Firestone Hot Springs The door to December

When Koontz rose this morning, there was a cool nip to the air. She rose onto all fours, stretched until her muscles felt limber, then sought out Ray for a joint patrol of the borders. Afterward, they breakfasted together near the communal den and went their separate ways, with the Alpha female slowly padding toward her outlook post above the springs.

Feeling a little chilled and restless to boot, she didn't stop there but proceeded to pick her way down the plateau toward the hot springs. When she arrived there, she ignored the stench in the air and made a beeline toward some of the warm water. Dipping her silvery paws into it, she sighed and relaxed onto her haunches.

Her thoughts—many of them tinged with anxiety—pressed at the door of her mind. Yet she refused to open it just yet. Her pale eyes closed and she simply existed for a moment, quiet and motionless in the cool morning stillness.