Blacktail Deer Plateau With the lights down low

Grayday licked her muzzle at these words. His heart sunk, but he'd loved Catori even when he'd been sure that no pups would be in their future, and he still loved her, now. They'd find some other way to ensure Dawn could safely raise her own family one day.

"You're a better prize than imaginary children," he replied, wanting her to know that she had not let him down in any capacity. He was a bit sad, but he tried not to show it, not wanting to hurt her feelings. He'd get over it soon enough. "I don't want to diminish your relationship with the kids. You are becoming an important part of their lives, and I believe it's important for that to continue to grow. But they won't need you as much as children born to you would. They have Pema and Dawn, and those two have grown into the place that Khoe used to occupy. You are growing there as well, but... you don't stand there alone."

He didn't want to make her sad, but he also didn't want to mislead her. The kids would probably never experience a close, mother-child relationship with Catori, and while that was certainly a shame, it also wasn't a terrible thing. They had many around to love them.

"I don't remember being afraid," Grayday went on, thinking back. "I was very anxious to finally have a family of my own. I was more frightened that something would happen, and they'd be lost to me before I even had the chance to love them."