Hideaway Strath I’ll shoulder the load, and I’ll swallow the shame

The gangster offers her a soft nod in silent agreement to her promise, knowing her words to hold truth. If they had been successful in conceiving this would be his third litter and by now he knew the ropes fairly well ( or so he liked to think ). In all honesty, Arturo had not been sure how Hemlock would take his proposal, and he’d debated about it for a long while now on how to present it. Admittedly, he’d intended to have more patience with his words, more finesse; but there had been an honesty in the unintended way he’d proposed. A rawness that well thought and poetically crafted words would not have conveyed. In truth, the gangster had been worried about, somehow, offending her, despite that she had taken well to the affections of both him and Lotte individually. Quickly, Hemlock had joined Lotte as a leading lady in his life; but he had wanted to tread delicately, not wanting to insult Palisander’s memory, unsure if he and Lotte could even live up to what Hemlock wanted or needed from life. It was apparent that Arturo worried for no reason, for her question and the wind of her body against his in an embrace is positive and for a moment, knocks the gangster off his guard.

For the first time in a long time, words fail Arturo. Words. His craft. His dictation slips away as they stand chest to chest, his breath slightly hitched in his throat, ears fluttering back to rest at half mast atop his skull with undiluted affection. He presses his muzzle into the fur of her neck that is within his reach, drawing his tongue and teeth through the silken tendrils. He is filled with relief that she accepts, that she returns the affection felt by both Lotte and himself and realizes that the giddy rise of warmth is a combination of love that has been cultivating for Hemlock for some time, unbeknownst to the gangster, and pure joy that she wants to be apart of them. That she wants them to be apart of her. “Our family.” The gangster echoes, deep, smoky voice thick with emotions that have lodged themselves in his throat.