Stavanger Bay everyone, step aside; this is the last warning

Sizzle says, “HOW DO I DEN”

Szymon followed the eager skitter of Doe’s paws with a measure of his own alacrity, betrayed in the snap of his paws and the flick of his bottlebrush tail. The smile that shaped his kohl-lined lips was fond as he watched his Chosen One spread the spotted pelt over the den’s sandy floor and curl her pert haunches beneath her in a demure depiction of imperious grace. Still, his steps were tentative as he stepped cautiously into the den — there was an instinctive dislike to the sensation of being walled in; it did not please the Cairn, and his tattered ears fanned back against his skull for a moment in trepidation. He turned a slow circle, moving carefully, as though every wall was forged of fragile eggshell — and his scarred muzzle investigated every nook and cranny of the cozy space. He had never had a den before. The lowest ranking wolf of his natal pack, he had snatched bits of sleep when and where he could, for to have a traceable location was to court folly.

“I made it bigger,” came her soft, smoky voice, “so that you can come in.”

A sensation so sweet it was almost painful twisted the warped and scorched strings of Szymon’s heart into knots — she had done this with him in mind. He wanted to rejoice in her gift, to rub his body along the walls and mark it with his scent as he had marked every border of the bay territory, but every inch of sinew and flesh in his body felt stiff and cold — he needed her touch to thaw him and set him free. “C-C-Come here,” he demanded roughly of her, standing a bit awkwardly, his lean, spare frame blocking the light of the outside world. “I — ” The halting lock on his words had returned to him in this unfamiliar situation, but if only he could touch her — if only he could taste her — everything would come untangled. The bass whine that hummed in his throat spoke of his need for her — edged with a guttural undertone, it was one of the few times he had asked her for something instead of waiting for her to offer.