Redhawk Caldera Feel the mercury rising

A few hours after the pack felled the doe, Peregrine returned to the scene of the crime to feed again. Although the carcass was small, so was the pack. Still, there were only a few pounds of meat left. He intended to put it away (in his stomach, that is), then cache the bones and gristle. He positioned himself over the picked-apart doe, licked his lips, then dove into the meal.

Ten minutes later, he backed away from the supper table and relaxed onto his haunches. The past several weeks had been very hard but things were looking up, at last. The Alpha male scanned his surroundings, his mind wandering to the future. His love life was on an upswing. The Firebirds would continue flourishing and soon, there would be another litter to tend. He knew his mate was foraying out into the wilderness to find some recruits, so hopefully the ranks would swell again soon. It was a while yet before winter, so they could look forward to several more months of plenty.

Content for the moment, Peregrine licked his chops and reclined to watch the sun begin to set in the west.