Swiftcurrent Creek aisa des hai mera

as much as he tried to make it so, swiftcurrent creek still did not quite feel like home.

aditya had mostly himself to blame. he'd squestered himself away, focused mostly on his own internal musings and the progression of dawn's pregnancy, albeit from afar. he wasn't himself, not like he used to be. he had assimilated much more easily into morningside, but then. . .he had been so innocent, when he'd come to the plateau. . .

today, he padded the borders in a half-listless patrol, ears swiveling to pick up the noises around him. his senses were rooted in the present, but his thoughts were only on the past—and the near future.

what would the pups be like? would they grow up to make his same mistakes? would he eventually leave them, like he left everyone else? would they invariably hate him? these questions and more plagued aditya; he mulled over the answers from bad to worse, mouth working silently, eyes fixed on the road ahead.