The sun was setting in the sky as Naira reclaimed her position atop the towering three stepped boulder. It had taken less of a run up this time than previously, probably due to her improved condition as a member of a pack. Her paw had healed nicely and now there were just a few scabs on the top of her foot, the only remnant of her encounter with the feisty water rodent she had attempted to catch as an apology/birthday present for her young dark friend. She hadn't seen him since and it almost felt as if something was missing. Bloody hormones... she thought with a grimace. This was her least favourite time of the year.

The stars were beginning to wink invitingly as the moon began to rise, begging her to raise her voice in song to them. It had been so long since she had simply howled for the sake of howling. Having a quick glance around to make sure she was still alone. She was far enough away from the Creek pack's borders to not draw any unwanted attention, so she tilted her muzzle to the sky and allowed her melodic howl to fill the air. Simply basking in the beauty of the early spring evening. She noticed a distinctly masculine howl interweaving with her own but she chose to ignore it. It was not a voice she recognised, but it held a pleasant tone. Perhaps he would seek her out...

He was searching for Hawke yet again. The pale lady had disappeared and he was struggling to find sight or scent of her. It was frustrating to say the least. The spring was fast approaching and now more than ever he needed to keep her on side. He continued to trot through the slush and mud of the melting snows as the sun began to set and the moon made its rise into the sky. The melodic feminine howl took him by surprise and he halted in his tracks, raising his own maw to join in her song while his ears twitched to pin-point her location.

There... he thought he scented Rhysis on the breeze but he had the feeling it was to be expected this close to the Creek packs borders, he had been trying to join them after all. He picked his way through the undergrowth towards where he thought the voice had come from when a second phrase began not feet from where he was standing near an oddly placed rock. He walked around its base, searching for the source before he raised his head to see the silhouette of a female wolf outlined against the night sky. He raised himself onto his rear legs and stretched out in an attempt to reach the lip of the first step but failed to reach it.

Now how did she get all the way up there? he questioned himself, wondering if the woman was in fact a wolf or some forest spirit sent to taunt males for fun. "Prey tell how you managed to get all the way up there fair lady?" he questioned with flowery phrase in the hopes of charming her from her perch. After all it was the season...

Antipode of her true feelings the tawny lady smiled down at the obviously overconfident cassanova at her feet. "I unfolded my wings and flew." she replied sardonically, in no mood for any males silly business now she had finally found herself a pack. If he had two brain cells to rub together he would figure out all it needed was a short run up, but judging from his comical appearance, she doubted he lacked the second to help form the required spark for coherent thought.

Feeling confident she was still safe upon her perch she turned her attentions back to the darkening sky. He may be determined, but she was a switched on lady and wouldn't be drawn into any of his tricks. He seemed to be attempting to scramble his way up the rocky face of the boulder but she didn't like his chances. Even if he made the tall climb, she would simply slide her way down the tall side and onto the forest floor. She knew from experience she would jarr her paws, but not enough to hinder her escape from the lumbering brute if he were to ignore her requests to be left alone. Or perhaps she would just tear out his throat...

So she was going to play hard to get? He ceased his attempt at clawing his way up the side of the boulder and made a short retreat, lumbering forward and gaining momentum he pushed hard with his rear legs and hooked his forepaws over the lip of the boulder, scrambling with his rear paws and dragging his heavy frame onto the first step, wincing slightly as his still raw scratches dragged against the rough surface. The ascent from here was easier but he didn't want to startle her suddenly, lest she leap to her death in an attempt to escape him.

Now he had better sight of her, he hummed quietly in appreciation at her powerful form. She would be formidable on even ground, but here she had the high ground and if she decided to turn on him he knew he probably didn't stand a chance. Golden eyes glowed from amidst her long tawny coat and it was only now that he caught the scent of pack on her, but her scent also told a story of a life started far from here, just as his own did, and sung songs of this beautiful time of year. Pack had never stopped him before.

Golden eyes narrowed as the silvery male dropped and retreated, bounding forward she watched as powerful legs hooked over the first lip of her special perch and powerful rear legs scrambled to push him further. Perhaps he was smarter than he looked. The small wince didn't go unnoticed by the tawny lady, nor did the mingled scent of pack wafting from his large silvery frame. She inched her way closer to the edge of the boulder, ready to make her escape if he came any closer but he stopped.

