Corvine ended the mindlink and looked at all the curious gazes in the room, his expression carefully neutral even as the weight of the news settled over him.
"It's nothing serious. Gamma Jasmine is back, and the pups are excited."
Kael could feel his heart thumping hard against his ribs as all gazes fixed on him, a weight of unspoken questions pressing down on his shoulders with a force that made it hard to breathe.
He quickly rushed out to see Jasmine's back, his feet moving before his mind could catch up, every step driven by a need he had tried and failed to bury. She was surrounded by the pups, their small bodies pressed against her, their laughter filling the air with a bright, pure joy that made his chest ache.
So he only smiled and stepped back, giving them the space they deserved. However, he noticed that her hair looked different.
