The floorboards creaked ever so slightly, a noise just loud enough to cause a disturbance amongst the sleeping members. Pale violet eyes opened wide, arms squeezing around the two pups that slept beside her. Two little warm balls of fur depended on her, barely coming up on 60 full moons, about 5 human years. Their small frame was enough for them to still seek refuge with an older member, but big enough to start hunting prey-creatures. “Zane?” Her voice emitted into the dark room, startled enough to not formally address him. Even though they were merely her younger siblings, she still felt a motherly instinct course through her blood. A candle illuminated the corner of the room. The glint of pale eyes watching her confirmed who it was. The light flowed over his face, enough for her to see the dark blonde strands of hair fall in his eyes. A bloody gash laced his jaw, his hair ruffled in tiredness. His usually tan skin seemed paler than usual. “Healer Cato,” His gruff voice grew quiet, his tall frame leaning against whatever held him upright.

Cato couldn’t bring herself to question him. She had to tend to him first. With a stroke of the puppies' fur, she reluctantly left them, hurrying over to her brother. They didn’t have to speak to communicate with each other. She automatically wrapped her arm around him, allowing his weight to lean upon her. “Hush,” she said when he winced at her touch. Ushering him out of the room, she forced him to find a seat. Pressing a wet cloth against his face, she heard nothing but his shallow breathing. “They are still in their pup form?” He attempted to converse to hopefully prevent Cato from worrying. He began to nudge the cloth away, but she shoved his hand aside. “They feel safer that way. What happened to our parents still feels like yesterday to them,” A silence fell among them. She stared into his eyes which were the same pale violet coloration as hers. A defeated gaze overcame his features.

“What took you so long? You know it is just me, Nyx, and Raine. We shouldn’t be without a leader near us.” Her voice pleaded with a hint of a motherly scolding. She pressed her forehead against his, a symbol of respect and worry. “I wasn’t able to get anything. A plant-eater was all I saw for miles, so I went for it-“ He replied, pulling away from her respectful touch. “You went for it!?” Cato couldn’t help but interrupt, her voice growing quiet after she realized how loud she spoke. Zane needed to stop making rash judgment calls. He always ended up hurt. It only meant another night of no food for them. “Don’t you fret, brother,” She swallowed hard, her voice quivering in hopes to comfort him. Luckily, she was able to stop the bleeding, placing the rag aside. He gulped, his tone shattering at his next words. “I am exhausted, Cato,”

“You will be fine. Next time you will be lucky,” She seized a green salve, one that she made herself, and smeared it over the wound. His clenched face became relaxed. He tucked her golden locks behind her ears, grasping her hand. Cato locked eyes with him, her orbs bright and round. “We must move. We must find a new place. We must find our relatives,” He spoke. It was easy to tell that this was a hard decision for him. He didn’t want to leave just as much as them, but he was the leader, so it was his obligation to seek the best for what was left of his pack.

“No, brother. Such a travel will not be safe for the pups. If you just rest and stay with the pups then I can hunt,” The last thing their younger siblings needed was to be uprooted from the home they all grew up in. Their parents had wished for them to never leave, as too many red wolves in one area would put them in the face of danger. Their nearest relatives were miles and miles away. “You have no skills to hunt. You are but a healer,” His lips and eyebrows slimmed in frustration.

“Then we can steal from the market,” She argued.

“Humans would be after us in a heartbeat,”

“Then we could-“

“Cato, enough!” He stood up out of his seat, his voice lowered enough to not wake the sleeping pups in the next room. “The decision has been made. We can not survive on our own like this. I am not experienced enough to lead you all,” Another long silence filled the air. This time, none of them dared to break it. Cato stood from her knelt position, the saddest smile coming to her face. Hearing the puppies' cries in the next room, she headed to return to them. Her hair swirled as she gazed back at him. “We could not ask for a better leader,” She whispered, as there was nothing else she could argue. She had to think of Nyx and Raine now instead of their parent's dying wishes. They were starting to lose their puppy plumpness.

