Refreshing air soothed her heated muzzle and with each clear breath her stomach settled just a little more receding the swimming nausea so she could look to her mate with some comfort. But the scent had been caught, the remnant of bile still clinging her to lips. She lowered her head with a soft whine, feeling utterly embarrassed for her lack of a presentable form. Her eyes averted from his inquisitorial gaze upon choosing to instead look upon the soft white that encompassed their home. But his worry would not be abated by this bashful show as she felt his loving tongue across her crown, coaxing an explanation.
Free of his tongue, she raised her head and shook it quickly to rid the excess moisture. “No no…” she uttered softly, reaching for his muzzle with a heavy paw. “It was something I ate, is all. I’m fine.” X’yrin continued to paw for his nose, hoping that her adoring display would take his mind off her bout of illness. There was no proof that the sickness was result of the meal, but she saw no reason to assume the worst and hail the pack healer. As much sense as it would have made, discretion warranted that she operate differently. Despite the blessing growing within her, she wanted as few to know as possible, hoping to retain some secrecy until the pups were born. Above all else, she feared excessive stress having seen in her past the consequences of it. Truly she cared for her Ichikan family and knew that in their hearts they meant well, but she did not want to risk the attention of others knowing how her mind and body would attempt to accommodate them by whatever means was deemed fit. Even her patrols were completed late at night to avoid a run in with another pack mate.
“You know you don’t need to call for anyone,” kindly she reminded him in between licks, feeling she didn’t need further explain her reasoning. “But it makes me happy that you worry about us. But one of these days you are going to have to be there when I wake.” She extended her muzzle to lightly nip his cheek. “What if we need you and you’re out hunting…Ah but worse, what if they wanted to meet you and you were not there to see your first born?” It would perhaps too sour of a jest, but there was a true fear laden in her words. She knew Saluce to be a wonderful, dependable mate that would go far beyond his limits. But she hoped they would not keep him too far from where he was needed; beside her through the days to come.
Butting a paw against his muzzle to move him back, the golden woman was finally able emerge from the den in all her messy grandeur. Wild bangs concealed her eyes as she roughly shook out her form tossing a tangled mess of auburn locks around in the wake. Her front then dropped to the ground in a stretch, pulling the kinks of sleep from her back before standing upright before her mate. Without reason other than she wanted to, she reared up on her back legs then dropped her forelimbs onto the broad shoulders of her mate, smiling as her tail fanned the morning air excitedly, glad to be out of the den.