The moment he popped his head up and saw his wolfmom he was scrambling to his feet and racing to her, his eyes wide in his black face and mouth gaped open in a silent gasp. He launched himself against her and burst instantly into tears, burrowed into the purple fur that felt and smelled like home, the same purple in his leopard spots across his milky body.
She came home! She was finally home! She hadn't left forever!
He continued soft, hiccuping sobs as she cleaned his face and loved on him, sitting obediently for her motherly administrations. She'd left him for so long. And Ruan hadn't always been so quiet and strong like he was now. Sometimes he would get a crazy new look in his eyes and be suddenly mean and vicious and frightening. He didn't like it when he did that, and he didn't think Mom would either. But maybe he was wrong. Maybe this was normal.
"I miss you," she told him, and he may not have had a full grasp of what it meant but he could feel it echo in his little chest. He nodded silently and pressed himself into her fur, leaning firmly and feeling her so solid against him as he sniffled quietly. He'd missed her too, and he was so glad she was finally home again. It wasn't the same without her and he didn't want to be here with just Ruan anymore.
But she was back, so it would be okay now.
She lowered beside him and wrapped him up, even her tail curling around him too and he tightened into a little ball to fit better. He watched Ruan from where they were as they spoke to each other, and then snuggled closer after Ruan and Polaris suddenly appeared beside them. Wait, what? His head lifted with a frown. They couldn't do that before. His light brown eyes stayed on the two of them as he worried in his mind in confused silence.
Perhaps Mom had done that though. And he let it go, melting into this moment with his wolf-parents both here with him. It was way better when they were both with him. Just like the first time he could remember opening his eyes, these wolves standing over him with the sharpness in their gazes and the buried-down fury.