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His eyes narrowed, Zxi, in his wolf form, stood next to a Golen-brown mother werewolf. He turned his head and looked down at her, she looked up at him and she glanced towards a cow elk. Nodding the two lowered their heads and walked slowly towards the prey-creater. He saw Aruka go ahead of where he had stopped so she was upwind. The cow elk scented her immediately and, panicking, ran straight towards Zxi. He quickly jumped at the elk, sinking his jaws into its front leg and holding on tight. Aruka ran along side the elk, snapping at it's legs and eventually able to get a hold on it's hind leg, she held on which caused the elk to lose balance due to it not being able to run properly. As the elk fell they detached themselves from it and started attacking it, not letting it stand. After the elk was killed they transformed, back to their human forms. ~``Great job Aruka, if your pups get trained how to hunt I'm sure they could learn plenty from you. Even though they'll be shorter you amvan teach them to use that to their advantage! Now I need to run back and get Rex and Kiro to help us drag this back.``~ he said before running off. Aruka stayed put and sat down, growling at a fox as it tried to come closer. She transformed into a wolf again and circled the elks body before another fox ran at her. The fox bit her shoulder and she twisted, biting it's tail as hard as she could she heard the fox yelp and she let go. The fox ran, giving her a fearful glance before it vanished into the bushes. She let out a low growl her icy-violet gaze traveling around noticing how each leaf of a bush swayed and danced in the soft, warm breeze. She got sleepy but shook herself away. She could leave the prey unprotected! Someone would steal it! She walked in circles around the body, waiting for Zxi to return. She though of her little pups back at her den, Redwood, a little red-haired/furred pup that had yet to try and transform into a human. Redwood took after his father who was more red in coloration. However Half was golden-brown with small red spots, Half had already transformed into his human form his hair was golden-brown with a slight red-ish tint. Her pups and mate would be so happy when she came back, carrying a large, leaf wrapped chunk of meat, perhaps a whole leg if the other hunters and huntresses were successful! She smiled and wagged her tail but stiffened when she thought she smelled something strange. She looked around, taking in every detail, she shrugged it off and sat down in front of the elk, she looked around afraid that someone prey-stealer would come and fight her for it. Or just steal twh body silently... no! She wouldn't let that happen! There were too many pups ti feed, too many packmembers that she couldn't let down!

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Morning came quicker than anticipated. The warm welcome of the distant birds filled the warm spring air. The sun was just greeting the horizon, an orange hue filling the sky. It was a perfect time, a grace period some may call it, before the humans began waking. Now was their optimal time to depart from their childhood home. It felt like a betrayal to their parents, however, Cato and Zane both knew that their parents would’ve done the same in their situation.

Traveling with pups was not an easy task. The process is slower, often burdened by many breaks amongst the countless complaints they’re sure to hear. Especially with Nyx and Raine’s rarity in shifting into humans, it would be even more troublesome if they ran into humans. However, it was indeed quicker as a wolf. Just as long as they didn’t run into the humans then they should be alright. Zane was one to disagree as he never seemed to understand the twin's trouble with shifting into humans. Cato always defended their case, commonly baring her teeth so Zane would take the situation seriously. He could never seem to argue with her further the moment her pearly whites appeared.

…

Cato’s lanky body trotted silently through the woodlands. Her lean muscles rippled under her thin coat, moving with a grace that most wolves couldn’t seem to maintain. Her speed was gauged to meet the speed of the pups to make sure they wouldn’t become tired early into the travel.

If Cato could go back in time, she would have listened to Zane’s words. Refrain from following any scent of death, he had told her. Yet, at that moment she glanced down at the pups' skinny bodies. They were fed more than she was, but with those motherly instincts coursing through her veins, it was still not enough. Zane had proceeded ahead to scope the land in search of any prey-stealer that could threaten to hurt Nyx and Raine. But a quick meal wouldn’t hurt, right? With ears pricked, her once steady trot turned into a stalking walk. Her head lowered as her paws swiveled across the terrain. “Remain quiet,” She urged when they got close enough to gain sight of the carcass. Her haunches lowered into nearby shrubbery, though from her view she could not see the predatory wolf. Now was a waiting game. It was always safer to wait to see if any nearby predators emerged for a taste of a fresh kill. Though, that was not the case for Raine, the dainty trouble-some and food-driven dainty female. She would come to make a perfect warrior or hunter one day, but she lacked the knowledge of what wars she could and couldn’t win.

