I Guess This Means I'm a Grown Up Now?

Seeing the surge of emotion on Mariah's face was all the reward the sire wolf could have asked for. Alastor wanted nothing more than to make his children happy, especially Mariah. He felt compelled as her father to give her the best life he could in spite of the terrible start fate had given her. He would never forget the night he'd found her out on the cliff by their home, admitting to feeling lost. He'd never forget the depression he saw her carry as a pup, weighed down by burdens no child should ever have to bear. But seeing her now—older, more mature, stronger, wiser, happier—it was enough to move the brute to tears. As she hung it and mentioned Caedes being honored by how highly he thought of the Saxe brute, Alastor simply shook his head. "I think highly of him because I see how happy he makes you, and any wolf who makes my children happy and whole is a welcome addition to the family." He was going under the assumption that Caedes would be joining their family some day. There was always the possibility that never came to pass, but in Alastor's mind, it was only a matter of when, not if.

When Mariah turned to wrap her forelegs around his trunk in an embrace, Alastor had to swallow back the emotion threatening to choke him up. One giant paw lifted to drape across Mariah's back, holding her close while tears fell down past his smiling lips. "You're welcome, Mariah." Her thanks had never been something she withheld from him, but hearing it now, understanding the gravity those words carried with them for her, for them both, was a powerful thing. He had feared for a time that he'd lost his little girl forever; that her depression might swallow her whole and he'd failed her on a cataclysmic level. Her condition was all his fault, and he wouldn't have blamed her if she had hated him for it. But Mariah only showed him love—the devoted love of a daughter. Their eyes met, argent to obsidian, and she affirmed that she'd always remember her family's love. Alastor responded simply with a big toothy grin and a boop of their noses together. Hey, he was still the silly, playful brute he'd always been, even in a more emotional moment.

Deciding they had had enough of the heavy emotions for now, Alastor sniffled back his tears and wiped the lingering wetness from his eyes with the back of a black paw, trying to recompose himself. "Well, now that I've gone and made a mess of myself, how about we switch to something a little lighter?" Alastor chuckled and smiled down at Mariah, loosening his grip around her so she could pull away if she wished, but not taking his arms from around her otherwise. He'd missed getting to cuddle with the small puppy that used to lie on his chest and back and was clearly trying to make up for lost time. "Tell me all about your journey! Where did you go? What did you learn?"Alastor wanted to hear about it all!

"Alastor Mendacium"