01-15-2008, 10:43 AM
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Tamerlane’s absence from the impromptu sleeping arrangements had not gone unnoticed by Phoenix. He couldn’t deny that he was slightly disappointed by this, as he had been looking forward to seeing the entire pack come closer together and getting to better know the members who were not already part of his immediate family. Phoenix honestly believed that a pack should be a close extended family, as he’d told Nocht before accepting her into the pack. Also, Tamerlane was another warm body that could help the rest stave off the cold of winter. But Phoenix would not force him to stay in the same den as the rest of the pack, and he had a feeling he couldn’t even if he tried. Even if Phoenix believed it was for the best himself, he respected the other’s wish for privacy. Granted, the lack of privacy could get a little annoying at times, but it was something Phoenix was used to by now. He hadn’t lived by himself since the day he brought Sun and Moon home from the city ruins. He certainly didn’t mind sleeping with everybody else, but he did worry about Dierdre and Pilot. He knew they were considering having children of their own, but that wasn’t going to happen so long as they didn’t have any time to themselves. Oh well, perhaps it was all for the best, since he wasn’t sure the pack could support any more puppies with part of their hunting lands gone. And besides, Phoenix was only three; he still felt too young to be a grandfather, as selfish as that sounded. The lack of any prey was beginning to irritate the normally patient wolf. He was hungry, as he had been dividing up most of his catches to four hungry mouths back home. The scent of prey was around but something had scared them away, and that something soon revealed itself to be his Jager—the wolf that was supposed to help him find food, not make it harder. Nevertheless, Tamerlane’s interruption probably hadn’t been intentional, so the alpha took it in stride. “After my parents disappeared,” Phoenix said, looking up, “I swore that if I ever had a family a’my own I would never abandon ‘em or let ‘em go hungry as long as I could help it.” |