August 20, 2022. Here is Jenny's final chapter. I hope this wraps up everything decently and gives the story a more complete feeling. Please Enjoy ^_^

"Come on Mama. Pleeeease! Pretty, pretty please," Maeve badgered Jenny relentlessly. "Didn't you say it's my birthday? I'm a big female. Nine years old." Noticing that she wasn't convincing her mother that way, Maeve changed her words. "Papa Shoal got his third stripe. He's strong and will keep us safe."

Jenny sighed deeply. Her daughter was relentless. Maeve was getting more creative with how she asked for things as she got older. Her tactics constantly changed showing her intelligence. She was already starting to read others and adjust her words based on their reactions.

'My daughter is scary,' she thought humorously. Taking a look into those expectant eyes, Jenny almost caved. "No is no," she said firmly. Noticing an extreme pout overcoming her daughter's face, Jenny's lip twitched. 'Here come the sad puppy eyes.'

Her wolf cubs had nothing on Maeve. "Mama, hungry," Jade said as she waddled up to Jenny. Her three-year old was always hungry and even had some pudge on her. Jenny was thrilled that she had a strong appetite and never denied her the food. It wasn't like she fed her daughter junk and she was far from being unhealthy.

"Okay, I'll get your snack," Jenny made it a point to avoid the heated gaze of her eldest daughter. She made a plate of fruits for Jade and sat her down with them.

"Mama Jen," Susu whispered. If Jenny didn't know to listen for the girl, she might have missed that.

"Would you like a plate too?" Jenny asked. Susu nodded shyly while gripping Jenny's pant leg.

Once the two were settled, Jenny went back to the current battle. "Maeve, I know you want to play, but the ocean is dangerous. Even with Shoal there to protect you, it isn't enough." She knew her daughter understood this, but Maeve was always very stubborn.

Maeve was a beautiful child. Jenny believed in various forms of beauty, but her daughter fell into this world's standard of pretty. She was a near carbon copy of Mestor. Anyone could tell that she would grow up to be stunning and it scared Jenny.

Over the years, they've had several run in's with ferals. One snake even tried to snatch Maeve. Jenny could not chance that again. But... She knew she couldn't restrict the free-spirited Maeve forever. "How about this? We can all go together." Jenny motioned to the sleeping Sieg, herself, and Maeve.

Maeve's eyes lit back up and she jumped around in excitement. As long as she got to play in the ocean with her brother, she'd be happy. It was so much fun to ride on Papa Shoal's back while Mama's youngest cub jumped around them.

Jenny smiled a little. A moment later, Maeve was asking for her own plate. Mestor chuckled in the background making her roll her eyes. 'What a helpful dad he was,' Jenny thought.

"Smells funny," Jade said from her seat as she sniffed Susu who was sitting next to her. "Not like Mama." Unshed tears welled up in Susu's eyes at that comment.

"Jade. We don't say things like that," Jenny scolded lightly. "It's okay Susu." She said as she comforted the child. Jade was as blunt as her father. Looking at her youngest daughter's empty plate, Jenny thought, 'She got his appetite too'.

"Why is Susu upset? Why is Jade wrong?" Asked the curious Maeve. She had been too excited about her beach trip pay attention before.

"Jade said something insensitive and it hurt Susu," Jenny said.

"What was it?" Maeve questioned with a twinkle in her eye.

Jenny shook her head. Maeve liked gossip too much. "Mama Jen, is it bad that I don't smell like you?" Susu caught her attention.

"No honey. It's not bad at all," Jenny tried to find the words to explain to the child.

"Oh," Maeve had a moment of understanding. "You can't smell like Mama since your not Mama's child." Maeve said like she was very smart for deducing that.

"Maeve!" Jenny scolded a little harshly. "Listen here cubs. Just because I did not birth Susu does not mean she is any less. She is my daughter as much as you two are." Jenny knew that Jade was too young for this conversation, but Maeve would be able to understand.

Jenny did not expect Bai to up and disappear one day. Parker and Muir had immediately run off to look for her, leaving Susu and Harvey behind. When it was determined that Bai really disappeared, Parker and Muir didn't return. They focused on gaining their stripes and nothing else.

