Being vague on details regarding the north, and I'll be throwing Paladin into Marina's birthing thread shortly :P

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

He was exhausted. A lot had happened since he’d left to explore, found Marina’s bloody trail, and he didn’t want to think of everything that had happened in the north. He’d tracked the scents of the male and two females as far as Faller’s Fjord, and had turned back after a week or so. The male would meet his end eventually, but Regulus had a pack to run and patrol in the meantime. He’d been gone far too long. He would have liked to go straight to his alcove to sleep, but young Paladin met him in the ravine, informing him of a trespasser that had come a week past. He’d been rather frustrated to hear that none of the rest of the pack had come to back up the fellow at the call of alarm about an intruder. He'd sent the young male back to sleep, and now, he shook his head slowly as he padded across the cold black marble to his alcove. The moss was a bit stale, but he was grateful to flop into the bedding and curl up, mulling things over in his head. He had much to think over. The stones didn’t seem to be doing their job of keeping intruders out. He couldn’t help the niggling suspicion. A wolf as old as Paladin had described should know perfectly well about borders and what they meant, blind or not. He huffed softly, breath fogging in the cold air. Well, they’d just have to build it up. Like the wall up north. Tall enough that even a wolf taller than himself would have difficulty jumping over, that would border the entire territory, save for a few openings for larger prey animals. He gave a satisfied smile. That would take a while to accomplish, but perhaps by next autumn, they would have a solid structure in place, and even if it wasn’t completed, it would still be there to dissuade outsiders, or interest possible new members. A thoughtful hum left him as he added to the benefits, the fact that pups would be less likely to cross the borders and be hurt or lost. And gods knew they had a new litter. Marina had birthed her litter, and had difficulty. He was glad Paladin had returned home. The boy had done very well in keeping her and her pup alive.

I just wanna be by your side

Solveiga had heard the whispers. Rumors of things happening up north, truly awful things that sent shivers down her spine even more than the chilling weather already did. But winter would be over soon, and the earth would begin to warm up again. Not that she was able to enjoy it very much with the discomforts that came from being in heat.

The little healer huffed, and tried to shift to a more comfortable position in her little alcove. It was still practically overflowing with herbs, leaving her little space to curl up and sleep. Luckily, Solveiga didn't take up much room. Most nights she was able to tuck herself into a snug little ball and find sleep in no time. But tonight was different. The insomnia was almost palpable. She stood and stretched herself a bit, sifting through her herbs to find a bit of lavender to soothe her mind and hopefully help her sleep. She placed the lavender on the ground a few inches from her nose and curled up again, taking deep breaths until finally her mind and body found rest.

She slept for a couple of hours, but even the lavender wasn't enough to stop the nightmares from coming. She hadn't seen Regulus in a week. He had gone north to investigate the rumors, or at least, that was all Solveiga knew. But after hearing what was happening up there, Solveiga had fears of never seeing the man again. And these fears manifested themselves in her dreams that night. Horrifying images of blood on snow. Images of her late mother, causing guilt to twist inside her. Then, a voice. One that was somehow Regulus and her mother all in one. Saying Solveiga, why weren't you there? Why weren't you there for me in my final moments?

And that was all she could take.

Solveiga startled awake, gasping for air as if she'd been held underwater. Her body was trembling, and she let out a soft whine as she put the lavender back in its place and decided to go for a walk. Yes, it was freezing outside, but she needed some fresh air. But then, as she left her alcove, a scent hit her nose and with it came a flood of relief. Regulus had returned. He was safe. Oh, thank heavens. She trotted toward his alcove, hesitating for a moment before making up her mind and poking her head inside. He had offered to share his alcove with her, hadn't he? Maybe sleeping beside him would clear her mind of worries and fears so she could finally get some sleep.

"Regulus?" she whispered, not wanting to disturb or wake anyone else by being too loud. "Are you still awake?"

