The night was warm still as a swarthy silhouette restlessly trudged through the darkness of the trees that offered far more shelter than the thinly pines back upon the mountain, but also negated the man's ability to bask in the silvery glow of the moon while adoring its presence. A past time that had stayed with Galen since he was a pup and one he doubted would fade as time went on. Here and there the beams of soft light would manage to filter through the dense canopy more frequently, signaling that somewhere up ahead an opening had to be found.

Molten gold eyes shifted over an inky shoulder momentarily to gauge whether not he had been followed by another despite the assumption most, if not all, had curled up for the night before moving onward, unaware of how much soil had been churned under paw until a large beam of moonlight highlighted the man that was one with the shadows from within the hollowed trunk of a large redwood. It was here that Galen stopped, lowering himself into a seated position and tilted his head skyward, immediately in awe of what his eyes saw.

A peculiar shape that resembled a heart had naturally been carved into its top where surely a thick canopy had once resigned, but now allowed the moon to be nestled perfectly centered amongst the opening. Perfect for a selenophile such as himself to admire its beauty.

If only he could share this wonder with another he found beautiful..

Enjoying yourself?

Whatever semblance of peace Galen had managed to achieve in that singular moment since their departure from the mountain all came tumbling down like shattered pieces of glass the moment her voice reached his ears. The same ears that now swiftly swung back and flattened themselves against his skull in an expression that could only be read as guilt while his head lowered in order to cast his molten gaze upon his best friend. Silently staring for just a few moments. He could sense the building anger that had her body vibrating and for the first time the swarthy male was unsure if he could soothe it for he too had earned a special seat in the core of her ire as of late.

"Magg." He spoke softly at first, analyzing what words to say next that hopefully wouldn't fuel the flames of her anger further. Not that he wasn't undeserving of its wrath. Like he wouldn't welcome her fangs upon his flesh should she wish to do so if it helped release whatever resentment she harbored. The strain of upholding their secret was a hefty one, but he tried his best to negate any inclinations that the children she bore into this world were his per her wishes. Remaining nothing more than a shadowy guardian. That didn't mean, though, that the distance he was forced to maintain didn't pain him. There wasn't a day that went by where Galen didn't feel the urge to give up the charade and come clean, willing to accept his punishment if it meant finally being able to be with the ones that meant the most to him.

Alas, it was one thing as of late that kept his resolve from completely disintegrating, kept him from risking it all due to his own internal strife it conjured in the cavity of his chest.

He seemingly meant nothing now, to the one who still meant everything to him.