Tamed or Captured

Asha graciously taught him how to dance.

As Jackal moved his feet awkwardly, he looked at Asha as if there were only the two of them in this space. 

Then, Asha spun around him, laughing joyfully. She took his hands, and they twirled together in delight, swirling with happiness.

A smile spread across his lips in an instant.

Excited, Sosa plunged into playing the flute passionately, and everyone laughed except Sonya, who was deeply absorbed in it.

Asha’s heart filled with joy as she saw that the Kelpie Clan, which was on the brink of extinction, was gradually reviving.

With the village restoring its perfect harmony, Asha’s belly grew round like a mountain.

She sat down in a comfortable chair, basking in the sun, and started knitting.

Although her appearance seemed serene and divine, the knitting in her hands had holes here and there, showing her clumsy skill.

 “Are you knitting baby clothes?”

 “No. This is a hat.”

Reminded of the story shared by the Nasson orphans, Jackal burst into laughter.

Although it didn’t look like a hat no matter how you looked at it, he found it adorable and moved closer to her.

He knelt beside her and gently placed his ear against Asha’s belly.

Their unborn baby kicked vigorously.

 “It looks like our baby is going to be a great horse. The leg strength is already impressive.”

At that, Asha laughed.

 “But kicking hurts Mommy, so let’s be patient. When you come into the world, Daddy will play with you all day.”

Jackal slowly turned into Sheppy and licked Asha’s belly.

Asha laughed as her body wiggled, tickled by the sensation.

He vowed that once the baby arrived, he would cradle the child in his arms and shower him with affectionate licks.

That was the Kelpie clan’s parenting method, known for boosting the baby’s immune system. Although he doesn’t remember it, he heard from his mother that even his father did the same for him when he was a newborn.

Jackal’s eyes softened at the thought.

His father, who had always been busy protecting the village, had managed to find time to take care of him when he was born, leaving everything else behind.

Now that he had become a father himself, he felt that he understood his father’s heart a little.

Little did he know that his father had always carried a sense of guilt for not being able to spend enough time with him.

Seeing Sheepy’s eyes turn wistful, Asha placed her hand on his head and gently stroked his mane to comfort him.

Running her fingers through his mane and caressing his fur always brought a soothing sense to her heart.

Jackal knew that Asha liked to stroke his mane, so he grew his hair out and now he had a full, flowing mane, looking like a beautiful horse.

 “How happy will our baby be to have such a trustworthy horse daddy by our side?”

Jackal closed his eyes and emitted a soft purr in response to her words.

His bestial figure made Asha laugh again, so she covered her mouth as she laughed.

In front of Asha, he became like a gentle and docile pet, always willing to be cuddled.

In fact, he didn’t like transforming into a horse until he met Asha.

He didn’t even like being a kelpie, so he didn’t spend much time in his horse’s form.

She was the only person in the world who would accept him no matter what form he took.

In front of her, he could be himself without wearing a mask and feel comfortable.

And it was the same with Asha.

Then, Jackal suddenly returned to his human form and raised his head to ask.

 “…..But what shall we name our baby?”

 “Oh my!”

Asha should be familiar with his nakedness by now, but she blushed nonetheless and covered her eyes with both hands.

Jackal chuckled as his naked body glowed.

 “So, our baby’s name will be ‘Oh my’?”

 “No! Absolutely not.”

When Asha said it sternly, Jackal laughed.

 “I’m kidding. Once again, I entrust the naming of our baby to you. Your talent for naming is unmatched.”

 “Well then, I guess a meaningful name like Sheppy would be nice, right…?”

As Jackal observed Asha seriously contemplating, her index finger resting on her chin, a hint of anxiety flickered across his expression.

 “It’s okay as long as it’s not too… unusual.”

He added a few more words, but he couldn’t help but worry that Asha might give their child another peculiar name like Sheppy.

Asha stared out the window, lost in thought, but her eyes went wide when something came to mind.

 “If it’s a boy, how about Aphis, and if it’s a girl, how about Melissa?”

Impressed by the names, Jackal inquired.

 “They are beautiful names, but what do they mean?”

 “Both names mean honeybee.”

 “Honeybee…?”

Jackal blinked, realizing that Asha was thinking of a bee because she was a butterfly.

When he burst out laughing, Asha’s face flushed red and she pouted.

 “Why, why are you laughing? Is it that bad?”

 “No, not at all. I actually love it. I’m curious whether our honeybee will be a girl or a boy.”

Jackal was already deeply infatuated with the honeybee and kept talking to Asha’s belly endlessly.

Unbeknownst to them, the nickname for the baby had naturally become Honeybee.

A horse, a butterfly, and a bee.

It was a bit of a bewildering combination, but they liked it.

Even though it was her first time, Asha calmly prepared herself for the birth, and as Jackal watched her, he made up his mind and confined himself to the workshop.

As Asha knitted baby clothes, he diligently crafted a baby crib in the workshop.

