It had been a while since the Epsilon had returned to the den for his usual afternoon nap and he lay there now, chest rising and falling peacefully, that was until his eyes fluttered open to see the light of day cascading from the den entrance. He blinked to right his vision before getting up and stretching, feeling life in his limbs again. It had been a strangely fulfilling rest, a possible result of his pure exhaustion, what with his early mornings and late nights, his afternoon nap was probably the most crucial rest he received in any given day. When he was fully awake and aware of his surroundings he stretched leisurely and trotted out of the den mouth, glancing back towards Blind’s spot as he was accustomed to doing, their scents seeming to mingle there on the den floor. Her scent was often a whisper on his fur, as his was on hers, the two of them seeming to lay claim to each other without actually doing so. It made him feel better knowing that she carried a touch of himself with her wherever she went, perhaps the other males in his pack would think twice.
He took a drink from the stream on his way out to his mid afternoon patrol, as he usually did, so far the day seeming to be going all according to plan. He sighed lightly, contentedly before bringing himself into a trot, and then an easy lope. The air was not so cold anymore, and the snow had begun to recede in all but the valley of Avalon, making his steps seem heavier. To say he loved the cold was an understatement, for the man thrived in it, loving the feel of its crisp caress as it brought life to his limbs. He was eager however to see how the turn of the seasons would be in his new home, to see life back in the world again amidst all the gloom and brown of decaying foliage, wonders yet to see.
He was broken from his reverie when scents came to him on a breeze. There was blood heavy in his nostrils, and also the scents of Ciara, and a new brother whom he’d yet to meet. His heart began to race and his eyes widened. His hunched his body downward and launched himself into a full sprint, eyes darting rapidly along the horizon. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. He noted his two pack members, and eyed them very carefully, a wave of relief passing over him when he noted that neither appeared injured, but that did not stop his hair from standing on end. His eyes fell to a small broken and battered figure before them, and he rose his head and tail, and stepped forward, urging to two subordinates to make way for his approach. He would have offered a fond smile and nod towards the yearling, Ciara, but the situation did not call for such pleasantries, it wasn’t until he was much closer that he recognized the figure before him. Terra. His lips drew back in a snarl immediately. “What the hell?” He was shocked. His eyes searched madly for those of his pack mates. “What happened here?” He demanded, before turning his blazing stare to the injured Terra before him.
“I told you to stay away!” She was an awful bloody mess, near death it would seem to him, but even the image of her battered and broken could not stem his anger. “You stupid bitch!” He snarled, lips drawing back and revealing glinting rows of teeth. It mattered little what state she was in the fact that she would continue to defy him even after his warning enraged him, and that she had the gall to come before him in such a state.“Tell me why I shouldn’t finish you off right here, what the hell have you done?!” He was in utter shock and his hackles raised with anger and confusion.
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