A sullen Harvey had shown up on her doorstep carrying Susu with him, two eagle chicks in and two leopards in tow. Jenny had severed her ties with Bai, but... When the former disappeared, Jenny couldn't hold a grudge against Harvey anymore. If she could even call what she held on to a real grudge. Jenny knew Harvey wasn't responsible for what happened, but their friendship hadn't been the same. It had never recovered entirely after the St. Zachary incident.

Knowing their predicament, Jenny couldn't deny helping Susu and the young cubs. In the end, Bai never came back and Jenny raised Susu like her own. Winston had built a large den for Bai's male cubs to live in until they matured. That den became an orphanage of sorts and Jenny ended up managing it. She didn't mind it, in fact, she enjoyed it. Most of the children were self sufficient, but she was able to teach them other things.

It was difficult to tell how well they were learning since they could not speak to her, but she felt it was productive anyway. After teaching the children, she earned a new title and job. Jenny had already taught many females to cook, crochet, and apply weaving skills elsewhere. It wasn't her goal to spread knowledge of crafts, but she was often approached and asked. She had no reason to deny others most information and readily shared what she could.

Jenny liked it and had used the opportunity to pass off her doctorly duties to her two apprentices. She would still help out sometimes, usually during birth, but otherwise left it to those two. Teaching was a much less stressful job that Jenny was enjoying.

Realizing she was acting like an old lady by reminiscing on her life, Jenny went back to tending to her cubs. She took Jade's plate away and caught the girl sticking her dirty hands into her shoulder length hair. Sighing, Jenny helped her clean up while marveling at how much she looked like a mix of her parents. Jade looked like Jenny with Sieg's coloring, but she resembled her dad in behavior. It wasn't like she could say that with certainty since her daughter was still so young, but some traits stuck out to her already.

Turning to her wild child, Jenny smiled at the energetic girl. Maeve was more chaotic than herself or Mestor, but Jenny felt she resembled her father more. Susu got up to take care of her dishes herself and Jenny praised her. Susu smiled cutely as she tried her best to wash the dish.

Susu was the calmest and easiest to care for out of her children. She was introverted and thoughtful, though also emotional. At this point, Jenny thought she took more after Harvey, but she was a bit biased.

Once her daughters were happy and full, Mestor insisted on filling Jenny's stomach. After letting him get his way, Jenny gathered her things in preparation for their trip. Poking Sieg to wake him up from his nap, Jenny let her excitement slip through.

Although it looked like she was giving into Maeve, Jenny had planned to go to the ocean regardless to check on her pup. He spent the last night in the ocean with his dad. Jenny filled a stone bottle with her milk before leaving. Her pup was almost a year old, but still drinking milk. It wasn't odd for porpoise to be nursed this long so it wasn't a problem. Jenny was trying to control her pregnancies, so the extended milking period was good for her. She trusted her mates completely, but wasn't going to advertise her great fertility.

Jenny passed her pool as they left with the excited Maeve bouncing around. It was built promptly after she took a merfolk mate. Her spouses, and herself quite frankly, did not want her to have to give birth in the ocean. Her pup usually stayed in the pool, but he was outgrowing it. He only came to sleep in it now.

Sieg accompanied them. Taking the opportunity to stretch, Jenny was going to run there. Jade and Susu stayed home with Mestor and the wolf cubs, but Maeve was naturally with her. Her two tiger cubs ran up to her and eyed her expectantly. They were definitely waiting for pets.

The big boys were the size of earth tigers already, maybe a little bigger. They chuffed and made happy sounds as they drank up the attention. One pair of blue eyes and one silver followed her hand as she retracted it. "Do you boys want to come with us?" They cried an affirmative and Jenny got ready to run.

"I want run too!" Maeve said excitedly. Jenny wouldn't not discourage her daughter, but knew she would need to be carried partway.

"Okay," Jenny agreed. They ran faster than a jog, but slower than a sprint until Maeve got too tired. Sieg picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. Jenny used the opportunity to pull her strength out.

