i reached back to scratch my arse and found a banana peel in my pocket

It took forever to go from the den site back to the borders, easily five times what it had taken her to make the journey alone. She was surprised and also disappointed that Raptor even stayed that long. Part of her hoped that Tiercel's absentminded wandering would delay them just long enough that the scoundrel would grow bored and wander away. There was a tiny part of her that was impressed he would wait around just to see his child, but her mind was quick to tut tut at that.

She hung back while Tiercel inspected her father, who was vibrating with excitement. Wylla smirked. At least now she knew where her daughter got that from. Surely it couldn't have come from a dignified and superior wolf like herself, and she was pleased to see that supported in Raptor's unfettered wiggling. The two were a pair of fools, she thought to herself, as Tiercel bounded between her legs and then launched into a story that no one but Tiercel could comprehend.

Her lips wanted to tug into a smile at the child's enthusiasm, but she turned her head sideways as if rejecting their interaction. Raptor was still a useless piece of shit who had definitely made her child slow in the head—there was no way dropping her on her head had been a problem—and she couldn't let him know that she was happy to see Tiercel so pleased.