Doctor doctor, give me the news

Dalila's reaction had been everything the grayscale fae had been trying to avoid—and undoubtedly the same expression she wore herself when she'd found out her own pregnancy. Shock. Dread. Remorse. Every expression that flitted across Dalila's face sank the dagger of failure deeper and deeper into her heart. Please don't hate me! I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me! Aliana was nearly hyperventilating with her own upset and anxiety. She'd sacrificed everything to make sure Dalila would be spared the fate she was doomed to endure, but in the end it hadn't made a lick of difference. Whatever cruel gods had cursed her from the moment of her birth continued to torment and torture her, and now she was ruining other wolves' lives by proxy. Truly Aliana was a hex upon whomever she was near. Frenzied mind was racing frantically to try and find a solution to this, to solve Dalila's problems that she'd been the cause of. If she'd been more prepared, or if she'd insisted on them stalling their move to the island, or... or... anything! Anything to prevent this!

Oh, but it didn't matter now. She had failed and now Dalila would suffer the consequences. Ali was almost in tears for the mottled woman when Dalila shocked her by pulling her in for a hug. She gasped from the sudden contact, flinching initially at the fear of being struck for her failure, and finding herself perplexed by the affection she was being shown. She didn't deserve it; she'd failed. Dalila tried to reassure her that this wasn't her fault, but Aliana couldn't see it. Dalila had gone to Chimera without contraceptives, but it was Aliana hadn't prepared enough for them in time. Secretly, she'd hoped that maybe Chimera would have spent most of his sperm on her in the hours leading up to Dalila's arrival that maybe their scant amount of birth control would be enough, but it seemed that Chimera was far more virile than she anticipated. Again, another error on her part.

Dalila tried to hug her and soothe her, but Ali remained stiff and unmoved, far too lost in her own headspace and downward spiral. She stared into space past the other woman's shoulder, her ears buzzing as her mind drowned in a deluge of panicked thoughts and desperate solutions. That was when Dalila separated them enough so their eyes could meet and she could smile. She tried to find the silver lining; they could both go through their pregnancies together and support one another. Pregnancies that neither of them had planned for or wanted. What sort of way was that to bring children into the world? She'd elected to keep the pups because of who she was. She was a pacifist and could do no harm to anyone—not even the young lives growing in her womb. No matter how much it pained her, she would find a way to love those children. She would not be like her mother or father. Still in a daze, Ali raised a paw to stroke the back of her damaged collar, feeling the tears and rips Chimera had left behind in the wake of his violent assault. No, there was no silver lining to these storm clouds.

The next thing the smaller woman knew, Dalila was embracing her again, hiding her face within Aliana's soft fur. Without even thinking about it, Ali lifted her paws to loop around Dalila's back and rub her shoulders, a natural reflex to try and comfort the hurting wolf. "We don't have to both suffer together," she said finally, her mind recalling what Chimera had said to her on the beach. "There are ways we can stop this before it goes any further. You don't have to do this, Dalila. We can still save you before Chimera ever has to know." Silently, Aliana pleaded for Dalila to take the offer, to terminate her pregnancy before she got too far along and was forced to endure what Ali had worked so fervently to avoid. She would keep Dalila's secret for the rest of her days if it meant protecting her from bearing children she didn't want to a man who had used her heat to his own devices. All she needed was a yes from her friend.

"Aliana"