new day | ✔

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The moonlight glistened over the roads of soft, silken white as the two wolves cantered into a clearing. Tall walls of jagged cypress trees encircled a vast, alabaster pasture. It's snow was deep yet fragile, crumpling beneath the slightest touch, drifting off into the lightest wind.

They travelled together, bodies side by side, close together to preserve as much heat possible. Nox raised her snout to peer at the refulgent silver moon, who was ascending the sky, enlightening the heavens around it, portraying incandescent celestial bodies and soft, drifting navy clouds.

Their stomachs growled in hunger, the desire to eat gnawing at the insides of their bodies. But however much they tried, the scent of potential prey refused to meander past their noses.

Perhaps Mother Nature hadn't yet quenched her bloodlust, because it wasn't long before a long, eerie howl rang through the night. River and Nox perked their ears at this beacon, auditories and tail acute with dread. A silhouette began to stir in the distance.

About 100 metres before the two, ambled a lonely alpha male. He was the leading male of the Red Valley pack, and was currently lurking his territory and preventing unwanted interlopers. Lifting up his left leg, a thin string of urine pierced the snow and the pheromone of acidic liquid lingered in the crisp air.

The male's name was Leviathan, and his calling was certainly fitting. A robust and vigorous masculine of 6 years, he was about as healthy as a tree planted in rich soil. He was a large tenacious body wrapped with rippling muscles and a coat as dark as night, dancing with scars and gashes.

Shivers slithered up River's spine as Leviathan began to advance towards them, starting off as a hefty trot, then quickening to a loping saunter. Immediately, the two wolves broke apart, one left one right, and cantered around his figure. However this was an Alpha male.

A wolf who was so utterly used to winning. He was a wolf who wouldn't allow them to slip from his jaws alive.

It wouldn't be easy, holding him down.
But River was equally stubborn and arrogant, and wouldn't submit without a fight.

As he turned to face the marauders, River dashed forward and clamped her mouth shut on his muzzle. Growls oscillated between her jaws, and he jerked his heavy head to the side, forcing River to release her bite. Nox nipped viciously at his haunches, attempting to sink her teeth into any flesh she could manage. Sitting down to protect his backside, he whirled his head around, snapping at both of them if one got too close.

Lashing out, River managed to club her paw into the side of his visage, clawing at one of his amber eyes. Opening his maw, Leviathan seized her paw with his teeth before she could react.

A snarl of pain erupted from her mouth and she dove her teeth into the side of his thick, mucked neck. Nox saw an opportunity, and latched onto the other side. Leviathan - who was trapped in the middle - growled in objection, craned his neck and tore off the flesh from her ear. River wrenched her head rapidly, causing his skin between her teeth to twist in agony.

A cloud of claret lingered over the three, the Alpha's orange eyes widened as he felt blood trickle down his hide, weaving through his fur. Nox climbed onto Leviathan, her weight bringing him down to the ground.

As though he could feel his death nearing, he let out one last, long cry for help. A rasping howl escaped his lips, hindering the amicable night breeze. River froze, as dozens of howls repeated each other, each one clearer and louder than the next.

The two females fled the scene, their legs creating lengthy strides over the land. They ran further into the valley, the shady forest growing larger as they neared.

Far off behind them, Leviathan's dark silhouette staggered after them, his steps heavy and slow, his panting and grunts audible. A thin trail of crimson petals trains behind him.