He knew it would be overwhelming for her. He knew it was just too many words spoken too quickly about too many subjects. But he knew if he didn't say it all now then he didn't know when he would get the chance again. He knew he wasn't lucky enough for Tuari and Talien not to know about each other. It's not like he carefully washed away their scents when he went back and forth between dens. Maybe he was careful in the beginning but as the year wore on, he grew careless and the more time he spent being careful, the less time he had with each family and any time away from them was a waste in his opinion so he started rushing from den to den and quit worrying about scents. Surely they picked up on it. He knew Tuari was happy when he was with her and the girls. He knew it meant just as much to Talien when he was around but he couldn't keep on giving them both all of his time. It would kill him. He would stretch himself as thin as possible to raise his children with all the love in the world but he would have to choose between the females and finally he had made his decision. It was a good feeling, even if he knew Talien's heart would be broken.

He expected Tuari to have her guard up. After all, she'd already been down this path with him before but it was reversed. She had laid it all out on the line and showed him just how much she cared about him but he had rejected her feelings, saying he was her friend and left it at that. He knew he couldn't take those words back but he felt that he had grown with her over the past year and he didn't want to lose that. He could only hope that she hadn't moved on with her feelings toward him. Overall, he felt she was taking it rather well. She didn't really look that surprised, though he caught the edge of hurt in her gaze when he admitted to having a litter with Talien. It was fleeting though, much less of a blow than he expected. So of course she must have known. As he confessed his emotions toward her now, he could see the cascade of feelings crossing her beautiful face. There was joy but there was also confusion and wariness. He knew he might be coming across as desperate which was something he had never wanted to be seen as but he felt that if he didn't strongly express how he felt toward her, then she might never believe him.

It was now or never. He waited patiently after he spoke, trying to catch his breath and somehow regain composure even as she took it all in. He felt like he was holding his breath but he knew he needed to let it all sink in. She seemed a little less tense than she had been during most of the speech. He could only hope that was a good sign. Then she said what he had been thinking. That she knew. His eyes widened but only for a second before they softened and he offered a bitter smile. Of course she knew. She'd even met Eztli. His gaze was burning with questions. What did she think of him? Could she help him? Would he always be this angry? But this talk wasn't supposed to be about him, at least not yet, so he would wait. Then she said she wasn't even that angry, not even that hurt. He didn't know what to make of that, his ears flicking back and forth uncertainly. Was she not that hurt because she expected it or because she had already pulled back her emotions for him and no longer felt that way? She seemed uncertain herself and he ached to comfort her and hold her tight but he wanted to do this right.

Then she asked a question that was all too easy for him to answer. His smile only grew in warmth in radiance before he nodded, his eyes twinkling with happiness. "I've never been more sure about anything. My heart beats for you, Tuari. Only you." He felt it in every bone in his body, every facet of his being. She was the one. This must have been how Coza felt when he saw Moth.