atka tended to her aching feet while waiting for dreven. his absence caused an ill feeling in her gut; it was a prompt to recall the months that further destroyed her. 

a pregnant wolf, taking a long, ruining fall fell easy on predatory eyes. distance, running, was all that could save her, damage only heightened with the exertion to her body. pain or death? questions kept her feet moving, but the bloody trail was an effortless follow. tracked, watched, followed, she stayed on her feet for days. weeks? fever, pain, and obsession made things blurry. instinct carried the wisp of a woman through this time. 

with the beast of prey off of her tail, she sought red eyes once more. the loss of the life inside her followed the incidents, as well as the rift between dreven. atka was no stranger to healing her body, but when her limbs could finally handle the trek to return to him, he was no longer there. she could only wander and grieve him and those she had yet to meet.

atka started with nothing, but oh, how soon was she given it all when she had met him; atka was set on reuniting. so many promises made the cut jagged. the wound that formed between them was agonizing. she had left, whether she had to or not, atka still left. he could be angry and she would let him, but she just needed him to make her feel something again. even if it was his teeth, at least it would be his teeth.

regret, the useless emotion ebbed away when she laid her eyes on him again. heavy breaths and teary eyes was all that she could give, but he understood. dreven allowed her to walk beside him again, even after the pain she could only imagine she caused. even if she hadn't meant to.

she watched his approach with half lidded eyes, a deep sigh following. relief cleaned her mind.

❝hm,❞ it was a soft utterance of a greeting.

she pulled herself to her feet, attempting to hide the slight wince on her face. dreven's concern for her body could be overwhelming. the little limp was ever present, ligaments to her hind leg still in a state of disarray. atka had developed a way of walking, running even, to avoid further damage or pain. she sniffed at the meal he had retrieved before lifting her head to brush underneath his chin.

there were no darting eyes, or heightened rush of blood, just calm as she embraced his warmth. atka said nothing, hoping he would speak for them both. how could she say anything? the snowy wolf could no longer exhaust herself with the thoughts of what the two were to do. for now she'd wrap herself in his smell, his being, his touch, his eyes, all of it. 

the matters still pressed, even with her momentary attempt to ignore them. what would follow her upcoming season? would they stray the wilds, just the two of them, or settle with the anxieties and struggle of winter?

her insides felt pinched at the mention of heph. she had a joyful reunion with the wolf; she remembered the happiness as the news of children was shared, children that did not come. atka hummed at his affection, pressing into him further as he kissed her muzzle.

❝okay.❞ it was more of a breathy sigh than a word.

atka breathed in his scent, her nose buried in his fur. the moment was brief, but loved as she pulled away to sniff at the weasel once more.

❝thank you,❞ she said between careful bites.

she ate underneath his eyes, blood staining her muzzle like usual. she wished he would eat too, but his insistence of caring for her was something she learned not to deny. atka decided like he’d said, they would eat, rest, and head out in the direction they came in search of others.

while waiting for dreven to eat his fill her ears tilted to every sounds that wasn't the crunching of bone. atka had picked up several anxious habits, but they seemed to take less of a toll on her with the behemoth of a man around.

❝feels better too.❞ atka chirped in response, warmth settling in her abdomen as his touch was dragged across her.

she only nodded in response to his suggestion at finding a place to settle, taking a nervous glance at their surroundings.