Sleepy Fox Hollow Folk star

The fire burned out of Wylla more quickly than it usually did. This could be chocked up to the fact that she did care for Mahler and she didn't want to hurt him unduly, even though he was unintentionally hurting her. He couldn't give her what she wanted anymore than she could declare everlasting love for him right this second. It was only a seed taking root and growing shoots for now, and it was forever being hammered by Wylla's insecurity and doubt. There was no telling if its fragile buds would stand the test of time or not.

She was relieved that Mahler didn't press the issue of killing their unborn offspring. It was unfair of Wylla to assume he would, but despite him literally saying he loved them, too, she was at least halfway convinced he would just regret all of this. How could he not? He thought she didn't love him back.

Wylla didn't know what to say, so she dove into the heart of her, sucked in a slow breath, and began to say the only things that came to mind, latching on to his declaration of "if you don't love me back". Your love is fast, she remarked. We didn't know each other very well in Grimnismal and yet you claimed you loved me even then. It's fast and it grows fast and it has deep roots despite that. I never believed that kind of love could be enduring or real. She still wasn't totally convinced his love wouldn't sputter out as fast as it kindled.

Mine isn't like that. Wylla chewed her lip for a second, fighting a momentary wave of nausea—from the pregnancy or from the tension, she wasn't sure. Mine is slow and unsure and... and scared. It doesn't happen overnight, if it happens at all, but it's real and it lasts when it does. In other words, Wylla was afraid of love—afraid of the vulnerability it caused and the pain it invited. She fought against it. The only exception was love for her children—hers for Tiercel had been immediate and absolute, even though she'd kind of treated her daughter like a burden. That was just... how she was. How she handled a situation she wasn't ready for.

I do love you back, she admitted, face burning as she glared at the snow between her paws. But it's young and it's still growing, it's not big and grand like yours yet. You really think I would've let you touch me if I felt nothing for you? Although she hadn't loved Raptor or even liked him, so that was easy to refute, but still. I just didn't want things to happen like this. I wanted there to be a chance for us to figure this out first. I didn't want to be just another of your baby mamas, I wanted... She wanted the sex. She wanted Mahler's embrace. She didn't want to become pregnant with his kids before giving her feelings space to grow and flourish and she didn't want to have to watch him leave to visit all his other children elsewhere. She wanted a family, a real one, with stability that she and Tiercel never had in theirs.

But that was the reality now, and she couldn't feel completely thrilled about it because she was now meant to share something she didn't want to share, not even for the good of Diaspora. His question about hunting went unanswered and forgotten.