His ears flicker atop his crown as she whispers his name into the still night air. It is quiet, barely audible - almost as if she is afraid to even let his name fall from her ashen lips. His heart stills in his chest and a breath is caught in his throat. He is desperate to just close the distance between them, to feel her heart beat against his as they stand side by side beneath the silvery light of the moon. His breath is held, as he waits for her to turn her finely chiseled head to him and glare with her smoldering eyes.

Tired. The words are heavy. And in this moment he begins to realize the turmoil that boils within her and his heart clenches in his chest. He has stood up for her against Ysabel, done his best to keep the peace within the herd, but still there is turmoil. He shifts his weight as his glacial eyes settle on her face, from her chiseled cheekbones to the delicate curve of her muzzle. She is the hjörtu eldur that smolders within his chest.

Before he can move closer to her, she closes the distance between them. Her words meant only for his ears that appear from beneath the knots and tangled mess of his mane.

I miss you. His breath catches his throat, as he draws near to her. Her sweet scent floods around him and he can hear the soft sound of her breaths into the still air. "My dear Nya," his words low and barely audible above the roar of the frothing surf. "I have missed you too."

He presses his muzzle into the hollow of her nape just at the junction where her neck and shoulders meet. He breathes her in deep, the sweet aroma of her skin and the ocean air mingles into a single tantalizing breath. A moment of silence passes between them before he finally draws himself back to look at her dark eyes with his piercing blues. "I am here for you now."