Bearclaw Valley you need cooling

The river murmured low in the dark, its voice steady, familiar. The air was thick with cold, settling deep into the valley, but Cole had known worse. It wasn’t the chill that drove him back to his den, nor the ache in his bones from the day’s work—it was her.
@Winslet.
His beloved girl.
The den was quiet when he stepped inside, the soft hush of her breathing the only sound he cared to hear. Moonlight barely touched the edges of her fur, and for a moment, he only stood there, taking her in. The rise and fall of her sides, the warmth still lingering where she lay curled.
He moved slow, careful not to wake her, setting the hide down before draping it over her frame. A fresh pelt, thick and soft, meant to keep the cold from biting at her. Then he leaned in, pressing his nose to the crown of her head, lingering there.
A kiss, a breath, a quiet promise.
Y'fall asleep on me? he murmured, the words just a rasp of sound.
Then, settling beside her, Cole let the weight of the night ease from his shoulders.