Redhawk Caldera So let me hold you tight and share a killer, diller, chiller, thriller here tonight

Forward to Halloween night. :)

Peregrine snorted awake, breath tight in his chest. He held very still as the images of his dream—wherein a peregrine falcon had been plucking out his blind eye—faded into the ether. Swallowing, the Alpha male sat up and blinked the sleep from his eyes. He was stiff and his head throbbed dully, though he knew he could work out these kinks with a morning jaunt. With a muffled groan, the black wolf rose onto all fours and stretched his legs, his breath curling in a fine mist from the tip of his peppered muzzle.

As soon as he was limbered a bit, he ducked down to nip the tip of the sleeping @Fox's ear. He smiled at her dopey face, then buried his nose briefly in her ruff. His mate smelled positively delightful, like a blend of the perfect autumn spices. Peregrine lingered there, breathing her in for several minutes, then finally pulled himself away. He would start with an early patrol, then probably get some hunting done. Maybe he would swing by Bramblepoint to see if any handsome strangers were lurking there. He was feeling inexplicably randy this morning...

It was past nightfall by the time the Redhawk patriarch returned to the caldera. He hadn't gotten any tail but he had felled a wild pig. He towed the carcass toward the borders, stashing it in the nearest cache. A scent then caught Peregrine's attention. He tipped his muzzle into the breeze and inhaled deeply, dusky jade eyes widening. His gut clenched. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he broke into a gallop, ignoring the faint pounding of his head as the telltale scent flooded his senses.

He arrived at the rendezvous site, hackles prickling. He would not allow any male, their sons included, near Fox during her heat. Tail lashing, he stalked through the clearing, searching for her in the darkness. There was a bell ringing in the back of his aching head, reminding him of his bad genes and his vow not to bring any more life into this world. It was loud enough to bring him to a stop, black toes digging into the cold earth, a growl rising in his throat.