Something had been twisting in his stomach for weeks. The man could not figure out what it was, where it was coming from, or if he should be concerned. To fight this feeling he had devoted himself to caring for Pandora, possibly more than was necessary. She was hungry, he would race away to bring back anything and everything he could catch. She was lonely, he was there. She was mildly bored or had an itch behind her ear, he would offer to help. Finally, when her scent began to change did he understand what was happening. Tithe breathed deep once he understood, but now his gut twisted with new concerns, ones that were all his own.
Pandora had been wise once they left the fields. Food was plentiful, but shelter was not and predators were starting to sniff too close for Tithe’s liking. She had found a place for them, and dug it out herself. While she worked, the knight stalked around the area, his hackles raised against anything that would dare approach too close. Once they were both satisfied with their spacious new home he calmed down, his fur slowly starting to settle back into place. Easing himself into a state of contentment. During the dusk he would stand guard at the mouth of the den, watching the clouds of birds shift to shapes of bats. A pleased smile would linger on his lips. If at night Panodra would have him beside her, he would return to her side when the sun fell. If there were nights she wished to remain alone he would fall asleep to the sounds of wind through the trees and wings buffeting the air. His lungs would fill with the mix of the wilds and he felt calm, at peace, in a place as this beside her.
The day it all happened he had been feeling that odd twisting in his stomach once again. This time panic nearly drove him wild. Needing something to do with his paws, he raced around the fields, snatching up any and all rabbits he could until even that could not distract him from the gnawing feeling that threatened to consume him. Gathering the corpses of hares he raced back to the den he shared with his Imprint. The smells and sounds hit him like a wall. As soon as he was within sight of the den he dropped the rabbits in haste. Whimpers and whines reached his ears and his heart flipped around in his chest. Poking his head down the hole his expression rotated between stunned, amused, concerned, and gleeful. Shining iron eyes lit up at the golden form of Pandora. Just seeing her, whether her posture was fairly comical or not, warmed his heart and soul. His gaze shifted to the nursing pups below her and his own soft whine replaced theirs.
May I? The knight asked politely, his tail wagging just so. He had heard of others being possessive and territorial when their pups were born. He would not intrude on her on any regular circumstance, let alone at this moment. No matter how badly he wanted to.