But what if?

Ulric was reclined back into the pillows and furs of their bed, gazing lovingly down at Eska where she was resting with her head on his stomach. He was completely spent and satisfied in every possible way with a little, floaty smile lingering on his lips. There was just something that was different about being with Eska compared to anyone else. She lit such a fire of desire in him like no one else and they fit each other so perfectly. His paw gently stroked over the top of her head and down her neck, rubbing the store muscles under careful paw pads while they caught their breaths and savored this moment. His silver gaze found hers when she glanced up at him, hearing her return the 'I love you' he had said before they were completely lost to the throes of passion. A grin pulled across his hips and he chuckled, his paw brushing her cheek. She was the other half he had always craved and he felt so grateful to have her.

He was quiet for a while, just enjoying the peace of having her here with him and safe, the dancing tingles of pleasure steadily dissipating from his skin. His mind started walking through the events of the day again, the fear of her being pregnant that had been dissipated by the news that she had been taking herbs to prevent it in the first place. His past with fathering children was a troubled and difficult one, but it was something that he enjoyed more than pretty much anything else. His children were his pride and joys. Even still, when his former mate left he thought that his days of fathering children were over. As he looked at Eska now, his claws lightly combing through her fur, he realized that wasn't something they had really discussed for themselves.

He had learned from the first year of his children's lives that ruling a pack while raising pups wasn't a life that he wanted. He hadn't been able to devote nearly the time and effort he had wanted to their earliest days and they had slipped him by. If he was going to do it over then he wanted to correct what he had done wrong. The beauty of leading The Hallows though was that it was never intended for him to keep it forever. He was keeping safe to hand over to Resin's children when the time came. "In the summer," he mentioned quietly, breaking the silence as he teasingly stroked across the edge of her ear, "My kids will be fully adults and Artorias will be old enough to take over the pack completely. It'll be time for me to retire." He chuckled at the thought. He wasn't exactly an old man, at least not in his mind, but he certainly wasn't a young man either. By the time summer came he would be in his seventh year and most certainly old enough to justify taking a step back from things like leading a pack. "When that happens and we have a little more time and freedom to ourselves... What do you think about us having pups of our own?"

"Ulric"