The year started off explosively for the wolves of Dead Empress Backwater, with the tension involving Modesto coming to a head after she overhears Viorel and Vayko discussing the Valle wolves who abandoned the pack. After a verbal altercation that Vayko bowed out of, the darker leader kicked his aunt out of the ranks. Upon learning about the banishment, the majority of the pack was supportive, but Eros took the news badly. This might be the first clear sign of the teen's budding rebellious phase. During the fight Modesto revealed that the rumours from home were true and that Vasco was Viorel's real father. When confronted the Halex man confirmed that it was possible, and that Sita had sworn him to secrecy all those years before. Though initially upset by the lies, Viorel accepted Vasco as his father, and he officially earned the title of 'grandpa' to the younger generation of Valles.

Speaking of dads... There was a familiar face returning to the pack in January of 2022, Vayko's father Rochus. Previously a bit of a dark house he has been laying in wait, quietly brooding in the background of all the budding drama. Now as the year comes to a close it seems he has taken a particular shining to one of the new Backwater pups, Viorel's own Isla. As of now, none seem to be the wiser about the content of their lessons, but only time will tell how this will shake out in the future. Dead Empress Backwater was also joined but a couple of other new faces, Kateri arrived in March, and Seri in May. With the new teens in their midst, hearts have appeared in the eyes of Eros and Archer who are experiencing a new bloom of teen romance.

The pack was surprised to learn that they gained a new set of neighbours in January, and that they weren't such strangers. Just to the south of them a new pack Willow Ridge was led by Avella Archer, cousin of Vanadis, making her second-cousin to many of the Dead Empress wolves. Though they were close in distance, and related by blood, the packs remained polite but did not develop a deeper bond. This was not the case for their neighbours on the mountain, who solidified their alliance with the first annual pup-exchange. Archer, Marguerite, and Hazelnut went to visit Sanguine Cove for two weeks, before returning and hosting their own set of visitors. Despite nerves being high for the adults involved, things thankfully went off without a hitch. Viorel's sister would leave the pack shortly after returning. Maybe it was the extra breathing room without having the kids around, but Vayko and Clover's relationship started heating up. After finally admitting that they might have feelings for each other, they agree to start spending more time together. Though there has not been much discussion since, it is safe to say they have entered what we might call a situationship.

There was quite a bit of drama surrounding the trusty advisor Sharlee this last year. Tension started to build after she overheard Eros telling Italia Valle (who reappeared for a literal blink of an eye) about what she considered to be pack business. The pair squabbled and were not able to sort it out between themselves, forcing Viorel to get involved. Everything escalated until the leader lost his temper and grounded his son, and though he was angry at his cousin, he took her side. Eros resented his father for this fact, and while they made moves to patch things up things were still not the same afterwards. But, the dram didn't stop there. In the spring Sharlee struggled to come to terms with her dreams of being a mother and whether or not that would be possible as a non-leader. After a few weeks of passive aggressive tension, Viorel and Sharlee has a heart to heart, which ended with Viorel promising that his 2023 litter would go to his advisor and he would abstain from having one of his own.

Things were briefly looking up when the drought set in around April. Stress was high, and the pack grieved when its matriarch, Katna, passed away at the ripe age of 10, unable to make it through the hard season. It wasn't all bad in the spring, Viorel and Vanadis welcomed their second litter, Nix, Isla, and Sephrina, triplets who looked shockingly alike. As time would go on, the unholy trinity would grow to wreak havoc just for the chance of chaos, and have struggles of their own. The pack would also come to realize that Sephrina's eyesight never developed properly and that they would need to keep an extra close eye on her. They would end up not being the only children of the 2022 season, Inger arrived on the borders already in labour and unable to speak English. Archer begged for her to stay and in the end she was allowed, though the teen was tasked with taking care of them as Viorel was busy with his own litter. Asmund and Llinea were born.

In May Modesto returned to say her goodbyes as she was leaving with a new friend in search of the coast. Before coming back to leave her remorse for her dear mother, Vayko and Modesto had their own falling out. Vayko accused his aunt of not supporting his ambitions and never giving the pack a chance, Modesto once more made her disdain for the pack known. She disappeared from Relic Lore shortly after. Vayko and Vanadis would follow suit in August as the drought continued, going in search of water and Vanadis' family to see how they were fairing. The trip was only supposed to be a month or two, but went on much longer, and in November Eros and Seri went out looking for them. Vayko would return alone in December and be forced to explain to a distraught Viorel that the pair has been separated in a storm and they had run into some less than friendly loners. The father accused Vanadis of being an absentee mother, but allowed his cousin to rejoin the ranks. In turn the leader had to bear the news that Inger had been murdered by her children's father Rayjiek only a couple of weeks after Vayko had left. Viorel was able to fight the loner off, and threatened to kill him if he was ever seen again, but it was too late for the mother.

In an act of vulnerability Viorel finally admitted he needed help and that he couldn't lead alone. He did not yet know that Vayko was on his way back as the conversation was transpiring, and he gathered Clover and Vasco. While he wanted one of them to step up and lead by his side, he left it to the pair of them to decide who would be the one to do so, now who will it be? That's a decision for 2023!