Laika agrees,"Maybe." She hoped that her Beta's would come back around. They had always been loyal to her and the pack respected the Beta's more than her. She sighs again, her gaze returning to the lake as Ferox asks a question. A good question. How would he know when the pups were born? She couldn't leave them and they would be to weak and young to leave camp. She couldn't do anything that would possibly tip her packmates. She couldn't ask a wolf to leave something in a specific spot. "I don't know." Her voice was troubled,"I am sure we will think of something though."

Ferox sighed and looked down. He needed to know when the pups were born so that he could come to help if he had to. There was no way he was going to let Laika face her pack alone if any of the pups looked like him. "Well, I have an idea, but it's not a guarantee," he said thoughtfully. "I'll have my wolves start patrolling the Ignis Lupi border a little more that usual, and when you go into labor, send a patrol out to a specific spot. My patrols will certainly report that to me, if they see it." Ferox looked down, pondering. He didn't like that there was a chance that his patrols would miss it, but it was better than nothing.

Laika tips her head at that idea. "Hmm. I suppose so. I could send a patrol of my family. Igantius, Rhys, Brigid, and some of Inigo's pups. They would be curious but perhaps the message would work." She blinks at Ferox,"And if either of our patrols get suspicious..." Perhaps she could spin a lie, but she didn't like lying to her pack, much less her family. She shakes her head,"I wish I could just have one of my wolves leave something. Like a stick stuck in the ground or something. But they would probably be more curious about that than just a patrol."

Ferox thought for a moment. "Wouldn't your family want to be there when you give birth?" he asked. "And I'm sure you would want them there." Ferox didn't voice the reason behind that statement. He thought that if some of the pups did look like him, Laiak's family would perhaps be more understanding. Ferox shook his head lightly. "Hopefully they won't," he said. "Patrols cross each other all the time, the worst that could happen is that the two patrols get into a fight, which would actually give me an excuse to come to your territory to sort it out..." Ferox trailed off thoughtfully, then gave a nod. "There's no easy way to do this," he sighed.

Laika dips her head,"Perhaps. But they won't stay by my side forever." Without a doubt, Ember would usher them out almost immediately after the pups were born. She sighs, shaking her head. What were they going to do about these pups? She was screwed if none of them looked like her... Or any Ignis Lupi wolf. "Perhaps. However, I would have to send younger wolves. Ignaitus, Rhys, and Brigid are very level headed. They would not be so quick to get into a fight." Laika sighs again, agreeing with Ferox. There was no easy was to do this. The only way may be just to wait until the next Great Pack Gathering and send Ignaitus as temporary Alpha. Since her Beta's were mad at her.

Ferox looked down at his paws thoughtfully. "That's true," he said quietly. He fell silent for a moment, listening quietly to Laika. He gave a nod and said, "I'll send some of my less hot-headed wolves as well, and hopefully the patrols cross each other. I'll start having my patrols take longer so that there's a bigger window of time for them to run into yours." Ferox thought for a moment, then said, "We just need to think of a way to tell that the patrol you send is the signal that you're giving birth." Ferox racked his brain for a while, but he could come up with nothing that wouldn't be suspicious. "There has to be some way," he growled quietly, frustrated at himself.

Laika sighs,"Hmm, that should work. Hopefully they don't fight." She then blinks,"I can't give my wolves a signal, or anything. What if they figure it out? If we are caught, we are screwed." Laika's head drops,"You may just have wait until a Great Pack Gathering. Ignatius will be sent in my place as temporary Alpha. Since my Beta's are not fond of me anymore. I don't know how much I can trust them anymore." Laika shakes her head,"My Elders would agree with me and Ignatius would literally be temporary Alpha until the pups are old enough to be left alone for me to return to my Alpha duties."

Ferox nodded slowly. "Well, so much for that plan," he muttered. "I really don't like the idea of waiting for the next Gathering to find out whether you've given birth or not." Ferox gave a sigh. He thought for a moment longer for ways Laika could indirectly tell him that she had given birth without giving anything away to anyone else, but it was just impossible. "I'm just worried something will happen to you or the pups before the Gathering if they're born by then," he said. He fell silent for a moment, then gave Laika a gently nuzzle. "Promise me that if something goes wrong, you'll come find me," he said.

Laika sighs,"I know, I know. But I don't know of any other way to do it without exposing us." She nuzzles Ferox,"Everything will be fine. I promise." She hoped that she was telling the truth. She also hoped everything would work out. That the pups would look like her, and none of her packmates would ever suspect anything. Of course wolves would still be angry that the father never stepped forward, but she could handle that. Laika blinks gently at Ferox,"I promise."

Ferox nodded reluctantly, accepting what Laika said, but still not happy with it. He felt like he should be there; this was as much his responsibility as it was Laika's, and it wasn't fair to make her take this on alone. Ferox relaxed a little as she made her promise. "I'll do whatever I can to help you," he said. He nuzzled Laika lovingly, then gave a sigh and stood up. "We should probably get back," he said. "You need to rest. Do you think you can make it on your own, or do you want me to come with you to the border?"