It was something of an open secret in the village that Jenny had a stripe. Even if a lot of the villagers knew, she didn't like to flaunt it. She didn't need curious beasts coming to peak at her like she was a rare species (even though she technically was). Naturally, it wasn't something extremely easy to conceal. Mestor had to cut her hair into a side-swept bang to hide it. Her stripe started in front of her left ear and curled around it like a brown-colored ear piece. Thankfully, it was the same color as her hair, making it easier to hide.

She too, possessed beast pressure that she had to be mindful of. If her emotions got too strong, it would leak out. Thankfully, her mates were usually around to cover it with their own. Her stripe was gained when the peaks at Camel Hump Valley blew and she had to evacuate. Since then, she has grown comfortable using the additional power.

They made it to the ocean in no time at all. Maeve stripped and jumped in before Jenny could catch her breath. Since Shoal was ready and waiting, she didn't scold Maeve.

Maeve's peels of laughter followed by grunts of frustrations told her that Shoal was making her work for her ride. Sure enough, Jenny turned around to see Shoal taunting Maeve and avoiding her. Her pup swam around the two excitedly .

Jenny got in the shallows as Bluepool joined them. Jenny eyed the two men. Bluepool had an ethereal beauty about him that could cause anyone to pause and take a breath. His blue hair looked like an extension of the sea and his looks were nearly androgynous. He was more muscular looking than say, Curtis, which made him seem more masculine. Women's muscles don't build quite like that.

Shoal provided a huge contrast. His straight hair did not touch his shoulders as it swayed around. It was so white, it looked like bleach's best work. It made a gorgeous contrast to his rich, brown skin. His dark brown eyes caught her staring and he cracked a big smile. He waved her in, taunting her. Jenny chuckled knowing that was a battle she could only lose. Those beautiful muscles were not for show and he had an extreme tendency for teasing.

Shoal loved playing. Just as he was doing to Maeve, he would wait until he was almost in reach before bolting away. He was a sore loser who didn't like to get caught unless he decided he wanted to be caught.

His three white stripes on his abdomen caught her attention. It was extremely noticeable on his dark skin. Splash. An arc of water shot out and doused her. Giving her mate the best stink eye should could muster, Jenny contemplated how to get back at him.

It reminded her of how they first met. He had doused her in sea water then too. It was a greeting that left a strong first impression. Jenny hadn't planned to look for another mate back then, but his overflowing energy and positive attitude drew her in. He brought a lot of fun into her life and she really appreciated that. Since he was also the type that could get along with anyone, Jenny couldn't find a want or reason to decline his court. That fact that he was great with kids was a nice bonus.

Wiping the salty water from her face, Jenny withheld her revenge in favor of feeding her pup. He energetically came up to her and splashed around. His beast form looked a little different than his daddy's. Her pup had a larger tan stipe on both his left and right side. His belly was just as white as Shoal's and his top just as black. He was almost split into thirds with his colors.

Her two white tiger cubs came up to them and eyed the bottle. "You boys are way too old for this," she said teasingly. They made a sound of protest before dodging an oncoming splash of water, curtesy of Shoal. They romped off and joined Maeve in the water.

Jenny eventually joined the fray and they enjoyed their day at the beach. Except Bluepool anyway. He kept to himself mostly. Jenny didn't think he was interested in her and watched him wearily. He helped them a lot over the years, but Jenny questioned his intentions. Jenny was not handing any of her daughters over, if that was his goal.

Of course, if they reached mature age, Jenny couldn't stop them from creating their own families, but the age difference between Bluepool and them bothered her still. Maybe when they were older, it wouldn't be so bad. Emeralds did trivialize age gaps. There was also no guarantee he would court them. Deciding to put it out of her mind, Jenny went back to enjoying her time.

Jenny swam around, playing with her mate and child. Once Shoal got bored of one game, they'd move onto the next. Jenny took a short break and lounged on Sieg's large back as he floated in the waves.

She stared at the sky thinking of Simon and Winston. They were out with Harvey gathering crystals. Harvey was the only one left of Bai's mate who didn't reach five stripes. Jenny's family has been helping him hunt colossus.

