He pulled on the chain, yanking her forwards. This was not the kind boy of her memory. He was angry, furious even. He wasn't sure why he was here, but the last memory he had before he woke up in this place had not been anywhere near this god forsaken place.
He remembered the smell of rotting wood after a cool rain. The mist that always came after the shower always felt good when it collected on his nose. So thick and heavy that it made him want to lie down and sleep in the welcoming moss with his mate. So taken with the moment, he had forgotten that she was waiting for him, his newborn pups barely able to stand on their own, in his corner of the den. He had to find them food before nightfall. Dredes were becoming more aggressive in the area as of late and as soon as his pups could walk, he was taking his family away. He trotted over to his comrades, hanging his head down to catch any scents that might lead him to a meal. He brushed noses with the alpha, recognizing him as the superior, being the beta of the pack, it was necessary to understand the power infrastructure. It could be seen by how they held their tails, the alphas was so high up that it curled towards his head a little bit. The alpha accepted his sign of submission, his deep brown eyes getting old with his years. The alpha's fur was a smooth white, speckled with gray, like a phantom in the mist, so like his name, Ghost.
Ghost was too old for many things now, but the pack took care of him. He was still the leader of the warriors here. Halden was the next in line by poor luck on Ghost's part. Dredes had killed the previous beta, Ghost's most capable son Phantom. Ghost's other pups had been taken by Dredes or died of hunger last winter when food was scarce. Ghost's mate died saving his other pups and any female he had tried to mate with had no luck with new pups. Even if they had, Halden doubted that the pups would have enough time to grow before their father had died. Ghost trotted off with the others, leaving Halden behind. Halden was expected, like everyone else, to howl when they found food. So he put his nose in the wet earth and searched for a reason to use his voice.
He searched and searched, his muscles aching from being hunched over. There was a lot of smaller prey today. Little rabbits, rodents, and weasels, but nothing of note yet. Then, he smelled rich blood, blood of deer. He trotted towards it, no longer needing to keep his nose to the ground. And all the sudden, there it was, a deer leg hanging from a tree. He let out a short howl, alerting the pack of an easy meal. He heard their cries together as they collected to meet him.
He shook his head clear, not wanting to remember more. He met the eyes of Inara, the stranger that was trying to get him out of this cell and into another. No thank you. He needed to find his pups, his mate, his pack. He showed his fangs, but he remembered that he did not have them. Embarrassed by his lack of fur, claw, and tooth, he turned his head away. His eyes were made of gold, reflecting the light of the cell better than the lights themselves.
