The man was again slightly taken aback by her surprise. She was acting.. slightly odd, as if she sincerely believed she was of something slightly less significance than him. Of course, this was true in the male’s mind, but that was only because he portrayed himself as the world’s navel. It was just so unusual to get proper respect anymore. The world had changed, and the wolves were slowly attempting to fill the empty void after the human species. They were slowly evolving into something else, and old traditions and ties were slowly being dissolved. Haku disliked this. He wanted the changes in them to be undone. In such a world, he would not have been considered a monster. Things would have been very different. But the wolves wanted to be something else. They wanted to be more.
Haku cared little about how the other packs functioned. He was aware of the basics, and their sizes, but how the leadership handled their pack was not of much interest to the man. The packs that had formed after the great fire that had consumed Bleeding Souls were different. It seemed that the specific job ranks had been mostly discarded and turned into something more casual. He did not like it, but he could easily live with it. Although every member was allowed to greet a newcomer (and get accepted by a high ranked member), it was more specifically Dahlia’s scouts that had that job. There was only one scout in Dahlia these days, and that was the chocolate and cream Lilium. It was far from uncommon that newcomers were greeted by the blue eyed man.
The half-shifted man listened, patiently waiting for her answers to be delivered through her polite blabber. When she came to the part where she spoke of ‘the integrity of the Dahlia leaders’ he was taken by complete surprise. However, his reaction never reached the surface. Haku was a master at controlling his body. Not even his eyes hinted that her words came as a shock. Where in the world could she have heard such a thing? It was true enough for the white Rosea and the black Adonis, but Haku was a dark creature with a dark reputation. He had done many things that had made him a monster in the eyes of the rest of the society. That reputation had tainted Dahlia’s name, though they were still the strongest pack in ‘Souls, and had been so for a long time.
He let her finish her story, allowing her to believe in the not completely true words of Dahlia’s leadership. His eyes stayed on her, took in how carefully she controlled her behaviour and stance, aiming for perfection. He accepted the story without any further questions. He could detect hurt in her words, the way she formulated the sentence to stray as far from the detailed memories as she could. He wished he could understand such a powerful emotion. To lose someone. He knew emotion. He knew rage and every similar feeling to it, but he knew little about sincere affection that was not directly tied to pure, physical desire. Lillith had made something long dead stir, but he doubted she had the power to resurrect what was long lost.
”I appreciate your honesty, Eliza.” the male finally said when it was clear that she had no more to say. She was a soft creature, and would not be of much use to him personally, but she seemed worthy enough to be granted a trial in Dahlia de Mai. His mind drifted around what she had said. He would have liked to study that pack she came from, study the leadership. It would not happen. Most of what the cocoa male wanted was impossible to obtain. ”Dahlia takes care of its own.” he suddenly said, knowing that this was true. Some found themselves slightly uneasy around him, but fact was that he was their protector. Haku was a horrible creature, and so his anger would turn on those who threatened to destroy his property.
”However, you might find that Dahlia de Mai leads a more casual life than your previous home. You will be among equals here.” Truth be told, the male was uncertain of how to form the words properly for her to understand. She would adapt soon enough anyway, would be able to relax when she got accustomed to her home and the individuals she would share them with. He was sure she would receive a laugh or two if she kept this overly polite behaviour up, but he was sure it would be all in good nature. Haku’s pack was a harmonic one. He had lost all the players that he had decided to trust. He had been foolish to do such a thing, because there was no one that could be trusted. Even if there was potential in a creature, there was a small chance that that potential would be used. They were all such foolish creatures.
”Our hierarchy might not be like what you are used with. Your will gain your standing in the pack depending on your dedication and commitment to this pack. There are not rally any specific jobs tied to our titles, except for the three Dahlian leaders. Cercelee is our Rosea, first in command, a white female with frozen rivers in her eyes. The third in command, the Adonis, is named Cwmfen nic Graine. She is black and rather special. You will understand why when you see her.” the man again allowed a chuckle to depart, knowing that the Adonis’ features would probably take this woman’s breath away.
”If you do well in your first months here, you will be able to pick up an additional co-rank that will grant you a more specific job, but details can be discussed later.” The man shifted slightly, this would soon be over. ”However, let me remind you that despite the relaxed community, we do expect you to treat every member with kindness and respect, as well as to show loyalty to your pack.” This was what every pack wanted; a loyal member that would be able to work for the greater good, vision unclouded by egotism. What Haku was doing here in the leadership could perhaps be an interesting question to rise, but he kept his facade up with ease. Despite his dark soul, he did his best to protect his pack from harm. Ril’o had not been avenged, but it was an exceptional individual that had taken his life. Haku depended on the murderer to do him an important favour, so the guilty would not be touched.
His face suddenly broke into a smile, although it was slightly cool, almost alien on his lips. ”Are you still up for it?” It was a silly question, but he asked anyway, wanted her certainty to come out in words.