Wynter's Bane

Chapter 24

My frustrated groan has the other wolf coming up next to me, her larger size not quite dwarfing me but still showing a difference. Her ears flip forward and twitch in question even as my head hangs.

"I'd hidden my clothes where I thought they couldn't be reached. They've been stolen before, or just overall ruined. I was attempting to prevent that. It didn't even dawn on me that your Pack would be adept climbers, most of those from mine aren't. Would seem Myth made some good friends last night."

The sad part is, they wouldn't really have to be good friends, just let in on the fact of whose clothes they were. They've openly shown at the school how willing they are to go against me, having my own sibling's approval here wouldn't be any skin off their nose. The Alpha's attention being on other things much more important pretty much cleared the way for them totally.

My rump drops as I stare at the niche. The pack I had my things in as well as everything within it would have gotten shredded by now. If not torn apart, then buried somewhere and marked by more than likely all of them. Would just have to look for the strongest smelling spot. Either way, they're a lost cause.

Feeling a face nuzzle into my side has me startling, having forgotten all about Kal being here. Her apologies are soft in my head as I fight between tears and anger. Nothing I can do about it now, and confronting my sibling here probably isn't the best idea.

It burns within me to do so though, to march up to her and...and what? Yell at her? Because that works so well. Engaging her in a fight would be near suicide when there's no telling how many others would join her. One on one I might have a chance, but against her whole posse...

With what Alpha Messina revealed yesterday, standing up to her at all is more or less trying my luck.

The wind ruffling through our fur has a scent reaching my nose, causing me to look up. I'd caught his scent when I woke up but figured it had to be coming from Kal, but now, the direction is all wrong. Turning in confusion, nose to the ground, I track it back to where we'd been laying. Sure enough, there's a spot where a male had been sitting at some point.

Raising my head back to Kalista, my perplexed look has my head cocking to the side.

"Marcus was here?"

Pale green eyes blink at me before coming over as well, running her nose over the area. Her ears pin back when she raises her head up, nose twitching. The guard hairs down her spine have raised before she shakes them out to relax.

"Smells like it. The scent is hours old and faint, so he wasn't here for too long. I'd seen you return, so I knew you were up here, followed once I could break away from the others. I didn't see or smell him though."

The news that she'd seen me return and I didn't see her at all lets me know just how tired I'd been. Faust and I had parted ways at the same spot I'd found him, and in order to keep my promise, when making my way back here I'd stopped at a watering hole where I went for a quick swim to wash off all scent trails he may have left. By the time I'd gotten to the rocky ledge, I'd been mostly dry.

Hearing that I'd been watched has the back of my neck itching. Being who and what I am, I'm usually ignored and unseen. The thought of someone purposefully watching me when I wasn't aware of it doesn't sit very well.

"Wynter? Are you alright? He was probably just checking on us, making sure we were alright."

Blinking over at my friend, I send her a smile and nod.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm not used to this is all."

The brown female comes up to me and sets her muzzle into my scruff, nuzzling into my shoulder. I return the gesture, it being unfamiliar personally but common for the others. It does feel rather nice, comforting.

"How did things go last night?"

I listen as she tells me of her adventures with her group and the younger moose buck they'd brought down. She sounded quite proud when relaying the parts about Marcus being at the forefront of the hunt and being the one to trip the beast by getting a hold of its leg. They'd already chased it for some time to wear it down and train some of the younger ones, so by that time it was just a case of dodging deadly hooves from long-legged kicks and sharp antler jabs.

Moose can maim and even kill normal wolves if they can get some good shots in. Werewolves not so much, at least not on the killing part. Seriously injuring on the other hand, especially for those who aren't paying attention, most definitely. Apparently there were a few cases of that last night, but not too many.

Several bucks had been taken down last night, as well as a few older and lame animals. Some of the younger wolves had started harassing the calves, thinking they'd be easy to take down, and learned the hard way the Momma's don't play nice.

Imagine my surprise when I hear it was my brother that helped out there, running distraction so they could get away. Adolphos isn't outright selfish, but he's not very charitable either. He may not have much to do with me, but I do pay attention, and I know he has wandering eyes. Not for females, but for his own Pack.

Where my sister uses her wiles and intends on marrying her way up, my brother intends to use his brains and strength. He wasn't born to rule, so the only way he can get that seat is by fighting for it. To do that, he has to make a formal challenge, either against our Alpha, Fen, or the Grotto Falls Alpha, Kristos.

Unless he intends on waiting to challenge either Leilan or Marcus.

My head fairly spins as thoughts race through my head, looking out over the clearing at those within it. The sun is reaching its highest peak as my heart races. My siblings and I will be turning eighteen this month, the legal age one has to be in order to fight for a position.

That can't be what he's planning for, right? He wouldn't chance doing that now with everything going on, would he? With the stunt he pulled last night in saving the others, it's a step in getting his name known and favored.

Scanning the crowds below, my eyes widen and my heart skips a beat when I see both of my siblings walking with Leilan and Marcus, all in human form and talking animatedly.

No...