Stavanger Bay if "i love you" was a promise

his gaze settled upon her like storms upon the sea. there was concern and worry and perhaps frustration as she held something captive from him so desperately. it was not his fault, and perhaps not hers, but dalia did not want to share her turmoil so easily with every wolf who asked. 

but, of course, dalia was one to break so easily under such short and mild interrogation. 

her gaze flitted to the little thing that fell from his jaws, her ears pricking and eyes glinting with a bit of wonder. a pearl.  dalia had only ever been so lucky as to find one-- and she'd left it in drageda with the rest of her treasures. was this for her? she wanted to ask, but his question was more firm than hers would've been, so it went unasked. 

she did not want to tell him, still. but, again, she couldn't not give him what he wanted. she tried to sate his question with something vague, she wasn't sure if it'd work. "something bad has happened, i am okay," she said, trying to reassure him. and then with a small smile, her ears pressing to her skull, she added, "i promise." dalia was unsure, in this moment, if such a promise was empty.