It was a warm, pleasant day; scudding breezes chased this way and that, carrying scents from throughout the valley. Coli shut her eyes for a moment, enjoying the summer weather. She always loved the growing seasons best; winter was too harsh for her thin Optime fur, and watching her plants die in the frost always made her feel lonely. But this climate reminded her of the gentle days she spent in Crimson Dreams, before everything fell apart. Suddenly her eyes flew open, catching the virile scent of a male nearby her. It was not the familiar aroma of pine needles that her packmates carried, but that of a loner unknown to her. She whirled quickly, clutching the bag with white-knuckled fingers.
Sunlight gleamed off his glossy black fur, highlighting the musclebound form beneath. He was head and shoulders taller than her, appearance mottled with scars and red dye. A shudder chased down her spine when she met his glinting black eyes, as she immediately flattened her ears against her skull, peeling her lips back from her fangs. Being wary was one thing, but this male was overtly dangerous; he had silently cut off her escape route, trapping her against the lake before revealing himself. She dropped the bag she carried, freeing her hands in case she would need them. Her heart was racing wildly in her chest, a wave of anxiety dizzying her. She needed to appear confident and tough to ward off this brute, but inwardly she was terrified.
"I'm not alone," she growled, hackles raising as her bobtail flattened back against her haunches. "I belong to that pack, and there are others following me. I just g-got here f-first." Her blue eyes narrowed, knowing her nervous stutter had betrayed her. She glowered at the male, daring him to call her on it. What was his game? Did he crave violence, did he want to capture her, did he... lust? The thought made her shiver again, knowing all three depravities firsthand. She licked her lips nervously, suddenly feeling her mouth go dry. She should call for help, now. But she was afraid as soon as she tipped her head back to howl, he could lunge for her throat. She had to put some distance between them first, or else her packmates would rush to find only her corpse floating on the lake. There was something unstable in his gaze, something she had seen before, when she was just a yearling...