Dragoncrest Cliffs Break your fall

Thuringwethil didn't say anything, though she led Wildfire away from the main cavern and into one of the offshoots. Wildfire felt her nerves jangling as the walls closed in around them, though she understood the need for privacy. Her heart was beating so fast that she could feel her entire frame shaking with it. That had more to do with the pending conversation than her claustrophobia.

They both knew she would be the first to speak, yet when the commander looked at her, Wildfire's mouth opened and nothing came out at first. She clapped it shut, took a few breaths, then tried again with a little more success. "I'm really sorry I ran off like that, especially after yelling at you for doing the same thing just a few weeks before. I'm a hypocrite." She had already apologized but it seemed like a good thing to repeat, not to mention a good launchpad for the rest of what she wanted to say.

"It hurt me so badly that you would make a decision like that for me and not with me. You didn't say anything until I called both of you; you blindsided me. And now..." She was shaking slightly. "Now we don't know when or even if I'll go into heat again." Wildfire's lips pursed as she swallowed thickly. Chances were the cycle would begin again within a few months, though it was never a guarantee.

"I suppose it's for the best for the reasons you mentioned at the time," she continued in a strained voice, "and because I'm not sure I want to try parenting with a partner who doesn't even treat me like a partner." She winced and looked submissively at her feet, aware that was pushing the boundaries and quite possibly even provoking a breakup. But even if the commander outranked her, some decisions—like raising a family—must be made together as equals... or not at all.