A couple of days later saw him bringing her nearer and nearer to where she'd come across the scent marking.
And one of those days, they ran into the bone-chilling reminders themselves.
The wolves.
He was pressed close to her as the wolves circled round, telling her soft little reassurances.
"Luci, what is this?" she asked, whole body ready to start quaking.
"It's not exactly easy living by oneself," he told her.
A female voice cut through the crowd of– how many HOW MANY– perhaps fifteen gray, white, and black bodies, and a gray female stepped forward, tail raised high, teeth bared slightly as she addressed not her, but Luci. "Rogue. This is a new way for us to be meeting."
"I'm aware of it, Stryga."
They knew each other?! She jumped and growled as an unknown male sniffed at her rump, and slunk beneath Luci– Rogue apparently– despite the betrayal coursing through her, despite her all-encompassing fear. Just how far would she let him lead her into this? Luci twisted and snapped at the male, hackles raised, tail high.
The female, older than she, older than all of them except a few it seemed looked to her cowering beneath him. "And it looks like you did intend to disregard my offer."
She shot her eyes around at the wolves who had stilled around them. None approached any longer. Luci spoke eloquently, dipping his head to who she assumed must be... the alpha? She seemed old enough to have mothered some of these wolves. "I am aware of the past alliances we may have struck, but now I'd like to propose one anew. Let us join you."
She hissed, "Luci!" under him, and he looked down, seeming... confused why was he confused!?
Stryga drew nearer, obviously waiting for Luci to back up, and Annabella then realized that she was to be the spotlight.
But he did not, looking at her levelly, not groveling as maybe he should have.
"Step aside," she snarled, "She is not one of our kind."
"I'm afraid I can't do that," he returned quietly, holding his tail much lower.
"Does the mutt speak?" Her vision swam before her as she was locked onto amber eyes. "Or does she only communicate her fear by reeking of it?"
She felt Luci tense above her. "You've heard us. You've smelled us. You should have known of us long before we came here."
Annabella swallowed with her dry mouth, keeping her whines in, and, saying as loudly as she would allow herself, she said, "I've– I've been here perhaps a few weeks. I recognize your scents."
Why was she going along with this?
A male, as young as Luci spat, "That is a dog."
"And she will be staying with me," Luci growled back.
Stryga lifted her head to look at him, not her any longer. "So. You've come to us here in the dead of winter asking for membership. Why? Because of her?"
"Exactly because of her."
No... Oh no...
If she could just–
Stryga asked him then, and it all seemed to go eerily silent around them, "What's in it for us, Rogue?"
"I'll be Rogue no longer and you'll have me among your ranks. Not where you want me, but in the pack nonetheless."
