566 words.
Not unlike the early detection of Kæ that the silver female had gathered, so his own acute sense of smell triggered a realization that he was no longer alone at the borders. Yet the scent was also identifiably feminine, and so, while he was sure to lower his tail and make sure he looked as less of a threat as possible, he mentally relaxed, a broad smile crooking its way across his pink-tinged lips as he took on airs of apparent friendliness. Eyes gleaming, they flickered across the frame of the she-wolf, blinking only once at the firm roundness of her abdomen. There was no subtlety lurking there- she was quite obviously at the point of bursting. She was a beautiful thing, even despite her weight, and he couldn't help but hope for her that all of the added bulk would disappear after the whelping. Still, this unforeseen detail- her pregnancy- was a great factor in how he would have to handle the situation. In a normal, pregnancy-free case, Kvæsir would have little problems at all using his usual boyish charms to achieve whatever outcome he wanted. Averting his eyes momentarily and shifting so that he would seem to be uncomfortable, he lowered into a brief bow of sorts before righting himself and pricking his ears, jowls parting. “Good afternoon, ma'am,” he spoke, white muzzle dipping into a respectful nod. “My name is Kvæsir Trostan; I was hoping to be able to gain acceptance into Phoenix Valley. Are you the Alpha female?” He lapsed into a calm silence, eyeing her swollen belly once more and realizing that she would more than likely have a stunning figure if it hadn't been obscured by nature's little miracles, though these inward words were masked by a thoughtful smile.
Suddenly realizing that his gaze may have been lingering for a moment too long, he quickly snapped them back up and flicked his tail, gently smiling. “If you don't mind me asking- I'm sure you're asked all the time, it has to get annoying after a while- when are you due?” The question was, indeed, sincere, but behind it lurked a hidden inquiry, one that she was likely to not read. She seemed to be heavy with the pups, yet there was no attentive lover at her heels, taking great pains to ensure that she did not over-exert herself or run into sort of trouble. Hell, for all she'd known, he was a raving lunatic, using a customary greeting in order to lure friendly souls close enough to his jaws to satiate a rather disagreeable want for lupine blood. Obviously that wasn't the case- Kæ wasn't really threatening anyway- but he suddenly found a small pit of anger towards this elusive lover burrow down and grumble in his chest. He may not have been the most loyal of men, but if he was promising commitment enough to let a girl get pregnant, he'd sure as hell make sure nothing happened, or that nothing could happen. Like now, allowing her to walk around in her condition- fragile, no, but definitely vulnerable.
Still, for the moment he held his tongue, though his tail lashed angrily- one could tell much about the hidden emotions of Kvæsir simply by watching his tail. While for many others it was their eyes, or their expressions, that told the truth, for him it was not.