#####Lolita had caught the scent of him in one of the old, crumbling human buildings. It had been strong, something that had been fairly recent. Not only had he been there, but he had bled there. Unfortunately, not to death, Lolita could only assume. His body had not been there, and there had not been any sign that a body had been dragged away from the place. It did not even appear that there had been a struggle there, so it was likely he had done something to himself, rather than being attacked, like she had initially hoped had happened. He was far too skilled, as far as she remembered, to be attacked and not fight back, and since there had been no other blood scents, she could only assume he had been alone. Still, the fact remained completely certain now, proven: her uncle was in the area.


#####At first, she had felt the familiar rush of anger at the stench. She was beginning to actually like this area, and she refused to believe that he could possibly be in her new haven. Everything that had happened to her could, in theory, be blamed on him. In all actuality, it was not his fault, but she wanted to be able to blame him, because she still hated him for what he had done to her mother. As a result, she felt that he was the root of her brother's evil. After the initial anger, Lolita had fallen into a stupor of indifference. What did it matter if her uncle was somewhere in this area? It was very likely he did not even know she was there, and it was also very probable that he had been there longer, since he had left the pack immediately after the death of her mother. Perhaps someday she would look for him, if only to give him a taste of her contempt.


#####Walking without much thought or care, she had not realized she was so close to another near the borders, having believed she was alone until the man's scent had reached her. It should have been noticed earlier, since she could also see him, but she had not been paying enough attention to detail. Running her fingers through her hair, Lolita approached further, curious to know who this man was and what he was doing. Obviously, he was a member of Dahlia, judging by the extremely heavy scent that surrounded him, and briefly she wondered if this was who Kaena had been referring to. Even if he was not, Lolita was likely going to question that about every Dahlian she met, now that the silver coyote had mentioned it.


#####Letting her eyes fall to the behead carcass, she scowled in disgust as she knelt down, crouching nearby to study it more intently. "Did you do that?" she asked, genuinely curious and with the innocent tone associated with the curious nature of someone young, leaning forward and peeking out from behind her hair. If he had, she would be genuinely curious as to why he would even do such a thing. It was absolutely disturbing, and a complete waste. Death was not something to be taken lightly, she still firmly believed. No one completely understood her plight, but now she understood this deer's. He had been killed, and not even used. Such a terrible waste that was.

#####Lolita lifted her head, watching the chocolate male curiously. For someone who seemed so attractive and enticing, possibly because he did not seem to be openly friendly (an air of danger could always be appreciated), he did not seem to be very. . . Interesting. His tone did not suggest anything welcoming, and while that was fine, it also seemed to lack any enthusiasm, good or bad. That was mildly disappointing, she had to admit. He was obviously a member of Dahlia, judging by the very strong scent, but she had not had much luck with meeting those within her own pack. Thus far, it was only Cmwfen, and then the white female that had been splashing around in the water when Lolita had found her. It was disconcerting, since she had been hoping to find a way to chase her loneliness away, but it did not seem to be possible for her in this pack.


#####For a moment, she was taken aback by his closeness, but that was quickly cast aside as she leaned in closer to him in response, her body significantly smaller than his and thus, her posture was as well. "I'm Lolita Monroe. I guess I should have said that first, but I was curious, since I've never seen anyone leave an entire body on the ground with no head." For all the truth in it, it was still a very weak excuse for why she did not introduce herself immediately. It would have been a good decision to do so, but at least she had given her name now, while she was still in the dark about this man's name. Unfortunately, she was a bit too intimidated by him to ask outright, so she could only hope that he would offer the information up readily now that he knew who she was while she tried to keep her composure the same as it had been upon her arrival, a mixture of curiousity and surprise.


#####Thinking back to what Kaena had said about not knowing Cmwfen but asking about her beta wolf, Lolita could assume that there were at least three leaders of the pack. The black and blue woman was not the top leader, and asking about a beta wolf that was not Cmwfen implied there was another above her below the lead rank. "So, do you know if the leaders are doing anything about this? I only met Cmwfen, and she didn't mention this at all. . . I'm pretty new, so unless it just happened, maybe newcomers should be warned? I mean, it'd be my own fault if I stepped on one of those jaw things, but it still doesn't seem like something that should be ignored." She paused, contemplating the idea. "But you're not ignoring it, which is good. Maybe you can make sure the leaders don't, if they are," she suggested, completely ignoring the possibility of this wolf being one of the leaders. It had not crossed her mind, but even if it had, she likely would not have seen anything wrong with what she said, since in a way, she had complimented him on not ignoring the situation.

#####Unfortunately for her, Lolita was not well versed in knowing when someone had a darker force within them. If she had been able to realize it, she might have tired to keep away from the chocolate colored man, just as she wanted to distance herself from any memory and trace of her brother. His dark nature had only been budding when he had killed her; surely he had caused so much more pain now, since she had last seen him over six months ago. Anger and violence built up over time, swelling until the host burst. It had happened to her brother, but she could only assume she had not seen him at the top of the crescendo of his well, unless that point happened the day he had attacked her. Even then, she did not fully remember anything he had said, just what he had done. Lolita did not want to imagine the possible horrors and pain that he could have inflicted upon others after her untimely demise, bringing her to this strange state of afterlife.


