The rain had managed to break—at least temporarily. Ezekiel had not yet returned to his own den, and spent most nights holed up as far north as possible. Despite everything his grandmother had said, he still felt like a failure. Talitha was gone. She had run off after a ghost who had abandoned them not once but twice, and it hurt. It hurt more then anything he had ever imagined; even beyond the physical pain the broken ribs had given him. That was why he was training so vehemently. Physical pain could mask the emotional distress.
     In his Optime form, the boy was a few yards from the crashing falls in the ravine. He had spent most of the morning doing what weight training he could manage, but his resources were limited. That was when he had turned to endurance, and begun swimming. The current of the water was stronger then usual, and presented quite a challenge. Twice now, he had needed to scramble to the bank and rest. Currently, the boy was doing just that—laying on his back and staring up at the gray sky, fur damp but not entirely soaked. Vaguely, he was aware of the beginnings of hunger pangs, but not enough to cause him to abandon his training. Rolling back his shoulders, the Hydra yawned and shut his eyes.

     With the scent of water in his nose, and the roar of the falls in his ears, Ezekiel had not been aware of the girls approach under her shadow was over him. Both eyes opened, bright amber-gold, and found themselves met with a red-eyed girl with dark fur. This was unusual, but not unheard of. His own sister’s coat was much darker then his own, after all. Lifting his brows, the blonde snorted air out of his nose. “I doubt it,” he said, and shut his eyes again.
     “Just taking a break,” he added, and stretched out his lanky body. The dull ache that would come in time had not yet reared his head. Tomorrow he would likely feel something, but for now he was happy with the subtle burn that built up his muscles. While he would never be as large or as heavy as his father, Ezekiel was trying very hard to fill out as quickly as he could.

     “It builds up endurance,” he explained, curling his toes and extending them fully. Even that small motion was felt through his entire body. That, at least, meant things were paying off. He had a long way to go in order to reach his goal, but small steps were helping. After a month without training, he had gotten sloppy.
     Though he was comfortable on his back, the golden coyote was certain that this girl would not be leaving any time soon. So he rolled onto his belly, and propped his chin up on his palm. His eyes trailed from her face to the crimson mark on her chest—which he recognized immediately. Gabriel had the same symbol on his shoulder, just as Kaena did on her chest. Quickly, his eyes turned back up to her face, looking for further signs of family resemblance. “You’re a Lykoi,” he half-stated, half-asked. “So am I. Well, technically—I’ve got my dad’s surname.”