The Wolf Pack: Next Gen

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Liguria relaxed into the cool moss Melete had presumably provided.
"Thank you." She croaked. The Demon felt to urge to confess to Selkis, to tell her her ancestor wasn't like her. Wasn't like Osiris. He was something else, something malevolent and hurting.
 
Selkis nodded, turned, and left the den. Once at the base of the Alpha Rock, she turned to Raelicka.
"That was... odd. I didn't realise she could talk to Difference like that - she said she couldn't talk to him. She said they don't have a Medium or anything to do it."
 
"I think she meant talk voluntarily, like Rhaegar can," Raelicka suggested. "It seems to be Difference who decides on his terms, and it certainly doesn't look pleasant to her. I wonder if it's voluntary at all, or if it's forced," she mused. "Eitherway, it brings into stark contrast how much we don't know about them, and makes me wonder how much they don't know -- or do know -- about us. But for now...it seems we ought to go back and rest up for a while. Consider what happened and how to move forward."
Melete frowned, bringing her temperature down and providing fresh water. "Gather your strength," she murmured. "Drink. Compose yourself first, and think afterwards."
 
Selkis nodded slowly, and started back towards the Sky pack grounds. Certainly things had changed now she knew Difference was forcing his way into Liguria's head; she knew she had to be cleverer than she was being. She had to stop being distracted by that dark, pretty face.

Toothfish's hulking white figure was shrouded in shadow. His crimson eyes followed the Sky Alpha and her Beta. Bloodstains marred the sides of his face, as usual, and his teeth ground together as he watched them. Saliva hung from his canines, which seemed too big for his mouth and jutted out over his bottom lip. As the two moved, he moved with them, slowly and bathed in gloom. He could see them, touched by sunlight as Sky wolves always were, but they could not see him.
 
Raelicka followed, keeping a close eye out; she would, had this meeting gone how it was supposed to, have been quite relaxed. But knowing Difference was still kicking wherever he now was, and that he was angry, put her on edge. Could he influence the other demons in the way he was influencing Liguria? She shuddered at the thought.
 
The Sky wolves stepped over the Demon grounds and into the small stretch of open woodland between the two territories. He leered out of the shadows, staying just inside his borders, watching them with hungry, heavy-lidded eyes.
Selkis heard movement and glanced behind her. A white wolf, broad-shouldered and red-eyed, met her gaze and stared. She quickened her pace, eager now to get back.
 
Raelicka gave the wolf a glare fierce and steely enough to match his own, before darting after her Alpha. She made a mental note of that wolf; he'd be trouble when this alliance inevitably fell.
 
"Your grace," said Demelza dryly as Selkis padded up Alpha Rock. She stood on the uppermost peak; she found she liked the view best of all from here. Her smirk was playfully sly.
"Thank you for looking after things," Selkis said somewhat distractedly. She turned to Raelicka - somehow it didn't occur to her to ask Demelza to carry out a petty task, even though she, as a healer, was a lesser wolf than her Beta. "Rae, can you fetch me Rhaegar? I have to speak with Osiris, I think."
Demelza noticed Selkis' obvious preoccupation with something else, and slipped past the two of them, dipping her head to both. Her pastel-grey fur was turned almost white in the sun as she wound her way down the Rock and back into the realm of the common wolf.
The healing den looked impressively clean when she returned to it, and Bran's lithe frame was ashy grey on the river's very edge. He was crouched low, staring at the water; she watched his paw tremble above it, poised to swipe. She could tell just from his stance that he was a clumsy fisher, but she left him to try his best for now. He was sweet, and she felt he'd make a decent healer in good time, but he bored her. Demelza swept into the healing den, thoughts of him vanishing from her mind like smoke in the wind, so easy was he to forget. Thoughts of Rhaegar, however, remained. She wondered what Selkis wanted with him in that funny mood of hers.
 
