Lost Creek Hollow a lonesome star in a bitter sky

The smile upon her muzzle didn't fade, even as she realized that the Ostrega had barely any grasp on the words she had spoken.  She helped him into the shelter and nuzzled his ear tenderly as he laid his head down.  Though it was her job to stay strong and confident in the face of such dire situations, the alpha let slip a very soft whine as her muzzle slipped down against his cheek and she murmured softly, "I love you, Mordecai."

They were words she hadn't allowed herself to say since the first time she'd uttered them when they had been dismissed for a different topic.  Her tongue glanced upon his soft fur briefly before she turned and sped off into the trees, leaving behind her sentiment and worry and letting determined intent fill every nook and cranny of her self.

Harlyn sped along the crests and nooks of the Hollow, her nose twitching fiercely as she sought what she needed to save her partner's - no, her mate's life.  Maybe they hadn't defined it in so many words yet, and maybe it was too soon to tell for certain, but her heart knew she was carrying his children and even more, it had known long before that what he was to her.  Finding the right herbs was not so easy as it had been for her to find the den to hide Mordecai in.  Nevertheless, it was with a mouthful of roots and leaves that she returned to his side, worry etched upon her every feature in spite of herself.