Silver Creek And when white moths were on the wing

Saena's lips split into a light grin when Spring's tail waved, but when the shakes seemed to slow and then stop, her expression fell. The brief moment of feeling like she wasn't going to be reamed out for her mysterious disappearance faded away, and Saena managed to lower her head. It felt wrong to do so on some level—she'd been a leader for so long that even several months away from it didn't make a difference—but she did it nevertheless. While she didn't know anyone's role in the pack any longer, even the lowliest of pack wolves was superior to her, much as the thought pained her, although in Spring's case she would gladly submit.

What came next was an overload of information that set Saena's poor brain spinning. Instead of yelling at her, Spring apologized, drawing a frown from Saena, but then she went on to explain that Laurel and Indra were gone. This knowledge smashed over her with the force of a tidal wave, but then Spring uttered Reek's name and a numbness began to spread from Saena's breast through her belly. She could hardly fathom the idea that her babies were not here—she'd come so far to return to them—that the very idea of Reek stealing them felt unreal. It felt impossible.

"What?" she asked thickly, struggling to wrap her head around Spring's extra weighty revelation. Laika and Casmir are looking for them, she thought, but even that was incredibly difficult to comprehend with her mind whirling. Who are they again? Saena would know if she saw them, but presently, she was unable to even think straight, and she fell heavily to her haunches.