Preying on you tonight

The cooling days of Auster’s autumn had begun to ebb away into the chillier climate of the southern continent’s winter. No snow had fallen yet, but Artorias didn’t exactly expect it to. After the extended winter he had suffered through in his first year of life, no winter in Auster had come as bad, nor did he anticipate it to again. Still, the old castle could get quite cold during the cloudy days and longer nights. Tonight was one such night. A bitter wind whistled and whipped about the stone walls of the castle outside, rattling the windowpanes in their frames. The night was dark with only the stars and a thin silver sliver of moon lighting the world. Otherwise, the world was quiet and still.

The Aegis was finishing making his rounds in the castle, pausing in the great hall to lay a few fresh logs in the grand hearth to keep the fire burning within to warm the halls. With his nightly patrol around the inside of the castle completed, Artorias made his way upstairs to his bedchambers to join his wife. The Hallows was secure, everyone was bedding down in their rooms for the night, and he could rest easy. The obsidian and azure wolf ascended the staircase to the second floor, made his way down the quiet hall of the Carpathius Wing, and nudged open the doors to their shared bedroom. The mahogany doors opened with a soft creak of iron and wood, and then he stepped inside.

Artorias closed the doors behind him and slid the latch into place, ensuring the alpha and his queen had all their privacy. He knew what to expect and what Briar would want. With the coming of Auster’s winter was Boreas’ summer—their birth season and the start of Briar’s heat cycle. And if it was anything like how she was last year, Artorias had a hunch that he was going to have his paws full with a very needy queen. But this time, things would be different... He and Briar had discussed the possibility of starting their own family this year, of taking that leap into parenthood together. Tonight they would create something wonderful. With a sly smirk on his lips, Artorias turned away from the door, fiery amber eyes turning to find his mate. “How are you feeling tonight, my beautiful Queen?” he asked as he turned from the door.

"Artorias Carpathius"