Cedar

Cedar watched silently from the warm and mossy den.
The hunting party was getting ready to leave which meant he was left behind to care for the pup(s). He could see the apprentices surrounding the party and he could only imagine that they were begging the party to let them go and watch.
An amused hum escaped him along with a flick of his ear until soft whining dragging his attention. The pup(s) were asleep, it was amazing how easily they knocked out after playing for a little while. But it seemed they were restless.
Cedar moved closer and curled up around the small bundles, hoping that his heat would bring them comfort.
He remembered when he was a scout, he would endure long days out exploring and making sure the territory was safe to wander in but after the pups were born, they needed a pupsitter. That's where he came in. He felt he was better at pupsitting than at scouting, in all honesty.
He would much rather stay curled up in the den, making sure the pups rested easy or playing with them than enduring the harsh weather and exploring.