It was until she saw a golden-brown creature travel past the carcass that she realized Raine was gone. Now wasn’t the time to think things through when Raine’s nervous squeal filled her ears. With such rash decisions always came consequences. A swift motion led to Cato’s undeniable step on Raine’s hip and tail. Though Raine was lucky to not have caused major injury, it made her screech out. A distinct screech that Zane knew very well. He was on his way.

Cato tagged the female wolf’s nearing muzzle, drawing the littlest bit of blood. She positioned herself between the stranger wolf and her little sister. Her ears settled in a sharp pinned position accompanied by raised hackles. Her mouth gaped open with a spitting growl. Drool slipped down her teeth, her eyes wide with an intense aggressive stare. Although she held a small but intimidating figure, her tail remained tucked. It was more fearful than anything. She licked her pearly white teeth, snorting under her breath with a deep growl following. Her eyes darted across the clearing to Nyx, where he was still hidden in the brush. At least he listened.

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She halted and watched as a skinny pup raced over, she paused and walked over, she wagged her tail a bit and lowered her head to sniff at the pup when a werewolf in her wolf from raced out from the trees, she looked up watching as the wolf got closer. She stopped and made a surprised huffing sound when the wolf swiped(?) at her muzzle. Her eyes widened with shock and Aruka growled, her saliva beginning to drip onto the ground.|*|Wait- what were Star wolves doing here! They should know better then to try steal a pack-wolf's prey! Or run over to it!|*| She thought, fully baring her teeth. Rage coursed through her, preventing her from seeing distinct makings in the wolf before her's eyes, letting her know that she was a Red wolf, a rare breed for normal wolves, and especially rare for werewolves. `^Get lost. This is pack territory, Star wolf.^` Aruka snarled, lunging forward, her teeth still fully bared in aggression. She gave a lethal glare to the werewolf, but she had to admit, she almost felt sorry for the werewolf and the pup, but she wouldn't let that stop her from protecting the carcass. The star wolves would have to move on to different territory and hunt for themselves. There were plenty of mouths to feed already and she couldn't let anyone go hungry, especially Zxi. She owed him her family's lives, last hot-season her family had gotten stuck in a rabbit burrow/warren and they had run out of food and water. They were likely on the brink of death when Zxi found them, and the rest of the big pack had done so much to make them feel welcome! She needed to replay them, and so she would defend Zxi and the big pack and her family with her life. Aruka felt the best way to replay them was to lend them her speed, while she was at least 3x shorter than her prey in wolf form she had 3x the speed [at least thats what she thinks-] . She watched the werewolves carefully, aware of every move they made, every breath they took. Her hackles were raised and she slightly raised her tail. She pinned her ears were back, she was a bit worried, even though she knew how to fight she didn't know if the pup would attack of if there were other star wolves near by. She could easily be beaten here but she was hoping that the werewolf would back off, from the wolf's submissive, yet protective pose she assumed she wanted to protect the pup and would fight but didn't quite want to. She backed up and positioned her body so her front legs were on one side of the elks body and her hind legs on the other side, so she was hovering over it, she lowered her head slightly and her body heated up, prepared to fight.

[Hope this is okay]

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Cato continuously licked her teeth, her lips twitching as her teeth refused to hide. Locking eyes with the distinctly aggressive female, she took in her icy violet eyes. What was a Mexican wolf doing in an area like this? That didn’t negate the fact that this werewolf was becoming a threat to Nyx and Raine. She maintained a frozen frame, her pale violet eyes refusing to move away from the female. By now, Zane was sure to have heard the commotion. To be honest, she was more fearful of what Zane would do to this female than the female herself. The worst thing was that they were on the border of a wolf’s territory. If this werewolf was part of a pack, then there was no good outcome for them.