Not a word passed his mouth and she looked closely, easily seeing how other women may find him attractive. Perhaps it was her upbringing but she always found lighter wolves never caught her eye the way a powerful dark wolf might. Her pack had been primarily black wolves up until her generation when new blood filtered in to expand the diversity a little. Sometimes she loathed her plain coloured coat, wishing she had been blessed like her brother with the dark colouring of their father and grandparents. Her thoughts drifted to Rhysis. She could almost smell him, even though his scent had been brushed from her shoulder weeks ago.

The silver male had her on edge and she wanted to get away but to race off suddenly would be rude and she had been raised better than that. "I am Naira of Swift River. Who are you stranger?" she asked tightly. She had no desire to be risking her place or position by getting involved in any funny business, least of all with this male. Her thoughts drifted again and she shook herself. This was no time for daydreaming. She had to remain alert.

Wandering. He was always wandering. No place to go. No where to call home. No purpose other than to bide his time. Loneliness was tough for a wolf, physically and mentally, and whilst the lanky black male might have made it through a tough winter, his mind was slowly beginning to feel the effects of always being alone. Yes, he ran into a new, sometimes an old, face every so often but it was beginning to really put a strain on his stability. His mood swings had been more frequent and with his main goal now laying in pieces upon the floor, he was almost lost.
Yes, he had the forming of his pack to look forward to, but even that seemed an empty victory. Hiding behind Valiant was the smart idea, he knew that, but that didn’t mean he was happy to acknowledge the fact he lead from the shadows- hiding like a coward behind the fluffy idiot Valiant... Valiant... Valiant?!

The dark mind of the beast stirred from a restless slumber. He was neither asleep or awake when the scent of the silver male brushed across his wet nose. Instantly his eyes opened and he took a deep breath, inhaling the taste of his alliance mixed with another scent... Naira?
For some reason he felt the need to retch. Valiant and Naira? Their scents mingled upon the air and reached him in a sickening concoction. He hadn’t seen either for some time now. The last time he had seen Naira had been after she had left him a beaver and he had thrown himself into the river to save her filthy ass, this had been before he had learned what a wolf eater she was and her flirtatious habits with other males and Valiant... well the last time he had seen the fluffy fool he had torn a few holes in his gut. From no where, a throaty snarl escaped from his lips whilst his grey eyes narrowed.

Yes, he was pissed at Naira. He had allowed himself to form a ... well, he didn’t even know what it was but he was certainly not liking that idea that he was sharing that feeling with other males. He didn’t want her for himself, but he didn’t want other males to have her either. He was utterly enraged at the idea that she might be toying with him and other males at the same time, but the fact she was closeby, no doubt falling the Valiant’s charms made him retch again.

With a snort, the dark male crawled from the thick fern he had been dozing within. His dark coat hid him wonderfully within the shadows and as he left the confines, what little light there was illuminated his eyes for just a moment. The flicker of light caused the flecks of ice blue within his orbs to glitter, almost prettily, before they were swallowed within the deathly grey that hogged the main capacity of his iris. Though he was on the edge of seeing red, he could feel the rage creeping up on him.

His nose led the way and it wasn’t long before both of them fell into his line of sight. They were talking but he was too far away to know what about. Without thinking, which was most unusual for him, he barged out from the shadows and straight towards them without a care in the world.

”My... what are the chances of us all meeting like this.” he said snidely with a raised lip.

The moon was bright enough that he could read the flitting emotions clearly painted on her face. Perhaps she already had a mate, but her scent didnt speak of it, and what sane male let his bitch roam free during breeding season? A hungry glint flashed in his eyes as he began to advance. Almost... Masking his intentions with a casual introduction, he smiled charmingly. "and I am Valiant...currently of Grizzly Hollow..." he added the last merely to keep in line with her own introduction. He wouldn't want to come across as rude.

She visibly recoiled as he neared and he cursed under his breath as she leapt from her tall perch, clearly jarring her paws. He turned and raced down the boulder the way he had come, turning to face her on the level ground, head on. He doubted he could catch her if she chose to run but she seemed content to stand her ground. He hadn't had to deal with a fighter before but it had been so long...