But it didn’t stop there. He also assembled baby toys, and a rocking chair, and even adorned the birthing room.

Asha happened to pass by the room and stopped at the door, curious.

 “Jackal, what are you doing here……?”

Jackal, who was creating a cozy and dimly lit room, was opening the curtains, and when he heard Asha he turned around and answered.

 “Oh… I’m preparing for the birth of our baby.”

 “Preparing for childbirth……?”

Asha’s wide eyes made Jackal feel a little embarrassed as he looked away.

 “They say that a dark and cozy space is good during childbirth…”

He had secretly studied about childbirth on his own, without Asha’s knowledge.

Alongside the curtains, he adorned the room with elements and colors that would bring a sense of calm to the mother’s mind.

Above the crib in the baby’s room hung mobiles in the shape of horses, butterflies, and bees.

What Jackal was doing reminded Asha of a scene in which a horse carefully lays down straws to create a nest for a newborn, preparing to give birth.

She couldn’t help but cover her mouth, attempting to suppress her laughter.

However, Jackal once again misinterpreted her reaction as morning sickness and raised his eyebrows as he inquired.

 “Is it tough? If you need anything, just tell me. I’ll get it for you.”

 “Thank you. I feel incredibly safe and secure with you.”

Asha approached him and embraced him tightly.

 “To be honest, as the day of childbirth approaches, I’ve been feeling a bit scared. But with you by my side, I believe I can do it.”

 “Yeah, don’t worry. You are the strongest and most amazing woman I have ever seen in my life. You will definitely be able to do it.”

Jackal encouraged her and hugged her from behind, gently caressing her belly.

As his warm touch reached her, her pain and discomfort seemed to melt away.

With Jackal by her side, she felt that she could overcome anything.

A few days later, the day of the baby’s birth finally arrived.

* * * * *

Asha’s piercing screams echoed throughout the room that Jackal had prepared.

He didn’t know what to do and nervously paced back and forth in front of the room, clutching his bangs.

Every time she screamed, his body shuddered involuntarily.

Jackal began to tremble as his face turned pale.

He hadn’t felt this terrified since the incident when Asha was injured by a wasp sting in her chest.

He was so afraid that she might die…..

But then, Asha’s cries resounded from the room once more.

Jackal couldn’t contain himself and was about to enter the room, but Sonya rushed out and stopped him.

 “No! The midwife said that if you enter now, she might pull out all your hair!”

Inside the room, the village’s most experienced midwife was assisting Asha through the birthing process.

 “It’s alright. If it means my wife will experience a little less pain, I don’t mind losing my hair.”

Having said that, Jackal immediately transformed into Sheppy and burst into the room.

When a large horse entered the room, the midwife screamed in fright.

 “Oh my goodness!”

Jackal’s eyes narrowed when he saw Asha on the bed, drenched in a cold sweat and wearing a pained expression.

He approached her cautiously, kneeling beside the bed.

 “…… Purung.”

Asha weakly opened her eyes and turned her gaze towards the side.

In front of her, was the face of a bluish-gray horse, with tears in its eyes and a very sad expression.

 “Jackal…..Aghh!”

Asha tightly closed her eyes, letting out screams and unknowingly gripping Sheppy’s mane.

Tears welled in Jackal’s eyes as he endured the pain of having his hair pulled, but he did not flinch and stood his ground by her side.

Observing this, the midwife was deeply moved.

In the village, most men were prohibited from entering the birthing room. Occasionally, some husbands would enter out of concern for their wives, but they would quickly flee after experiencing their hair being pulled.

Ever since she witnessed such scenes, the midwife has never let the husbands into the room.

That was because there were so many couples who fought and broke up after what happened during the birth.

But Jackal offered his head silently, as if to tell her to hold on to his mane, and made not a sound for fear of scaring Asha.

 ‘Truly, the village chief… is a great lover.’

The midwife did her best to help with the delivery, determined to end their pain as quickly as possible.

Sonya helped Asha by wiping her face and body with a damp towel.

Time passed, and with the passionate encouragement of the midwife, Asha gathered her last strength, and finally, the sound of a baby’s cry filled the room.

At the same time, Asha and Jackal relaxed, releasing the tension that had gripped their bodies.

The midwife cut the umbilical cord and held the baby in her arms.

 “Congratulations! You have a beautiful princess!”

Upon hearing those words, Asha and Jackal shed tears at the same time.

The baby’s name was ‘Melissa’.

The midwife securely wrapped the newborn and gently placed her into Asha’s arms.

The baby, a lovely blonde girl, bore a striking resemblance to Asha.

 “Purung, purung……”

Jackal, appearing excited, shed a few tears and twitched his nose as he hovered beside them before transforming back into his human form.

Startled by Jackal’s sudden transformation, the midwife once again screamed and covered her eyes.

Jackal quickly wrapped a towel around his lower body and stood next to Asha, looking at the baby together.

His hair, ripped out by Asha, was disheveled in all directions.

Witnessing this, Asha laughed with tears in her eyes.