She was receptive to him. This, at least, he was grateful for. Though she pulled away gently, it was only to speak, and Valko let his fingers hover at her hips. A voice inside reminded him of what a good mate she would be, though he had never been one to consider such a thing before. She was strong and level-headed. Kind. Willful. Beautiful. They had been together less than a day but Valko was sure of these things, sure Ylva had hid nothing of herself from him. The sudden craving to see her as wolf sprouted inside of him, blooming like a particularly stubborn flower beneath the midday sun. But now was not the time to suggest they take a run through the trees, not when she was speaking on topics close to her heart. The alpha frowned, dark brows knitting together as he thought.<br/><br/>"Ylva," he began, choosing his words in that careful way of his. "I want to be happy here. We could take care of this pack. You would be part of our family. Down the line, perhaps we could..." He wanted to suggest they start a family of their own, but even now it seemed too quick. No point inviting a second problem when they hadn't yet solved the first.<br/><br/>"I understand your need to see Antony pay for what he has done. I do. But it isn't so simple as just running in and ending his life. Your wolves will be displaced. A power vacuum will arise and either another unworthy wolf will stand to take control or Evergreen will be nothing. Disbanded. Families will be forced to find new packs to take them in. Welcoming Fjord to join Kriki is one thing, but if we dispose of Antony then we must consider if Kriki has the resources to take in all of Evergreen. The swelling of the pack would be immense. Our land territory would be too great, larger than any other pack in the surrounding areas. It is all so much to think on."<br/><br/>The tips of his fingers pressed against the firmness of her hip. The elder she-wolves would say she would need more weight on her before she could mother pups. They were always so judgmental, deigning who would and wouldn't be an appropriate mate for the alpha. But this was a mate bond. They couldn't object to that, even if Ylva was once an outsider. She wouldn't be anymore. Why was he still thinking about this? His words felt disjointed from his thoughts, as if they were coming from two separate beings, fighting for dominance inside of his head. Valko and the wolf inside. The wolf cared little about politics, about resources and logistics. It was only focused on Ylva.<br/><br/>"We must... we must think on this. Even if I agree to help you, we cannot do this alone. We will need help, to petition the rest of the pack. And I cannot guarantee they will agree to any of this."