The ivory fea sighed as she finally reached the edge of the hot springs, her forepaws sloshing into the warm water before she came to a halt. It had been a long journey from her home up in the north. For some reason the trip had seemed much longer than the last time she had been here. She glanced back at her side, looking at her stomach that was slowly but steadily growing. She was certainly showing now, leaving no question that she was expecting. Though she wasn't too far along just yet, she couldn't lie to herself and say that she wasn't pregnant any more. She had mixed feelings about the whole situation. She had been angry with herself at first for letting this happen, soon followed by disbelief and telling herself that she wasn't really expecting. But soon her stomach began to stretch with the life inside her and there was no denying it any more. She was going to be a mother whether she liked it or not. She needed to find Bane. She had spoken with Medusa and now the next wolf on her list was the father of her pups, the large, gray, scared wolf that she had met in this exact hot spring over a month ago. She didn't want to go to the Seracian territory, she knew that for certain. She didn't know how the leaders of Seracia would react to her being pregnant and didn't feel like risking finding out. The only other place she knew to look for him was here, where they had met. Her hope was that the older brute would come back here to relax his joints again and she might be able to find him again. It was a long shot, she knew that, but it was the only idea she could come up with. She eased herself down onto her haunches and lifted her muzzle to the sky, letting out a howl to call to the father of her future pups, just in the off chance that he might be nearby. "Speech."

Bane had been plagued by a constant worry that would shape his life in Seracia if it's new alpha found out. What if Alena had gotten pregnant in the month or so he had last seen her? And what if she came to Seracia lands looking for him? Bane would be screwed status-wise. That was why with often frequency he took these trips to the hotspring where he and Alena had met. That night after a few sessions of joining bodies and Bane had left with his lust satisfied as he made his way north to the tip of these lands with a light spring in his step.

But now he was back here again, anxiously patrolling the hotsprings in hopes the Alena would come to him and not Seracia. And Maverick. Bane shuddered at the thought. And after days of just lounging about with nothing to do other than eat and sleep, his ears finally caught the sound of an unmistakable howl. Bane shot up from where he had been laying and crashed through bushes to get to his female friend. And when he crested the gradual berm of earth Bane could see her and that she didn't look the same. Not at all. Paws sloshed into the hot springs water and he gave a nervous aroo in greetings.

Moments passed and the pale assassin was beginning to think her journey had been for nothing. She sighed and stood to walk away, only to be stopped in her tracks at the sound of the voice she had been searching for. Her amethyst-hued gaze turned to look at him, his familiar form confusing her thoughts even more as her memories jumped back to the last time she had seen him here in this hot spring. That was a night she'd certainly never forget, that was for certain. She turned to face him and sat down once again, waiting for him to reach her. Once he had she could see that he already knew why she was here. Her body told him all that he needed to know. "Hello again, Bane," she said softly, her gaze uncertain as she watched him. How would he react? She hardly knew the brute really. They had spent one night together and even then they hadn't done much talking. She didn't know what to expect. Would he be mad? Happy? Scared? She was a little of all of them. Alena didn't like uncertainty, she liked to be in control. There was no way she could control anything about this situation and it terrified her. "Speech."

Bane sloshed into the waters of the hotsprings and briskly strode up to Alena's white pelted body. Oh ya, she was definitely pregnant. The Seracian remembered the tryst vividly, and as he rubbed up against the Amenti female old feelings began to surface. Just as they had with Alarice. "I see you got a little something going on here with yourself, and to be honest I don't think that these hot waters are good for you. How long have you been standing her?" Tail swished as he rubbed himself against the female who carried his pups. His voice radiated concern and he stopped to look around their surroundings to make sure they were alone. Bane's suspicions were confirmed that Alena was pregnant, and now he had to protect her from whatever would take the lives of his pups away from him. And there were plenty that would.

As Bane brushed his body against hers it pulled the memories from the last time they had been together, her body warming at his touch. "Not too long," she replied with a small smile. His reaction was nothing like she had expected. It was almost one of concern. Why would he be concerned? She really hadn't expected anything from him, she only felt he had the right to know he was a father. That was why she had made the journey. At best she had hoped maybe he would wish her well, maybe offer to hunt for her when she couldn't if she was really lucky. But instead he seemed truly concerned. He looked around them for some unseen danger and kept his body close to hers. "I just wanted you to know... You know." She shrugged, giving him a smile. "I wasn't sure about Seracia's policy on having pups outside of the pack and I didn't want to get you in trouble, so I came here hoping you would be around. I guess my hunch was right." She paused, glancing down at her paws. Now that she was actually here and had found the father of her pups, she didn't know what to say. They were from different packs, different backgrounds, completely separate lives. The only thing that tied them together was the pups they had made in their one night together. She lifted her gaze to his again and added, "What do we do now?" "Speech."

Bane rumbled against an ear and placed a paw over her back while licking her muzzle. "That's good, don't want em coming out to early I'd imagine." He withdrew and gave a smile of his own. "I hope your ok with it, I mean, you were in heat at the time." Bane sloshed around to a rear leg and nosed her forward in the direction of the shoreline. "I understand, and now I'm obligated to protect you and our future line. Can I get you anything?" Bane sprayed water as he ran up to the shoreline and waited for her to get up there with him, a hard look on his face surfacing at the mention of Seracia. "I would imagine that I would be severely punished, the pups taken into the pack and the mother only allowed to stay until they don't require milk anymore. But thats just my thoughts. I didn't check or learn enough to give a shit about the rules when I joined up."