Well, they were helping themselves too. Ever since Bai disappeared, her spouses had been on edge. They worried that Jenny may also leave them and trained vigorously in preparation. Winston was the next to earn his fifth stripe, but no one else had yet. Mestor had his fourth and reduced his training amount to spend more time with her and the kids. Simon, Harvey, and Shoal were all at three stripes still, but Harvey would probably have his fourth soon.

He was eating all the energy crystals he gathered to push his strength further. Jenny had discouraged her family from going crazy like that. Jenny could not bear to leave her kids alone and convinced them to hoard the crystals instead. Winston and Sieg can follow her back, so safety wouldn't be a problem. The rest could stay and make sure the kids matured safely. Her spouses had tentatively agreed with her, but she could tell that it didn't make them happy. It was an unpleasant compromise that Jenny hated thinking about, but they didn't have a lot of options.

It had been around five years since Bai disappeared now and they weren't as concerned about Jenny disappearing on them. Their stash of energy crystals was well into the hundreds. Even there emeralds numbered over fifty. If she did suddenly leave them, they would have enough resources to care for the kids and follow her as soon as the children matured.

Jenny was no longer under the impression that this was some book. A world within a book maybe, but she was well outside of the confines of the plot. The main character was long gone, but here she was. The marks on her body were as real as the men who left them there. If she left, they were coming with her.

Thoughts of her absent spouses and fried swirled around in her head. Winston, Simon, and Harvey had been gone for just over a month now and should be returning soon. The marks told her that they were fine, but she missed them. Although she couldn't tell if Harvey was fine, she couldn't imagine him dying out there with Winston and Simon by his side.

Jenny looked around as beasts from the village milled around the sands. She caught a flash of dark, but pretended she didn't. The black leopard had pursued her for the last two years and he didn't seem to be the quitting type. Sighing, Jenny watched the waves as peace came came over her.

Jenny was happy. Really happy. Her family was healthy and large and she held a good position in the village. Eve and Edith had become her good friends that remained in their village even after the leopard king left. Physically, Jenny had achieved her dream body and was at the peak of health. She even earned a stripe, giving her more confidence in her ability to protect herself and babies.

Her spouses showered her in love and attention and she reciprocated. The sting of homesickness hit her rarely now and she was thriving. Obviously, she had no reserves about taking multiple mates, but she didn't feel like she wanted more.

Catching another flash of black on the white sand, Jenny puled her eyes away. 'He did have persistence in spades,' she acknowledged. But he didn't get along with half of her mates making him a 'no.'

Jenny and her family finished up their playdate and made their way home. Shoal carried his pup and Jenny giggled. It looked funny to see a man with a lively porpoise chattering as it hung draped over the man's shoulder.

Jenny was approached by several males. Some were suitors while others came for advice. Jenny felt like a celebrity, but it wasn't suffocating. Thanks to Sieg and Winston, the suitors always remained respectful, with a rare exception here and there. Thanks to herself, she had drawn lines regarding her times for teaching and giving advice. They could not invade her space or interrupt her time with her family. Outside of that, Jenny didn't mind if they came to her. She wanted to show her daughters that females could do more than just build families. Assuming that they wanted something more.

"Jenny," called a familiar voice.

"Ah Grant. Mary too. How are you both?" Jenny greeted the former wolf king and his mate.

"Good, thank you. I wanted to discuss something with you when you have some time," he said as he passed a glance over her family.

"Okay. I will come after dinner if that is a good time for you," Jenny responded.

"It is," Grant nodded and watched the family go. Jenny would never know how grateful he was towards her. She had a hand at saving his life and making the village into a prosperous one.

The wolf king looked at his missing arm. He wanted to resign from the title of king due to the obvious lack of limb. He could not defend the title like this and did not plan too. In the end, there were no wolves who challenged him and he found himself in an ambiguous position. King's don't get to resign. Their title is taken from them or they die, vacating the position.

His four stripes were still very much there, making him the strongest wolf, beast pressure wise. He was sure that someday, he could find a wolf to take the position and wished he didn't have to fight. He wanted to spend the rest of his days with his mate and live quietly.