Moonspear what will tomorrow bring

She peeped softly at Vela's nudge, turning to grin at her sibling as she once more climbed onto all fours. "Gay!" she yelled. She'd meant to shout "Okay!" but pronunciation was still so difficult at this stage. Galaxy rolled her eyes at herself and pressed her nose to her sister's to convey what she apparently couldn't say: she was totally fine.

With that said, she was suddenly overcome with hunger. She pranced toward Amekaze like some kind of show pony and flopped down at her mother's side, pressing and kneading the she-wolf's flank with her paws until she located and latched onto a teat. She drank greedily, eyes rolling in her head and happy murmurs escaping her between chugs. She wouldn't let go until her belly was as round and taut as a drum and there was nothing to be done for it except a nice, long nap.

---

Tacoma's whining loudly. Their mother clutches him, her own eyes filled with tears. They're both looking at something. Instead of following their gazes, Scion peers at the other wolves sitting in a ring. Night's falling, so their faces are cast in shadows. But their eyes glow in the gathering gloom, all of them looking down at something in the center of their makeshift circle. Finally, Scion drags his own eyes to the shape lying on the earth.

It's a wolf. There's a puddle forming underneath his body and Scion at first thinks it's a pool of blood. Then he realizes it's just water; the body is soaking wet despite the clinging desert heat. The fur sticks up in spikes. There's something else strange about the still wolf. Scion leans forward to take a closer look, recognition beginning to register...