I'm going to assume Volkan is playing babysitter for this.
<blockquote>It had been only days since the shewolf had first left the confines of the secluded den that had been her makeshift home for several weeks. In retrospect, the pregnancy had been smooth, and the birth - or what she remembered of it - went as well as she could have hoped for. She and Ruiko's cubs were growing stronger, and hungrier, by the day; the caches were critically low, filled now with only smaller kills, which seemed to rot much faster. Having not laid an eye upon any of her wolves since she'd slipped from her mate's side that fateful night, she knew the time had come for her leave to end, but little did she know that the world she would return to was nothing of the one she'd left behind. A low growl resonated deep within her throat as her muzzle roved just above the earth, her senses in overdrive as she searched for anything that was familiar.
Nothing.
Despite her greatest efforts to return to any degree of normalcy, the was but <i>one</i> distinct thought - a <i>dark</i> memory - that plagued her mind. <i>He'd never came</i>. The proud king had never laid an eye upon his sons and daughter, not once. Initially it had been a minor let-down, she was sure he had his hands full keeping things intact while she existed, unfortunately, as she imagined a hermit would - tucked away, hidden, safe. But then the day had come to an end, and a new day followed, and to her first taste of dismay, another night without him ensued. Now, as she stood among the swaying grasses of her border, her once warm, honey eyes were stone cold, as if the life within them had simply vanished with him. Days upon days had passed since she'd last felt his touch, heard his voice, savored the smell that had once permeated their den and homeland, which had now all but faded along the edge of the Spring; this could mean only one thing. He had <i>left</i>.
The tawny female would inhale a deep breath as her brows came together distastefully, her eyes clenching shut as a new wave of pain spread throughout her chest. Had he gone to pursue Kinis, if he had clung to the notion that he could still be alive? Was he intercepted by their enemies, in the process or not? Did things he did not share with her exist, and if so, could those secrets have caused him to abandon her on the night she'd given birth? <i>Was he even okay?</i> The Onida female was resilient, perhaps more so now that she had an absolute reason other than herself to live. Three, actually, four counting the man who had become her rock and the patriarch of the Creek wolves. Deep within her aching heart, she knew they would be reunited soon. Ruiko would conclude whatever business had drawn him from her, and when she was least expecting it, there he would be, waiting for her like he always had...Right?
In the meantime, it was necessary that she reinforce the borders herself. Additionally, it was time to rally the few members who remained with her; she needed to reassure herself they were all unscathed, and healthy despite having carried the burden her pregnancy had placed upon them. Shaking her worries and wandering thoughts, her large, creamy paws carried her onward.
Patrol was usually uneventful, but some days she was amazed at things she managed to stumble upon. Though she had tracked only the scents of a literal couple of Creek wolves thus far, as the afternoon sun began to shift westward she would come across a fresh trail, canine, and novel. A loner, as it were, judging by the isolation of his signature, though she did pick up on a faded, female scent. Perhaps her efforts today were not in vain, and if he was not well on his way the hell away from her infant children, the creek would undoubtedly run red.
After a short time the leader eventually had the rogue in view, as he basked carelessly beneath the sunlight. Aggressively, if not silently, triangle ears pressed forward and she froze for a few moments to assess the situation. Luckily for her (and perhaps for him, as well), the trespasser was fast asleep. With predatory stealth she crept closer, getting a good look at him while passing her own subtle judgments. If only she had more time, he may have enjoyed his nap. The the facts were that she had no time, absolutely <i>none</i>, to waste.
<b>"Wake up,"</b> she stated plainly as she stood before him where he lay, every inch as regal and threatening as she always had been. He would give her a reason for being here, or else suffer a fate much bloodier than any he could envision in his dreams.</blockquote>
Sex: Male
