Blacktail Deer Plateau evolution of consciousness

She approached from an unexpected angle: family tradition. He paused, waiting to see if she would say more, yet she didn't. Peregrine weighed the words a moment, then gave her a quick nudge just because and fell back on his haunches with a thoughtful sound. He motioned for her to take a seat beside him if she wished. This wasn't perhaps the easiest conversation they'd ever had, yet he wanted her right there beside him all the same.

"Are you saying that you hope to carry that tradition forward?" he began, his tone neutral. But before Fox could reply, he added, "It may be strange, considering my romantic life, but I consider myself traditional in a lot of ways. I think that bearing offspring is a right that belongs primarily to the Alpha pair... primarily but not necessarily solely. This pack can support two litters if it remains this size. Only the most powerful packs can successfully support multiple litters. Having just the one will not be a testament to our true strength or our legacy."

Then there were the other, more personal factors. Yet Peregrine had already touched on those. Perhaps Fox would feel better if they took this approach instead.