Whitebark Stream There are names across the sea, only now I do believe.

He wanted to cringe. To take advantage of a girl's vulnerability then vanish (or avoid her) made Artyom feel uncomfortable, maybe even a little bitter on her behalf. A gentleman through and through, he felt safe to assume that the aforementioned wolfess might be patiently waiting somewhere for her lover's return. It did not even occur to him that she may not want to be found.

There was worry, naturally, for both parties involved and for what this illicit mating might do to upset the new balance they'd come to find in Whitebark. Artyom listened quietly to what Salvatore had to say and, although glad to hear that he intended to reach out to his companion, the gilded ranger felt the need to suggest doing so elsewhere as well: "please don't keep Dawn in the dark about this for too long - she needs to know."

Sal seemed surprised to learn of his packmat's own unexpected involvement in the breeding season, and Artyom felt no shame in admitting it. His question seemed to hint at a request for an elaboration, something he felt unprepared to share too much of without his mate's consent - so he simply nodded his head. "Whitebark will likely be home to my pups this Spring," he offered with a small smile, "and their mother has agreed to be my mate." He remembered the concern following his intimacy with Dawn, the fear of failure, but he could not find resentment within him for how it all happened. Artyom had gained so much to look forward to; "children are a blessing, Salvatore. They are the future of the pack - if they are destined to be, then I hope you and their mother can make peace with yourselves to give them all they deserve."