The past keeps coming back to haunt me

As soon as Eska's lips met his he knew he had his answer. So many emotions ran though him - relief, joy, love... But above all he felt like this was one of the only good decisions he had ever made for his life. His lips pressed to hers in return, the paw that had been resting on her cheek shifting to gently cradle the back of her head as they made out with every ounce of passion and gratefulness that he could muster, tasting her on his tongue and savoring the feeling of her lips on his. He always loved her kisses, but this felt different from the others - a sign of this devotion that they would have to one another.

Eska was the one to eventually break their kiss and he blinked open his eyes to look down at her again as she spoke, clarifying that she wanted a partnership - not just a relationship. The only other request she had was to have him entirely if she was going to be exclusive to him in return, something that was easy for him to agree to. "A partnership," he agreed, giving her lips another soft kiss. "I'm yours and only yours," he vowed quietly, his signature lopsided grin pulling across his features. She was beautiful and carried herself with such a grace that he could barely understand, but she was also strong and independent and could fend for herself - traits he had never experienced in a woman he had been with. He felt like he could love and take care of her when he wanted to, but he could also leave her to her own devices and not have to worry. For once it felt like he could lean on her as much as she could lean on him, balancing one another and making each other stronger in the process.

He remembered how many times he had felt drained each and every day with Azariah, shouldering the work for them both around the pack to keep the others around them from questioning her place in the pack. Eska had hit the ground running from day one, proving herself, meeting everyone, building relationships, adding to their food stores without him asking. He could comfortably entrust her with the pack for short stints of time while he took care of other matters and he knew that wasn't something he could have done with anyone else. They would have a partnership and he knew that he would be putting his heart and trust into good paws this time around. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt in his mind.

That didn't mean he didn't want to sweep her off her feet and shower her in affections from time to time though. He was a romantic at heart and no matter how strong or independent she was he still wouldn't give up the chances to treat her like the goddess she was in his eyes. He grinned as he slipped a strong foreleg around her lower back, pulling her into him till their chests and stomachs were pressed together, cradling against him as he looked down at her with absolute adoration and a thankfulness he couldn't begin to describe. His lips brushed against hers with a soft, tender kiss before he whispered, "I love you." They were words he hadn't uttered to anyone other than his children since Azariah disappeared, words he had wondered if he would ever say again. He knew that Eska would most certainly care about actions more than words simply because that was the kind of woman she was, but he still wanted to say them regardless.

"Speech"