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The day the rest of the pack came home was the day that Calder knew what Odin had said was true.
He could almost feel something inside him shift; he was more protective of his stomach than ever before, and even though he was surrounded by his pack and family, he was still wary of them.
Calder had told Hemming this and the man was joyful, yet concerned that Calder saw the pack as a threat. Calder told him it was not strong enough yet to cause issue.
A few fortnights after the pack was together again was when Calder first got sick in the morning.
Calder luckily sleeps on the outer edge of the bed anyway, so he only had to turn over before expelling his stomachs contents onto the dirt ground.
Hemming was grinning even as Calder groaned and felt like shite the whole morning.
After that, things became only tougher as they went. The sickness never really left, even as Halina gave Calder teas to help. It was only after the first god after Odin visited that Calder had a sort of relief.
Calder sensed the other god as soon as he stepped within the packs border; Calder had been using his Seidr and stones to make sure there were no threat. He would send out one of the wolves to place them, and on an unassuming bright and sunny day, one of them was triggered.
Víðarr made himself known peacefully by walking into the clearing from the uninhabited side, and Calder was mostly calm as he did so.
Vidar had little reason to threaten Loki, seeing as Fenrir had likely come back the same way that Jörmungandr had.
The two gods spoke for a while as Hemming and the rest of the pack hovered nearby while tending the farm animals brought back those many weeks ago.
Vidar congratulated Calder on both coming into his god ship and becoming pregnant with Loki.
It was when Calder laughed and complained about the morning illness that Vidar offered a solution of Peppermint tea.
Vidar said his goodbyes and Calder did too. As soon as the older god left, Calder asked the pack if any of them had seen any mint growing.
Nadir said that he had smelled a patch due south of the settlement and that he would fetch some for Calder.
When Nadir came back and Calder made the tea, Calder was very pleasantly surprised to find that it did help some with the nausea.
Life went on as normal from then on, but only for a few days before yet another god was visiting; this time though, Calder was crying nearly the whole time.
Lofn was beautiful, with long blond hair that reached her lower back and a flowing deep red dress. Calder almost felt bad for sobbing onto it when they hugged.
They talked for what seemed like the whole day, the air filled with apologies and catching up.
Calder asked his mother if she would marry him and Hemming, she was ecstatic as she said yes and they planned to have the ceremony in three days time.
Hemming had given his last gift not long after Calder's morning illness began, the gift being a poem full of love and sweet words that Calder kept safely between two sheets of leather.
The older male had loved the comb that Calder gave him; they spent hours combing each other's hair after they had bathed in the ocean those weeks ago.
Calder was ready to marry this man, and was more than ready to have his child too.
Lofn gave her blessing many times over, saying that Calder and Hemming were both lucky to find each other as fate.
She left just before dawn, and the pack was left with a happy feeling perhaps only because Calder was thrumming with the joy of finally meeting his true mother.
As Calder got bigger, and the weather got warmer, there were many demands that he would make to one of the wolves that including that of berries and meat almost constantly.
The pack never complained, and only gave in to Calder's requests without making it seem they were angry at all; Hemming was especially quick with returning with the requests, even if Calder did so during the night.
Hemming was especially protective towards Calder; he almost always was right next to the pregnant god and touching him in some way or another.
When the man shifted, he was even more keen to head butt Calder's slightly swollen belly. Hemming even went as far as to hold the god down so that he could lay an ear against Calder's stomach.
It was the day after Lofn's visit that Calder had got the chance to see his father too.
Njörd came from the ocean, and only barely had risen his head above the waves before Calder was sprinting into the water and clutching at his father.
Calder did the same as when he met his mother and cried for a fair bit of time before he ever actually talked to Njörd.
He could tell as soon as he saw him that it was his father; Njörd had the same blond and curly hair that Calder did, along with the cold ocean blue eyes.
Calder was in awe of how alike they actually looked. Lofn had the same color hair as Calder, but it did not curl the way his and his fathers did.
Njörd chuckled as soon as Calder threw his arms around his father neck, and the hug lasted for only a few seconds before Njörd was pulling back and running a hand over Calders face.
He remarked about how well he had grown into his features, the disbelief was clear in his eyes, and Calder would be lying if he said they did not both have tears within those eyes.
Calder and Njörd stayed in the ocean for a bit longer, speaking of how fantastic it was that Calder was grown and had a mate and was with child.
Though, a stray look to the beach found that Hemming was sitting nervously nearby and practically begging Calder to come back with his eyes; he did not like being away from his pregnant mate for long.
Njörd chuckled at this and both him and Calder returned to the clearing, where Hemming welcomed his father-in-law with a grin.
Calder was saddened at the fact that Njörd did not stay for long. But he understood why when the conversation dwindled to something more awkward than anything.
They hugged each other tightly just before the older god walked back off into the ocean, and Calder was left smiling like a fool for the rest of the day.
The next day, the pack readied the clearing for a wedding.
Mostly, it was just cleaning the pig pen and making sure that the hens were all present and accounted for. But, there was also a large feast table that had been built by Nadir for this occasion inside the house around the cooking fire.