#####If she could sense it in those around her, she might not have been intrigued about him. A moment of recognition dawned on her as she realized that he had been the one that Kaena had referred to, but as the silver woman had not given any other details, she did not know whether it had been a good or bad question, and it did not even register in her mind that it may have been meant as a warning of sorts. Instead, she smiled at him, shyly, almost coyly, now that she realized just who she happened to be in the presence of. He was even higher ranked than Cmwfen, from what she could assume from the information given. He was second in command here, and she was still confident that Cmwfen was not the top leader of Dahlia. Her certainty was unfounded, but she could not rid herself of the thoughts and ideas, so set in her mind as they were.


#####Finally, she leaned away from him a bit, putting a small space between them that she had breached before knowing who he was. His annoyance was lost on her, but she did know her place, and she knew that it was not closing in on her leader's space. "Doesn't anyone else here realize that this is dangerous and really not cool?" she asked innocently, wondering if he was completely alone in his quest to end the happenings she had just learned of. Already she did not have a very high opinion of her new Rosea, and her high opinion of the Adonis was slipping, as well. It was ridiculous to think that neither of them actually cared about what was happening. It had the ability to put the pack's safety at stake, and yet, they were doing nothing about it at all, leaving it completely up to Haku to deal with alone. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

#####That was tragically unfortunate. From what she had perceived of Cmwfen, the Adonis had been intelligent and wise. The fact that she was not, according to Haku, doing anything about the situation actually was beginning to disgust her. She did not know the Rosea, but she could say the same thing in regards to her, as well. Truthfully, she hoped that she never crossed paths with the Rosea alone, or the Adonis again, either. From the conversation she was having and the knowledge she was gaining, she did not think that the meeting could be a pleasant one. Perhaps she was only so upset by their lack of caring because she knew what it was like to be dead; it was absolutely terrible. Surely they did not understand the horrors that she had dealt with, and by leaving these threats unpunished and uncared for, then they were condemning their own to such a life she now led, or worse--they might actually die completely. Or. . . Was that a better fate? Lolita was never quite sure whether she appreciated her afterlife or not.


#####Jade eyes widened at his suggestion. Though she had asked, she had not actually expected that he would have a job in mind for her. The Adonis had asked of her abilities, and though she had mentioned a knowledge of plants, she did not think she would be able to provide for the pack in that way. Haku's suggestion was a much better idea, and she would have liked to accept right away, but she knew it would be prudent to prove herself before seeking out an official job. What better way than to do her Lilium's bidding for now? "I can do that," she agreed with a smile, happy to know that she might be useful in her pack now. Maybe she was even more useful than the other two leaders, since she actually cared (just like the handsome Haku, of course), even if they did not. "If I find anyone or anything that doesn't seem like they should be here, I should come to you, right?" She didn't know if she would immediately recognize something suspicious, but she could certainly try. Over time, she would most likely learn.

#####Experience with packs was not something that Lolita could claim to have, since this was only the second pack she had ever belonged to, and she had been born into the first pack. The circumstances regarding her birth pack, however, were not ordinary, so she was, for all intents and purposes, new to pack life. It had been many months in between the two packs, as well, of living as a loner. Her grandparents had been the leaders of her birth pack, so that was also a drastic difference between this pack and that pack. Knowing that Haku was the only one that cared about this pack was very disheartening, and she did not know whether or not she was supposed to feel safe here or not. Haku seemed willing to protect the pack, but if only one member of the pack—one leader of the pack—cared, then was this pack really safe? It was not as if anything could actually happen to her, of course; she was dead, after all. Still, though, she could probably be injured, and what if whoever was leaving threats decided to steal things from the members? That would not be okay at all, as Lolita was very possessive of her few objects, and she considered them to be very desirable and important, so she would certainly not be surprised if someone tried to take them.

#####Take care of them . . . on her own? That sounded a little difficult, as she was not a fighter in the least, but instead of expressing her concerns, the cream colored woman merely nodded in response. She had no faith in her physical strength, so in the case of actually finding someone lurking where they should not be, she very likely would call for Haku first and simply try to keep them in a place that the Lilium could then find them and take care of them himself. As it seemed, he was much stronger and far more capable than she could ever be, and rather than subject herself to any form of punishment by failing at her task, she would prefer to call for the chocolate wolf instead. As he spoke again, she eyed the headless carcass warily, still unsure of whether it was safe at all, since it was a warning. Nothing could happen to her if she ate it, but it would be most unfortunate if something happened to the chocolate male, since he was obviously alive. “Do you think it’s safe to eat? What if they did something to it?” she asked, more concerned about him than her own well-being. As far as she knew, Haku was unaware of her situation, and she did not know how the Lilium would take to finding out that one of his pack members was one of the few walking dead on this planet. “If you’re the only who cares, after all, then you need to make sure you stay well,” she added, hoping he would understand that she was not worried about herself, but mainly for him.

