure up what her and Alex’s cub would look like. Would it be more of a fox with snow leopard-esque traits, or the other way around? What would they name it? Would it be a boy or a girl? Most important: would she even get to keep it?

------------------

The next morning, when Sam headed downstairs for breakfast, she found her mother and father waiting for her at the table. Claire was in the other room, absorbed in her morning cartoons.

“Good morning Sam,” her father said somewhat curtly. Her mother elbowed him and he winced. “How’d you sleep?” this time, his voice was kinder, softer.

“Okay I guess…” Sam nervously rubbed one foot with the other.

“Go ahead and sit down,” her mother instructed, smiling and trying to ease the tension.

Sam did as she was told, pulling out a chair and sitting down at the table.

“Your father and I have decided that whatever you choose is what we will do. We have the money and your father and I had already been thinking about maybe having another cub someday...so, if you want to do your idea where we raise it as one of our own...that’s okay.”

Samantha beamed. “YES!” she shouted, before even really thinking about what she was saying. Clair turned her head, curious about the commotion, but was quickly sucked back into her cartoons.

“But…” her mother continued, her tone become serious, “You have to tell Alex and the rest of the Rockfords, okay? And they have to be okay with it too.”

Samantha nodded in understanding. It made sense; technically it would be their grandcub too…

It was then that Sam remembered one important fact: her and her sister were both pure-blood snow leopards, since both of their parents were also snow leopards. Wouldn’t it be strange, especially if the new cub looked more like a fox?

As if she could already see the gears at work in her daughter’s mind, Samantha’s mother spoke up. “Don’t worry. We know that there’s a chance your cub will be more like a fox than a leopard...” she smiled softly, thinking of the hybrid growing insider her daughter, “...and that’s fine. We can always say we adopted.”

Relieved, Samantha smiled back. Now all that was left was to tell Alex and the rest of the Rockfords.

------------------

“Hey Alex, can I talk to you real quick?” Sam asked, stopping by his locker early in the morning the next day.

“Of course! What’s up?” Alex asked cheerfully.

“Well...it’s kind of a private matter…,” Samantha said in a somewhat hushed tone, her eyes darting around them. “Maybe we should go to the stairs?”

“Oh?” Alex couldn’t help but feel a little bit of excitement. After all, those stairs had been their [i]special meeting place[/i] on more than one occasion. He wondered, and secretly hoped, that this was going to be something similar.

Sam took his paw in her own and lead him away after he shut his locker. They reached the stairs in no time and, after making sure that nobody was around to see them, stepped over the chain that was strung across them. They walked at a somewhat brisk pace, their shoes slapping against the treads of the stairs. Once they were at the top, Sam turned to Alex and looked nervously at him.

She had no idea how he was going to react; would he be upset? Happy? Sad? There was only one way to find out. The young snow leopard took a deep breath, balling her paws into fists at her sides to steel her nerves.

“Alex...I’m pregnant...with your cub.”

Immediately after saying it she felt dumb for adding the last part. “Of [i]course[/i] with his cub!” Sam silently chastised herself in her mind as she tried to gauge Alex’s expression.

For a minute, his face was blank. It was as though he had heard the words, but his brain hadn’t yet finished parsing out their meaning. He was stunned.

“Wait, for real?” Alex questioned in disbelief. He smiled, thinking that maybe this was all some kind of joke or prank.

Samantha nodded. “For real.” She took hold of his paw and pushed it under her shirt, placing it against her bare abdomen. “Inside of here…” She paused, looking into his eyes, “Is your kit. Your puppy. [i]Our[/i] cub.”

Alex’s eyes lit up with excitement and his face flushed. “S-Samantha!” he shouted, which echoed down the stairwell. He rushed in and kissed her, throwing his orange and black arms around her. “I’m so happy!” he said bit more softly.

“Y-yeah?” Sam asked, caught a little bit off guard. The relief in her voice was palpable. She hugged Alex back and squeezed him tight. The two young lovers stayed like that for a moment, just silently enjoying each other’s embrace. “D-do you think Allie will be mad?” she finally asked.

Alex moved back, looking into Sam’s eyes. “No? Why do you think she’d be mad?”

Samantha shrugged. “I dunno. I guess cuz you’re her little brother and she’s protective of you and...well, with her already being pregnant, this probably complicates things, ya know?”

