Serpent Lake to the town of agua fria rode a stranger one fine day

Alyx kept her eyes glued to the prone figure, despite the yearning twist of one black ear in the direction of beating hooves. Damnit. She hadn't wanted to hunt the pronghorn, but she felt disappointed by their disappearance like it was a missed hunt. How awesome would it have been to arrive home driving a herd of pronghorn? Everyone would be so proud of her, and Alyx longed for that sort of recognition.

The downed wolf groaned, and it was less the voice — deeper, more masculine — and more the fact that he wasn't angry, so she felt comfortable enough to draw closer, that made her realize it was Val. He continued and her mouth fell open, as much out of shock as disbelief that he was here. This was miles away from Sapphique and there was nothing here to draw him this way, as far as she knew. How did he even get here?

Then heat bloomed in her cheeks when his words really sunk in. Had he really just asked her for a kiss? It wasn't the first time — she remembered, still, with girlish giddiness, that day in the underground tunnel when they both were much younger — but he was so forward about it now. Alyx liked that, in theory, but in practise...

Well, it put her in a right tizzy. She laughed nervously, hesitating for a second before dancing forward on paws buoyed by the explosion of butterflies in her belly. Her movements were shy yet deft as she swooped down to plant a kiss between his ears, just in front of the toes that nursed his sore head, and then she was stepping away with another eruption of nervous laughter. Oh, Val, you scared me! Are you okay, really?