Heron Lake Plateau I don't love you; but I always will.

He hadn't told anybody about the encounter with Poe and Tegan, and he never intended to. Whether or not somebody else had spilled the beans would be revealed in time, he supposed. Besides, Poe wasn't supposed to be sticking around for long, was she? Had she changed her mind now that she was shacking up with Tegan? There were a whole lot of questions Phox wasn't sure had answers. He was thinking through all this while hunting a couple of fat squirrels to bring back to Camilla and the pups.

He hadn't been gone long. An hour or two at most, and he was nearing the den when he heard the unmistakable shout from Towhee. That had been preceded by a call to Raven, which was worrisome in itself. Phox quickened his gait, arriving just as Towhee disappeared into the den, presumably to make sure the kids were alright. When he got to Camilla, he skipped right past the denial phase and went immediately to anger. Not toward anybody else but himself.

Why couldn't he have done better? How could he not have seen the signs? Why hadn't he asked Raven to stay with them until Camilla was more alert? She had always been distant, but since the pups had been born—oh gods, he had murdered her.