Haunted Wood I've got a cross that I bear but you don't see it

A nod of acceptance as she thanked him and said her mate did well. That was what counted in the end, that the father was doing what fathers should. He wasn't wise to the intricacies of matehood and family life but he knew the fierce desire to protect what was his and that was the entire pack. She congratluated him on his rise to the top and he smiled in return. Everything was his now, Not Serem's or Vengeance's or Hela's. That meant in a way Vanity was his too, her children as well, even her mate. They were all his to protect. As she took the prey he listened eyes staring at her intently as she predicted he wouldn't fail, once again stating her belief in him as she had when he was younger. It felt good, it was what he imagined his mother would have told him growing up...that he was strong, capable, and wouldn't fail as his father had. "Thank you" Producing any other good response was hard in that moment, as his maw hung open stricken speechless otherwise. Luckily one of her tiny children chose that moment to crawl up to them, distracting them both as Vanity turned picking her up and then the second. They were unbelievably small, blind things that didn't seem capable of much else than wriggling and emitting little shrieks occasionally inbetween meals but there was something that caused him to still and stare with big eyes. Sure he was protective of all the pups in the pack but the other ones were all sharp teeth and fast paws, they could be taught to defend themselves. These were truly helpless little babies. "They're...cute" he finally managed to say embarrassed that he sounded absolutely stunned. "Hi guys, welcome to Nightwalkers. Can't wait till you start biting" he whispered to them, shooting Vanity a mischievous but totally harmless grin "They'll definitely be biting. Their mother is a total shark" he couldn't help himself but try to get her to smile or show any sign of humor, he was getting used to social interaction not being all cold and weird anymore. "