Mount Apikuni she had nowhere else to go

She had to think back a moment to summon memories of the exchange, but even her hazy recollection had little to share. "She said they have to go, and not a lot else," she said, wracking her brain for whether or not she had revealed the pups' father. From what she remembered, she hadn't, which for the moment meant that Lecter was safe from Fox's punishment. The young woman was small, hardly a candidate for a Kesuk's respect, but she was fierce in her own way. It was perhaps the only reason Jinx hadn't seen fit to throw her from her throne.

"She was busy worrying about her choice to lead, so all she said was that it wouldn't do to have them around. Prior to that, I... Didn't realize." It was supposed to be a woman's instinct that made pregnancy evident, wasn't it? Jinx had had little exposure to puppies in her life, and almost no education regarding the making of puppies. This inexperience would prove her irresponsible, so even though Lecter's responses now were making her reconsider dismissing her litter, it was for the best that they not live beyond the time necessary for the ritual.