Bound

Round Two

CLAIRE POV

"I'm just throwing things out here, but is there a chance that something you were sourcing from the Northern Territories that had active ingredients of a psychoactive nature? I mean, it would make sense as to why the packs up there never really seem to pull themselves together." I chewed on the head of my four color pen and put the question to the room.

"They aren't a violent animalistic mess because of a plant, you should see the way they keep blood feuds straight. A warring culture like that necessitates very clear thinking." She had visibly calmed since the break, and the cogs in her brain were spinning like a leader again."Besides, if that were the case, wouldn't this have started when I started trade missions years ago?" Sandra replied.

With Alexi out of the picture, I reclined in the armchair, resting my pad of notes on the wide arm, legs tucked underneath me comfortably.

"Then I got nothing. What about you two?" I asked Seline and Michael on the couch. They were answering direct questions, but kept their eyes resolutely on the floor since we had adjourned for round two of today's conclave.

"Have you lost your tongues? Where is the fire I saw this morning?" Still nothing, Sandra began to answer for them

"I think they..." I interrupted her mid sentence.

"I think they need to speak for themselves. I know that they can. Their sharp tongues have been taking little chunks out of my ideas for months." I turned my eyes on them. Wondering what sort of life I could be living now if it had stopped with me being the consort to an Avian Monarch. Different kinds of couches, with Xavier feeding me grapes.

Due to a particularly gnarly withdrawal symptom the pack had exhibited, I would never be able to eat grapes again without tasting bile.

"We... didn't know. You lost your life as much as we did, and you had to take care of us after that night. We played on your fears thinking you were weak. I don't even know how to begin to apologise." Seline quietly murmured, and Michael nodded in unhappy agreement.

Yet another set of emotionally supportive reparations that were too bloody late.

"So make it up to me." I said, stating what I saw as the obvious, and then continuing with the effusive hand gestures I was becoming known for. "Use the genius bastardry that used to keep me up at night and prove that the worst of you can inspire the best of you. Take some weight of responsibility off of my shoulders for once."

"Yes Alpha." They responded like good little school children after a scolding.

"...and for the sake of the goddess regrow your backbones." I snapped with a touch more bite than they may have deserved.

They all sat up straighter with what appeared to be a bit of fire in their bellies, resolution coloring their movements. That was infinitely better.

"Does anyone have any ideas? However out of the box, I want to hear what your subconscious minds think without having to reason the scenario out." Writing out a heading in green as I spoke and then flicking the pen to blue and scanning the four faces.

Sandra was gathering her words to speak up when we all received a link from Tammy and Hanz. They were running the perimeter on the northern stretch of our territory this afternoon.

Alpha Claire we need you. Tammy said, linking a disturbingly aggressive group of strange, mangy wolves There is a four wolf delegation from one of the Northern Tribes here. They...won't give any more details but are demanding to talk to the "She-Alpha".

Ok I'm on my way. You're near the north-east border, right? Hanz agreed. That was odd. It may be co-incidence, but that was right by the busted radio tower.