Deep sharp barks filled the dense air. A flash of fur even caused Cato to startle, but the familiar scent made her feel secure. It was Zane. The adrenaline-filled male was a mass of pure muscle and agitation, storming past Cato and the pups. It took no hesitation before he planted teeth around the female’s neck. His pure mass was easy to push her over, a freight train huff leaving his nostrils as he was careful not to draw too much blood. It was merely a message to put the female in place while protecting his small and helpless pack. Although, that didn't mean he was easy on her. Yowls, shrieks, and snarls filled the air, but her brother’s courageous actions gave Cato enough time to seize Raine and return to Nyx, who was still hidden in nearby shrubbery. Licks to Raine’s and Nyx’s soft coats weren’t enough to explain the fear she felt at that moment. A nuzzle of apology for hurting Raine at that moment gave a sense of relief that the pup wasn’t in too much pain. Her ears perked hearing Zane’s fighting huffs; a few shrieks eventually leaving him. His big body was not immune to the slightly smaller female’s agility. He was sure to get some wounds in the feat. It was Cato’s time to intervene before her brother got himself killed. With a sharp bark to the pups, this time serious about them not moving, her small speedy frame bounded across the land. It was a struggle to get Zane’s fixed gaze off of Aruka, his whole body practically shaking with adrenaline. The best she could do was place her body in front of Zane’s neck, a protective shield against the female before them. If Aruka dared to attack them both then Cato was willing to put herself on the line for Zane.

“You never seem to listen, Cato,” His voice shook the air around them, forcing Cato’s back to hunch. With submissive licks to his chin, she couldn’t seem to fully deter his gaze from the target.

“She is dumb not to know the law,” Cato attempted to explain herself, the words hidden under her breath only for Zane to hear. Their reliance on the law against any form of threat against the red wolves was their only hope now – well, at least for Cato. “The law does not protect us, Cato. You just saw what I had to do to protect you,” He panted, licking his muzzle that still had the taste of Mexican wolf fur.

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She kept her eyes locked onto the female as she growled, drool dripping onto the ground , teeth bared, hackles raised, tail lifted slightly, until a male wolf knocked into her, biting her neck. She struggled and put up decent fight for how much smaller she was. |*|Just you wait Star wolves! Wait till Zxi hears about this. Or Cloud...|*| she though with a slight shiver. She was afraid, though she tried not to show it, she was. After the fight was over she limped backwards and fell. Once she regained her strength she sat up and raised her head. Parting her jaws she let out a long, high pitched howl. One that meant she was in danger, her hackles still raised she limped back over to the carcass and growled at the wolves, her ears pinned back. `^If you don't wish to be killed get off our territory. That howl alerted other wolves in my pack. Zxi's on his way, heard of him? He's the best fighter, and hunter the large packs have seen! He's a future alpha most likely. I doubt you scrawny things could handle fighting him. Even if he had broken paws! Sure you may have beaten me but I wasn't really trained to fight. Zxi spent his pup-hood training, and he still continues to train! So get your miserable, scrawny, flea-infested pelts out of here.^` she huffed, starting to lick her paws.

`^A word of advice. Go South to avoid plant-eaters. The prey there is smaller, but its better hunting, especially with pups.^` she said, pausing in her licking and nodding to where the pups were hidden, at the mention of the pups her expression softened slightly. She resumed her licking and watched the wolves warily. `^I lost my first litter. You're luck. You've lost your parents? Correct? Loosing a pup... your own pup, it feels worse. At least, in my opinion. They died because of the cold.^` she growled with a sigh, she sat up and watched the wolves, even though she had been hurt by them, she had already forgiven them. |*|I can't blame them, if a strange wolf was bending their head down towards Redwood or Half I would panic and attack.|*| she thought swiping her tongue around her muzzle. She was in front of the elk, laying down. She felt embarrassed, she wasn't in much danger and she had already howled! What was she going to tell Zxi! Her hackles had lowered while she was talking and she had no clue what to do. But she might as well keep guarding the carcass. She wouldn't let her pack go hungry, however much she wanted to feed the scrawny pups she couldn't, Elder Shade wouldn't be pleased, and she was one of the most respected, wolves, and the highest ranked werewolf. She shivered, though not from cold. She was afraid of what Shade might do if there was a chunk taken out of the carcass before she ate... she stood, shook her pelt and trotted away, soon appearing again with a rabbit in her jaws. She laid it at the male's paws and lowered her gaze. She was used to being submissive, even though she had a decent rank to most werewolves she was the lowest ranked huntress. `^Sorry.^` she mumbled, backing away towards the elks body once more.

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Zane’s eyes narrowed, watching Aruka become submissive. She wasn’t as bold as she once acted. His tail lifted, a level position that signified accomplishment and confidence. It became clear that the young female knew nothing of the newly formed law over the potential extinction of red wolves. It was good that he stepped in when he did.

