Greer was never fond of discussing pack relations. It was such a dull, dreary topic, yet it popped up frequently when interacting with strangers or newcomers. Reason number fifty-three why Greer preferred to be on his own (and was truly destined to be a  lone wolf).

However, if the slender yearling wanted to depart from the willows in the near future and pursue another pack to call home (whether temporarily or permanently) he was forced to get acquainted with this whole small-talk bullshit. The male was exceptionally chatty, words rolling off his tongue effortlessly as he addressed both the Archer prince and the silver female. As he had assumed, the two were both recent additions to the Ridge. It was remarkable how the pack continued to thrive and swell with numbers—there was a perfect balance of both Archer’s and rogues. While Greer was partial to those who shared his blood, most of the unrelated additions were rather impressive (at least in size and skill). Despite this, the shadow had no desire to meet all of them. He preferred to stay close to his kin.

“Elettra mother,” he answered coolly, his silver eyes focused on Wraith. That’s all he needed to say—even though his mother was no longer leading the pack, she was still a strong presence within the pack. Especially since the majority of the pack was her flesh and blood. Hestia kept her voice to herself during this exchange, causing the slender shadow to glance over her quickly. It was up to her and the obsidian male to keep the conversation going; Greer only spoke when he felt it was necessary. And when he did, it was short and to the point.

It seemed as though Greer was getting his wish. The awkward encounter was going to end just as quickly as it had started. The male was not as bad as he had initially thought; in fact, the slender shadow would not be against crossing paths with him in the future. However, he was unsure of Hestia. Obviously there was something one of his siblings saw in her, otherwise she would not be standing where she was. Despite this, the prince was still wary of her. She did not seem comfortable with silence (which was usually a red flag for Greer) and preferred to keep her jaws flapping. From what he observed, she also did not seem fond of his quiet demeanour; however, that did not bother him. Most were squeamish in the presence of silence—they did not know how to handle nonverbal exchanges. Fortunately that worked to his benefit. It meant fewer conversations for the selective mute.

Wraith announced he was departing suddenly, his voice soft as it cut through the air between them. The yearling gave a soft, understanding nod in response, his mercury gaze focused on the male. Until next time, the look said as a friendly smile formed on his dark lips. With that, Wraith bid the female farewell before departing into the willows, his body quickly being swallowed up by the shadows. Hestia was quick to give her own good-bye and followed suite, the shadows claiming her as well. His lips curled into a sneer at her absence as he snorted in disdain. They were (for the time being) in the same pack, so it was likely that their paths would cross once more—unwillingly, of course. Bathing in the silence that followed with their absence, Greer remained where he was and settled his hindquarters on the ground. Now he could truly be in peace.