The excitement washed away from Alex’s face and his shoulders slumped as he realized that his mom and dad would need to find out too, and they [i]definitely[/i] wouldn’t be too thrilled to hear about this. Especially since their mom already thought he was the one that got Allie pregnant too.

“Don’t worry – I’ll be with you when you tell your parents,” Sam reassured him, taking his paw in hers and giving it a little squeeze. “And my parents are open to doing kind of the same thing you guys are – raise it as a little brother or sister for me and Claire. That is...assuming everyone else is okay with that too.”

Alex looked a little less worried with the reassurance, but he still knew it wasn’t going to be a fun conversation to have.

------------------

After school, the three cubs walked home together, each of them feeling particularly anxious. Samantha had told Allie after school and she had been surprised, but, not as surprised as Sam thought she would have been. They did their best to try to distract themselves and keep their minds off the topic of pregnancy, but to limited success. When they got to Alex and Allie’s, they sat on the couch in the living room, flipping through the channels on the TV aimlessly. Alex kept looking over at the clock, counting down the minutes until his mom and dad would be getting home.

The cubs’ mother arrived first, with their father showing up not long after. Sam took Alex’s paw and held it in her own as they sat on the couch, reminding him that he was not alone. Allie took his other paw, doing the same. Knowing he had the support of his big sister and his girlfriend would make this a bit more bearable at least.

“M-mom? Dad?” Alex called out to his parents who were in the kitchen.

They both came into the living room, looking at the three cubs sitting on their couch. Something was strange...but they didn’t know what. One could feel the nervous tension in the air.

“What is it dear?” Alex’s mother asked him, holding a glass of water in her left paw.

“S-Sam….Samantha….” Alex stuttered, trying hard to get the words out. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t seem to form the words he needed. His brain shut down, forbidding him from revealing their secret.

“I’m pregnant,” Samantha spoke up on behalf of Alex. “...with Alex’s cub.”

Their mother dropped the glass she was holding. It fell to the floor, spilling its contents all over the carpet. Both of the cubs’ parents stared in disbelief, their mouths open. For a moment, they were simply too stunned to speak. It was Alex’s mother that spoke first.

“A-are you sure?”

Samantha nodded.

Alex’s mother looked at him. “I guess it’s [i]you[/i] we should have gotten the condoms for!” she said sternly, her eyes narrowing a bit.

“I-it’s my fault,” Samantha contended. “A-Alex wanted to use condoms but…” she looked down at her feet in shame.

She had jumped in front of the bullet for her love, deciding to take the brunt of their mother’s disapproval. Alex squeezed her paw as a small gesture of thanks.

“And what do you have to say for yourself?” their mother asked Alex sternly.

“S-sorry,” he mumbled, looking down towards the floor, his ears folding down and his shoulders slumping.

“I...I just...can’t believe that you not only got your [i]sister[/i] pregnant...but her [i]best friend[/i] too!” the cubs’ mother stammered. Alex had to bite his tongue to fight back the rage and tears; Allie was not his fault! But he knew that it would only mean more trouble for his sister and his dad if he said otherwise. Besides, she probably wouldn’t believe him anyway at this point.

“What are you going to do?” the cubs’ father finally asked Samantha, trying to take on a softer, more concerned tone than their mother.

“I’m going to keep it. And...if it’s alright with everyone else, we were planning on raising it as our own. My family, I mean. So like a sibling to me and my sister,” Samantha answered.

Derek and his wife shot each other quick, nervous glances. It was the exact same plan that their family had chosen for Allie; did Samantha know? They didn’t want to risk her not knowing and finding out, so they both kept their mouths shut.

“I...think that’d be okay,” their father answered without even having a chance to discuss it with his wife. The truth of the matter was, they were already going to have to deal with a new cub they hadn’t planned for, and it was going to be enough of a financial burden already. Adding yet another cub into that mix would simply be untenable for the Rockfords; not so for Samantha’s family. His wife shot him a glare but knew that it was probably the right call. She collected herself and turned back to Samantha, nodding in agreement.

“Yes. I think that will be fine.”

And with that, it was decided. Both families would soon be raising brand new babies – their own grandcubs – alongside their current cubs. It was certainly going to be an interesting summer.