Had it been anyone else, she would have been snappish at the awakening. Yet the voice had been so familiar and comforting that it was hard to be mad. That and she had certainly overslept. Perhaps it was a byproduct of the stress she subjected herself to or the changes in her body. Piety was not a stranger to noticing the smaller things about herself. The fading and soothing of her heat, the still lingering need to hover near Lorcan.

She handled it with the same ease she had last year, despite everything being different this year. The male at her side was not the same (sadly not the most unusual case for Piety) and the land wasn't the same. She had hoped to mother another litter in the north, hardy brood with the same morals and strength of her last son. But the mountain would do just fine. Her children (or child as she had a history of litters of one pup) this year could still be hardy on the mountain.

Carefully she rolled over, her neck strained towards the healer to place a nip on his cheek as her tail beat against the ground at a steady pace. "And what am I being treated to this morning? I expect only the finest, Mr. Artemieva." She teased before rolling back onto her stomach, shifting about to face towards the tawny Artemieva.

"I'm sure it will taste just fine." She replied, snuggling up against him and propping the hare between her paws. Piety wasn't going to indulge herself just yet. Food could yet until after she spent some time with Lorcán. It wasn't like she was overly hungry anyway.

Her good ear flicked softly at his question, a small smile forming on her face. Ah. Piety supposed he wasn't fully aware of what her changes meant. She found it funny considering he was a healer but perhaps he didn't specialize in that field of medicine. "I'm fine, Lorcán. Really." She cooed as her head tipped back to catch a glimpse of his tawny form. The Santoro paused for a moment to let him think over her words. Perhaps that was a bit cruel to leave him so clueless.

"It's normal for the heat to fade away and be replaced with a different kind of scent when things go right." Piety wasn't exactly sure how to inform him. She had some hope that he would pick up on her hints. Hell, she had figured he would have known. It felt strange having to give the talk to someone who she had bred with. "We wanted to start something together, right? Well, hopefully, we succeeded."

She chuckled softly at his excitement, accepting his smothering kisses. Her own tail joined the joyous thumps against the den floor. "Yes, yes I think so. That's what the changes have meant in my experience." She gave a small smile and brushed her muzzle against his masked face. Everything felt right. She was willing to let walls down around Lorcán and show him her tender side in her grieving moments. Now she was reaping the rewards for trusting him.

"Things are falling into place, aren't they?" The dove asked in a whispery but warm tone. She couldn't think of anything left holding them back from truly making a future together now. Piety wouldn't pressure him to be anything official with her (mate, husband, etc.) but she had faith he would stick around and be a father. He was wise and otherworldly, just the man to groom a proper child into the best adult possible.

She was putting the cart before the horse though, wasn't she? For a family to actually be made she had to make sure she carried through the whole process and that nothing happened.

"You still want to stick around?" She teased him with a small smirk. Then again she may have been testing him too. How long would his enthusiasm last?

She was caught off guard but not in a bad way. Her heart beat heavily in her chest. She had told him that she didn't need a mate to make things work because it would have been easier that way. She could have had anyone that way if she told herself that she did not need to keep the male around. Oh, but how things had changed somewhere along the line. The dove had found herself tangled up with the healer this season and it seemed he wanted to make things permanent.

A smile broke her thoughtful features. "Of course but if it's your honor does that make you Mr. Santoro? Or shall we follow tradition and I be Mrs. Artemieva?" She crooned with slight curiosity and a small smirk. Piety expected them to follow the traditional route but she couldn't let it happen without a bit of teasing first. It was all out of affection, though. The Santoro never intended to do any harm with her teasing and if she did there would certainly be apologies to follow.