“Brother, she speaks of Zxi. If this is his territory, I am not sure what we can do,” Cato muttered, withholding a whine so she didn’t come across as weak to the female. Zane wasn’t much of the historically-educated type, so he probably was ignorant of the achievements of Zxi, a young wise warrior known by many. “I shall take the duty of leader for this situation you put us in,” Her brother had every right to be upset. She did go against his advice. He was nervous, something only she could tell as his sister. The way his ears and lips twitched with swift agitated movements of his tail were clear signs that he was scared. Who wouldn't be if their younger siblings were in this situation, but he was clear to not show it.

Cato’s ears shifted towards the female as she spoke words of wisdom. Was she trying to assist them? The glance toward the pups was a bold move. Cato was surprised that Zane didn’t take offense to the potentially threatening movement. But she knew that Aruka had an ounce of pity in her. “Do not go comparing our pain with yours,” Zane huffed, his hackles raising from annoyance. Cato could not bring herself to correct his behavior, but the swish of her tail was a thank you to the female for advising on the benefit of Raine and Nyx. Cato couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed. This female was a loyal one, willing to fight to the death to save her pack from starvation. She was honorable in that fact only, not alleviating the fact that she could’ve harmed the pups.

Their eyes watched closely as Aruka trotted off only to return with a rabbit in her jaws. She was wise to place it in front of Zane instead of Cato. She at least knew who to please in this situation. Zane let out a huffing bark that turned into a growl upon her approach, but he did not attack her as he once did. Her cowering was a good sign that he didn’t need to waste more time on her. Although, Cato’s attention was now turned toward the food offering that was given to them. She knew the order of eating, but she couldn’t stop the temptation. While Zane was distracted by the female, Cato was able to snatch the rabbit up, almost receiving a corrective nip from Zane. With her tail tucked, she was luckily quicker than him, retreating to the puppies in a nimble trot. She had become a master of the art of stealing, a trait that Zane had come to despise. Though, he thankfully allowed her to depart this time, as he had Aruka to worry about than giving a correction.

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She watched as the female, seemingly called 'Cato' snatched up the rabbit and quickly trotted away towards the pups. She huffed then shifted her gaze towards the male who's name she did know. `^That pup, they were brave for trying to take food like that. But also quite foolish. If I were a more aggressive wolf you may have lost them. You're strong but trying to lead a whole back without really taking others opinions into account, your a good leader, strong, decently quick, and no doubt clever but listen to 'Cato' sometimes I understand that I know nothing of you but, from my experience listening to other people's opinions has usually helped me make decisions. Oh, and tell 'Cato' that I'd never, ever harm a pup. Whoever's pup it may be.^` she huffed, her tail lightly tapping the ground. Only a few moments later Aruka jumped to her paws, she could tell Zxi was close now and she needed to go meet him when he got there, and tell him that there was just a misunderstanding. She watched as Zxi ran out of the trees (on the other side of where Nyx and Raine are) with Rex, a black furred male and Kiro, a large, fluffy, white furred female. They slowed as they got closer, Rex quickly stood over the carcass and partially bared his teeth, his hackles rising quickly, though he growled fiercely Aruka could tell he was scared, his ears pinned back and she could see he was trying to stop himself from trembling, Kiro however didn't seem afraid at all! She ran right over, lowered her head, pinned her ears back, and fully bared her teeth, drool dripping from her mouth, her hackles were raised and the muscles beneath her fluffy white pelt were tense, she was quite fearsome. Zxi, seemed calmer and walked over standingjust behind the elk's body, he watched the wolves carefully, the only sign of aggression from him was a slight, quiet growl. He rose to his full height towering over Kiro, 'Cato' the male star wolf, Aruka, and Rex. Aruka walked over, lowered her tail and her gaze and had just opened her jaws to say something but Zxi spoke first. ^~`Hello. I heard Aruka howl for help. Now, why are you on pack territory? I thought Star wolves usually stayed away from pack territory?`~^ he said watching the male. Aruka's ears lowered and she stared at her paws, worried about what might happen. Zxi seemed very calm, the initial growl was gon and he showed no signs of aggression, his tail was kept low but he didn't tuck his tail, his teeth were covered and he didn't growl anymore. His ears weren't pinned, they were only angled towards the male wolf, listening for a response. |*|I should have thought before I howled|*| Aruka thought with shame. Rex had calmed down now but Kiro was still being quite aggressive. Kiro was a great fighter-in-training and huntress but her temper was short, leading her to aggression quite quickly. Zxi sniffed teh air, even though he scented a pup and a star wolf female he said nothing.

