Summer was drawing to an end. Thankfully the rains had returned, rehydrating the dried-out landscape and, hopefully, bringing the grazing herds back. But winter brought its own struggles, including more scarcity. With Chan gone, the dynamic of their little lakeside group had changed, though not detrimentally. But they needed better organization, especially with winter’s thread looming on the horizon.

Whether it was the shock of the news, or Chan leaving, the fiery shewolf had finally been shaken from her depression and now, she was driven to action! Walking along the lakeshore, almost mechanically noting the fresh tracks in the mud from visiting grazers, she sought out the trail of one particular member of their loose knit group.

She’d never managed to really talk to the dark man when their groups first joined up, other things had taken priority; Well, better late than never…! The shadow of a smile curled one corner of her lips as she found what she was after, quickly following the fresh scent. She was done waiting around, if he wasn’t gonna act, she would, but he deserved the chance. So she went to the source, following his latest tracks until she got closed, then barked out a neutral greeting; “We need t’ talk.”

While Jethro had certainly come out of his shell after leaving the Cove, he still seemed the more reserved type – not one to hang around for idle chit-chat – much like Flair herself. There certainly was a no-nonsense air about him, and indeed, despite clearly being surprised by her request, he got straight to the point.

Her single ear flicked at his words, a twitch of approval pulling at the corners of her mouth; This might go easier than I thought…! Meeting the dark man’s eyes squarely, Flair answered him in an even tone: “Don’t y’ think it’s about time we make this whole thing official?” A faint twitch of her shoulder indicated the lake and woods around them, suggesting what she meant by ‘this whole thing’.

Her words were direct, but calm and none challenging. She wasn’t blaming him for the elapsed time – she’d been preoccupied, he might very well have been too – but she wanted to be clear and not beat around the bush. Their group deserved the security of a proper pack, and Jethro had been the one to originally give them that promise. The question was whether he was going to act on it or not.

Indeed, the longer the conversation went on, the better she felt. Jethro was honest and direct, with a good balance of confidence and courtesy, good traits for a pack leader. And it made him easy to talk to, no parsing words or wasting time on formalities. Flair felt her shoulders unconsciously relax as he answered her, not bothering with excuses or explanations, but getting to the point right away, the crux of it all.

Her brows rose in surprise at his confession. Cynical as she was, she’d never considered that – they had all been hanging around for so long, it seemed obvious that they weren’t interested in moving on; And me…? She’d chosen not to go with Chan back to the Cove, prioritizing Finley and her boys, and the rest of the lake group – she had to move forwards, not back. “I gotta make sure th’ pups are safe,” she admitted, answering his honesty with her own; “And… There’s nothin’ left for me in th’ Cove.” Well, perhaps one thing, now, but she would have to deal with that later.

Jethro’s last addition surprised her too, bringing a genuine smile to her lips. She wasn’t used to being openly appreciated, and most of the time that was just fine, but it still made her glad to know that the dark man seemed to respect her the same as she did him. So, she felt a need to return him some encouragement, swaying her tail as she added: “Besides, I think y’ underestimate your own influence, on th’ others as well. They trust you, that’s why they’ve stuck ‘round!” Truth was, Flair was the last of the group to finally get to know Jethro, the rest of them already knew the kind of wolf he was.

Surprises seemed to be the fare of the day, each of them taking turns serving one up for the other. She saw it flash on his face, though was happy he didn’t ask any further question about Chan or the Cove – that relationship was something she would need to sort out later, once things were settled here.

Jethro’s more obvious surprise at her praise, she could only smile at, wagging her tail and returning his nod as he thanked her. She was simply stating the truth as she’d read it, she certainly knew that no one was hanging around here for her sake – Which was why his next words took her completely aback.

She cared about their groups, the boy’s especially, but the others too. Colette and Jethro had saved her life, chasing off the monster who took her pups, Reika had put up with her hostility, never once holding it against her though she had plenty of right to. Finley just wanted to do the best for her kids and Siyet was ever kind and sunny; They’re a good bunch…! Flair had figured, once they were settled, she could slip away, go find Chan and try to sort their whole mess out, but maybe she didn’t want to leave again; ‘Do right by everyone’ Yeah, she wanted that too.

So, her smile shifting into a thoughtful expression, she paused only briefly to consider, before giving Jet a solemn nod. Voice quieter now, more serious, but steady as a rock, she answered simply: “Tell me about y’ vision.” She wanted what was best for them all, hopefully, the two of them could manage that, together.

Listening to Jethro explain, his passion was evident. Paying close attention to every word, Flair felt a determined smile start to curve her lips, nodding her approval. The initial idea might seem somewhat lofty, but he backed it up with sound reasoning and concrete terms - things that could be enforced – and which were easy to agree with.

As he finished, the older woman hummed approvingly, her tail swishing slowly at her hocks. “Seems we agree ‘bout what a pack should be.” She said, smile still on her face as she looked him in the eye; “A home t’ anyone willing t’ work for it!” Good or bad might not always be easy to define, but for months now, their little group had been helping each other to survive, it seemed only fair that they reap the full benefits, and offered the same to anyone else willing to lend a paw.