Neverwinter Forest They said, “Love is only equal to the pain.”

He maneuvered away from her and Towhee tensed, then realized what he was doing and shifted to accommodate him. It was a relief to sprawl on her side and let her muscles relax, as Maxim gently pressed his face to her belly. The fur was a little sparser their now, so his warm touch was welcome, even if it was a little damp.

The angle was a little weird, though she placed a paw on the crown of his head and petted him soothingly between the ears. Even something as welcome as a new litter would not erase their pain over Leona. In fact, it stirred new pains, when Towhee acknowledged that Leo would never know the pleasure of being an older sister, that these new babes would never meet her.

But she hoped Maxim would draw comfort from knowing she was very much carrying his offspring again. Their present was bleak, though they would know happiness again one day.