Then he returned and took up his burden.
When he dragged the result of his day's hunt into the cave, the she-wolf inspected it, turned her muzzle to him, and lightly licked him on the neck.

But the next instant she was warning him away from the cubs with a snarl that was less harsh than usual and that was more apologetic than menacing.

Her instinctive fear of the father of her progeny was toning down.

He was behaving as a wolf-father should, and manifesting no unholy desire to devour the young lives she had brought into the world..