The Wolf of the Wilds

The Odd Encounter

As the group made the dull walk back to the den, Helena and Adrian walked alone. Felix was now up ahead, throwing them stealthy glances as he chatted to Ben and Marty. Helena was watching him, her face neutral yet somehow more tired than it usually was. Lines had taken root around her lips and the bags beneath her eyes were more pronounced.

Adrian rubbed her arm in small circles.

"He'll be alright soon," he said into her ear.

The other wolf just nodded.

"I know." Was her muted reply. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. "I just wish people would get angry and be done with it. I have little tolerance for any of this emotional crap; everything was far easier when I lived in a forest and the only things I could offend were the birds."

Adrian hummed.

"Is it his emotions you're struggling with, or is it perhaps your own?"

The pursing of her lips was all the answer he needed.

"Caring about people is tiring," she admitted after they reached the square, the den again in sight as wolves traipsed around them.

Once they were inside everyone dispersed again, but this time Helena stuck to Adrian's side.

"What's the plan for today?" Adrian asked her as he glanced down at his own timetable.

Helena shrugged her shoulders.

"Just searching for information. Now Riya is on the job it's a matter of waiting for her to come back to me. I may as well just follow you today and see what happens."

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"We can spend some quality time together while being bored stiff and listening to a bunch of alphas drone on for hours and hours," he said. Helena snorted, shaking her head.

"Delightful."

The day before Adrian had been very busy making appointments with every alpha or beta he could get his hands on, and the pair spent much of the morning either sitting side by side during the meetings, or dashing across the den to get to the next meeting on his list. As the sun reached its peak in the sky, the pair were nearing the limits of their sanity as they dragged themselves to their final meeting before lunch. Helena's stomach was grumbling like a petulant child and Adrian gave the buffet table a longing stare from the balcony as they passed.

When they arrived at the room, they peered inside, finding it empty.

"They must be a little late," he said, taking a seat on one side of the table. Helena joined him, planting her face on the cold surface.

"Who is this meeting with?" Came the muffled question, her hair flowing around her head like torrential rivers.

"The alphas of a pack down south. We met them briefly during our tour, so I recognised them yesterday. I don't remember them too well, but it's a good idea to keep communication between packs when the opportunity arises."

"They're not the Fengari alphas, right?" She said, rolling her head to the side so she could look up at him.

"No, no. Don't worry, it's not those two. I'd recognise them."

"Thank the moon."

When the door finally swung open, Helena sat upright, putting on her best impression of a friendly smile. As soon as the two walked in, the smile vanished and was replaced with a scowl.