Firestone Hot Springs he’s still leading me for

let me know if yall arent okay with this & i'll delete it <3

The realization that he'd more or less forgotten about his ward settles like a cold stone in his stomach as he searches for the boy, and he suddenly isn't sure where to direct his thoughts. There isn't anything in his mind that he doesn't want to avoid right now, nothing he hasn't boxed up to the best of his abilities in an effort to keep from dealing with it. He certainly doesn't want to think about how awful he is at being a child's guardian.
His thoughts drift back to Mal, and Delight, despite his best efforts. It'd been easier to focus on Mal in the moment, and he'd even felt a little pride, then, at the fact that he hadn't crumbled as he might have before. But it feels wrong, too. He can't help being reminded of how much it had disturbed him to hear the words spilled so apathetically from Mal's lips; to see it reflected in his own heart bothers him, even if he wishes it didn't. Delight is dead. Dead and gone. Does it hurt? No. Yes. The box shakes, loosening, and he quickly tucks it away again. It can't hurt.
Phillip's scent is stronger now, and it's a welcome distraction. Even the unfamiliar voice that reaches him is welcome, too, simply for the speed with which it rips his thoughts away from the past. His pace quickens until he spots the pair, and he hurries toward them without hesitation. Phillip? He calls, trying not to sound worried as he glances over the pale wolf in his company. The boy doesn't seem distressed, and in that case, he would rather not make a big deal of nothing. Still, he dislikes the idea of him meeting strangers alone.