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

His head lifted as he heard the rustling and shifting from Solveiga’s alcove. He listened, wondering if she was having difficulty sleeping, and was about to rise to check in on her when the rustling stopped with a sound like she’d jerked out of a bad dream. He was sitting up as she padded by then shifted her path to peek in at him. He smiled gently at her. “I am, yes. Is everything alright?” He lowered himself back down, though he remained on his belly, in case she wanted to go for a walk. His low voice was a soft rumble, slightly echoed by the stone walls of his alcove. “You can come in if you like?” It seemed as though she’d been troubled, and he’d be content if he could help her feel better. Despite his weariness, he’d stay up as long as it took.

I just wanna be by your side

She was glad to hear that her intrusion hadn't been the thing to wake Regulus. He was already awake, sitting up and smiling gently at her. Oh, how she would have missed that smile if... Solveiga swallowed hard against a lump in her throat. She couldn't afford to think like that. "I don't... I don't mean to bother you, I just..." Her voice trembled, giving her away. She was scared. She could admit that, couldn't she? The fears she had weren't the fears of a pup. Her nightmares hadn't been about imaginary monsters or things that went bump in the night. Her nightmares were about loss. About being alone in the world again. Regulus was all she had, and she had told him that at least once or twice before. It was pathetic, but it was true.

Taking a deep breath and trying to clear her mind, Solveiga nodded and padded her way into his alcove. This place was full of his scent, which she found very comforting right now. She lay down beside him, mirroring his posture as she settled onto her belly, blue eyes seeking his as she looked up. "I'm fine, now," she replied at last. "I was worried about you... I couldn't sleep, and then I... I was having the most awful nightmares," Solveiga whispered. But she felt safe now. Her fears were still there, but she could face them if Regulus was here, unharmed.

She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to tell him what her nightmares had been about. But she wasn't sure how he would take it. Sometimes she wondered what it would be like if she were a braver soul. If she could just open up and tell him how she felt.

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

Yes, she was definitely troubled. The tremble in her voice when she next spoke had his ears lifting. He assured her gently, “You will never be a bother to me. I was just thinking. Paladin tells me we had a trespasser, and no one answered his alarm summons. I was thinking we should build a wall around the territory.” He smiled gently as she came to settle beside him, enjoying the small warmth of her by his side. He met her gaze, listening to her and nodding. “My grandmother had dreams that were nightmares. From when she was a young wolf and her pack’s rivals came in while she was out gathering herbs and massacred her whole pack, and she had to flee.” He turned his head, shifting slightly onto his side to curl fully around her, settling his head and neck over her shoulders and lightly grooming between her ears in a soothing manner. “I’m here. I didn’t expect to worry anyone when I went exploring. I’m sorry.” He was completely unaware that there might have been any rumors or whispers about the on goings in the north. Though, it could stand to reason that perhaps Faite had sent someone from Lirim to warn Celestial for him. For now, he was content that the danger was headed to Auster, though that still opened up other worries. Creed’s family had a pack down there, if he recalled correctly. Now they could be in peril. He quashed the frown that threatened to pucker his brow.

I just wanna be by your side

You will never be a bother to me. That gentle assurance alone was enough to wash away many of her doubts, and she slowly smiled up at the man. Her heart doing that thing it always did when she was looking into his eyes. He told her about his grandmother, the nightmares she'd had that had really been painful memories. How awful that must have been for her. "My dreams... my nightmares," Solveiga quietly corrected herself, "They were a mix of the two. Painful memories of the past and fears of the future." This she admitted in a voice barely above a whisper.

She knew that Regulus was more in tune to her than anyone else she'd ever known. He could tell she was troubled, and didn't hesitate to offer her physical comfort. He curled his large form around her own, eliciting a sigh from the little healer as he tenderly groomed between her ears. It was incredibly soothing. So much so that she naturally closed her eyes, shutting out the world and just savoring this moment with her dearest friend. "You don't need to be sorry," she whispered, pressing herself back against him and moving her head to nuzzle his cheek. "But you must know that I care a lot for you, and I notice when you're gone."

