@Danica wasn't in the den.

Her scent, and all other traces were meddled with the staunch smell of fermenting birth and they trailed from under that deftly log with the wide open wind. They took off into the woods, trailing off down the deep, dangerous alleyways of thicket. Fear painted red accents in Hudson's eyes he barreled down the den's entrance. He could have missed something in the panic. He could have stumbled over the weak, black poof of Danica's blossom, only to find it now on his fifth time back into their vacant home. He found that it was again empty. She was gone. Completely gone. It had only been one goddamned day and the whole thing, his whole new-discovered purpose gutted before his own very traumatized eyes.

He waited there in the dark for a while. Dead, shadowy arms draped over him, smothered him. What have I done. Hudson left them there. As far as he could recall, he covered the scents thoroughly, made naught a sound, and secured their structure before winding back to pack territory in search of prey for breakfast. After all they'd labored and fool-proofed for that goddamned den site. After all he'd done for a child that wasn't even his. He could not move. Panic pulsed like a heartbeat in his temples, paralyzing, numbing everything else. The Sawyer smelled faint traces of a male wafting around with the heaviness of yesterday's birth. It wasn't his own scent. It wasn't Mirren's or Miccah's either.

Even if it was Daniel's father, how could they leave this all behind? Huck knew damn well a newborn couldn't survive outside the dark warmth of the den and their mother. He even knew Danica well enough to know she wouldn't, couldn't just leave him to panic like this without a word of forewarning. The white wolf knew that wherever they were, they were in grave, inevitable danger. Security was his promise to her and her child.

He emerged from the den one last time, blinking out into the insipid overcast light. Their scents were growing more and more stale. He was losing it until suddenly two sharp warning barks clapped the air just behind the treeline. The white wolf spun on the spot, inhaling the strong whiff of his surrogate family and the male that took them. Hudson narrowed his eyes at the black interloper, shaking his gaze as he realized Danica and the child were unharmed. A deep sigh escaped braced lungs, he felt lightheaded. There was no telling what he would have done if they were injured by that black brute of a wolf. The Sawyer cleared the way quickly to the den's entrance for Danica, but settled firmly just to the side of the opening.

There was great justification in order with this meddler. Hudson was not readily in the mood for bullshit. "Can I just ask what the hell is going on here?" He turned his eyes then, to the one he'd almost lost. "I thought I was too late, Danica."