Seeing her frown at his meager meal, Halcyon realized he might have offended her by only eating a small amount. Looking at her, the king realized quite suddenly that his mate had grown significantly. No longer did she resemble the puppy he had once protected from an alligator. She was taller now, grown into those large paws that had once been so awkward. Her form was fit for her position. Regal and proud, Aster looked every bit the queen she was. For a moment, Halcyon was silent as he simply stared at her, a fond smile on his face. Until he realized she was waiting for him to respond.

Truly his stomach was full and he didn’t feel like eating more. Perhaps it was because his smaller form just didn’t need as much food, or it might be that he was not using as much energy to hunt for all his food like he had in the past. Seeing her frown like that made him chuckle and move back to the pile of food, picking up the fattest corpse. He chomped half of it down then pushed the other half towards her. Without saying a word, he continued to listen to her as any good mate should.

It did not go unnoticed that Aster had called Iromar home, but Halcyon took no offence to it. He knew that her heart belonged to the swamps just as much as it did to the plains. Just like his. "I’m glad to hear she’s doing well. Perhaps I can go with you next time? I’d like to see home too. I’ve heard a lot has changed since Pine took over." he said, winking at her. Falling silent once again as Aster continued, Halcyon gave her his full attention. His ears perked up at the mention of a guest within Asteraia. He had smelled an unfamiliar scent lately, but hadn’t had the time to find out who it belonged to. Perhaps he would take some time to meet with this Nike for himself, she if he really did wish to stay within the pack.

Aster really had been busy! She had proven she was fit to be a queen and Halcyon had made the perfect choice to have her rule by his side. He couldn’t be more proud, more in love with the dark wolfess who had promised to share her life with him. Standing up, the russet wolf stepped forward and wrapped his mate in a wolfish hug. Breathing her scent in, he smiled and said in a soft voice, "My love, you have done so much for this pack. You don’t have to do any more than what you’ve already done. Thank you, my darling. Your parents would be so proud of the queen you’ve become." The words were full of love and adoration as he spoke from his heart. They embraced for a moment longer until Halcyon pulled away and laid back down.

Beckoning Aster to lay beside him, he waited for her to get comfortable before it was his turn to tell her what he had been doing. "I haven’t been nearly as busy as you, it would seem. Ever since the cougar attack I have been guarding the borders almost non-stop. I can’t help but think what would have happened if that monster had gotten any further into the pack lands. Luckily, Singe and Panzer were there to help me fight it off." Halcyon couldn’t help but shudder. Bloody images filled his mind and it took everything to push them away. "I worry for spring, Aster. There will be cubs and nothing sounds more appetizing to a predator than the call of the young. I can’t help but wonder what my father would have done to keep Asteraia safe."

He leaned on his mate, breathing deeply and feeling himself relax at her touch. Being the alpha meant staying strong and making sure no one saw you at your weakest. The pack must not see him doubting himself. But Aster, she was his love, his mate. He could trust her and confide in her. Only she could know of his doubts and lack of confidence for the coming spring.