Wheeling Gull Isle little star, tonight

Sorry this took me like, 40 years to actually post!

He knows when she leaves, and some instinctual part of his consciousness must recognize the change in her scent when she does, so he follows at a great distance, walking in her footsteps long after she has left them. By the time he reaches the mouth of the Labyrinth the first three of their children have already been born. He lingers there, just outside the entrance, short cropped ears cupped forward and straining to listen. The wolf in him tells him to stay away, new mothers often do not want the company of males. The dog tells him to go to her. The two instincts war with each other, and for a long time he stands there at the threshold, before finally taking the first tentative step inside.

His approach is slow and cautious, but there is a gradual back and forth waver of his tail as soon as he sees Coelacanth’s figure where she lays curled around their offspring. His amber gaze remains transfixed on her, willing to retreat back to the entrance if she were to rebuff his approach in any way. But when she offers no such signs he steps closer, lowering his head to touch his nose to her cheek and gently lick away the shimmer of tears there before looking down at the puppies she has brought forth into the world. Their children. His gaze darts up towards her then back down at the four little fuzzy potatoes, and ever so carefully and gently he dips his head, barely touching his nose to each of them, a slow smile crossing his features.

After this inspection he steps around to lay at Seelie’s back, curling his body around hers to provide a source of warmth and a sense of protection.