Heron Lake Plateau If you can use a doorknob

As she worked, he wiggled and whined, but not nearly as disruptively as he had moments ago. For a proud, independent wolf like Quixote, she knew it was weird and uncomfortable to be cared for by another, but she couldn't just let him go off on his own without making sure he was okay and doing what she could to keep him healthy and safe. He played too significant a role in her life -- as both her friend, her mate, and the father of her puppies -- as well as in the pack, as its alpha. He was too important in too many ways; a simple scratch became something much bigger to her with someone like him.

His words fell on her ears and she could hear the worry in them. She stopped and looked at him with a heartfelt grin, truly touched by his concern for and dedication to her. "Most of this will heal quickly," she reassured him. "As long as nothing's broken inside, you should be back to normal soon enough. I would still take it easy as much as possible for now, though, to let things heal. We've got plenty of able hunters in the pack, and I'm sure we've got some caches built up by now too." She wouldn't starve, she knew that much. Theirs was a thriving and active pack, and with the high population of game in the area, she knew the hunting was good and food was plentiful.