Raelicka nodded, not giving it a second thought as she hopped off the rock and went to find Rhaegar. She located him swiftly, sat beneath the tree with Delphi, and bowed her head in respect to the Oracle and the Medium. "Rhaegar, the Alpha wishes to speak with you."
 
Rhaegar looked at Raelicka and smiled. He hadn't spoken to her much, but he was certain he liked her; her sharp, practical intelligence was hard to compare to anyone else's.
"I'll go and see her now," he said, dipping his head. His lavender and fern crown had dried now but, just like Delphi's, seemed not to wilt like all of his others.

"Alpha?"
"Ah, Rhaegar." Selkis turned from where she stared out over the tops of the trees - her ledge faced West, and she imagined that she could see all the way to the flatlands. "I need to speak with my ancestor, Osiris. It's... quite important."
"It is done, my Alpha," Rhaegar smiled. "Bran has a sedative he can give me - I'll be dreaming in a few minutes maximum. What do you want me to ask him for you?"
Selkis was quiet for a moment. There was so much she wanted to ask of him.
"Ask for his advice on my... situation," she said eventually. "Ask him what he thinks I should do regarding the Demon Alpha - how dangerous he thinks this whole thing is. Tell him... tell him speaking with her felt easy and natural and for a moment I was leaning in - then it all changed. He'll know what I mean, I'm sure. Thank you."
"No problem," said Rhaegar, smiling dazedly. All of this was thoroughly confusing to him, but he had no desire to know about the details of Selkis' life; everyone deserved privacy. "I'll be back as soon as I can with answers."
 
"Hello."
Rhaegar lifted his head and looked into the eyes of a charcoal-black wolf who stood where, moments before, there had been nothing until he'd murmured a name. Osiris.
"Hello. Thank you for coming to speak to me."
"It's nothing," the black wolf laughed. "Anything for a bit of excitement." He looked Rhaegar up and down, smirking.
"I'm here about Selkis."
"Oh? How is the charming golden girl?"
"She's... confused, I think. I've been sent to ask advice from you, on her behalf."
"Fire away, then." Osiris' chest seemed to rise, as if flattered and proud his intellect was being called upon.
"She wants to know your opinion on her... situation with the Demons. She says she was feeling comfortable, and like things were so easy, but things changed. I'm sorry - she didn't tell me much."
"I can imagine the situation she's in," drawled Osiris, "and it sounds like she's not listening to her head. Tell her this: she has a choice in her position. Her head, or her heart. Right now I think she's following the desires of the latter - which just might spell disaster for her pack, and her too."
"And what should she do then, in order to make the best choices?"
"She needs to be one step ahead of the Demons, always - even if you think you know them. And tell her to stand on her own paws a bit more; from what I sense and saw when we Ancients visited, she was relying too much on her Beta. A good Alpha is a leader in her own right. But tell her... tell her this doesn't mean she can't indulge every once in a while. Giving the Demons what they want on the surface will strengthen the alliance, as long as she doesn't let herself go in too deep." He smiled wickedly, as if remembering his golden days.
"I'll tell her. Thank you, Osiris."
 
Rhaegar watched Selkis' face as he regaled Osiris' advice to her. She seemed so caught up in her own head, turning each phrase over and over, picking it apart. She met his eye after a moment of quiet.
"That was all. I hope I got what you wanted from him -"
"You did," Selkis assured him. "Thank you, Rhaegar - thank you so much."
The burnt-brown wolf dipped his head and turned from her, padding back down Alpha Rock.

