Wheeling Gull Isle devil a pray

There were no words to describe the depth and breadth of Caracal’s exhaustion. He knew kids weren’t easy, yet he had never expected Heda to give birth to so many. There was never a moment’s rest and just one week into it, he was a complete wreck.

None of them would settle on this balmy May afternoon. When he caught himself fantasizing about smothering one or two of them—did they really need both twins?—Caracal up and walked away without a single word.

He didn’t go far, just to the beach overlooking the mainland. He took deep breaths as he paced along the sand. After just a few moments, he sagged beneath a dune and fell fast asleep.

When he woke up, his head was much clearer than it had been since before the pups’ arrival. It was getting late and the sky was dark. Caracal felt like a deadbeat for leaving Heda alone with them for hours, yet he’d needed this time. He refused to be like Reyes. He would never snap or touch any of his children in anger.

Slowly, he made his way back to his family with an apologetic sigh of, Papa’s home.

This can easily work as an RO if nobody’s available but I wanted to make sure to tag for visiblity: @Heda @Simeon @Malakai @Judah @Dinah