Wheeling Gull Isle after sundown, before sleeping, i am the worst

*INTERNAL SCREAMING*

Whether it was coincidence or fate that drew her from the den that night, she didn't know. She had given Mou a gentle kiss upon his head and then departed, slipping into the forest. When she emerged onto the beach, the moonlight set her pale pelt a-glow; she was an ethereal creature out here, worlds apart from the myriad shadows that dotted the treeline.

And other shadows— Alarm bells rang through her mind as she scanned the edge of the territory and found that one of those shadows was moving. Already stirred up by mama-bear hormones, Maegi began to snarl, puffing herself up and marching steadily toward the intruder, seeking to—

Wait.

She stopped in her tracks, familiarity overcoming her. She stared at the wolf, who was much the worse for wear. And as it slowly dawned upon her, tears welled up fast, and her heart caught in her throat.

It— you— can't be real, she whispered, her voice thick. Am I dreaming?