Selkis stepped through the mist and out of the Sky grounds. She hadn't told anyone she was leaving, and no-one had even seen her go - that was her first step to independence. She just needed to clear her head. She breathed deeply. Birds sang in the boughs above her, and this stretch of forest between the Sky and Demon territories was quiet and peaceful.
After a while, she stood and stretched, leaving the glade she'd settled in and abandoning a half-finished chain of daisies. She'd been doing a lot of thinking. Liguria fascinated her, she'd finally admitted to herself. She found Liguria alluring and attractive. Osiris had said to give the Demons what they wanted on the surface... and she had a good idea of what Liguria might want, on the surface, from her.
It wasn't like she was inexperienced in that field - and having the Alpha title thrust upon her had been oh-so-stressful. She certainly could do with a release.
If Liguria's going to kill me like the prophecy says, she thought, we may as well have some fun before it happens.

She entered the Demon territory alone. Some stared, as always. There was the Alpha Rock; not as high as hers, or as grand. The sun seemed to avoid it like the plague, but it shone on hers constantly. As her eyes, heavy-lidded and deep green, lifted to find Liguria's dark frame on its peak, a smirk curled her lips. She'd never looked more like Osiris.
 
Hock stalked the clearing, blood pumping with the mixed emotions he'd felt whilst encountering Rhaegar and Delphi. They were certainly a nice pair. Ahead of him, Caicias bounded freely. Green eyes observed the smaller scout, before the soil beneath him parted. He frowned. An enormous root had sprouted from the ground, something akin to that of a prehistoric tree. As the root grew and unfurled, he grew unsteady on his feet, mesmirised but shocked all the same.
 
Caicias, sped towards Hock, intending to beat his current fastest time. He extinguished his power just before reaching the larger wolf, letting his momentum carry him---
oh god that was a big root
He attempted to jump, but was too close, and instead had his back paws caught on the root, causing him to trip and inevitably crash- right into Hock, bowling the two of them straight over.
 
Hock shouted in surprise as Caicias bowled him over. He remembred vaguely his mouth had been working to warn the wolf of the root, but it had been too late. As he felt along the ground, he found an odd chuckle escape him.
"Are ya alright?"
 
Caicias chuckled nervously as well, finding it rather comfy where he presently was for some reason. "Yea, I just didn't see it I guess."
It then occurred to him how the two had landed- Caicias had knocked Hock onto his back, and was presently lying on the larger wolf's belly.
Hock had very soft fur. Caicias had half expected it to be coarse and-
His face erupted in a blush. He was lying on top of Hock. His heartbeat quickened -- how would Hock react when he realised? Would that be it -- Hock never wanting to see him again for the embarrassment? Could Caicias even look him in the eye? Or -- or--
There were a lot of flowers.
 
Hock blinked as the reality of their awkward position set in. Although the scout didn't weigh much, he had effectively pinned the large wolf to the ground. Around him, silky petals extended their faces to touch his and Caicias' fur. He blushed, caught between gently shifting the uncomfortable wolf off him and staying put.
"Uh- looks like we got tangled up in the fall." He exhaled through his nose.
 
"Heheh..yeah." It didn't seem like Hock wanted to push him off. That was good, right? And the flowers...they were pretty. Soft and delicate, cooling on his fur and skin. But..
"So..the flowers come out when you feel a strong feeling, right...?" he asked, hesitant to explore that notion. Though his heart pounded and face flushed at the idea that maybe, just maybe, Hock harboured the same feelings for Caicias as he did for the larger wolf. He knew it showed -- he knew it was brutally obvious that he liked Hock, without a shadow of a doubt. He found himself desperately hoping he got the answer he wanted when he asked, "What -- what might that feeling be, d'you think?"
 
Hock averted his gaze, face hot. He hadn't intended to reveal his fondness for the scout so soon.
"I- I think-" The large wolf was tempted to parrot the same words Rhaegar had used to explain his powers, and then decided to come clean. "Well, the same feeling I got when that Demon chased us. When you pulled me to safety." He blushed, ears flattening.
 
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Caicias took a moment to process it. When he'd saved Hock, the larger wolf had looked at him...fondly.
He looked around. Pink flowers. Pink, and Hock's shyness-
"Oh golly," he muttered, half-hiding his face in Hock's fur.
 
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