Tuktu Hinterlands Better hold on tight, before you know it's gone

After Colt finished, Niamh would later look back and realize exactly how surprised she was- not about Colt having had a mate before, but because she’d expected something completely different from their trip. When they’d left, she’d assumed that the trip would end up being about her- but instead, he’d brought her out to tell her about him. In the long run, and even immediately after he told her the truth, she wpuld appreciate him even more for it despite the fact that she’d expected to return to the pack as his mate. This was something that was extremely important to him, and getting that kind of honest, heartfelt information out of Colt was rare and difficult.


Nell was her name, and it surprised Niamh, of course, to hear he’d had a mate before. She didn’t need to ask about him having other children, though, as she hadn’t lived terribly long. Though he spoke straight, Niamh picked up on the hurt he’d felt immediately and had to bite her lip. She could feel her cheeks sagging, and had to suck in more of her lower lip in order to keep it still. When he finished speaking and stood up, Niamh wasn’t ready to move.


But nor was she ready to speak. She opened her mouth to speak, but in doing so, she could no longer clamp her trembling lips togetherso all she could do was exhale raggedly and turn her gaze away from him sternly, fighting back tears. She took a moment to breathe, and tried to sneak a tentative glance at him. ”I’m so...So sorry, Colt.” She said. She realized a moment later she should probably clarify, lest he get the wrong idea.  ”That must’ve really hurt,” She said, finally able to turn her doleful gaze upon him. She understood, then, why he’d been so standoffish when she’d first met him, and why he looked so disappointed whenever she came home after getting into a fight. He was afraid he’d lose another person he loved. She moved to his side and buried her muzzle into the dark fur at his shoulder, exhaling softly. There was more to him than she’d bargained- but mot more than she could handle.