The Wounded Heart Within

Ulric had resigned himself to focusing on his training and caring for his children, refusing to let himself dwell on what was happening - or not happening - between himself and Aranea. As difficult as it was, he refused to let himself slide back into the state he had been in after Azariah had disappeared. Any time she crossed his mind he was quick to push the thought away and distract himself with another patrol, another spar, or something he could craft for the pack. Anything to keep him busy and keep him from lingering on something that was just going to end up confusing and hurting him while he gave Aranea the space she seemed to need.

The only real exception to that was late at night while he was laying in bed without anything that could distract him from the void her distance had created. He had grown used to her presence at night during the weeks when they were recovering from their injuries, even if she usually slipped away in the early morning. Having her warmth there was enough to stave off the loneliness that tended to creep up on him. His sleep was fitful and at best he spent the night getting small bits of sleep throughout the night, ending up feeling like a series of naps rather than a restful sleep.

He was somewhere in that foggy world between being awake and asleep when his door opened, making him lift his head groggily to look toward the door as a cold breeze brew into the room. He blinked several times when he spotted Aranea in the doorway, trying to make sure he wasn't imagining things. Soon enough the door closed again and she hopped up onto the bed where he was laying, shocking him as she immediately pressed into him and found her way into his arms. For a moment he was so stunned that he didn't know how to respond, loosely holding her in his embrace and looking down at her with confusion. One moment she was pushing him away, the next she was climbing into his bed.

But once she filled that cold space that hurt him more than anything else, he couldn't resist pulling her closer with a sigh. He pulled her smaller frame into his chest and held her tight, his ears folding back against his skull. "What are you doing here?" he whispered against her neck as he buried his face into her fur, letting himself indulge in her presence more than he probably should.

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