Watching Fireflies

Max had nearly driven himself insane trying to find his daughter. He wasn't sure how they had managed to get separated, maybe it was just because he was old and slower than her. That's what he hoped had happed anyway. If anyone where to lay a paw on her in anyway Calli had had to deal with he would kill them. Old or not he would find a way to get the job done. He would have no part of being shoved out of her life the way Callisto had shoved him away. The voices that had taunted him during that time period had already begun whispering ways to murder a wolf that couldn't keep his...or her, paws off his daughter.

It was only when he saw her that complete silence and relief would fill his mind, clearing away the destruction his thoughts had been brewing up. The moon and fireflies helped him to find her in the dark and for that he was grateful one of his old homes could provide some kind of help. He had always loved his tree next to the lake, his only bad memory of the den beneath the giant tree was of Callisto leaving him, running from him in fact. He hoped Delaney wouldn't run, he pleaded to what ever higher power that was out there that who ever she had found had been good to her. If they hadn't he would surely hunt them down, make them pay for it and then punish himself for not teaching her how to at least catch a rabbit. He had taken her to Myraid in hopes of finding a better hunter than himself. Turned out if he wanted something done he should have just done it himself. It seemed the wolves that made up that pack had been more concerned with ruining their home than making it stronger.

Once he was close enough to keep from shouting a small smile would creep into the corners of his maw just before opening it to say relived words "Delaney! I'm so glad I found you, I was beginning to drive myself insane with worry." he hoped she would be just as happy to see him as he was to see her. "First thing I'm going to do tomorrow is teach you how to catch a rabbit because I'll be damned if I ever trust anyone else to help you learn how to feed yourself again. I took you to that place so you could be a better hunter than me, so you would be safe...never again." then he would slow down and his eyes would scan her for any cuts, bruises or sores of any kind only to stop and take in every feature of the girls face. He had loved once, but that was nothing like the love and fondness he held for the girl he had adopted as his own. She wasn't blood but she was all he had in this world and she was his reason for crawling out of what ever hole he crawled into every morning. He accepted the fact that it was unlikely he would ever have children when he found her and he would be damned if anything or anyone would take her from him without a fight.