Sanguine Cove dear winter

@Aleister - Kip's stressed

She had been so in denial of what was happening that it was almost hard to believe it when her diminutive stomach began to bloat. Her scent was changing and she felt sick and exhausted and it was hard to keep food down, but she'd thought that maybe she'd just caught a bug or something. Not that that one singular time she and Aleister had hooked up - that one singular time she'd hooked up with anyone - had resulted in pregnancy. Something she'd stressed about for her entire life, and something that she still despised thinking of, even as she tilted her head to look at the slight ballooning of her flanks.

Well... this was happening. Had been happening for nearly a month now, apparently.

That meant she was halfway through. And that meant that she had to talk about... this. With Aleister, specifically, which was not ideal.

She didn't call for him, not wanting to draw attention to herself. But she followed his scent, searching for the larger man and hoping to find him nearby. Thankfully, she did not have to search for long, and she only hesitated slightly before padding over to the dark wolf's side.

"Can we talk?" she asked, voice low and cautious.

He wasn't quite in denial, but more of in a state of constant shock. Aleister was having a difficult time wrapping his head around the fact that not only did he have a one night stand with two women, but instead of moving on, they were going to have to face the consequences of both of those reckless actions. Who would of thought? With both Aquene and Mavis pregnant, his mind would also wander and wonder about the mystery woman he had met as well. Were they facing the consequences of that reckless moment too?

However for now, the leader decided to keep his focus on what he did know and his responsiblies to the two women within his reach and under his care. As he was walking towards his next border patrol, her scent trickled into his space causing him to pause and glance back towards her small form. Mismatched gaze caught the sight of her swelling belly and something twisted within his stomach. Anxiety, fear, and excitement... Hiding all those emotions from his face, he masked his maw with a gentle smile as Mavis approached him. Her request low, but guarded. Nodding softly, "Yes, of course," he turned the rest of his body to face her, giving her his full attention.

And it wasn't just her, was it? There was another pregnant wolf in the pack, likely also Aleister's, judging by the fact that her scent had been the one on his fur the night they'd met again. He'd had a busy season, and Mavis' stomach turned over at the idea of just being another name on a list. But she didn't want to accuse, not for real, and didn't want to make things too awkward between them. As if that would be possible.

"You're pretty popular with the ladies, huh?" she asked, a small smile playing on her maw. An attempt to tease, but the topic of conversation was serious. "It's probably the eyes." And personality, because Aleister was unique and complicated and Mavis felt something so close to affection for the man that it honestly scared her.

But that's not what she wanted to say. "I'm not going to run away from this." That was it. She was afraid, and she wanted to run. She didn't know how to be a mother, didn't know how to be a partner, didn't know how to give birth or raise kids or be a good pack member. She wanted to leave, to escape, to never have to face this kind of commitment. But she wouldn't - not this time. "So... I don't want you to leave, either." Seafoam green eyes flicked up toward him, ears angled forward and posture upright in spite of the fact she was trembling. You're not going to leave us, are you? I'm not going to have to do this on my own, am I? was what she wanted to ask, but that type of direct confrontation of her feelings was not her style.

Just say you'll stay here and face this with me.

Aleister wasn't sure what she was going to say, but the pit of his stomach churned with nervous atticipation like it felt an unforeseen bad ending. Was she leaving him? He didn't know what would be best for the little beings growing inside her. Were they going to be better off without him? Aleister wasn't sure if he would be a good enough dad for them. He certainly wasn't ready for this even despite his age. Commitment was not something he decided upon lightly. Sure, he founded a pack, but it had arose from his sister's ambition. He had told @Lila he was done running, but that didn't mean he was ready for a relationship and kids.

His mind reached some far away depth of anxiety it was hard to retract as words began to spill from her maw. She tried to tease him, make the serious conversation lighter, but instead it tightened anxiety's grasp around his throat. A grimace fell over his face as he tried to fake a laugh and a smile. Aleister really wasn't some kind of casanova, quite the opposite really. But with the loss of the only thing constant in his life, his sister, he couldn't shake the loss and hurt that riddled every part of his being. He had needed a distraction and this spring he had many.

Mavis was not going to leave. Instead she was going to stay, but she wanted him to stay too. The thought of leaving had crossed his mind, though only briefly. He couldn't imagine abandoning his family and friends, but he still wasn't sure how he was going to do this. "I'm not leaving," he started with the only thing he could commit to at the moment. The rest he didn't know. "I-..." He paused, his gaze glancing down at his two front paws, hoping to ground himself somewhere as his mind raced. Taking a deep breath, his mismatched gaze lifted to meet her seafoam eyes. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. To either of you. I didn't think this would happen..."

I'm not leaving.

Kip released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She absolutely did not believe that she was capable of raising children on her own, and having the assurance that Aleister wasn't going to bail flooded her with relief that made her legs feel like jelly. The woman offered him a small smile, shaking her head. She wanted to tease - to ask what he'd expected to happen after coupling with them like that - but it didn't feel like the right time to do so.

Instead, she stood up a little straighter. Her stomach felt heavy, and her back ached with the added weight, but it didn't affect her posture too badly. "Well, it happened, so we've got to move on with it," she stated, hoping that she sounded more confident than she felt. Her mouth was dry and she felt nauseous, actually, but she didn't want to complain - it wasn't as though she was dying or anything. This was something that almost every woman alive had to go through.

"I know this might be a bit out of order," she began, feeling her cheeks heat up. "But I do like you. Quite a bit, actually... you've been at the back of my mind for years, and finding you again made me really, really happy. I'm glad that if I'm doing this with anyone, it's with you." Being straightforward was probably best, she figured - she didn't want him to think she'd just used him in the heat of the moment or anything. "I wouldn't be opposed to it happening again, actually... just... maybe only with me, next time." Her heart hammered in her chest, and she offered him a small smile. "And I don't expect you to respond to this. All that I wanted was for you to stay. So... thank you, Aleister."