Dawnlark Plains I want this, and I want it now!

gonna snag dis

Things were looking better. The shock of the news of Murdock's death had worn off, replaced by a dull acceptance, a small hole in his heart. He was on good terms with Pema, and time would soon tell if she was pregnant. The pack was thriving, staying healthy and fed. He really couldn't complain--and for a wolf that so often liked to wallow in self-pity and misery, that was saying something.

Shale found Pema today by a cache, doing a little bit of rummaging. That was encouraging--she was pretty actively engaged in finding food, which meant she was hungry, which meant-- He frowned, halting his brain from running desperately to conclusions. She was hungry. He left it at that.

"You've bypassed a perfectly good rabbit, there," he said after chuffing in greeting, giving her a gentle nudge to her shoulder and dipping his nose at the almost perfectly preserved carcass. "Or that deer haunch. Which I'm tempted to take for myself, unless you want it." He'd stayed busy enough to eat a little less, and his stomach was starting to feel the effects.

Shale blinked kindly at his. . .mate? Great friend? Fuck-buddy? He didn't quite know. They'd not made anything official. "How are you?" he asked, smiling.