Just saying that took a lot of courage, and left Solveiga with a small swarm of butterflies as she listened for a response. But even if none came, she had something left to say. Or, rather, something to ask. "Regulus, you've told me so much about your family." Solveiga opened her eyes again, staring into the shadows of the alcove as she soaked in the warmth and the closeness of him, and gathered her courage. "In the stories, they sound so wise. I almost wish I could ask them the questions that have been troubling me lately..." Her heart was pounding, but she needed to ask. Maybe he'd think nothing of it. Assume it was an innocent question having nothing to do with him. "Did they ever tell you what it feels like to be in love? How to... to know if what you feel for another is love?"

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

He listened to her words, as attentive as ever, though part of him wondered what she must fear in the future. Sure, there were many unknowns, and he himself had a lot to think about regarding the future, namely about bringing down Marina’s aggressor. But he viewed it without fear or reluctance. It was something that he, as the pack’s leader and protector, was meant to do. He smiled at her next words, deciding, for the moment not to bring up what all he had found out on his trip. She was already unsettled from a nightmare; the reality of the dangers could wait until daylight. It wouldn’t do to give her mind more fodder to add to those nightmares. It filled him with a warm contentment to hear that she cared for him, and the smile on his features mirrored that internal glow, his tail tapping softly against the mossy floor as he pressed his nose to her crown. Admittedly, she’d been on his mind the whole time he was gone, though he’d had to set it to a sideline to focus on everything. The thought that she could have been in Marina’s place was something that make his stomach churn. But she wasn’t. She was here, she was safe. She was speaking again, and he tipped his head to study her as she spoke, listening, before he smiled, a glimmer of understanding lighting in those sapphires. “They were very wise. Grandmother thought she’d found love with my grandfather. But he disappeared and never came back, and took Uncle Castiel with him. Apparently, he got trampled by a bison herd. But it was Cairo who made her feel truly safe. He was always there to protect her, even from his own mate’s fury at her telling him that Guinevere was very ill. She didn’t realize it was love until the day before his death, when he told her how he felt. She never did stop loving him.” There was a dawning comprehension on his features, and a growing smile as he looked at her. “I think… that being in love feels… like the mere sight of your beloved fills you with peace and excitement., all around and inside you. They say it’s different for everyone. You feel great pride at their smallest achievements, and their largest achievements, and you do all you can to encourage and hold them up. When they’re not around, you feel them in your heart, and you wish they were there.” He grinned, touching his nose to her cheek. “And no one else has given me those feelings.”

I just wanna be by your side

Her heart was absolutely pounding. She was sure he could feel it; how couldn't he? The way he was wrapped around her, warm and comforting and Regulus. She depended on him. But it was a new kind of dependence, entirely different from anything Solveiga had felt before in her life. As a young woman, she'd depended on her elder brother. She'd followed his every step, let him do all the talking and all the deciding. He ran her life, and then he walked out of it entirely. Left his helpless baby sister to find for herself. She had explored a little, tried to pretend it was okay, tried to convince herself she would be okay without him. But nothing truly changed until the day she met Regulus.

Was it crazy that she still remembered the exact moment she saw him through the fog on the moors? Every detail. The way he'd introduced himself and offered to help her find some herbs. The way she'd called him your grace for the longest time because she was so afraid of not showing him the proper respect. They'd come so far. She had come so far, and it was all thanks to him.

And so, yes, she felt a sort of dependence on Regulus now. But not the same kind of dependence she'd felt with her brother. She depended on Regulus for encouragement and support. She trusted him with her fears and her deepest, most troublesome feelings. She reached out to him for a shoulder to cry on when she had lost her mother. She didn't know what she would have done these past two years if she hadn't met him. She needed him. She loved him.

