relieved to be alone at last, mona had slid headlong into a dreamless sleep, punctuated only by her new awareness of ashlar's little sounds and movements. he woke to eat ravenously before joining his mother in slumber; so the cycle worked until rannoch's friendly call shook mona awake.
instinct prickled the hair along her nape. he was a male, and not only that, he was not her mate, possibly the only man allowed near after a child was born. but mona fought it, for rannoch meant her no harm, she knew. family, terance had said. 
and so the girl drew a breath, glanced around the confines of her den which would perhaps be enough space for the large leader's head and shoulders, and answered: "rannoch. please, come in."