Ade is searching/digging out her birthing den (location here #7)
Day 45 - "Expectant mothers, even with their well-rounded abdomens and lack of energy - will start to search and make their birthing dens in a place well away from high-traffic areas where lone wolves or nosy pack members might discover or check in on them. Her breasts are well-developed and possibly contain a bit of colostrum or "first milk". It is now possible for other wolves to see and feel the cubs in the mother's protruding belly."
Muse Song: Sleeping At Last by Earth
Ade was convinced she was a bloated cow, waddling around as her rounded abdomen made everything extra difficult. She loved pregnancy during the beginning when she wasn't fat, now her patience was running thin. The hormones didn't take until her third trimester to start messing with her, making the cheery ray of sunshine, irritable over the simplest things. However, the hormones didn't completely take her over, the pregnant Artemieva was still able to reel in her crazy emotions and enjoy parts of this pregnancy.
Last week she was able to feel the cubs softly kick and move around within her stomach, but whenever she tried to have Laike feel, they seemed to have stage fright. The first time mother had been so excited to feel them for the first time and wanted to share that experience with her husband, so she hoped they would soon grow more confident and strong where their father could feel them too. The instinctive urge to find her own private den was strong that morning as she sought out to scout the Rye territory for the perfect place for the pack's new generation.
Using Jessie's birthing den was out of the question. The thought of using the alpha's den felt disrespectful like it tainted the history of the Avalon children. To the loyal second, it was sacred territory holding the rich history of their founding leaders. She couldn't risk ruining Drestig's legacy, so the tawny woman would find her own den to birth her first litter.
Finding a spot west of the main den, the expecting mother made sure it was far enough from the border and from her packs mates to not be disturbed. Being west of the main den near her and Laike's private den, not many passed through these trees regularly since it was further from the borders for patrolling unless it was the Artemievas going to their den. It was rather close to @Askan and @Reyes old private den. Ade had contemplated reusing it to save her the trouble of digging one of her own, but thought against almost as soon as the thought crossed her mind. Though she wondered how pissed that would make Askan?
Instead, she found an old fox den that just needed to be re-dug and made larger for her hippo belly to fit in. With the sun high within the sky, the pregnant woman began digging.