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

Guilt swam through Szymon’s veins as Doe shuffled toward him with her satellite dish ears pinned back and tapered skull canted down — did she fear he was displeased? He could not find the words to reassure her, still feeling irrationally unsettled by the enormity of the gift she had given him, but as the crown of her head fitted into the crook of his neck he felt the tension melt away, just as he knew it would. A low, heavy croon spilled from his jaws as he surveyed the den with his brilliant sulphureous gaze. “It,” he sounded out quietly, one foreleg snaking around her shoulders to pull her nearer still, “is b-b-beautiful — l-like — ” Heat flushed the young wolf’s cheeks; his tongue felt thick and heavy in his mouth, and he unfurled it to groom the fur betwixt her ears with meticulous, deliberate care. “Like you, Doe,” he said, feeling within himself for the thread that could hold together the shaking of his nerves.

Dipping his narrow skull, he rubbed his scarred muzzle through the longer fur at the nape of her neck, with its slate softness and dusky red guard hairs. His eyes closed as he lulled himself into a sense of comfort deep enough to allow speech: “You d-dug this whole d-den?” he questioned, the note in his guttural bass timbre obviously impressed at the strength and resilience of his Chosen One. He didn’t need to say it — it was made evident in the way he lifted his head to glance around, feeling more secure with Doe at his side, able to face the walls and see them for what they were: sanctuary. “I’ve n-never…h-had a den,” he confessed, wondering whether she had dug it with the intention of having him stay here or just admire it and spend time with her inside it from time to time. He resumed trailing his muzzle through her fur, nibbling at her nape in mute apology for his initial reaction. There were things Doe didn’t know about him yet — things she’d undoubtedly find out if they slept together — and Szymon was embarrassed by them.

“D-Do you sleep here?” he asked, wondering if it would be easier if he had some practice at it. “W-Where?”