Silver Creek O Captain! My Captain!

He truly felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. To share the hurt and the pain with someone...it was liberating. He too felt closer to Spring, felt both afraid and excited that he felt he could trust her so deeply. There was a fondness in his chest for her, a fondness that had bloomed the first day she'd addressed him. It was stronger now, as he sat beside her and shared his heartache.

He nodded to her words, a frown on his face. It had made the entire attack all that much worse. For a wolf to be so low as to strike during peace was one thing...but to find out he had affections for the one inside helping things along? It had cut him deeper than any fangs had that day. His eyes turned towards her as she spoke of her pups again, struggling with her emotions. Her story unfolded further and he shook his head. "That's awful, Spring. I'm so very sorry." She choked out her daughter's name and it fell heavily upon him. It was a lovely name, a name that should have accompanied that little female throughout her life. Instead it had ended prematurely, confined to only memory. 

Heston could not help himself as the emotions flooded Spring. He moved over to her, leaning his shoulder into hers with a gentle pressure. He did not assume to wrap himself around her, he didn't want to push her boundaries. By moving closer he could provide a shoulder for her if she wished, or an embrace if she so desired it. "You are so very strong, Spring. You have endured so much, and still you have come away full of hope and kindness." He shook his head at her apology. "I won't accept it, that apology. What you are talking about would have driven many to give up entirely, you are free to cry and mourn as you need. Crying does not make you weak, Spring. I certainly won't think any less of you." 

In truth this conversation had made Heston warm even further to Spring, more so even than the alpha from the previous pack. He'd never had deep conversations with the male, never felt he could trust him this deeply. Heston met Spring's eyes, smiling encouragingly. He too felt emotions swirling under the surface, a shadow of something more than trust for a new alpha. He let it sit, confused and unsure of it.