Moonspear And show me how to be whole again.

The pessimism in Talion reminded him briefly that Hydra might well have sent him on a wild goose chase, expecting him to either perish in the cold or to simply give up and move on elsewhere. He held his breath, pale stare fixed to the wolfess' paws as he half expected her to laugh him out beyond the territory, then released it when she praised his efforts and formally, officially welcomed him to Moonspear. She strode toward him then and the boy blinked up at her, his damp tail swishing to attention as she moved in close.

His heart soared. He was ecstatic! This was probably the closest he'd ever been to a female, and in his pure, unbridled joy he didn't even acknowledge his very real fear of the opposite sex. He whined as his platinum fur of a flank meshed with her inky pelt, and Talion writhed against her to thrust his muzzle upward and deliver a submissive, thankful swipe of his tongue to his new leader's chin.

She advised that he rest first, then seek either of her parents to introduce himself and share knowledge of his findings with them. The peppered yearling nodded enthusiastically, happy to agree to those terms, and loped after her as she turned and led him deeper into her - their! - home. 

"Do you all den together?" Talion asked, having not really thought of it before. With Astarte Strand, the males of the pack were rarely apart - a solid brotherhood, dedicated to serving the Nereides. He longed for this kinship once again, though prepared himself for any outcome; he would thrive here, he hoped, and his future felt significantly brighter.