Redhawk Caldera Creature, hold your tongue.

The Sovereign welcomed it when Reyes pressed closer, his flank rubbing against hers as his teeth reached for one of her ears. They didn't work as nature intended but it felt damn good, having them nibbled like that. She leaned into it with a croon, Towhee's orange eyes closing as she allowed herself a moment to simply enjoy the physical affection.

Soon, they reopened and she nudged him with a smile, then began trotting toward the nearest cache. As she walked, she looked sideways at her partner. Her insides did a little jolt as she thought of Reyes that way. He was her friend, certainly, and the father of the pups hopefully growing inside her even now. And she'd certainly bonded with him, considering their intimacy.

But was that fondness romantic in nature? Towhee had never been very good at this. She supposed they were on somewhat even playing fields there, even though he was years her junior. So rarely was she attracted to someone in that manner, her actual dabbles even scarcer. As she regarded him, she could admit he was handsome, though she didn't necessarily feel any kind of spark.

As they came to stand over the cache and she dipped down to nose at its contents, an errant though ran through her mind, unbidden. What if Reyes paired off with someone else? Her teeth sank so ferociously through a dead hare's leg that it severed instantly.