Before he could put on his act, a familiar scent crossed his nose and he heard Rhysis stalk forward, not at all his usual smoothly innocent self. Both...? It was all a bit much for Valiant's flufy head right now and he bit back his annoyance at the interuption. "Come to join the fun?" he questioned the young male under his breath, ignoring the indignant snarl that errupted from the females throat.

A familiar and welcome scent met her nose and she almost relaxed, but given her current precarious position she knew it wasn't safe to do so... And he looked pissed. The dark male stalked forward, and she had to fight back a small shiver at the aura she could feel rolling off his pelt. His strong southern drawl usually music to her ears was now cold and snide. Her ears pinned back to her head, her own lip curling in response to his own. Her position it would seem was becoming more dangerous by the second but she wouldn't run.

He knew this wolf? Her hackles prickled, already on edge after the silver males unwanted advances. Would he side with the silver male against her? She was suddenly in full defensive mode, indignant snarl ripping from her throat at the silver males suggestion to the younger dark wolf. Surely even after their brief encounters, Rhysis would know her better than to think she would allow such carry on, especially now she had finally been accepted into a pack... She would not jeopardise her position for something so fickle.

Rhysis remained plastered to the floor as Naira bolted, but his eyes never left her large figure. He could see the panic she tried to keep buried within her but he hadn’t yet stepped into help. He’d never seen Valiant at work. Oh sure, he knew what the guy was capable but with the placid runt and the moaning bitch he had brought back he never thought he set his sights too high, and if it came at the price of a challenge he would give up. That wasn’t the case though, it seemed Valiant was enjoying the lack of personal space and striking fear into her.

He hadn’t realised he had been snarling until his mind stopped to process what was going on. He’d been standing there watching as Naira awkwardly leapt from her high position onto the floor. At first he thought she was going to run, but instead she wanted to stand her ground. The girl could be so stupid sometimes. She didn’t know that Valiant and Rhysis were here together, partners in crime, brothers in arms and she yet looked to Rhysis, almost hopeful like he was going to be her saving grace from this? Half of him wanted to laugh at the idea whilst the other stayed perfectly, surprisingly, quiet.

He had thought much about her since he had bumped into her brother and learnt that she liked to play around with wolves. He didn’t know the ins and outs, he didn’t want to know the details of it but he found himself getting angry every time his mind travelled back to the subject. He still didn’t know what to do about it. He couldn’t deny that he felt funny around her, but he still didn’t know what that was. Something within him felt as if he wanted to parade around telling the world that he was going to look after her, the way he wanted to look after the mother he had lost, but his idea of care wasn’t so manufactured. He wanted to possess her, he wanted her to be in his sights at all times, to eat only what he caught for her, to speak to only him and only when they were alone. Rhysis could never understand love and feelings, all he knew was that somewhere inside him he wanted her to belong to him and no one else... Rhysis never did like to share.

From no where, the silent part of his mind spoke up and he found himself sauntering, cat like, towards Naira. As he reached Valiant’s side his head lowered and hackles rose. He felt like he was towering over the fluffy brute and whilst the silver male was large, Rhysis always had height to his advantage and from that point, he stopped as they drew shoulder to shoulder. His hard, cold stare fell onto Naira once more and he looked her full in the eye... right before he snapped his head to the side and gave a heavy snap, a vicious bite, towards Valiant’s muzzle. ”She is not for sharing.” he gargled through his salivated snaps. It was a warning, a sadistic one. Whilst he didn’t want to lose Valiant through this, his quiet sided mind had manage to seize control of his body, leaving his usual calm and logical side floundering in confusion.

It was all harmless in his mind. Women had been leading him about by the nose since he got here and to have one actually scared of him rather than jumping all over him was refreshing. All he wanted to do was brush up against her side, enough that his scent would put her leading lady on edge. Just fun and games, well, fun for him... He was sure he could convince her to change her mind about letting him close enough to do so, but now that Rhysis was here he wasn't so sure...

He caught sight of the darker male a fraction of a second too late as the younger wolfs jaw snapped over his muzzle. He flinched as the younger wolf staked his claim on the girl and all the pieces fell into place in his mind, and his eyes darted from one to the other. It was all there in the body language and they both seemed oblivious. Self preservation instincts kicked in, his tail dropping and ears pinned back in the hoped the younger wolf would let go. Chancing another glance at the tawny wolf he wondered if the young male was biting off more than he could chew... or if he truly knew exactly what he was saying.