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“You have no right to-“ He snarled, snapping his teeth at her, but he was cut off when his ears caught noise in the distance. Zane had called her bluff. He didn’t expect to hear this many wolves coming to the rescue. He gulped, glancing back towards where Cato and the pups were before allowing his ears to pin in nervousness. Now was the time to retreat. But he knew very well that even the slightest act of submission was sure to only feed the wolves' aggressiveness. His best bet was to stand his ground and hope for the best. Their objective was protecting their meal, so as long as he didn’t seem like a threat to the carcass then he should be fine.

He didn’t emit a growl, but his lips twitched with temptation. He had to remember that he was outnumbered now, and he had his younger siblings to protect. It was quick to notice which wolf of the group was the supposed leader. For such a big wolf the male acted surprisingly docile in the situation. “Your pack is under no threat,” He stated, refraining from answering Zxi’s questions. Though he knew the situation could easily turn bad, he also knew that answering his questions would negate the fact that the pups and his sister had been threatened.

Overwhelmed by the number of wolves, Cato was caught between the decision to stay with the pups or leave them to help her brother. It was a tough decision, but she allowed her lanky legs to carry her out of the shrubbery, the pups staying hidden. At that moment, she came off as more aggressive than Zane. Her ears were pinned in discomfort with the situation, her tail low but content. She found herself baring her teeth at times, especially towards the almost-pups that were surely younger than her. She would be submissive to her superiority, but she refused to be for pups that were just graduating from their training. She found herself doing the same thing that she did when both of them were against Aruka. The submissive but protective act of covering Zane’s neck with her body. She lowered her head but locked eyes with each of them. Even a single glance towards the shrubbery where the pups were made a deep growl lift from her throat. Though, the only wolf that she didn’t lock eyes with was Zxi. She knew exactly who he was. The way he held himself was completely different compared to the others hunched in aggression and fear. It was an honor to be in his presence, although she wished it wasn’t under this circumstance. “Warrior Zxi,” Her soft voice lifted amongst the growling. Her indifferent gaze symbolled respect and gratitude. “We have come a long way from traveling. My siblings are hungry and eager and deserve to be well-fed. I did what any other wolf would do. If I knew this was your pack, I never would have—” A swift growl from Zane shut her up. “They do not deserve an explanation, Cato.” He huffed under his breath.

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He watched , keeping himself calm as a strawberry-blonde werewolf, the female he must have smelled, walked over and protected the male's neck, she tried to speak and Zxi rolled his eyes as the male cut her off ^~`Let her speak. No matter the rank we deserve to be allowed to explain, especially if you're being treated with hostility. Now, Kiro, cover your teeth, I know this isn't the best situation but they aren't being that aggressive.`~^ he spoke calmly, keeping his head high, his tail low, his hackles low, teeth covered, and ears upright, he noticed a distinct difference in the two Star wolves's eyes and realized they were red wolves! ^~`Cato, thats your name correct? May I examine your siblings? I'm assuming this is your brother? I was aware there were younger wolves the moment I got closer to the carcass. I apologize for Aruka's behavior, she isn't fond of other wolves on our territory, her, her pups, and her mate all almost died. Her aggression was likely partially driven by fear, and fear can cloud anyone's vision and or thoughts, so it's not likely she noticed you were a red wolf, but I can promise you she wouldn't hurt a young pup. Again I apologize for her behavior. Red wolves aren't to be harmed, I believe you understand? You don't protect food from another wolf when you're kin needs to be fed right?`~^ he said, lowering his gaze and walking closer. He was now in a position where he was blocking Rex, Aruka, and Kiro from the red wolves but he wouldn't be able to start an attack. The red wolves could easily bite him and start a fight but he couldn't.


