Phoenix Maplewood It's all part of a grander plan

It was strangely gratifying for Saena to see someone bolstered by her words. She often had the opposite effect, but Esaro seemed determined to take his new task seriously, and she believed he would. If he blundered within the confines of the maple wood, there was no doubt in her mind that she and Reek would pick up his slack, so there would be no lasting effects. It should be within the pack territory that Esaro learned to be the wolf he wanted to be, so the arrangement was fine with her, and she didn't intend to tell Reek about it until it was necessary. She knew well how he felt about Esaro.

"See you around, Esaro," she said as he bowed, and then she went back to lounging, her eyes returning to the crackling ice at the edge of the stream. A ripple of nerves, like butterflies, skittered through her belly but she paid it little mind, assuming she was just a little hungry and not yet recognizing the first signs of her pups moving within.