He gently kissed both of the newborns. "Welcome to the world little ones," he whispered before beginning to groom his wife. This was what he lived and fought for. This is what he'd killed for. Coyotes was one thing, but to shed the blood of another wolf - especially one he'd called friend - held more gravity. He didn't regret it for an instant. This was worth it.
"I love you," he whispered. Though it was mostly aimed at Moon, it was also for the bundles of fur snuggled against his wife's belly.
This was the life he loved, and he would fill the river with blood to protect it.
l