It took this long for her to fully realize and understand that, but it was true. Solveiga was in love with Regulus. And she listened to every single word he spoke as he told her about his grandmother and her struggle to find love. His voice was low, and soft, and comforting as he explained to the little healer what love meant to him. Being filled with peace and excitement all at once, just at the sight of your beloved. Feeling proud of them, always wanting to encourage them and support them. Feeling them in your heart and missing them when they weren't around. Every word seemed to ring true, deep in her heart. That was what love meant to her too. All of that, and more. To her it also meant trusting her future to the one she loved. Being able to imagine herself, round and glowing with pups on the way.

Her heart wasn't pounding anymore. She felt sure. Somehow, when Regulus whispered those final words, Solveiga felt surer about her feelings for him than she'd felt about anything else before. It felt like time stood still for just a moment when he pressed his nose to her cheek. The woman swallowed hard before turning to him, baby blue eyes wide and full of wonder and joy. So much joy.

"You're saying that I..." she whispered breathlessly. "That you feel... those feelings with me?" Solveiga laughed, because she couldn't hold it in. Happy tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. "That's how you make me feel too, Regulus. I'm in love with you, and it's scary, but..."

"But I think I'm ready. If you say you want me, I'll be yours."

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

Normally, he didn’t like making women cry. But these tears made him happy, because they came with joy. A grin broke out on his features as she looked at him, his heart soaring at her response. Thank gods he hadn’t miscalculated. He nodded happily at her question, confirming his words, half wiggling with the happiness her answer gave him. Chuckling, he said, “I don’t just like like you. I love you.” It was a personal joke referencing his last talk with Baine, but the words were heartfelt and sincere. No doubt lay in his mind or his heart any longer. The grin softened to a warm, earnest smile as he tipped his head to bump their foreheads together and spoke in earnest. “Then… will you make me the happiest wolf on the planet by becoming my mate and Consort?”There was a hope in his voice, despite what she’d just said—he wanted to hear her say it again. Though, he wasn’t sure who would officiate a ceremony… usually, he, as the Leader, would preside over a mating ceremony and celebration, but what the heck did you do when you, the leader, were the one celebrating the ceremony? And idea sparked in his mind. Perhaps his uncle would preside. He was an older family member, and that could be the next best thing… in fact, it was better. There were also the Nomads, who would perform such services… His fathomless eyes were focused on her sky-blue gaze. He could envision their children, and if he was honest, he’d been seeing their ghosts of the future for a while now. Beautiful, each their own individual and unique, laughter and pattering paws would be racing around the cave chambers and the ravine.

I just wanna be by your side

Her eyes sparkled with fresh tears when Regulus nodded at her question. She did make him feel that way. Giddy and excited, the way he always made her feel. And when he was gone, he missed her as much as she missed him. Solveiga took an incredible amount of comfort in that. At last, he had confirmed that her feelings were not one sided. And more than that, Solveiga was just reveling in the fact that someone felt that way about her at all. No one had ever cared so deeply for her, made her feel so whole and so loved. He said he loved her.

Her heart felt like it could explode from all the love and happiness filling it right now. She wanted to squeal and jump around like a joyful little pup. And maybe a quiet squeal slipped out, but it was only loud enough for Regulus to hear. Even in such a surreal moment Solveiga hadn't forgotten that the two of them were sharing this conversation in the middle of the night. She rolled herself over, so that instead of curling around her with his chest against her back, she and Regulus were now chest to chest. And her legs came to rest around his large torso, as if she were embracing him. Okay, she was embracing him. How could she not? They had just professed their love to one another!

Her heart started pounding again, because while Regulus had occasionally been physical and affectionate with her in the past, this was entirely new. It was more. They were closer than they'd ever been, both physically and emotionally. Solveiga had a smile that lit up her whole face as the alpha leaned down to push their foreheads together. Heavens above, she thought she would drown in those deep blue eyes. And that's when he asked the question she'd been hoping he would ask. All of her dreams were coming true today. All she needed to say was one little word, and she'd have a mate. Someone to love her and support her and be by her side for the rest of her life. Could anyone ask for more?

So Solveiga, that bright smile still on her face, leaned up to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. And she whispered: "Yes."

"Yes, Regulus. Nothing in this world would make me happier."