Stone Circle He's a tramp

Murdock simply smiled, pleased to have been able to offer viable council to the young girl. He hadn't set out to take her under his wing, but somehow, she was there. He wasn't going to let her crash and burn because of him.

The male returned her nuzzle, tail thumping the ground behind him. While he wouldn't try to steal the title of 'father' from Ezekiel, he knew he would always and forever think of Steph as his. If things had gone differently, he'd have little granddaughters just this age, and his mate growing old by his side. He'd have to chase down Wahots to see those grandkids, but he imagined Wyakin and Waytellem would have stuck around and whelped with their fellow Blue Ridge men.

It was a pretty picture, but Murdock's longing for it had eased over the years. And here and now, with Steph, he felt as though the world had returned something that had been taken from him long ago.