Angry as he was, at least Serach could appreciate that the stranger reacted in the correct way. Turning away from the water, the other man lowered himself in submission. Beyond him, he flicked his gaze momentarily to see Arnaq begin to slowly crawl out of the water, her body language also submissive and apologetic. But his focus returned back to the strange wolf in front of him who had so brazenly crossed clearly pack borders, setting Arnaq aside in his mind to deal with later.

The loner answered the question directly, which was a double-edged sword. It only confirmed what Serach had suspected when he had come across their path, but the wording the man used did nothing to ease his temper. Even if he had frequently asked strangers what the Bend could do for them, what was really being asked was what did they want from the Bend. It seemed this man, Zev, was taking Arnaq's question literally and it didn't sit well in the mind of an already agitated Serach.

"We're not in the business of renting out homes or storage facilities," he grumbled when Zev had finished making his case. "Oak Tree Bend is a pack focused on family - we don't 'occasionally' speak to one another. If that's truly what you're looking for, then this is not the place, although I'm sure there are other packs in the Lore who would be happy to accommodate such an arrangement." And if the Bend wasn't right for Zev, well, he knew the way out already.

If the other man was lying, Serach didn't know it. His hackles shivered for a moment as Zev adjusted himself, but the lone wolf kept his head down and his tail tucked which was enough for the leader. He was not thrilled by the title, "weird uncle", but the rest was good enough. Even if instinct was telling Serach that this stranger was not a right fit, he also could not ignore the reality that they badly needed more numbers. It had been a long time since they could truly be choosy of who they allowed in, and although Serach had always been skeptical of "healers", there was some increased peace of mind knowing they had one nearby.

Arnaq's huff earned her a glance, and his yellow eyes considered her for a moment before turning back to Zev. He had made a decision, and one that he would hopefully not regret. "Very well then," he said after a long moment's hesitation. "Welcome to Oak Tree Bend. I'm Serach Donata," it was not as bright a welcome as he otherwise would have given, but Zev could not expect that given the circumstances. "And since you've already made a friend in Arnaq, she can be your guide. Make sure you don't cross any other borders you're not supposed to." They'd both been spared physical altercation today, but now there was no argument for misunderstanding or ignorance.

Waiting until the pair responded, he remained silently before nodding his head and stalking back off into the woods to find Aponi and let her know about her knew "weird uncle".