Silver Creek O Captain! My Captain!

Her soft words reassured him, and made his heart thud faster. He felt his chest swelling, pleased that she too at least seemed somewhat interested in him in the same way that he was in her. "I'm happy to hear that. You are, as alpha or as friend, welcome to call on me whenever you like." He grinned at her again, a lopsided smile. Of course as alpha of Silver Creek she had every right to call on him whenever the mood struck her, but he wanted her to know that she could come to him for simple chit-chat as well.

He wasn't looking when she replied, so he missed the emotions that dance through her eyes. They had a good start here, though, he reasoned. He felt that Spring could understand his loss, his past. She had her own loss, her own betrayal and in his mind her loss and betrayal were both stronger and more painful than his own. But he could understand her pain too, and in that they were linked in ways other wolves could not be.

He was out of things to say now, unwilling to take the situation and turn it to lesser flirting and jokes when something precious, in his mind, had been shared. So he sighed a contented sigh and turned his gaze back towards where the butterfly had been.