Though it tore him apart, Halcyon had been actively avoiding Aster. Since the snow had begun falling, he had only seen her either in passing or when they slept. At first, he blamed it on the cougar attack. While this had been a valid excuse for several weeks, it seemed less so now. Still, he was working himself up to exhaustion so when he finally returned home, he was too tired to do or think anything. This plan had worked well in the beginning, but he was sure she was going to notice his absence sooner or later. Just the thought of her made his heart thunder in his chest. Her scent, her touch, her voice…
Growling in annoyance, the king of Asteraia picked up the pace and finished his route along the pack borders. Just like every day, they remained untouched with no unfamiliar scents to tell him a trespasser or a monster had come knocking. He had barely noticed the icy winds beginning to blow above until they were powerful gales that threatened to knock him over. Sniffing the air, he could tell a storm was coming, a blizzard to coat the pack in a fresh layer of snow. His first instinct was to run to the den, but he had to make sure the others were safely tucked away into their own homes. Bounding over the deep snow, he ran as fast as he could to each den, calling to all his pack mates to ensure they were safe and warm, especially the new mothers.
When he was finished, the wind and snow were whipping around like made, forcing Halcyon to slow to a walk with his head held low to protect his eyes from the ice. Finally, his home lay just ahead and he quickly slid inside, greeted at once by the warm embrace of his beloved mate. Her voice was like a song bird as she spoke of the cold before pressing herself into his ruff. He licked her cheek fondly, returning the smile, before moving to the back of the den. Eyeing the organized piles of prairie dogs, he turned his head back to Aster. "You've been busy, I see. You always were the better hunter," he said, picking up one of the leaner corpses and gulping it down quickly. Sighing as the meat sated his slight hunger pangs, he laid down and yawned deeply.
Taking a moment to look at his mate, Halcyon couldn't help but smile. He had missed her greatly and longed for her company. "What have you been up to these past few days? I smell Iromar on your fur. How has Pine taken to her new role?" he asked, then added as an afterthought. "How have you taken to your role as Queen?" Eager to hear her speak, he rested his head on his paws, his eyes never leaving her, and waited for her reply.