The poor rabbit had had no chance. His neck was broken within a matter of seconds and Cercelee preferred it that way. The Rosea did not wish to cause the animal pain, she knew that even stupider animals had thoughts and feelings, but a wolf had to eat and to eat one had to kill. Even more so with a growing family. The pups that had arrived on her doorstep had not left, and Cercelee did not believe they would. The church, which only the two back living rooms had been used previously, was now alive with yips and yaps as they played in the pews, beneath the altar, in the rafters and anywhere else a curious pup might find intriguing. Of course, that was mostly at night, when they came in from the pack lands. Despite Conor’s and Emwe’s disappearance, Cercelee felt that Dahlia was safe enough to let them roam, provided they returned at night. Besides, much to the leader’s displeasure she learned that Haku’s and Firefly’s children had not been kidnapped after all, only relocated by their very own mother. It was a sore point and Cercelee still could not look in Firefly’s direction without a feeling of disgust.

She did not worry about the group of five that now took up her home. Instead she was fascinated at their personalities, so distinct and different. Even if it was hard to communicate thoroughly with them, it was not hard to bond, or feel as if she did so. Maybe the pups did not feel the same, no doubt they still missed their mother, but they minded her well enough, and more so they minded Slay. Cercelee had known the male feared it, and she had tried to avoid it, but far too often pack duties called her away from the home. When she was home she threw herself into the children, teaching them and talking with them, but her time was torn between too many things.

Slay took to it like a champ though, complaining little and never in front of the pups. Cercelee was sure that truly he was beginning to care for them, the white lady knew she did. Even if she was not biologically their mother, so quickly she begun to think of them as her own. Today she would give “Slay-Slay” a break. The rabbit was still fresh when she returned into the little garden and private vineyard behind the church. The meat dropped with a thud from her jaws and two pairs of eyes appeared from behind the well a few yards off. Bounding one after the other, Avarice and Catalyst came forward to claim the meal.

They were an odd pair to be together, the leader and the rebel. “Where are your brothers and sister?” Catalyst gave Cercelee and honest shrug but Avarice said nothing, she probably knew what Roulette was up to but kept it to herself. Avarice was going to be a handful when she got older, Cercelee knew that to be true already. “Okay then, dig in guys.” One rabbit wasn’t really enough for all of them, but Cer and Slay had both been storing up food and there was meat left in the kitchen. The rabbit was just more of a treat for them to tear apart, it being so fresh. Throwing back her head Cercelee let out a call, one the pups were surely growing use to. She summoned them.