Since his return, he had been lonelier than ever. Yes, he was back home, back among those of his kin and friends. The only ones in the world left to him, besides those few he had seen in the wildlands who shared his blood. He recalled them faintly but they did not hold the same presence in his heart as those here. He had returned hoping for her, longing for her presence alongside him. He longed for her touch, the sweet perfume of her scent.

But he had been left wanting. She was gone, searching for him, among others. It pained him and he had set off into his work, returning to his place of the silent, watchful ruler. The brooding guardian of the most peaceful lands in the land called the Dire Straits. His work had indeed distracted him, but he felt that hole in his chest deepening and widening with every day. He worked himself to the bone, unable to indulge in his meals and sleep as he had in the past, too worried for the safety of his mate and the family that had gone with her. He knew she must have felt the same for so long and it hurt him inside that he had caused such worry in her heart. He knew she felt pain so much more freely than him, though it was she who unlocked the emotions in him. While he may feel fury like none other, she was the only one for whom he felt love that consumed his whole being.

Today, he was alone with his thoughts. He'd spent a time in the den, napping away the heat of the day, before leaving the den under moonlight to head towards the mountainous edges of their territory, to make certain that there were no intruders slipping in from the heights of the rocks. He knew there had to be packs beyond the mountains and he was sure that some avalanche someday would cause a path to be made, and on that day danger would grow tenfold. He lifted his head to breathe in the air, testing for scents. He liked the night, how quiet it was.

Wait.

A sound. A familiar, oh so familiar sound.

His breath caught in his throat and he twisted towards the call.

His voice burst from him without a single thought, exploding from his open jaws. Before he could process what was happening, he was running. The understanding came in hard flashes - Alana was finally back, finally home to him. His Moon was here. His paws felt on fire as he ran, a blur past rock and tree. He came over a hill and froze at the peak, eyes scanning the land for any trace of his queen. He could see the area where the den was, in the far distance, so she had to be closer...

There. The flash of white, coming to him. His heart burned, that emptiness filling with heat and joy. Had he the ability, tears would have brimmed in his eyes, spilling from the perfect blue and the scarred remnant of what was once red. His paws moved again, without his orders, and soon the space between them closed. He leaped for joy the last few paces, dancing on light paws and bringing himself to her. Their noses would meet first, his eye meeting hers, their scents finally fresh to the other. Then he would rush in, his chest pressing against hers and his face burying itself into the fur of her neck and back, if she would allow it. A low whine escaped from his lips, only for her. He would later realize the words rushing from his mouth in low whispers: My moon, my moon, Alana, my moon.

Finally, he was truly home.