Now that Moon-cursed thought about it, she wasn’t really surprised she’d been attracted to the doe, Blood and Emptiness. There was probably some philosopher kin out there who would nod his head knowingly and say, ‘ah yes, mother issues’, which yes, obviously. Moon-cursed actually had a big and happy family, a whole pack worth, ready to protect and adore her, always full of encouragement. Lover was certainly a wonderful father. But she’d still grown up wishing she could trail behind her mother, as a true wolf. But Rimefang was cold and distant and while every now and then she showed up to check her kids were still alive, there was nothing motherly about her.
And that was what Moon longed for. For Rimefang to call her to hunt together and tell her she’d done a good job and she was proud.
So it made sense that Moon-cursed first love turned out to be intensely wolfish, very much like the frosty mother she wished she could spend more time with. Blood and Emptiness was quiet and very there, always primed for the hunt. In her presence, Moon-cursed was like an overly eager puppydog.
And now there were kids on the way. Her family was of course delighted but Moon-cursed wasn’t sure she was even prepared, could she even do a good job, would she give her offspring some weird quirk that would decide their future partners or -
“What do you think?” She sighed, after vocalizing her life story.
The Legendary across from her sighed and shifted in an elegantly lazy way. There was blood splattered across his white mouth and neck, from the recent kill that lay between them.
“You’ll be fine,” he replied.
There was an excitable yip as her darling sanddog Frostbite tried to wrestle with one Killing Moon’s wolves for a scrap of meat. The wolf could have easily put the smaller dog in her place but was surprisingly gentle as they played.
“That’s it?” She’d kind of been hoping for more. Of course she’d be fine.
His laughter was soft and husky. “What more do you need? Your children will become who they were meant to be and it seems as though you have enough family that even if you fail, they’ll still be alright. They’ll always be loved. That’s more than enough.”
“I guess.”
“It sounds like you’re making excuses. If you had truly wanted to run with your mother, you would have. There was nothing stopping you... was there?”
“Hey!” Moon-cursed huffed but he was right. During one of her mother’s visits, she could have followed her, and could have refused to be left behind. But she hadn’t wanted that. Her family was her pack. She couldn’t just leave her father and siblings, no matter how the moon called to her.
If she’d ever truly followed Rimefang, the kin she was would have been replaced by hunger, the desire to hunt ever present, the craving for blood overwhelming. The threat of it was always there, the rage, the need.
She shuddered.
The Killing Moon smiled.
“Your offspring shall be swift hunters by moonlight,” he announced, “strong-willed and strong-bodied, may they always follow the right trail.