It was too blasted cold for spring fever to be settling in, Capable thought miserably, but her body told no lies. Even winter’s last, icy grip could not soothe the wretched heat threatening to burn her up from the inside out, and she could not shake it. She couldn’t. She did not want any of the attention the stink promised to bring her, both from more dominant females, or any boys wishing to try their luck. Oh, yes, it’d never happened in Willow Ridge before, but Capable had been in a pack before. She’d seen. She knew.

She took off from pack lands like someone had set her tail on fire. As long as she refused to solve the problem the traditional way, she might as well try to out run it. One couldn’t be bothered by nature’s baser needs if they were too exhausted to keep their eyes open, right?

So up the side of the mountain the woman went, breath harsh in her own ears as she scrambled up the sharp inclined, bouncing over boulders and ducking around the sparse trees. Only when she reached a relatively flat area many hours later did she stop to breath, just to breath – her muscles sang with the tiredness of it. Hopefully, this place was alone enough with the rupestrine wolves of Silent Moon Plateau gone, and no one would bother her here.

Capable’s lips pulled backwards as she warned her packmate off, having no desire for him to impede upon her space bubble any further. Her vivid imagination could practically feel his body heat radiating off of that dark coat, plaguing her overheated skin with a warmth even this unspeakable cold snap could not cure. Fortunately, he did not seem inclined to get any closer than he already was, but she could not tear her sienna gaze from his prone form. There was no reason to trust this wolf, especially where he thought it prudent to hide.

“You stink,” she huffed, dimly aware it was the suffocating smell of willows mingling with the personal musk of their Queen. Not unusual, really, for a pack wolf to smell like his alpha – perhaps it was only her heightened senses, but it still seemed worth pointing out. She did not lay down, remaining rigid where she stood. “Capable. My name is Capable,” she grounded out, truly not in the mood for small talk. There was not much else that could be done, and the large woman glance back down the mountainside, eying the trail she’d taken, and the path Wraith had used shortly thereafter. “You didn’t lead anyone up here, did you? I’m not—“

The female barely restrained an eye roll at her packmate’s stupidity.  If someone else had told him he stunk like Morganna, and he was actively trying to avoid the woman’s uncle, it might do him some good to wash the scent off his coat.  Given that he wore it like a badge of honor, the subordinate was starting to think it wasn’t mere coincidence – but she wasn’t about to press the matter.  After all, Capable hardly wanted whelps of her own, thank you very much.  Really, she wasn’t even all that interested in finding a mate.  When she’d left Moose’s Tooth, she’d entertained the idea of finding more desirable males somewhere she wasn’t related to all of them, but it seemed that she might have been mistaken.  Outside of @Skoll, she really hadn’t even been interested in befriending any of then.

Well, she supposed, Greer had been nice enough, though she reckoned the strange yearling wasn’t keen on gathering friends himself.

Ignoring the compliment, the woman eyed the path one last time.  Finally deciding that Wraith was probably correct in his assumption, the wolf seated herself.  There was enough distance between them now, and after a few moments of silence, she flattened herself against the snow, appreciating the cold against her fur, even if it did little for her boiling blood.

“Suppose you won’t.  You’ve had your fun, haven’t you?”  It wasn’t quite an accusation as she lifted her head, studying the male.  What did she care if he did, or didn’t?  Didn’t mean they’d got with pups.  And that was not an idea she cared for.  “This mean you’re moving up in the world, or what?”

“Tcht. You sure?” Capable asked, eyebrow arching up. She was relatively certain her father, uncles, and brothers cared little about what the respective female actually cared about, if she wanted pups or a permeant mate or any of those things. It was her duty as a member of Moose’s Tooth – even as alpha, did Morganna not hold the same tie to the Archer name and the legacy of Willow Ridge? She might have chosen Wraith, though whether or not that was true, the aspiring guardian couldn’t say, but she didn’t have a choice in the realm of motherhood, did she?

She wanted to be alpha, and she had to have children. Everything had its price.

The woman watched in silence as Wraith contemplated his blunder – Capable certainly thought it a foolish mistake, at least – and grew more uncomfortable by the moment. She sighed and shook her head, truly caring little whether or not he’d succeeded in his quest for fatherhood. Every wolf wanted his son. Wraith’s feeble denial would not change her mind otherwise. “Well, you’d be the first. Seen plenty of stupid boys take up that role because they thought it was theirs to take. At least you have some kind of brain, I guess.” Her mouth twisted into a wry smile. Not enough brain to think with the right head, though. Chuckling at her own nasty joke, she peered back down the mountain side. “So you just gonna – what? Hide up here until they forget you rutted with Morganna?”

“Tchhhhh!” 

It was an unpleasant hiss between teeth, tongue pressed flat as ears fell backwards.  The heat had made the woman ornerier than usual, but it was not a topic she looked well upon.  She could not catch judgment until she’d spoken with the other party, she supposed, for she’d seen little reason to actually assume distress just yet.  But she did not move form her spot, no matter how much the other wolf deserved a good nip.

“Who said ‘nything about instinct?” she spat, head lifting up.  “Has to do with what you want, or don’t.  Every male wants a son.” It was said as if it were the simplest fact; but then, it had been preached to her as soon as she was old enough to understand.  Ears remained flat out to the side, and eventually, Capable looked away, chin dropping to her forearms. “If you’re the bitch, you just pray to whatever’s out there you don’t have a daughter.”

The reason was two-fold, she supposed, though what was a little more violence when it was an active part of your lifestyle already?  A mother was supposed to want the best for her child, and who could want the life she’d lived for someone else.  Ears flattened further.  “Point stands, though.  You can’t hide here forever.  Eventually, you’re gonna have to deal with whoever you’re trying to avoid.”