They’d made a den against some boulders, it was just big enough for them both to fit comfortably, but after Thisbee had fallen asleep, the white wolf had slipped from the hole to lay atop the cold stone, gaze turned upward to the star covered sky. A heavy heart weighed his shoulders down. He couldn’t get the image of her fallen body out of his mind, but that pain was dull compared to the sharp pain that stabbed him in the chest. It was the knowledge that he had to tell his daughter why her mother was not with him that evening when he had finally caught up with her. He would mourn in silence, giving Thisbee the protected sleep she certainly needed after days on her own. The night deepened, until finally the sky was a soft purplish color, signaling dawn was coming soon. Slowly, he rose from his reclined position, head hung low, he took a shaky breath, pulling his emotions in so they would not make his words tremble. He moved off the stones and slipped into the den. He’d take one look at his daughter before nudging her gently. “Thisbee, wake up…I need to talk to you.” With those soft words and a loving lick, he would turn and wait for her to emerge from the den.

It was nice to know that she didn't have to wake ever so often to check her surroundings. She had settled in the den without question or complaint. Eager to rest with the watchful eyes of her father to look over her. The youth slipped in to a deep, comfortable slumber that would carry her through the night with no interruptions. Not until her father nudged her wake after morning had already began to arrive. With a yawn the girl stretched spotted legs out right before she drew them under herself and pushed upward to a stand. Eager to stretch further outside as she slipped from the boulders to join her father. "Yes dad?" She figured she knew what it was about. The big obvious unspoken event. One that she utterly died to know and yet was too terrified to ask and hear what may come.

A unsettled churning began in the pit of her stomach as she looked up to the ivory wolf.

The speckled pup emerged from the den, looking over to him as she spoke. For a long moment he remained silent, regarding his daughter quietly. His jaws would part, but nothing would come out at first. A heavy sigh finally fell. “Thisbee…when we told you to run, one of the wolves tried to go after you. Your mother and I tried to distract him. She got to him first.” He would pause here, letting it sink in that her mother had gotten to the wolf that wanted to hurt the speckled pup first. “They fought. I couldn’t get to her…”His words trembled as he took a shaky breath. “Thisbee, your mom isn’t coming…” He should have tried harder to get to her, but if he had she would have lost both a mother and a father, he couldn’t beat them all. He gazed down at his pup with a look of pain and sorrow, if she didn’t understand the words, she would understand through the pain in his eyes, the hurt. Her mother, his mate, was gone.

The girl stood just outside the den entrance. Eyes of vibrant blue cast on her ivory father with nothing more than trust and love to show through them. She could only hope mother was sick, or had gone back for the others, or something that not equal her demise. So she kept her optimistic outlook- until that look of burden over came him. The sadness too much to contain and it spills over on to her. Black shoulders sagged and head drooped between her sharp shoulders. Ears fled to find her skull and eyes squeezed tightly shut. She got to him first. To stop whoever it was from getting to Thisbee.

It was a lot to bear on the mind of the youth. As he finalized what she already knew- 'your mother isn't coming', She broke. Chest heaved for the oxygen she deprived it of. Her heart beat furiously within its cage. "This is my fault!" She cried out. It was all her fault and she knew not how she could live with such tragic details.

It sank in slowly for the young adolescent. The reality that her mother was gone overpowering the optimism she’d originally had. Razik wished it was different, wished that he could have gotten there faster, or that she was just ill or injured and couldn’t make the journey just yet. Unfortunately, it just didn’t turn out that way. Fate dealt them a cruel and painful card by taking her mother and his mate away. His words broke her, chest would heave for air, her cry only hurt him further. Skull quickly ducked down to her, paw attempting to pull her nearer to him. “No, Thisbee, it’s not your fault. She loved you and was only trying to protect you. She did protect you.” If there was anyone to blame, it was him. He was supposed to protect them both, he had failed Dahlia, but he would not fail Thisbee. He couldn’t. He pushed away the images in his mind of his mate falling to the ground, lifeless; he could dwell on his guilt another time. For now, he focused on his daughter, trying to make her see that it was not her fault.