It was strange to think back on their first meeting. The wolf who stood before her now did not seem to be the same as the one she had encountered in the woods. What had changed? The more she spoke with him, the more she began to realize that she had been wrong about him. Samhain was no murdering monster. He was a wolf, a father. As he spoke of his daughter, Nakato could see a look of love on his face. It made her smile in return, her own thoughts of Jakuta and Athena. This wolf was now a part of her family, a protected member of the pack and he should be treated with the same amount of trust and respect that her other pack mates received. Even Tobias, who had attacked her when she had tried to protect her newborn babes, had her respect. Though she feared him greatly.

When the other wolf asked to take her children into the forest, her ears fell back on her head for a moment. Ever since that night when the prince of darkness came to her home, the bobtailed wolfess had been very protective of her children. Some would say a bit too over-protective. Her eyes moved to the ground for a moment as she thought but she already knew what she needed to do. In order to show Samhain that she truly did accept him as a member of the pack and as a friend… she would have to trust him to keep her pups safe.

Ears rose again and her blue eyes met his. Another smile formed her feminine face as she nodded. “My children have only left Asteraia a few times but I know that they have wanted to get out more… without me. Jakuta tells me it’s not cool for a cub her age to be seen with Mom.” She giggled at her daughter thinking she was so grown up already. For a moment, Nakato felt a wave of sadness wash over her at the thought of her children growing up. It seemed to be happening so fast. They were almost a year old already! Returning her attention back to the male, the gray wolf took step forward. “You have to promise me that you will protect them.” It was a serious demand. A mother’s love for her child knew no bounds and if any harm should come to her cubs, the healer could easily become the killer.