Silently, the pale female had waited for Anastasia to arrive, and when she did, the Pitch Pine second offered a warm smile, and a soft tail wag. While Spectre would usually move forward to greet the pale female in a submissive fashion, instead, this time she remained still, almost nervous. In fact, she could feel the hyperhidrosis setting in. It did not help the female that Shade arrived and took up a position nearest her, but while it somehow seemed to make things almost worse, it also made them better in a way. Anastasia's question received a smile touching the muzzle of the pale female, her head dipping gently..
Perhaps she should have expected that the pack would realize she had wandered off with Shade. While the two had not departed pack lands together, they were gone for the same amount of time, and over the course of a few nights. She should not have been surprised, but she was, and shuffled her forepaws slightly. "Ahh..Yes. I did ..We stumbled across a pair of waterfalls to the south.. They are really quite spectacular.. Perhaps you and I can go visit them someday? It may be someplace to take the pups as well. I am certain they would like it." And the trip to get there was an adventure in and of itself really.
Her tongue felt glued to the top of her mouth after she finished speaking, and she glanced nervously towards Shade before stepping forward and lowering her head just slightly, ears twisting towards the back of her nape. Not in shame, but in ...well.. what did she feel? Sorrow, certainly for wishing to remove the female from her position as pack leader, but she did not intend to run her from the pack or anything ridiculous like that. "Anastasia... I...Well...That is to say that in.." She frowned, falling silent again.
Well balderdash. Might as well get it out. "While we were away, Shade and I... we.. .Well." Good god heavens above what the hell?! Why was it so hard to get the words out? The female grumbled to herself before plunking her backside in the dirt and sitting, lifting her head to look at Anastasia, to meet her eyes, but while blue sought blue, she held no aggressive posture over the other pale female. "On the way back here, I had many different ways of asking running through my head. Now, none of them seem appropriate. I feel like I need to apologize, but I know that I do not regret my decisions. I would like to ask you to allow me to be the lead female of the pack, standing at Shade's side. I will admit, however, that I do not know what it means to lead a pack, or what..tricks you have learned in your time as the alphena. And I would love it if you were to be...willing to help me."
She felt the need to assert her.. what? Dominance? Over Anastasia even as she asked, but forced herself to remain seated. Spectre had multiple facets of her personality all warring at once to be let out, but she remained firm by her initial decision to speak to the older female politely and with decorum. If there was one thing Spectre had learned, it was that she refused to behave like some heathen born of pagan gods, and would act as a lady should. With dignity and Grace. ...Except when facing the task of basically telling her current leadess to bugger off. No, she was not doing that either. Oh, it was just an awkward situation all around...