Colibri's startled eyes flashed open, ears clapped flat against her skull as she whirled about. What, who was out there? Her heart flew up to her throat, nerves leaving her mouth dry and her stomach in knots. The relentless drumming rain blurred her weary vision, but it didn't take long to locate the silhouette of another wolf in the rain. Coli edged backwards until the tree bumped against her haunches, giving her something to steady her quaking form. The last time another wolf's fangs had touched her hide, they had torn her tail from her body. It was impossible to forget that lesson.
What if this was not a wolf, but a coyote? She had wandered fairly far along the coast, and she knew the infamous clan Inferni laid claim to a stretch of the beach. If that were the case, her life was truly in danger, and she would need to flee before the sentry caught her trespassing. Teeth chattering in the cold, the whites of her eyes visible, the female tried to ready her escape. Her miserable prey instincts, though, told her to just submit and get it over with. It would hurt less if she offered no resistance.
In that moment, lightning flashed, illuminating the beach in its eerie white light. As the thunder boomed and spat around them, she could clearly see the other female -- younger but larger, adopting an aggressive if slightly desperate expression. Coli on the other hand was huddled against the tree's trunk, looking small and wet and terrified. Maybe she could talk her way out of a confrontation. Licking her lips nervously, trying to find her voice, the dark-furred wolf called hoarsely, "I m-mean you no harm! I... was just looking for sh-shelter." Everything was cast in shadow as the lightning flash faded, and Coli kept her ears strained forward, trying to catch the telltale sound of an approaching attacker. If the stranger lunged, Coli could dart behind the tree, that would buy her a few seconds... The weather conditions were wreaking havoc with her anxiety, though, every little noise was making her jump.