Redhawk Caldera sunshine on your toes

He hated to be gone from the den so long, especially with Fox seeming so utterly strained, but he wanted to do something nice for his mate. So he spent a few hours tracking a small herd of mule deer just beyond the caldera, intent on breaking through their defenses and getting at the season's earliest fawn. It took much longer than he would have liked, yet at last he managed to separate the doe from her baby and make the kill. The fawn had barely stopped moving when he grasped it by the throat and began dragging it impatiently across the ground.

When he arrived at the den, he unlatched and stood there a moment, catching his breath and waiting for the twitching in his muscles to cease some. Peregrine then turned away from the den, trotting away into the distance. He reappeared no more than ten minutes later, a sprig of holly in his mouth. There were no flowers yet and he was determined to give Fox this gift. They were both a bit overwhelmed by their large and rowdy litter—that Wildfire was about to fray the last of their nerves—and most of their collective attention went to the pups. But Peregrine knew what could happen if they didn't take the time for each other and he wanted the pups' mother to know he was still thinking of her.

"Hey," he whispered, ducking his head into the den at last. He was greeted by the usual whimpers and cries of their offspring. "I brought you something." He gave Fox a smile, oblivious to the stricken expression on her face or the limp pup at her breast. He backpedaled, snatched one of the fawn's legs and tugged it into the den's mouth. "A whole fawn, just for you. I l—" The Alpha male's voice cut off sharply and died in his throat when he finally saw her expression, then followed her gray gaze to the tiny, prone form lying on the den floor.