Phoenix Maplewood Grace under pressure

She confirmed his worst suspicions; he was in fact, bug-nuts, but the tone of her response wasn't something he fully expected.  There was kindness where he had expected anger, a sweetness had taken the place of hurt.  Initially he was taken aback and his expression was one of near confusion. Despite loving his mate fully, he had not predicted to be able to share such a base level insecurity without resistance.  But soon, once the initial surprise wore off, Reek's confused expression gave way to a wide and dumb looking grin.  She still loved him, no matter what.

"I don't ever intend on leaving," he confessed. "Not now, and especially not then." A stable family was all he had ever wanted, and every time he came close to having it, a brick came soaring through the preverbal window. However, part of him understood how a wolf would follow Peregrine's path. All his life, he had run from responsibly, and having only recently taken it, Reek still felt like a fish out of water in such a position. This time, he didn't feel like running. Not from Saena or his future children. "You're kinda stuck with me," he added with a light chuckle.

Anyways, the coyotes needed to be addressed. "I don't think they're that different from you and me," he continued. Reggie certainly was, but Sart was quite similar and Reek had found himself quite attached. "I've gotten really attached to Sart, I'd really like it if you gave her a chance. Reggie though, she's a problem... I'm still going to make good on my promise to keep them safe though, because if I didn't, I'm just like Peregrine to them." Even though they were just coyotes and not even his own children, he still couldn't handle the thought.

"But, I think I'm done stealing kids for a while," he joked, but the thought behind it was serious. The whole fiasco had been a disaster. "I guess I'll just wait for ours." He smiled and pushed his face further into his mate's fur.