Horizon Ridge chasing the sun · pack meeting

Jinx arrived shortly after the mated pair and Pied's eyes followed her until she sat, then flicked back in the general direction of Akhlut. She remained silent and patient as they mutually awaited the rest of their pack... which didn't number very many. Like Jinx, Pied felt slightly dismayed at the pack's small size. It didn't bode well. She glanced questioningly at Kisu, catching his eye for a moment, when the Alpha male's voice drew her attention.

She listened raptly as he spelled out the pack's ideals. When he made it clear that liars, cowards and cheaters were not welcome, her eyes narrowed slightly and she shot Jinx a sidelong glance, then quickly looked back to their leader. Before she could contemplate the pack's obvious—in her eyes, at least—misfit too deeply, Akhlut said the word children and looked directly at Kisu and herself.

Warmth bloomed in her chest, butterflies danced in her stomach. Her lips twitched into a smile and she looked up at Kisu again, touching her nose lightly to the side of his neck. He's going to let us have children! her gleeful expression said, though she knew they didn't have Akhlut's explicit blessing yet. Anyway, Pied wanted time to get to know him better and prove herself as a worthwhile pack mate.

She barely heard the remainder of the monarch's speech, too caught up in daydreaming about her future pups. It was the eventual surcease of Akhlut's deep timbre that made her snap back to attention. She licked her lips and thought over what he'd said. Besides the mating ritual—which would surely come next—he hadn't left many stones unturned in his address. Pied shook her head lightly, then felt herself growing excited all over again at what came next: this mysterious matrimonial ceremony...