It was hot today, just like it was hot most of the days for the past few weeks. Majesty wished it would rain again. Normally, it was a warm rain, but at least it would be cooler than having no rain at all. He panted as he lay in the forest beside his den. He didn't often leave that area, ever since he and Arkham had begun sharing the space. He needed to keep an eye on the wolf-dog, which is what she had told him she was. She had become a member of their pack more out of necessity to survive than anything else, although the alpha didn't mind. He was not one to discriminate, especially when she was so weak and sick. He would take care of her, nurse her back to health, and if she wanted to leave after that, it was fine with him. It was okay if she wanted to stay, too. He was always welcome to the idea of adding numbers to their ranks.

It was while he was thinking about all of this that Erika's call rang out from the distant shores of the mainland. She sounded upset and desperate, and he sprang to his paws with lightning speed and charged through the pine trees out into the open. Soon enough he was galloping along the hot sand and splashing into the water without a moment's notice. It was midday so the water reached only his ankles when he made it to the sandbar. In another few minutes, he was leaping back into the water to swim the rest of the way to shore, and then skidding to a halt in front of his beloved.

She was crying. She looked anguished. Hurt, confused. His heart ached for her. "E... Erika..." he panted, trying to catch his breath. He had never run so hard in his life. "Wha... what's wrong? Did they hurt you? Jinx's wolves? Did they find out about us?" He paused. "Are you pregnant?" The words tumbled from his mouth. The normally-calm earthen wolf was a bundle of energy now. He didn't know what to do with himself as he impatiently waited for her response. Quickly, he leaned forward and kissed her face, swiping his tongue along her nose and her cheek and her chin in an effort to calm her tears. He whined in his throat, wondering what could have possibly gone wrong that she would be in such a state before him.

Majesty sighed in relief as she told him that she wasn't hurt. He rested muzzle on top of her head for a moment, breathing in her scent to help calm his nerves. She still cried, though less now. He pulled away to look into her eyes. "It is alright," he said gently. "You are safe now. I am having my wolves do border patrols twice as often. Now that you are here, nothing and no one will harm you. I informed the pack that you might be coming to join us, so they should be welcoming enough."

He paused. "I'm not sure of our denning situation as of yet. I may have to dig out a second den next to my original one in order for us to sleep together. I have a... patient who has been sharing my den with me. She washed up on shore about a week ago and I have been having to keep a close eye on her. She is suffering from internal bleeding, so I've been watching her day and night to make sure she doesn't get any worse. Internal bleeding is a hard thing to cure, and I'm afraid if she sleeps by herself she will drown in her own blood. I hope you understand. I don't think having another wolf crowded into the den would help her any."

It was then that Majesty realized Erika had answered his question about possibly being pregnant. It was also that moment when he realized that he didn't even know if she was actually coming to stay with him. "So you... threw up. You're right. That really doesn't mean anything. We cannot be sure yet whether you are pregnant or not. But also... does this mean you're coming to stay? You're coming to stay... with me? I will take care of you. You know that." His eyes were full of hope, hope for the future. Hope that he would one day soon hear the sounds of tiny paws scampering around the den. He smiled at her encouragingly, awaiting her answer.

Majesty smiled fondly down at his mate. "Yes," he said. "You will protect me by hitting everyone in the legs and bowling them over. No one will ever suspect a thing." His eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Now. Would you like to come with me and explore your new home? Unfortunately, I will not be able to be gone for long, as Arkham - the sick female - cannot be alone for too much time. But I can give you a quick tour, and then you can choose your temporary denning site."

He paused, and looked at her. His voice dropped an octave. "And perhaps... we should make sure that you are truly pregnant. And there is only one way to do that..." He lifted an eyebrow at her. "Would you be for it, Ma Belle? After all, I have missed you so..."

Suddenly, Majesty's thoughts went flying all over the place, and he tried desperately to land on one response out of a thousand. The first thing he landed on made him grin despite himself. He was going to say some things he never thought he would ever say. "How about we do it right here?" he asked her. "Right now. Right beside the ocean."

He leaned towards her, pressing the side of his face against hers, and whispered, "And how would Ma Belle like it this time? Slowly and gently, or nice and rough?" He chuckled against her ear. "I would not mind either way."

Majesty pressed against Erika as she fumbled around for excuses. He could feel the heat rising from her body. He couldn't tell if that was from excitement or embarrassment. Probably both. He chuckled again, nibbling her ear a little. "Fine, fine..." he murmured. "Where would my beautiful Erika like to go instead? Somewhere more private? Anywhere is alright with me."

He didn't know what on Earth had gotten into him, and he chalked it all up to hormones. But he refused to take any of it back now. His mate's reaction to what he had said was priceless, and he smiled down at her with lust in his eyes, hoping to make her squirm a little more - all in good fun, of course. If she were ever truly uncomfortable, he would stop immediately. He cared for her too much to purposefully make her feel nervous.

Gently, as a way to calm her nerves a little, he said, "I love you, Erika." His eyes softened and he leaned forward and nuzzled her face. "Would you like to go find somewhere quiet?"