Sun Mote Copse I crave star damage

Bladder duly emptied, Wildfire rose back to her full height and simply stood for a moment, ears quivering in response to the dull roar of thunder as fine, dewy mist clung to her eyelashes. Eventually, she decided to turn and head back toward the den. As she walked, she saw a flash of lightning and instinctively began to count in her head to gauge the storm's distance.

One, she thought, brow furrowing at a sudden cramp, two, three, four... The pain stopped her in her tracks. Wildfire clenched her teeth and instinctively squatted again. Save for a split second's intense agony as the pup passed through the birth canal, the birth was quick and painless—and marked with the fanfare of a thunderclap. The Sovereign was left to stare at a wriggling wet blob on the ground between her hind feet.

Driven by an even stronger instinct, Wildfire immediately latched her teeth around the squirming newborn, lifted it into the air and promptly curled into a ball on the wet ground. She cleaned the baby, a little girl, and then tucked her to her breast. She made sure her newest daughter was dry and suckling before blinking upward into the rain—still quite gentle, thankfully—and loosing a quiet howl for her mate that was quickly swallowed by another rumble of thunder.