Big Salmon Lake fist full of restrictions

I'm really stressy at the moment, so I apologize if this post is kinda weird.

When she finally forced herself to step back over the pack's boundary line and seek out Rivet, she found their rendezvous site deserted. With her heart thumping wildly in her chest, Turquoise put her nose to the ground and began to track her lover's footsteps through the forest. To her surprise, they led her back beyond the borders, toward the lake southeast of Neverwinter's realm. As she followed Rivet's scent trail, Turq felt her breath hitch in her throat every so often as anxiety wrung the air from her lungs. She dreaded facing the DeMonte after what she'd done—not only for betraying her but for disappearing without a word, which was even worse in a way.

When Turquoise spotted Rivet sprawled beneath a tree near the lakeshore, she bit her lip and paused, trying to gauge her partner's mood from afar. She just looked worn out. A fresh wave of guilt swept through Turq. Why do you suck so bad? she her inner voice barked. Get on with it, it added and she lifted her stockinged feet and dragged her sorry carcass toward the sleepy-looking Rivet.

"Rivet," she said, unable to use pet names like my love or even Riv. She didn't feel like she deserved the privilege right now. "I'm sorry I went MIA. I am—I was—just... confused about something. I met this other girl in the pack and—well, nothing happened!" This critical information exploded out of her with a ragged gasp of air. "But we flirted and I—I liked it, I guess. I felt—feel—really... bad." She stopped there, her ears folding guiltily backward. She found she couldn't even look at Rivet, so she just stared at her own feet.