Dragoncrest Cliffs deeper than any forest pri[m]eval, i am in love with you

Bairns, Meerkat thought, letting her eyes drift closed as Njord painted pictures in her mind. They opened again when he assured her she would be a good mother and that he would always be there with her. There was so much love inside her, there wasn’t even any room for doubts, or pessimism, or skepticism. She wholeheartedly believed him. They would get their happily ever after.

The feather light touches against her back and belly left a trail of tingles that made her insides swoop and tighten with surprising intensity. Really? Meerkat scolded herself, without any heat whatsoever. We’re supposed to be sleeping together right now, not sleeping together… She snorted. She couldn’t bring herself to feel even the remotest shred of guilt now for waking Njord. Talking to him like this had made her feel so much more hopeful about both present and future.

But the pressure on her abdomen, gentle as it was, made Meerkat suddenly aware of another of her body’s demands. Mm, will you hold that thought? Nature calls. As she pushed upright and reluctantly slipped away from his warmth, she nuzzled Njord’s brow in apology. She then hastened out into the rainy night.

She gasped. The raindrops were frigid enough to make her shiver as she hurriedly squatted to do her business. Strangely, her skin remained hot and tingly beneath the icy onslaught. Meerkat fancied she could even see steam rising from her fur, but that was probably just a trick of the eye. It was a very dark and very rainy night, after all.

The instant she finished emptying her bladder, Meerkat stepped back into their humble quarters, resisting the automatic urge to shake out her pelt. It was bad enough she’d likely brought the smell of wet dog into their home. Sorry, she murmured to Njord, wondering how to effectively dry herself without flinging cold water all over her intended.

She stood there mulling, shivering, dripping, her body flushed despite the chill. Was she coming down with a fever? She felt fine otherwise. She bit at her lip, still ponderous, eyes drifting to Njord, the sight of him supine in the dark causing that earlier tug of amorousness to spark like dry tinder and catch flame abruptly. Something hooked low in her belly, pulling her closer to him despite her dripping coat. It wasn’t an illusion; steam was rising from her soaking wet body as her own scent—enhanced sharply by the moisture—filled the small room like perfume. And it wasn’t wet dog.