Redhawk Caldera well, if this is fate then we'll find a way to cheat

That same weird feeling had plagued Raven for days now, growing both more frequent and intense as time wore on and the weather grew colder and grayer. There were other afflictions too: a bothersome feeling of restlessness coupled with a stark loss of appetite. She was tired too, which both did and didn't make sense in consideration of her other symptoms. Actually, the young Gamma felt like she could find a warm, cozy den somewhere and hibernate like a bear. She was perfectly aware that wolves didn't (couldn't) do that, though.

When she roused on this particular dreary December day and pushed herself to her feet, Raven didn't feel any more or less unusual than, well, usual. But when she took a couple of steps toward a nearby brook to wet her cotton mouth, her body felt strange. She looked down at herself but saw nothing amiss. Blinking her yellow eyes, she proceeded to the water and fetched a drink. The strange feeling persisted, so as soon as her thirst was diminished, she sat down to give herself a closer inspection.

"Um," she blurted aloud when she saw her distended abdomen and enlarged teats. Raven felt a flush of heat pass through her like dry brush fire. There was no way she could be carrying pups—she wasn't even sexually mature yet—but she was showing all the unmistakeable signs of a pregnancy. As her stomach flipflopped, she tried to figure out what else might be causing these strange symptoms. Raven knew enough about biology to know she wasn't facing the possibility of an immaculate conception here.

"Allergic reaction? Uh..." she muttered to herself, looking around surreptitiously. "Maybe I—" She trailed off when she heard what sounded like footsteps coming closer. Raven swept to her feet, her heart suddenly leaping into her throat. Whatever the cause, she looked pregnant. She could get into a hell of a lot of trouble if she couldn't come up with some sort of explanation for this, stat.

Using this as a source, plus taking some minor creative liberties. :)

Elwood had been busy, as of late; he was glad to be back in a normal routine, hunting and patrolling the borders and taking care of business. He still hadn't seen much of Fox, which left him wondering about her. But he was aware that she was capable of caring for herself, so he didn't press the issue. He was more concerned with making sure that Finley was okay and that she was adjusting back to pack life.

He spent a lot of time with his family these days, but at present he was alone, following the path of a stream with the intent to perhaps do some hunting. He knew that with winter swiftly settling on the wilds, it would be important to start tracking the herds; prey would become more readily available during the colder months, and the experienced hunter was eager for the successes that the season would bring. But he was waylaid when he spotted Raven, looking troubled -- and, on second glance, a little swollen around the middle.

The Beta male drew up short, brows knitting together neatly. It didn't seem to make any sense, but the subtle curve of her stomach resembled the way Finley had looked when she was pregnant. "Raven...?" he questioned as he drew near, his mind already racing; what had happened, and what would Fox make of the situation?

Please don't be mom, Raven thought, lips pressing together. Anyone but mom. Although she knew Fox loved her, she also knew the Alpha female might attack first, ask questions later if she discovered her daughter in this (apparent) state. When it was Elwood who appeared, a great breath of relief gusted out of her. She could see the concern on his face and hear it in his voice, though at least he stopped to question her before doing anything else.

"This is not what it looks like," Raven exclaimed hastily. Her lips parted to crack a half-crazed joke about eating a big meal—which wouldn't explain the enlarged teats at all—when it struck her like a bolt of lightning. "I think—" she started to say, then stopped abruptly as she pondered whether it was even possible. She hadn't even experienced her first heat, though she was probably near enough to that milestone. And she'd been spending lots of time around the pregnant Alpha female...

"I think," she began again after a solid ninety seconds' pause, "this might be a pseudo-pregnancy." As the words left her lips, they felt right. But aware that Elwood might not take her at her word, her yellow eyes flashed to his face, then flicked downward and sideways. "I swear it can't be the real thing. I've never..." She may have been an aspiring medic but this was her uncle, so she hoped he understood exactly what she was trying to say. "I'd never," Raven added because that needed to be said too; she would never betray her pack this way!

Raven's tension was palpable, though some of it eased as she started to try to explain herself to Elwood. He kept his lips pressed together, ears cupped forward to listen to his niece. As always, he was not the wolf to pass judgment before reacting -- and, if need be, he would act to protect her from Fox. If this was an unwanted and unexpected pregnancy, there was no telling how the Alpha female would react.

But Raven gathered her thoughts and insisted that it was a "pseudo-pregnancy," causing Elwood to blink. It wasn't something he had ever heard of, but the earnest tone of Raven's voice was convincing enough. He frowned slightly, peering at her gently rounded sides. "So it's not real? How, then...?" he asked, confused. He believed her -- she had never given him a reason to doubt her -- but a fake pregnancy just didn't seem plausible.

