Harvey had followed them back to their cave, wanting to give Novalyn a full checkup somewhere she felt more comfortable.
When they reached the entrance, Cadmus stopped abruptly and blocked Harvey with his body.
"Welcome to our home," he said in a tone that suggested it was anything but Harvey's home.
Harvey lifted his chin, unbothered. "Thank you. I'll only look over Novalyn and then get out of your coils."
Kallis flicked his tongue. "See that you do."
Novalyn lightly elbowed his ribs. "Be nice."
Kallis didn't apologize, but he did smooth his expression into something less likely to cause a heart attack.
Harvey stepped inside and paused, eyes widening at the fully furnished interior—the bed, the hearth, the polished stone floors. "…This is better than half the houses in Camel Hump Valley."
Cadmus puffed up proudly. "Of course it is. Our female deserves the best."
Harvey gave Novalyn a look—half amusement, half sympathy. "They're a lot."
"You have no idea," she whispered back.
Kallis cleared his throat sharply. "The exam."
Harvey straightened, slipping back into his careful, confident healer persona. He set his bag down and gestured for Novalyn to sit at the edge of the bed.
Cadmus hovered at her right.
Kallis hovered at her left.
Both glared daggers at Harvey's hands.
"I can't check anything if you two stand over me like I'm about to steal her." Harvey crossed his arms. "I'm not strong enough to kidnap a rabbit, much less your female."
The brothers stilled.
"…You will not touch her anywhere unnecessary," Kallis warned.
Harvey rolled his eyes. "I'm not a pervert, I'm a healer."
Novalyn giggled, and both serpents softened instantly.
Harvey crouched in front of her, his hands gentle and steady. He checked her pulse, the warmth of her skin, the tension in her abdomen. He was thorough but respectful, never lingering in a way that would trigger territorial instinct.
Harvey blinked. "I didn't notice this before but I feel two sets. Like… two rhythms. Two types of lifeforce. It's unusual, but not dangerous."
Novalyn inhaled sharply.
This was it.
The moment was here.
And it came naturally—Harvey sensing something he didn't understand, the twins tense and confused, all three waiting for her words.
Harvey looked up at her with a slow, steady smile. "Whatever it is, they're strong. Healthier than any unborn cubs I've ever seen."
Cadmus and Kallis leaned toward her, protective, worried, hopeful.
Novalyn placed her hands over her belly.
"There's something I need to tell all of you," she said softly, but firmly. "Before things go any further."
The entire cave fell silent.
Novalyn sat with her hands folded gently over her stomach. "It concerns the cubs."
Cadmus and Kallis immediately drew closer—Cadmus with restless energy, Kallis with braided tension through his posture. Harvey lingered at the edge of the light, gaze darting as if he wasn't entirely sure he had the right to stand close.
Novalyn inhaled slowly. The system chimed faintly in her mind—[Be truthful. Qilin do not lie.]
She nodded to herself.
"What I'm carrying… they weren't originally my children."
Three heads snapped toward her.
She continued gently, "My beast form—its fertility is different from any other. Qilin have the ability to… preserve lost life."
Harvey blinked. "Preserve…?"
Kallis' silver eyes narrowed, thoughtful. Cadmus simply froze, utterly silent.
Novalyn pressed her palm to her belly. A warm gold glow shimmered faintly under her touch, the Qilin's blessing responding.
She had been thinking of how to explain this for awhile, she needed to be truthful but not speak of her reincarnation.
"I can create soul-seeds. Not new life—lost life. Ones that never had the chance to truly live. If a beastman died with some good in them... the Qilin can catch the remnants of that beastman's soul and give it a vessel."
Harvey's jaw dropped. "You… you can save them?"
"Yes," she whispered. "When I arrived I found them drifting. Hungry. Unanchored. They came to me because the Qilin's presence gave them a chance to exist again but this time free from the chains of their past."
Cadmus finally exhaled, voice raspy. "So the cubs… aren't yours?"
Novalyn looked up, meeting both brothers' eyes without flinching.
"No. Not biologically."
A heavy silence filled the chamber.
But then she smiled—soft, warm, radiant.
"But I chose them. And because you've chosen to court me… you can choose them too. If you want to."
Cadmus swallowed hard, eyes burning.
Kallis' stoic expression cracked at the edges, a shadow of something deeply protective taking shape.
Harvey stepped closer—just one small, brave step.
"What… what kind of cubs are they, Novalyn?"
The system shimmered softly in her mind, granting permission.
She let the warmth rise in her voice.
"Two types. One crocodile… and a set of wolf twins."
Kallis crossed his arms, grounding himself. "Crocodile and wolf? That's a dangerous combination for a single pregnancy."
"It would be," Novalyn confirmed, "if not for the Qilin's blessing. My womb… adjusts. No one is harmed by the other."
For the first time, Cadmus knelt before her, expression open and unguarded.
"Then they're safe? Truly safe?"
"Yes."
His voice softened to a whisper.
"Then… I want to meet them. All of them. When they're ready."
Kallis lowered himself beside his brother, nodding gravely.
"We will protect what she protects."
Harvey swallowed, looking between them—then slowly knelt too, tail curling forward nervously.
"I… I want to help however she needs," he managed, cheeks flushing at his own sudden bravery.
Novalyn's throat tightened with warmth.
The system pinged softly.
[Affection Gains:
Cadmus +10
Kallis +8
Harvey +12
System Comment: "Qilin Honesty Increases Bond Stability."]
Novalyn smiled, tears pricking her eyes.
Her cubs were safe.
Her truth was spoken.
And none of them had turned from her.
Maybe she would be able to heal this world after all.