Sunbeam Lair It’s not so hard now, you’ve got it all

For weeks it stayed on the back of Damien's mind, the promise he'd made to Asterr of being there for the pups in case they were his. But other thoughts battled too, compromising his certainty. How could Asterr ever know whether the pups were his? And if they were, how could he be their father without leaving Blackfeather Woods behind? And even if he managed to do that, how could he ever keep the secret from the Dark Brotherhood? Thsi would for sure bring him trouble down the road.

But those thoughts seemed to turn off the moment Asterr's brother came to Blackfeather Woods to collect him saying Asterr was in labor, lucky not to be surprised in the company of either of his siblings, or anyone else from the pack. He didn't think twice before following the Draconid to the lair, but did send out a howl for the pack to know that he was going to leave for a couple days. They wouldn't ask where he went, he was sure they would be used by now to his random expeditions.

It was a long way to the mountains, and the trek up the hills was not an easy one, but Damien was eager to get there, to find Asterr and offer whatever kind of support he could, even if the pups were not his own. And he felt like a complete stranger when he arrived at the caverns, profaning a foreign place, but still he felt this was the right place for his children to grow up, unlike his own home.

Nekoda brought him to the den right away, and Damien thanked him before approaching. There was a male sitting outside, like a sentinel across the entrance, and Damien cleared his throat to announce his presence. He was a stranger in this lair, after all, and he knew better than to disrespect those that lived within. But this male was blocking his way to Asterr, and the dark prince was eager to see her.