Heron Lake Plateau as scarlet flowers lust for the dew of morning

@Quixote!

The arrival of spring had washed away nearly all signs of winter: previously naked, clawlike branches were resplendent and newly adorned in vibrant shades of green, while waterways that had been muddy and turgid with mountain runoff now shimmered sapphire blue in the sun's scintillating light. The last grey slush had finally melted and dried up, revealing fresh carpets of grass and wildflower blooms through which birds and insects of every type crawled and flitted. Life had returned to the Teekon Wilds, it seemed, and as the newly re-crowned alpha female took a moment to appreciate the changing of the seasons, she inhaled the perfume of honeysuckle on the cool breeze and felt the warm embrace of sunshine on her back. She had waited for this. Winter had seemed to drag on forever, dark and endless, and the return of warmth and color was a change so welcome that she couldn't even find words to describe how it made her feel. So she said nothing; instead, she just soaked it in and enjoyed it.

The one thing that was missing just now was her mate. Since her heat had arrived a few days before, she hadn't been able to get enough of his presence. It made her clingy, needy, and nearly mad with lust, though she didn't think he minded that last bit too much! It was such a beautiful day. Why wasn't he here with her? She felt such a sudden and overwhelming need for him right now that she began to trot toward the outskirts of their territory, soft whines slowly rising in volume until she was sending up low howls for him.