3/23/2025, 4:58 PM
Akira limped forward in desperate motion before colliding into him. Her head fell heavy into his chest, and at that moment, he remembered just how small she truly was. Had it really been that long? Had he forgotten just how well they interlocked? Despite his reminiscing, it quickly melted away to surrender to peace. Her body was warm, soft, sun-kissed. She felt like summer.
Lodgepole's eyes closed and his feeble arm rose to pull her closer, soaking in the moment as much as he could.
His Akira.
She pulled away slightly, against his wishes, to glance him up and down.
'Lodgepole, I'm so sorry, she sobbed, I couldn't find you, I-I've looked...'
He merely blinked, awe-struck. She was there, too? In the cold and desolate forest that had nearly taken his life? How could he have not seen her?
'You're so skinny... my dear...'
Then, her breaths came out in frantic rasps, and shame washed over his frail body.
"No, no, no..."
Lodgepole shook his head quickly, as if in a despairing attempt to relieve her of her guilt.
"It's okay, my love. No more pain," The large wolf offered a dry lick of his tongue to her temple before nudging Akira's chin, motioning for her to look beyond. "We're home now. I wish this wasn't what it would take to bring us back, but..." He swallowed hard. Death. The price to pay for returning home.
But if this was the afterlife, why was he still so hungry, so thirsty? Despite the warmth on his back, his body felt cold. He dragged himself closer to her.
"We have all the time in the world now, to explore the Creek, just like you wanted. And my heart won't hurt anymore," His tone softened. Once-hopeful speech devolved into mutterings that fell aimlessly from his lips. "...where's Alpha?" Try as he might, his words were near-incomprehensible ramblings of an ailing man.
Lodgepole's eyes closed and his feeble arm rose to pull her closer, soaking in the moment as much as he could.
His Akira.
She pulled away slightly, against his wishes, to glance him up and down.
'Lodgepole, I'm so sorry, she sobbed, I couldn't find you, I-I've looked...'
He merely blinked, awe-struck. She was there, too? In the cold and desolate forest that had nearly taken his life? How could he have not seen her?
'You're so skinny... my dear...'
Then, her breaths came out in frantic rasps, and shame washed over his frail body.
"No, no, no..."
Lodgepole shook his head quickly, as if in a despairing attempt to relieve her of her guilt.
"It's okay, my love. No more pain," The large wolf offered a dry lick of his tongue to her temple before nudging Akira's chin, motioning for her to look beyond. "We're home now. I wish this wasn't what it would take to bring us back, but..." He swallowed hard. Death. The price to pay for returning home.
But if this was the afterlife, why was he still so hungry, so thirsty? Despite the warmth on his back, his body felt cold. He dragged himself closer to her.
"We have all the time in the world now, to explore the Creek, just like you wanted. And my heart won't hurt anymore," His tone softened. Once-hopeful speech devolved into mutterings that fell aimlessly from his lips. "...where's Alpha?" Try as he might, his words were near-incomprehensible ramblings of an ailing man.