Bane turned to look at the shoreside trees again and spoke in a softer voice. "I assume it's alright with what's her face... Medusa? To have young with a wolf outside the pack? Why don't you stay at Amenti, and when the days come closer to our young being born we could meet up at some middle ground and there we could stay for your birth. I'll sneak away every two or three days and bring you something and watch over them while you get water." Bane's mind was racing a mile a minute, and he didn't know if she would even agree to any of this. It did seem somewhat complicated.

Alena smirked as Bane nudged her back toward the shore, willingly complying and padding back over to dry land. She was sure he had a point about the warm water and the pups, she just found it amusing that he was so determined to protect his unborn pups. When he asked if he could get her anything she shook her head and replied, "I'm fine. Thank you for asking." Once she was over on dry land once again she sat down on her haunches, her ears turned forward toward him to listen to his explanation of the Seracian rules, her fears being confirmed. She certainly did not want to leave Amenti, much less have her pups taken from her. Without really knowing it, she had grown attached to the little lives growing in her. She was glad she had decided not to go to Seracia looking for Bane. He looked off into the distance, asking about Medusa's opinion and offering a solution for where to have her birth and offering his help while the pups were nursing. She considered it with the same calculating, factual part of her brain that she used when she was planning attacks. It was the most reasonable option for the both of them, though she wasn't sure she wanted to have them away from Amenti's protection. "I'm not so sure about being away from my territory... but I suppose if you'd like to meet half way then I'll do that. They are your pups as well after all. And yes, Medusa is fine with it. She is very relaxed as an alpha as long as we're not causing trouble and working for the pack." It was a strange situation they were in and it called for stange solutions. "Speech."

Alena had said with a shake of her head that she didn't need anything got him right now,?Bane listening with with his swiveling ears though he surveyed their surroundings with analytical eyes. She said that she didn't need anything, which was fine for Bane right now and he took to sitting on his tail. A sigh was let out at the realization that he was going to be a father again. He listened to the female who was baring his young, and the way she was voicing discomfort at the nervousness of not having a pack around while her pups were alive their first month. Bane reached over and licked the side of her muzzle. "I know your uncomfortable with leaving Amenti for a month or so, but it would be best for the pups should Seracia come looking for them if the secret got out. You are to tell nobody except your alpha when you leave and even then, not where your going."

Bane really didn't have anything else to say to Alena after that, his ears pinning against the sides of his head. "I guess in a months time I will come for you." The grey wolf was breaking major Seracian rules by doing this, and then there was the matter of telling his recent mate about how he'd be leaving every few days. He didn't have the heart to tell Alena that he was with another female, but he forced himself with a mumble. "I've found a female for myself during our time apart, I... uh... shall need to explain myself to her when I ask her to be mine and hope that she understands that I'll need to leave periodically to care for you." Bane didn't know why he was nervous about that fact. Would Alena be grateful?

Alena found a little comfort in the lick he gave her muzzle, knowing that whatever happened or where ever she gave birth she would persevere as she always did. She still wasn't completely happy with leaving Amenti, even if it was just for a short time, but she felt like Medusa would understand and she knew he was just trying to keep her and their pups safe from Seracia, should they not take the news of their new family well. The news of his new woman came as a surprise to the assassin, this showing in her wide gaze. The only tie she had to Bane was the growing pups in her and a one night fling, she had no right to have an opinion on the matter. Actually, in a way she was relieved. She had been slightly afraid that the news of their pups would make the gray brute want to try to form some kind of relationship with her, but luckily that seemed to not be the case. Alena blinked and gave Bane a smile, replying, "Congratulations. I hope the both of you are happy together." Alena paused, shifting her forepaws awkwardly, wishing she was back home under the huge trees of the Red Forest. With a sigh she pulled herself to her paws and gave Bane a final look. "I guess I will see you in a month then," she told him with a nod, pausing long enough to return a lick to the side of his muzzle before turning back the way she had come, padding off toward the northern end of Alacritis, leaving the father of her pups behind for now. -exit Alena- "Speech."

Alena didn't seem all that assured by his muzzle licks, Bane withdrawing his tongue back into his maw with a heavier heart than before. He wondered how Alena was really dealing with their forbidden tryst.?She had seemed a little bit shocked at his news of finding a potential mate but smiled at the almost true news, Bane correcting her with a low laugh. "Almost together Alena, almost. I meant to say that I have yet to ask her." Paws shuffled on the shoreside sand as she stared at him a final time before saying goodbye, the male freezing at Alena's lick.

His tongue found only air as he tried to return it as the female baring his young walked away. "I'll see you soon..." Bane mumbled while watching the white furred she-wolf disappear amongst the trees surrounding the hot springs. "I missed you..." The grey wolf ended in a whine as he looked around for a moment before giving a lonely aroo with a toss of his head and starting towards Seracia.

-Exit Bane-