She has been a shut in for the majority of the winter and spring, knowing the male who got her in this predicament might come looking. He had reeked of her sister when he came to her, but Taji simply hadn't cared. Baby fever sometimes prevented rational thought, and Malleah may well follow the guy to her. If it came down to it, Taji would fight, but she really did not wish to take down her own sister. Besides, if the darker girl had been enough for Carnifex, Taji would not be pregnant now.

Tavoria was nice, the woods made her feel protected and Amoxtli seemed to be a capable leader. He would not let any in who would do a pack member harm, and so Taji allowed herself to relax more and more. She had become complacent even, content to remain a simple member of the Tavorian crew, her pregnancy having slowed any progress she could make in becoming what she truly wanted. It mattered not, she would not progress any further and would not make any attempts to until her children were weaned and ready for her to be apart from them for longer than a minute or two.

She is sleeping, the night peaceful around her, though her dreams are anything but. Strange dreams, where she is ripped open by her sister and the children stolen from her womb as she lay bleeding out in the ground. A fight with her sibling over the male they had trysts with, and a winner who came out decisively not Taji. The darker sibling always lost in her dreams, except tonight. Malleah went up, Taji following the ruse, and then Malleah's victory soon showed itself. Pain sliced at her abdomen as Malleah took her fangs to it, cutting her open from ribcage to vulva, and spilling her insides into the ground. The puppies she carried spilled out as well, and Mal took them and ended their lives before they could breathe their first breaths. All while their father watched with a sickening smirk on his face.

As her life ended in the dream, Taji jolted awake, screaming at the loss of her pups. Only after a few moments did she realize what the pain in her abdomen was all about. It had tensed, the pup within gone still, and Taji panicked. Where was Zeltzin! "Zeltzin!" She cried, panic evident in her tones as her body continued the pressure. Fear and her dream still clouded her mind, hyperventilation was bound to happen. Panting, trying to control herself, Taji pokes her head from her den.

She seems to calm once she realizes she is still at home, but her body is getting more fierce with her now. The pain from her abdomen must have been what spurred the dream, why she felt her sister maim her body. Malleah would never find her though, not with the Guardian of the Forest watching his lands. Faith was given to her leader, and now she had to have faith in herself. Instincts guided the first time mother, her monochrome form tensing and curling up as she began the arduous job of pushing her first born into the world. She had not been very wide, and so she predicted she would have a small litter.

One, two, three pushes and a dark pup entered a dark world. Born at night and made from nightmares, Taji turns and stares at him for a moment. Moving to his body, she ruptures the birthing sack to find his midnight ash fur, his little white toes, the white tail tip, and the white mustache he sported. Magnificent was all she could think of, and yet, she wished to name him. His coming to the world had tricked her into thinking she was dead, and the only thing she could think of was a ghost as she stared at him. Dark blended with dark as she licked the muck from him, he seemed more like an apparition than a real live pup. "Poltergeist, you little rascal. Giving me nightmares and looking so spectral in your midnight beauty. You are perfection." She said with a proud smile.

Her nether region hurt and burned a bit, but it didn't feel serious. Noting a few tears, she howls out, hoping her first friend in Tavoria was nearby. Zeltzin would be able to help better, she thought, knowing the woman was excited about the only child to be born in the pack this spring. Perhaps more would come later, but for now, Taji would enjoy the lime light. Poltergeist would as well, she just knew it. Born from a nightmare about being stolen from her, making his mother panic in such a way. Surely he would be a fun pup to have around the pack. She only hoped others had patience and the skills to teach him better when she could not.