It was his beloved children that had given Halcyon the urge to heal as quickly as he had. Watching them play in the den while their mother, once again, assumed her role as Empress made his soul smile. They were so beautiful and so healthy and strong. He wanted to be better, feel better, for them. And so, he put all his focus on healing. With time, he was able to assume command of his pack once more, allowing Aster to be a full time mother. Sitting at the entrance of his den, the russet wolf sighed as the sun began to rise above the eastern horizon. His family lay deep inside, still sleeping off yesterday’s play. Chuckling a little, the new father stood up and trotted away from his home. The summer months had brought with them intense heat, forcing many to stay underground during the hottest part of the day. Thus the reason he was up so early now. The prey was also up and about, beginning their daily rituals before the sun turned aggressive. It was the best time to hunt!

Luckily, the heat didn’t send all the animals away. Though there wasn’t an abundance this year there was still enough to go around. Staying low, he watched the baby pronghorn suckle from his mother while his twin sister pranced about the knoll. There was a small herd of the delicious beasts standing just by the border to Asteraia. The alpha was a bit hesitant, knowing that hunting wasn’t his strongest skill, but the thought of his mate and pups seemed to make him feel much more confident than he normally would have felt. The young doe was still dancing about, getting closer and closer until she was within striking range. And still he waited. Only when the mother called out to her child and her attention was taken away for the briefest moment did the wolf attack. His teeth landed perfectly on the nape of her neck, crushing her spinal column and killing her instantly.

The sun was higher in the sky as he dragged the carcass back to the den. Inside, he heard the whimpers and barks, clues that his children were wide awake and probably pestering their mother. Dropping the kill, he poked his head into the cool den. ”Daddy’s home!” he heard Idrisa shout. Being called ‘Daddy’ still filled his heart with love and he couldn’t resist smiling as the little girl charged up to her father and licked his chin feverishly. Licking her back, Halcyon gazed fondly at his mate. ”Aster, darling, I have some breakfast out here. If you want a little break from the cubs I’d be happy to watch them while you eat.