"No," she replied instantly and emphatically, "I'm definitely not really pregnant." Raven took a breath before rushing to explain, "It's probably because I've spent so much time around mom, getting exposed to her hormones. It's like..." She paused, trying to think of a way to explain that would make sense to someone who didn't know medicine as well as her. "It's like my body's sympathetic to hers. It's been tricked into thinking it's pregnant so that I can sort of help her. I might even start lactating," she said aloud even as the realization struck her.

"That has to be it," Raven muttered almost as if to herself a moment later. "The timing makes sense. I'm about to—" She glanced up at her godfather and became bashful again. It was one thing to address these matters clinically with others' maladies, it was somehow different when she was talking about her own and very personal issues.

He listened as she continued to explain herself, appearing to be working through the logistics even as the words left her mouth. It sounded bizarre, but in a way, it made sense. Knowing Raven, a pseudo-pregnancy -- as ridiculous as it sounded -- was much more likely than the possibility that she had gotten herself knocked up. She was just too responsible.

She suddenly clammed up, not finishing her sentence, and Elwood blinked, then understood what she meant. She was close to two years of age, which meant that she was nearing adulthood in more ways than one. Rather than comment, since her quick upward glance betrayed her embarrassment, he simply nodded and adopted a businesslike tone. "Okay, so do you know anything else about this condition? Is there anything you can do or take to make the symptoms go away, or at least become less obvious?" he asked.

"Not really, no," she admitted, mentally scrambling even as Elwood indirectly voiced her own fears. "I don't think so." Raven licked her lips nervously, knowing exactly why he asked. "I'm not actually pregnant. The rest of the pack has to believe me. Mom has to believe me." That was a lot easier said than done, though.

Realizing she was breathing a little rapidly, the yearling took a moment to collect herself. Then she peeked up at Elwood and said, "It's actually a good thing. It means I can help her if she needs it. And considering she's going to be a single mom..." Raven trailed off for a moment before huffing quietly, "It's a blessing, not a curse."

She lapsed into silence for a long beat before asking, "You do believe me, don't you?" If she could convince at least one wolf of the truth, that meant she should be able to do the same with others. Elwood could vouch for her too. But Raven realized that, even for those who might trust her, this might be hard to swallow. There was no way to prove her case—except for giving it time—and she knew it.

"Mom has to believe me," Raven insisted, and Elwood nodded, though he knew that the odds of that were slim. Fox was not the most rational wolf around, and especially lately it seemed as though it took next to nothing to send her flying off the handle. In that regard, he wasn't really sure what he could do to help Raven; he could back her up, but with no medical proof, what good would that do?

He pursed his lips and nodded gently as she continued rationalizing, detailing ways that the false pregnancy could even be beneficial to Fox. He couldn't quite bring himself to voice his agreement that it was a blessing and not a curse, but when she asked him outright if he believed her, he bobbed his head again.

"Of course I do, Rave. It's just...gonna be hard to explain to everyone," he said.

She breathed a sigh of relief when he repeated that he believed her. Without any evidence, with nothing to go on but trust, Elwood took her at her word. That meant a lot to Raven and she wouldn't be quick to forget her godfather's gesture. She didn't know of a way to thank him properly, though there was one thing she knew she could do.

"I know, Uncle El," she said quietly, "and I'll take that burden. Don't feel like you have to get involved, especially with mom. I'll handle it. Knowing you have my back will help a lot." She gave him a small, tight-lipped smile and then glanced down at herself with a sigh.

Dragging her yellow gaze upward a beat later, she said, "Anyway... how're things with you?"

"I do have your back," Elwood assured his niece quietly. Her panic seemed to have subsided, at least somewhat, and she emanated a quiet bravery. In this way, she was the opposite of her mother; Fox was hot-headed and reactionary, and would probably showcase those traits when she found out about Raven's situation. But the young medic appeared to have resolved herself to her fate, whatever it would be. She even changed the subject, asking about Elwood's welfare in the next breath.

Hoping that it would at least help to keep her mind off of the psuedo-pregnancy, Elwood smiled and replied, "I've been good. Great, now that Finley is back. She's been resting a lot, but I'm sure Liffey and Lagan will be keeping her on her toes again soon enough."

With everything that's happened, wanna fade this'un for us? :D

Elwood spoke fondly of the recently-returned Finley and his warm musings about his family coaxed Raven's lips into a small smile. Happy for the distraction—and eager to keep her mind off the peculiar state of her body—the yearling asked, "Do you think we could go see them?" She tried to imagine how Finley and the kids would react to her appearance. Probably it would be good practice for the inevitable confrontation with Fox.

You read my mind! :)

Raven asked to see her aunt and cousins, and Elwood smiled. There was no reason for him to turn her down, and he was sure that Finley as well as Liffey and Lagan would be glad to visit with Raven. "Yeah, come on," he said amiably, reaching out to nudge her shoulder even as he set his paws into motion towards the rendezvous site.