Winter was fast approaching, and that meant most lone wolves would attempt to get into a pack before the cruel cold truly set in. That was why he had patrolled the borders more frequently, especially since there was a prince and princess in the pack. He would do anything to keep the lifeline of the Slayers and Pitch Pine Trail alive. They had no mother, and their father was either dying or already dead.

Since the meeting with the two alphas and seconds of the pack, –where he had officially become alpha- Ace hadn’t spent much time in the den site, fearing when the time came for Shade to die. It broke his heart knowing that his old alpha and friend would no longer be with them physically, although he knew that he would still watch down on them from above. And in his mind, the Pitch Pine Guardian (now leader) wouldn’t count himself as an official alpha until Shade died.

Padding at a slow pace, Ace marked the borderline every twenty feet or so, to make sure that any lone wolves that came across the border, there would be no way of them not noticing that a pack lived in the area. The Pitch Pine Leader pricked his ears as a howl asking for the alphas of the pack in the area broke the silence. Taking in a deep breath, Ace changed his gait to a canter and changed his course to go to the source of the questioning howl, supposedly from a stranger.

After about a minute, Ace came upon a large male, though he was slightly smaller than him, but in a fight, a fair opponent. The males’ pelt consisted of dark greys and cinnamon on his upper side, which faded to a creamy ivory on his underside. But the most striking feature on the male was his fiery orange eyes.

Lifting up his creamy head and standing stiff-legged, Ace curled his tail above his body and strode forward. His posture screamed dominance, as he had no idea who this male was, and where he came from. ”My name is Ace Caravello, I am the leader of Pitch Pine Trail. Who, are you?” The words sounded foreign to him, but it felt right to say them. Like he was meant to be an alpha of a pack. Staring directly into the stranger’s orange eyes, Ace awaited his answer.

As the new Pitch Pine Leader stated his name and rank, the stranger before him tucked his tail underneath his belly, before responding with his name, his reason for being close to Pitch Pine Trails’ borders, and a skill that he possessed. The corners of his lips twitched up in a slight smile, he had been the second and guardian of his pack before Shade had gone over the mountain and gotten into a fight with that woman….Elettra. His best friend and leader had been mortally wounded, and all the signs pointed to his death. So, as he was unfit to lead, Shade passed down his title and rank to him, and here he was, now an alpha of a pack. His lifelong dream had come true, but under very sad and painful circumstances.

Ace gazed thoughtfully at Aeolus when he spoke of seeking a home in his pack, and not just for the winter. The multi-coloured male was almost as large as he, and his silver eyes could clearly detect the muscles beneath the grey, cinnamon and ivory coat. If the male proved to be loyal to his pack, then Ace would dutifully give him the rank he desired. But until then, he would stay as a subordinate.

At the large males’ suggestion at teaching Pitch Pine Trail’s young, Ace gave a mental shake of his head. This lone stranger was daring to ask the leader to become the teacher of the pups, whom he had barely known for five minutes, and presumably did not trust completely. His ears pulled back slightly and his silver eyes narrowed the slightest amount as Aeolus continued to speak. He was giving out far too much information for a first encounter, almost as if he was afraid of making a bad impression. But it was good to know where the large male’s strengths and weaknesses lay.

He was almost surprised when Anastasia sidled up next to him, and his ears pricked up at the sight of her. Aeolus had after all, called for at least one of the alphas. Although, the only guess he could make as to why his leading partner was late was because she had been on the other side of the territory. But he couldn’t blame her, it was just bad timing. Smiling, he nudged her shoulder gently with his muzzle in an affectionate way, clearly stating that he was pleased that she was here with him. Even though his gesture may seem like it, he purely thought of Anastasia as a friend, nothing more or less.
“Glad you could make it.”

Now that he had clearly told Aeolus who was in charge, the Pitch Pine Leader lowered his tail slightly, he didn’t need to be so dominant anymore. He looked back at the large male, he seemed like a good guy, one that would provide and look after the pack. Clearing his throat with a soft cough, Ace glanced momentarily at Anastasia before speaking. “Yes. Pitch Pine Trail has young among them, a prince and princess.”

Unsure if he was saying too much, Ace looked over at Anastasia. She had been leader much longer than him, and most likely had already learned much from her experiences. As much as he didn’t want it to be true, he would probably have to ask her a few questions as to how to be the best possible leader he could be. Flicking his tail, the Pitch Pine Leader looked back at Aeolus, almost curious at what he would say.

A small dip of his creamy head and the hint of a smile was the only movements the Pitch Pine Leader made when Aeolus spoke that it was the first time joining a pack, and that he had no idea what to do or say. It was the same instance that he was in, although he would decide if the large male joined the ranks of Pitch Pine Trail. With the help of Anastasia, of course.

"No need to apologize, Aeolus. We have all felt the same before.” This time he did smile. From the moment he had met the large male, he had worried about how to act and what to say. But now that Anastasia was here, he felt more comfortable about his actions. Looking to her briefly, Ace wondered what she thought of Aeolus. He seemed like a wolf that would promise something, and do it, with no reason to lallygag. Although, it may be a while before he would be trusted enough to teach and be around Adsila and Karpos. After losing both of their parents through different means, he had taken up the act of looking after them as if they were his own, as he was sure the rest of the pack had done.

The Pitch Pine Leader glanced at Anastasia when she asked why Aeolus had left his previous pack. It was a very good question to ask, and would surely tell whether he could be trusted or not to be loyal to Pitch Pine Trail. There were many things to be learned, and now was only just the beginning.

As Aeolus began to tell them why he had left his previous pack, Ace looked back at him, curiosity in his eyes. His brothers’ names; Phineas, Thanos and Erebos stuck in his mind. Maybe one day he’d come across one of them, and if Aeolus was still in Pitch Pine Trail’s ranks, he would tell him that they were in Relic Lore, along with anything else they might want him to say to their brother.

An almost saddened look came upon Ace’s face when Aeolus finished speaking. The way he spoke of his pack collapsing into ruins reminded him of his own pack, which had been attacked and his whole family had been killed. All but one; his sister. He still hadn’t found her, and would like to keep searching. But he was now the alpha of Pitch Pine Trail, and had no time to search for her, no matter how much his heart pined for her. He had given an oath to serve his undying loyalty to Pitch pine Trail, and that was what he would do.

Changing his expression from its saddened state –which was quite hard- the pitch Pine Leader lifted his head up an inch and looked thoughtfully at Anastasia, as if asking her if Aeolus had permission from both of them to join the ranks of Pitch Pine Trail. He certainly thought he did, and the way he held himself and looked at the large male showed it. Hopefully his leading partner felt the same way.