An enslaved pack ruled by a merciless dictator. A pack of assassins out for blood and revenge.
A lone wolf who can't find his place among any of it.
Through betrayal, binding pacts, and revolutionary acts, with more shadows looming between the tree...
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The wolves' building was mostly dark as most of them got ready for the party at the Compound. Terra wandered from her room, her hand on her pendant as she went to the kitchen for a cup of tea. As she waited for it to brew, Terra wandered to the archway leading in, and tried to peer out of the windows to the lights of the party.
"Miss Terra!" Wren called and appeared a second later, near skidding into the kitchen. He wore a plain tee-shirt, though it was tucked nicely into his pants. His hair was even combed back, though a stubborn strand was intent on sticking up straight. He held something behind his back as he beamed up at her, yet the expression failed to reach his eyes. "What'cha doing? Lynea says Miss Olivia is gonna come for us soon."
Terra gave him a soft smile and reached out like she was going to try and fix his hair, but let her hand fall to her side. "I'm not really feeling up to a party tonight," she told him. "But you'll have fun."
Wren's grin fell a bit and he took a step closer to her, hands still behind his back. "But maybe you'll like it," he said. "It could be fun. Don't you wanna see the tree?"
Terra went to answer when a sharp whistle went off in the kitchen. She moved the kettle of the heat. "I haven't really celebrated Christmas in a while, Wren. I'll be okay not to go to a party."
"Well..." Wren shifted his gaze from her just for a second as he brought his hands before him and presented two little snowflake cutouts with string to hang them. The one on top had 'Miss Terra' written across it in young handwriting that desperately tried to be neat.
Terra knelt down beside him and took the snowflakes he offered. She traced the 'J' and 'R' of the second one and then held them to her chest. With a shaking breath, tears filled her eyes, but she still tried to smile at Wren. Feeling the pain and anguish wash over her, Terra tried to keep it back for Wren's sake, but failed.
The boy kept his gaze on her, a hand fiddling with a fold on his shirt. "It's okay," he whispered to her. "I really miss him, too...alot."
Terra reached out to him and gently set the snowflakes on the floor beside her. She took his hand and drew him a bit closer. "I'm sorry, Wren," she managed to whisper. "I don't want you to feel this."
Wren moved into her and threw his arms around her neck. "It's not all bad," he said. "I'm sorry, Miss Terra."
She hugged him close, her arms wrapped completely around him. She took in another shaking breath, but managed to hold back her tears. "I don't even understand what I feel, sometimes," she admitted.
"It feels like a lot of things," he said. "It hurts, and it's sad, and doesn't go away." Wren paused and his fingers curled into the back of her shirt. "But...there's calm, too. Something good. It's so small...but it's there."
Terra drew away from him and smoothed out his shirt. "I don't feel that," she said. "But if you say it's there...maybe it's something I just can't pinpoint. Maybe it's hope."
