The Heartwood [m] partyin' to hella late

I just wanna smudge Tatum in huggles. She's adorable!

Silence.

It echoed around him and caused his words to be played over and over again in his head. The offer was on the table and now was the time when the paths diverged in alternate realities. Tatum might choose to say no, happy in life as a lone wolf leaving him with the option of offering her a place closer to winter - if she came back. She might say yes and return with him to Silvertip Mountain, hopefully to become part of the family atmosphere FitzDutiful wanted instilled in his pack. She might not answer and turn the conversation into something else entirely - a no, probably, but without the certainty.

For the briefest of moments all these possibilities existed at once. They all happened as her mouth began to open and the words began to manipulate the air waves on their journey to his ears and his brain processed them.

Why not? It took him a moment to realise that meant yes. It wasn't until her continuation of that statement that he realised he had successfully recruited her to his pack and now would get the chance to know her better. Smiling, he looked at her and his tail began to wag. "I'm glad. It'll give me a better chance to get to know you and more opportunities to verbally, and physically, spar with you." His eyes twinkled at the concept for physically sparring, suggesting something more than just training as a potential possibility.

"Want me to give you the personal tour of the mountain now or would you rather wait a bit?" They weren't all that far away, but he understood if Tatum had something she wanted to do before heading off. He would happily wait, meet her there, whichever.