Calder, during the course of the past month, had either received or fashioned more clothes. The supply trip had been fruitful with wool, and Halina had even gotten him a new pair of trousers because the other ones were so used. It did not take long to build a loom, and soon both Calder and Halina were creating new clothes almost every week.
Hale had thought to buy two sheep along with the four pigs and six hens; it had been a smart idea and would help a lot in the long run for when they would need more wool.
Calder did not especially care what he wore for the wedding, but he did make sure that Hemming at least had a clean shirt on. The wolf had a tendency to pull on whatever clothes he could find after shifting, even if it was in the pile of clothes that still needed to be washed.
When the next day came, Hemming was wearing a white tunic that Calder perhaps made tighter than necessary on purpose.
Lofn and Njörd arrived around the same time, and Calder found himself smiling at how they stole glances at each other and how Lofn would blush when Njörd smiled.
Next was Vidar came next, with what was obviously Vali with how the two brothers acted like such.
Calder was wary of Vali, seeing how events previously played out, but the god seemed to only say hello and congratulations before staying a distance away.
The last god to come was actually a goddess, and Calder was brimming with excitement at her arrival.
Hel was the first children of Loki's that he could actually speak to without waiting for the cycle of Jörmungandrs travel to bring his head back around to where the pack was.
She had long pitch black hair, and runic tattoos that covered the left side of her face. The deep purple dress was only as long as her feet, and only barely hugged her figure enough to show how thin she was beneath the thick fabric. Calder could only imagine what her brothers looked like.
Narfi and Váli had not stopped by, but Calder doubted they would with how their relationship with their father was.
Hel, on the other hand, was a sweet girl and Calder found himself proud to call her his granddaughter. She seemed shy, and did not speak to the others gods or goddess besides a short greeting to Lofn.
When she spoke to Calder, she was all for saying that she was glad her father was going to have a better life than before, and that she hoped Calder would be able to make sure her father was not killed once more.
Calder gave her a hug as she said this, and not too long after, everyone gathered around for the wedding vows.
On one side of the clearing, Lofn stood at the end of a wildflower marked aisle, and Hemming and Calder stood in front of her. The rest of the pack and guests stood strewn on either sides.
Calder was giddy and smiling throughout the small prayer his mother did to Freya, and he smiled even wider when the little babe in Padma's arms giggled.
Him and Hemming has joined hands, and Calder could see that the latters eyes were watering slightly; Calder's tears were heavily flowing by now as a mixture of pregnancy and love.
Calder was expecting for the both of them to only kiss and then go to drink the wedding ale for the rest of the night; but this was all halted as both his father and Hale began walking down the aisle and holding two swords.
He looked to Hemming with a confused face, but Hemming only squeezed his hands and let go of one in order to take the sword from Hale.
Hale smile and both men touched foreheads before Hale clapped him on his back and walked back to Padmas side.
Calder inhaled sharply and did the same with his father, holding the hilt of the sword and briefly touching foreheads with Njörd, the man smiled at Lofn before retreating to stand next to Hel.
Hemming next took the moment to swap swords with Calder, who was beginning to remember what exactly happens during a wedding. Calder had only seen one wedding, and that was when he was a child.
Following the swords were supposed to be rings, and just as Calder believed they were done, Lofn reached to a pocket in her dress and brought out two shiny gold rings.
Calder chuckled quietly and followed Hemmings lead in letting go of his hand so that they could carefully hold the blade of the sword, tilting the pommel so that Lofn could place the rings onto them.
They both smiled and then allowed the other to take the sword and ring, slipping them onto whichever finger fit; for Calder his left middle, and for Hemming his right index.
Finally, the ceremony was done, and Calder launched forward to claim his husbands lips against his own.
Hemming smiled widely against the kiss, and the pack erupted in howls while the gods and goddesses clapped and smiled.
They all walked together back to the house, Hemming and Calder holding hands and Calder practically stealing a kiss every second.
The feast table was loaded with food, which shocked Calder, since they had originally had not put that much out. A look to Njörd and Lofn gave answer enough with how smug the former looked. Most of the food was fish.
Calder and Hemming sat together, and both were given a mead horn that was drank with intertwined arms.
Hemming, at some point, launched his given sword into the roof; Calder yelled at him when it went straight through and stuck in the wood, but it was for naught since he did the same thing with his own sword, though his was higher.
The night continued as such, and by the time the sun set, both Hemming and Calder were drunk while hanging off each other.
When Lofn and Njörd left together, Calder barely noticed and only gave them both embraces before sitting back down with his husband.
The other two gods and goddess left in the same way, though Hel was the only one to get a hug as they did so.
At some point, Hale came close just to say that the pack and Eira were going to be leaving for the night. Calder had not thought to ask them where they would be going.
As soon as the pack left, Calder and Hemming had moved to the bed for their first intimate night as husbands.
Calder felt as if this was where he was always meant to be, with Hemming showering him in love and Calder doing the same to him.
He had a husband, baby, and family. This was Calder's fate.
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