Duskfire Glacier tangled up in you

She tensed. Bracing herself for his reaction. She watched his body language closely, and his face, even closer. She could see it. The jealousy, hurt and anger rising up inside him. It was there laced in his voice, sour on his tongue. Her heart clenched painfully, riddled with heated regret and guilt. Still, even in the presence of his overwhelming envy and anger, she did not recoil from him. Instead, she shifted over onto her opposite side, facing him so they could have a serious talk.

Much to her credit, Tzila did not loose her cool. Back when she was someone else, it may have been a different story entirely. "A family, yes. But just with you and me...well, I missed that one." She admitted softly, even if he had not specified that. She would take the blame for this one, as her apologetic tone implied. Normally, she was not an apologetic woman. But people could change. A concept she had grown familiar with over the last year of her life. She continued. "As I recall, you had said this was a no strings attached deal. And you had bedded Lane as well, before me." Her voice was steady, matter of fact. But not accusing. 

Sighing, she turned her head away to look off in the distance, but still gave him her undivided attention. "Hormones...breeding hormones can make us do silly things, if we are not careful. My actions then....they were out of instinct, not emotion, when he found me." Had she forgotten that their kind, as a rule, took a single partner and mated for life? Well, there were exceptions to that rule. They are individuals with distinct personalities, wants and needs. 

While he got up to pace, Tzila remained rooted to her spot. Perhaps to overcome with guilt to move. Or perhaps in a mixed display of submission. Something only Wintersbane would ever see, and no one else. Her expression was almost pained, ears slicked against her skull, head down and chin tucked into the furs of her throat. His blunt voice cut through the air and into her, snapping her icy eyes wide open. She rotated her head stiffly to look at him. Had she heard him right? Rendered speechless, all she could do was process the sentence that had came out of his mouth. It was far from romantic in it's phrasing, but the meaning was all the same. 

Her head cleared, her racing thoughts calming. The almost fearful look in her eyes melted away, swept up by something more determined. More certain. When she stood, it was with that air of natural confidence (without overdoing it) she had always exuded since she was a cub. The whole time, her eyes were locked on his glacial ones. One step and then another, bringing her close to him. No more uncertainty. No more timidness. No games. To his question: "You are all I have ever wanted." Was her answer in a low, soft voice, thick with emotion. And to his uncertainty, she steeled her jaw. "Wintersbane, listen to me." She dipped her muzzle an inch lower to convey her seriousness.  "Who these cubs true biological father is shouldn't matter. I want you in their lives. You will always be their father and that is who they will know you as. No matter what."