Bearclaw Valley And now it's hard to breathe

Although Xan frequented the site of the whelping den, he was not there when Laurel began her trek. He’d been at the borders, freshening up the traces of his scent to better ensure his home was left alone by those unwelcome. It was from there that he’d been coming when he spotted the tawny woman, the way she moved spelling something out for him that he couldn’t quite make sense of; she didn’t seem happy but to what degree her anger was, if that’s what it was, he couldn’t tell. He did realise, however, the direction she was going and it unsettled him.

With long strides, he closed the space between them, slowing and calling out, “Laurel,” before reaching her. The closer he got, however, the quieter he became, leaving him in total silence by the time he’d come to a stop. Alexander was not oblivious to her pregnancy but actually seeing the change to her body was strange to him. “Where are you going?” he asked a moment later, snapping himself out of his thoughts. And, of course, he remained as oblivious as ever to her feelings.