It was not long before the scent of one of her packmates grew near - Hotaru. The woman, although not the most sociable in the pack, was one of the most loyal, and one that Skye considered a close friend. She knew that she had had her pups as well, and hoped against hope that things would turn well for them.
"Not at all," Skye said quietly - almost imperceptibly quietly for a canine who had all his senses, but Hotaru, with her heightened sense of hearing, would be able to hear the words. She stroked her pups almost robotically, although the tenderness and softness in her hands and touch was not compromised. She loved the pups, with all her heart - it was a mother's instinct. They wriggled under her touch, let out tiny sound to let her know that they were awakening.
"How are you today, Hotaru?" she asked in an equally quiet voice as she had the first time. Her pups had quieted down a bit, now simply wriggling in her lap, but without aim - they were still so young, and so vulnerable. She would not, could not, fail them.
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