When Alani felt like she was going to have to escape another perilous situation produced by her own naive nature, a sudden moment of mercy was given to her. In her anxious state the she-wolf read her intentions clearly, and made hers just as obvious. She would not bother Alani, and would rather leave her be then deal with her erratic behavior. A sense of relief filled Alani as she felt herself freed from what she had felt like a life threatening situation, yet something else stopped her from leaving altogether.
Actually, it was several things, the first one being the sons reaction. She had been understanding of his demeanor towards her actions due to the harshness in her choice of words. Yet for some strange reason she felt that it was the gesture, rather than just her words, that made his form show every sign of insult, despite his void expression. Yet how can that be? She had been a lone wolf ever since she was a yearling, and she had learned all her life, that no matter the source, a kill was worth more than one's pride. So for a wolf to act as if sharing something like this was beneath him...it bewildered her.
Then there was the second reason, the scent. It was a sweet perfume that Alani had been too engulfed in her own worries to have paid close attention to. Yet now, when the black female had taken her kill and moved away did she realize what it was. It was the scent of a pack, a mixture of many wolves that acted as a banner to all who paid close enough attention. It was with that moment that Alani began to truly look at these wolves, and her moment of befuddlement ebbed into a quick realization. These wolves were not weak, half starved, or even rugged in their form. Their coats glowed, their heads were carried high, and they showed the pride and vigor any wolf would have under the protection of a pack.
It was with this that Alani finally realized that since these two were pack wolves, she had probably wandered into a place that she did not belong in. As well as how it was by the grace of these two wolves that she had not been harmed. The sense of guilt filled her along with this sense of comprehension, and as the she-wolf began to leave with her son, Alani called out to them. "Wait!" Then with a moment of awkwardly gathering her thoughts she began to work out her sentence slowly, "I'm sorry. I didn't now...I had assumed that you were lone wolves like me. It's just that...I am a stranger here, and I didn't notice any markings that showed signs of your borders. So I had thought that I could make a home here, until I could find my way back..." her voice trailed off as she began to feel her own confidence fail her. Instead she waited hoping that there might be a way to make amends for her rudeness in the face of their patience, even though she had probably been trespassing on their lands.