the birth of his children did not bind lasher more closely to the plateau, but drove him from it physically. while he adored the scent and feel of their small velveteen bodies, and the languid nights spent curled alongside blue willow, taltos had become restless. with no witch to guide him, and no true lover to anchor him, he felt himself adrift.

and yet each day he foraged far for small trinkets and baubles, for the babes' eyes to enjoy when they were older. feathers, odd pebbles, even shells gleaned from the cold sands. and now he found himself in the heavy darkness of a thick forest, nares flared for the pungent scent of small mushrooms with which he would pair a squirrel, and deliver unto blue willow.

likewise had lasher forged ahead when it came to peregrine. he would always love the man, and the panther had left a rift in his soul, but it was something comforted through focus upon other things. peregrine loved fox, and surely the spitfire carried his children now. he intended that they live happily.

he turned with a surprised look in his throat, but tail flagged happily behind him at the caldera leader's step. peregrine, taltos purled. it is a pleasure to see you. approaching softly, he paused a few feet from the raven male. murkwater eyes passed lightly over peregrine's handsome features; the presence of his familiar masculinity was enough to bring a higher beat to his heart briefly. how have you fared?

he smiled softly, returning the gesture. they are beautiful. two sons, twins, one large and one delicate. both boys. and one radiantly pale daughter. constantine, casmir, and eilidh, respectively. they had become the center of his world and his eyes glowed with the contented love of a new parent. and what of you? he asked in his softly accented voice. fox — will she bear your children in the spring?

they would undoubtedly be beautiful children, with peregrine's stamp upon them, and his heart also yearned to ask after finley, wild bearhunter that she was. perhaps her time at the caldera had tempered her feral heart. ashton, too, was a source of interest for the man, but for quiet reasons best not mentioned to his former lover.

she is radiant. motherhood becomes her. despite the exhaustion that besotted all new mothers, blue willow had taken the struggle in stride, weaving her life through those of the children almost effortlessly. lasher could not say that he worked as ceaselessly in the same manner as she; he was content to relieve her of the duty when she wished to stretch her legs or walk outside of the birthing den, and whatever choice morsels there were he brought unto her, to enrich her milk and bring the gloss back to her sable pelt.

a smile appeared on his lips; he had not forgotten peregrine's charmingly vulgar way of speaking. and he too thought of the solstice, and what they had done beneath the eldritch light, and he met the caldera leader's eyes with a knowing glance. i am beta male alongside blue willow, taltos murmured softly. my days are spent in service to the plateau. i also give counsel when dante's tasks take him elsewhere.

and yourself? the caldera is beautiful. a lovely milieu for lovely individuals. aside from her fiery aesthetics, fox was not included in this number; silently of course.

he listened, inventorying the names as peregrine spoke them. he was pleased to find that finley seemed to be well, and the mention of ashton charmed his mouth into a private, brief smile. the caldera was thriving, but he had expected no less, what with fox's ambition and peregrine's steady hand upon the reins. he was a bit surprised to hear that the panther seemed to be welcoming the departure of a mated pair; while he understood it was the nature of their kind, the breaking of a family went against his own creed.

may your pack continue to prosper, he murmured softly, genuinely meaning his words.

we can, lasher rejoined to peregrine, settling into a more comfortable position. i have two male prospects before me, and a female, though she seems unremarked by my advances. blue willow is dearest to my heart, however; we have built a nest from which i shall not stray far. in time, i do hope she takes a lover, a mate, one to fulfill her traditional heart.

he did not ask after peregrine's love affairs, assuming that fox would disallow the wanton spread of her husband's seed.

lasher blinked, rather shocked by this betrayal of fox's blatantly traditional nature. does she, now? he breathed, a grin curtailing his momentary surprise. it was quite an interesting thought, and he wondered if the ruby would go through with a pursuit of this crush.

peregrine spoke, and lasher nodded. will you take another, do you think? he asked softly, before a soft blush rose to his cheeks, hidden of course by his dark fur; it was odd to speak of present lovers with one who had so recently delighted in his body. the woman, she is a witch from the cult of females newly sprung up along the coastline. ankyra sound, i believe they are called. she is its ruler. the two men are vastly different from one another, one calm and placid, the other jovial and playful. thus far, i have told none of my intentions, and here he grinned. i am waiting for the proper moment.

a shadow passed over peregrine's face, and while he could see that the panther struggled to stay affable, given their last meeting, lasher felt the welling of annoyance within him. the distance would have not affected his relationship with peregrine, had he been made welcome by the flame with which the panther was entangled. she had done no such thing; in his eyes, fox had trodden out of her path to assert herself above him and demand fealty, and he disliked her for it. she did not treat him with the affection he had intended for her.

you are upset, he mused softly. it would be best if he did not speak the names, especially as the sunshine-kissed redhawk healer was one of his intended paramours. straightening his spine, lasher regarded peregrine quietly. for a moment he had believed that the pair of them had moved past the obstacle in their way, but it was now apparent that the panther had not, and in some small way, neither had taltos, for he still found resentment toward the ruby in his heart. why?

lasher's nostrils flared slightly; while it was quite like peregrine to be preoccupied by bodily functions, the smallest niggling worm of suspicion remained. yet he shook out his ruff and darted a charming smile at the panther. they are said to sacrifice men! but it has been so long since i had a witch in my daily life; it is important to be so bound to the earth.

he thought of the rawboned waif, her dainty limbs belying the malicious fire of her eyes, and his heart thrust itself higher with its beats. a moment paused and he regarded peregrine warmly. lifting his muzzle, taltos cleared his throat. it is time that i made amends with fox. she is to be the mother of your children, babes that i love already, for they are a part of you.

while the words remained a struggle for him to speak, the earthen servant continued. if you think it wise, of course, for me to approach in a few days' time. i will bring a gift for herself, and for your children. ears cupped forward to hear peregrine's words; he was somewhat apprehensive.

he nodded. my interest was piqued when i traveled there to search for her, was all he said upon the matter, before peregrine's surprise became palpable. he too shared the panther's nostalgia for what had never been, but he was soon removed from the emotion. i shall bring something for her, then.

a glance skyward brought a heavy sigh from the man, but he turned a wry smile to peregrine, seeming vaguely conspiratorial. i bear interest in dante, he murmured, burning again beneath the fur of his cheeks. to whom i must soon return. himself, and blue willow, who will be expecting me.

he, too, smiled at the remembrance of their passionate time together, the moments stolen and possessed by fierce exploration of one another. it was heartening to know that peregrine no longer hated dante, and the beta saw fit to one day pass along the information, based on his interpretation of the panther's words.

the pleasure was mine, lasher murmured gently, gazing into the green gems that had so smitten him in the beginning. returning the caldera wolf's gesture, he too turned to rejoin blue willow in their new nest.