(1) Wolf in Me (D. Dixon)

Prologue

The sun is high in the sky and warms Diana's skin where she sits on the ground in the survivor camp a few miles outside of Atlanta. She's currently feeling rather angry and annoyed at a certain male figure in her life. Shane. Her father. Her eyes are narrowed into a glare aimed right at where he talks with a number of other survivors all gathered around a car waiting to go off on a supply run into the city. Shane's watching her as she pokes at the wet dirt with a stick. She's upset with him. For a number of reasons. He told her no when she wanted to go into the city for the supply run. He attempted to act like a father after years and years of absence. He basically put his foot down against a grown adult. He was trying to protect her by keeping her close. Diana huffs and throws the stick till it is implanted into the ground. She barely liked it when Derek would tell her what to do, but a man that hasn't been in their lives for almost all of it, she was never going to like that. Shane might be their father biologically but they do not have the relationship needed for him to act paternal with them. She gets it though, it's not like this is normal circumstances, this is the literal end of the world. It's why she folded on his request. Because he doesn't know that she is more than capable of looking out for herself and he is trying to be responsible for her safety. He is trying to put in the work to be a father. It's just that Diana has been through so much already at this point, that it has been a long time since she needed a daddy to take care of her. She would go home but that would mean leaving here. Here she can help. Here she can protect. Derek is perfectly capable of protecting their loved ones back in Beacon Hills, plus with Scott, there is no issue there. They are covered on protectors. But there are humans here that need protecting. Children. She would hate herself if she walked away from them without making sure that they were safe. It's built into her to be a protector.

Carl and Sophia, both only 12 years old and stuck in a shitty world,  run over and join her on the ground. Diana smiles softly, her anger and annoyance at Shane hidden from them. It's not their fault that Shane is being a dick. Suddenly, Glenn appears behind her, his pack in hand, he glances over at Shane who shakes his head at him, basically informing him that Diana is not going with him into the city. Glenn is disappointed, he likes Diana. She's tough but not abrasive like Andrea, and she's gentle but not soft like Jacqui. Plus he's seen the knife she's carrying and that would come in very handy as long as she knows how to use it and going off of her physical state, the muscles she carries, he assumes that she has some skill to her. Diana glances behind her and up at him, raising an eyebrow. Glenn is by far one of the nicest of the group, open to all of them in a way some of the others aren't. He's willing to go around and make conversation and friends with everyone who has come into the camp before and after him. It's been a long time since Diana has met someone with a pure heart like that. He even tried with one of the more hostile members of the group, though he doesn't try as hard anymore given the feedback he got from them. He crouches at Diana's side and gives her a small sad smile. He's heard that she's not going with them.

"Sorry," Glenn tells her, she shrugs a little and takes a breath. It's not his fault she can't go with them. She's disappointed as well, but it is what it is. She has to make her peace with it, for now. She has learnt patience over the years, sort of. It comes and goes in moments of intense stress and anger, but for the most part, she has learnt to take a step back for a moment. She glances up at Glenn and smirks.

"Get me something pretty" She counters, he smiles and nods, then pats her shoulder before he goes to join the majority of the group going to the city. She was a little surprised that she wasn't allowed to go but Andrea and Jacqui are. Of the three of them, Diana is far more suited to be going on a supply run. Shane's over-protectiveness is screwing her and screwing them. They shouldn't be allowed to go when they can't use a gun, or have guns or weapons of any kind. There are three guns between the whole group and the rest are blunt objects and a couple of knives. It's not enough to send the supply group, overstuffed, to begin with, off with one gun and a couple of knives. It's not enough to protect them. Diana could help. She could add an extra layer of protection, but they don't know how much she could actually do for them. The need for secrecy among her kind is necessary but in these situations dangerous for others. She sighs and turns back to Carl and Sophia who are using sticks to draw images into the dirt between the three of them. Diana chuckles a little under her breath but it soon stops when she realises why they are resorting to the dirt. They don't exactly have access to paper and crayons or anything, so they make do with what they have. And right now, that's dirt and sticks. Sophia is a sweet but quiet young girl. Diana knows that there is something wrong with that family, or at least with Ed, she can smell it on them, see it on Carol and whilst less often in the days they have been here, she has seen and smelt things on Sophia that should never be on a little girl. It's hard to keep composure in those situations, but lashing out might make things worse and until Carol or Sophia admit it themselves, it is never going to change. She leans forward to draw in the dirt with the stick along with the two children who have dove into the activity with ferocity and enjoyment. They take what they can get in the world that they live in. Sticks and dirt just do that for them now. Diana leans closer to see what Sophia is drawing. It appears to be a field of flowers all lined up nicely in a row. "So what colour would the petals be?" She asks as Sophia finishes the stem of a flower.

"Rainbow" Sophia answers and smiles up at Diana who smiles back at her. Whilst not technically a colour, it's an answer. And with only dirt, they have to use their imagination to finish up the images they draw. It's rather depressing if Diana thinks too hard about it. Maybe they can find a colouring book for them somewhere or some paper, some pens or pencils or crayons or something.

Diana glances up from the drawing to find Merle Dixon watching her as he walks past them and towards Glenn and the others. Merle winks at her and she rolls her eyes. He's an abrasive, misogynistic, racist asshole that takes drugs. And somehow he has been allowed to stay here, with a diverse group of survivors. Diana would have booted him as soon as he showed his true colours, especially with the drugs. There are children here. But she's not in charge so she doesn't get a say in things. At least Derek and Scott would have listened to her suggestion and taken it into consideration. Shane just brushes her off as if her words mean nothing. She takes a deep breath, inhaling the air around her. Scenting Merle. It's not something she really likes to do. His scent is always tainted with something or other, but it doesn't hide the fact that Merle and his brother are most certainly werewolves. Diana can smell it on them every time they cross her path or she crosses theirs. A family is not rare, she comes from her own family of wolves, but their dynamic is interesting. Merle clearly has some level of control over his brother but he is not an alpha. They both smell like betas. But beta's a joint rank, no beta sits above another beta. But the way Daryl and Merle are is unique in the way that they act around one another. It's not a dynamic she's seen before. A power imbalance where there shouldn't be one. It's fascinating, but worrying too. If the end of the world has come, then of course pack dynamics might change. The packs adapt to what's happening around them. She's seen that happening before. But the idea of a beta leading a pack is worrying because they need alphas. They need alphas as that source of power and protection, they need alphas to create werewolves through a bite. Without an alpha, they will be relying on births and considering the state of the world, that is just going to put more pressure on female werewolves and female humans if need be. If this is country and world wide then werewolves will be looking to stack up their numbers through biting or breeding.

Diana glances over the rest of the camp to look for Daryl. Where Merle is, his brother isn't very far behind. She finds him lingering at the edge of the camp, leaning against a tree with his bow on his back as he watches his brother walking away. They have almost been inseparable since they joined the group, so it must be tough to watch his brother leave. Diana gets that. She had to watch Derek leave when the world started ending, and she has no idea if he's alive or dead right now. She has no idea if Cora is alive or dead. Peter. Malia. Scott and his pack. She has to be hopeful. Because if she even thinks about them all being dead she will likely curl up into a ball or burst fur and live out the rest of her days on all fours. Which does sound very appealing. To live in the woods as a wolf sounds rather freeing.