Otatso Wetlands Break free and leave us in ruins

His confident strut was meant to impress. He might have succeeded at it, too, if not for the terrible year she had and her determination to avoid a repeat performance. Her mind whispered that it didn't have to be anything like that, and she tried to wave the thought away like a buzzing gnat, baring her teeth again and curling into a half-threatening and half-cautious C shape away from him.

She had to admit, he was fairly attractive. What were the odds of getting pregnant from one little fling? Pretty high, she reminded herself, based on her experience with Raptor. On the other hand, that had resulted in a single child. If she wound up with a single child again, would that really be so bad? She could raise it better than she had Tiercel, without a man to hurt it like Phaedra and Thade...

She wrenched herself out of that reverie so forcefully that she physically shook her head. Harmless my ass, she spat, sidestepping away. Not interested. Except her body was, as the scent unfurling around her conspicuously announced, and she hated it. She had to get away from him, and that's exactly what she intended to do when she turned... and stopped dead at the sight of another wolf approaching from her rear, too far away for her to recognize yet.