#####There was a power within Haku that Lolita did not understand, and it did not seem as though she was actually receptive to understanding, or even noticing, the innermost being of the Lilium. Though she prided herself on not fearing anything or anyone (after all, what did a dead girl have left to fear? The worst had surely come to pass already), if she was privy to the inner workings of the chocolate male’s mind, she may have thought it a good idea to obey all his orders and remain on his good side, or else find somewhere else to go. Their current encounter was going well, and Lolita was very pleased about that, but things could not always go smoothly. Eventually, she might do something unintentionally that would annoy the Lilium, and then she would find herself in a great deal of trouble, considering the past actions of the male she was speaking to. Unfortunately, she was not aware of how dangerous he could be, or the number of people he had emotionally or physically maimed. She had no relation to any of those that he had caused harm to, as far as she knew. If Kaena had only explained why she had asked about the beta wolf of Dahlia, then Lolita might have been more informed and more cautious about what she did or said around Haku. Kaena was the first one here that she had developed a fondness for, and if she had known of what had transpired between the two leaders of enemy packs, she might have been less than pleased to be in Haku’s company.

#####At his question, the flamboyant woman shook her head as if the thought should not have crossed his mind. So many seemed confused by her claim to death, however, she thought it was obvious simply by looking at her. Some were able to perceive an air of difference about her, but most had to be told that she was no longer one of the living, and the majority of those were not willing to accept such a fact. For a moment, Lolita tried to determine whether it would be a good idea to discuss her condition with Haku, as she did not know how he might take the news that his pack member was not alive. It did not seem right to dismiss it as if it were nothing, though. As her leader, he should know a bit about his pack members, and this was certainly an important factoid about Lolita. “Nothing can happen to those who are already dead,” she said simply, settling on that for an answer to his almost prying question. If she even joined him in his meal, as she could not say she was particularly hungry at that point in time, and something bad did happen to her, then it could easily be solved by smoking what gave her a feeling of almost being alive. It could not revive her, but it could make her feel almost as if she was no longer one of the deceased. Though she could not die again, she supposed it might be possible for her to feel pain, and she wanted to avoid that, if at all possible. She had not enjoyed dying, so surely she would not enjoy any form of pain.

#####There was no way for her to know what Haku thought of her admission, for he did not speak afterwards. It was strange, as he was the first who seemed to simply accept the news, rather than trying to argue with her that she was, in fact, alive, and he also did not question her further. She was able to appreciate that in the chocolate Lilium, as it was very rare for her to find anyone who did not have something to say about her condition. It was surprising, but then, Haku did not seem like the type to pry. The few questions he had asked her thus far had been those that could be expected and brushed off, as it was very logical that he might want to know his pack members, or at least instill a sort of fear inside them. Lolita could not say she was afraid of the monster hiding beneath Haku’s exterior image, and if she had been able to recognize him for what he could be, she still could not say that fear would overcome her. She was not able to recognize danger, unfortunately, until it was right in her face. Her brother had been a very dangerous creature, but Lolita had not feared him until the day that he had taken her life, if she had even been able to fear him then. Perhaps fear was an intelligent emotion, but Lolita simply could not feel it regarding anyone or anything. Someday, it might bite her in the rear, but for now, she was content.

#####The creamy colored woman with the hair of fire knew nothing about the various ways that others could be dead, and if Haku had expressed his own feelings of death and rebirth, she would have not understood. It was a very straight forward thing for her, death. Either you were alive, or you were dead, or you were one of the rare ones who continued walking in death, like herself. She wished she could find someone else who suffered in the way that she did, but it seemed impossible. In the months since her death, she had not found anyone who was like her, not even close. It was most unfortunate, but at least she was able to find some company in those that were alive, as long as she could force out her envy of their living nature. Some made wonderful company, such as the Russian pirate Rurik, while others were able to provide her with a good conversation, such as Kaena. Others provided her with a brief encounter, though not a particularly interesting one, such as the white Dahlian wolf she had met, Eliza. Haku had provided her with someone to talk to, and now she considered herself to be in better light with another one of her leaders. That could certainly work in her favor later, probably.

#####Watching him begin to devour the meat that had been left as a threat, Lolita decided that, by eating it, they would be proving to the one that left it that they could not scare the wolves of Dahlia de Mai. It was no longer a threat, but now it could be considered a gift for them. He was much higher ranked than she was, and she wanted to show him the most respect possible, so she waited until he had been eating for quite a few minutes before finally lowering her muzzle to the corpse, keeping a distance from the place that he was eating from. He had already shown her that he did not appreciate her being too close to his own space, and she could only assume that he would not want her so close to the part of the body that he was eating from. The flank was good for her, though she was not particularly a fan of the taste of death. Was this what she was like, on the inside? She did not want to test the theory, though she could only assume that it would be considerably unpleasant if something happened where she had to find out. It was better left unfound, as she would only grow depressed knowing that her insides matched those of this carcass.