Aruka watched as Zxi talked and moved in front of her. Her head was low from shame and had nodded when Zxi had apologized for her, now that she wasn't focused on protecting the elk or aggression she did realize they were red wolves and that she was foolish for not noticing earlier. She walked infront of Zxi and ignored him gently pawing at her back. She laid down in front of the red wolves, tucked her tail, and rolled onto her belly she let out a whine and looked up at them `^I understand I have hurt you, and I apologize, please forgive me? Zxi was correct, I was partially driven by fear...^` she whined

Rex watched with slight fear as Aruka moved towards the red wolves, he looked at them guiltily, hoping one of them would see the silent apology in his gaze. `☆`Sorry for acting aggressively, and sorry for my adopted sister's aggression she's faced difficulties you'd never guess, though I understand that you are starving and hunting is difficult but her stituation was worse. But I can't tell you her story, it's private and I won't break her trust just for a few outsiders to see that she had a messed up past.`☆` he said though his gaze was still apologetic.

Kiro was slightly disgusted with Aruka's behavior, cowering around like a fearful pup! She let out a quiet growl but stopped when Zxi shot her a look, she pinned her ears but kept her teeth hidden, she sighed as her 'brother' spoke and decided she had to say something `|`Sorry...`|` she said, rolling her eyes.

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Cato kept quiet even with Zxi’s encouragement on letting her speak. A deep huffing growl left Zane’s throat upon Zxi’s closer inspection, although Cato kept him at bay. She lowered her head, refusing to meet his gaze until he spoke her name. Her ears pricked and her eyes finally met him. She had always been a good judgment on a fellow werewolf’s character, but she knew she would come to especially trust this male. “That is my name, and this is my brother,” Although, she faltered when he asked to see the pups. Her hackles began to prickle. “Cato,” Her brother softened his voice this time. “Bring them out,” He ordered. With a swift turn, her tail nearly brushing Zxi in the face, she retreated towards the shrubbery.

Soft nudges forced the pups out. Raine was more willing to race out than nervous little Nyx. Cato did her best to keep them corralled as they were still in the very social phase. When they finally neared the pack, she stepped in front of them as a shield. The pack wolves could see them from there. The pups were quite young, still in the age range of needing protection. However, they were coming up on the size to begin their training. “Warrior Zxi,” Her voice seemed to become softer and softer every time she spoke to him. It was obvious she was honored by him since she kept referring to him formally. “I would like to present our red wolf prospects, Nyx and Raine. Raine is courageous enough to become a powerful warrior herself while Nyx is nimble enough to be a well-seeking pathfinder,” She finally stepped aside, only for Zxi to come up to them. Her head lifted, keeping a close eye to prevent any other wolf from seeing them. Raine was the bigger one of the twins. Her coat was a deep red like Zane’s. Her curiosity and courage always made her get into trouble but put in the right training she was sure to become a relentless wolf. Nyx on the other hand was leaner. His coat was lighter with deep red flecks throughout it. He was surely going to become a beautiful wolf when he becomes an adult. His cautiousness came off as a weakness, but he had a strong intellect to get him past it. He would surely be one of the smartest ones.

Zane allowed Cato to handle the affairs of the pups. He knew if anything happened to them, she would surely pack a punch. His attention turned to Aruka who had seemingly crept up like an omega and displayed the greatest presentation of submission. A huffing breath was a warning for her not to move, as he sifted through her fur with his nose. He pressed his muzzle against her neck as dominance before moving away to find interest in the others. He moved swiftly up to Rex. Once he saw the smallest sign of submission he moved on. Next was Kiro. He could already tell this female was a stubborn one. Unlike the others, he knew he couldn’t force dominance on her. She was likely the second highest rank in this group of wolves and especially with Zxi’s presence he didn’t want to push his luck. A huffing growl shook from his throat before sniffing behind her ears.

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Kiro watched silently as Cato's brother nosed through the fur on Aruka's neck she rolled her eyes when Rex lowered his gaze and tucked his tail, she jumped back, and flashed her teeth when the male started sniffing behind her ears, she backed away and hid behind Zxi, `|`Stay away.`|` she growled, her hackles rising as she watched the male warily

Rex stood farther away, and watched Aruka, he made sure to lower his gaze and tuck his tail in submission when the male had moved to him. When he had passed he went and tried to comfort his sister, though she wasn't related to him by blood they didn't mind, they still had grown up together as siblings so thats what they though of each other as.

Aruka had remained still as the male nosed through her neck fur it seemed to take a while but her expression softened when she saw the pups, her gaze flicked over to Cato and she rolled over again so she was laying on her stomach `^May I play with them after Zxi has seen them?^` she asked not meeting Cato's gaze, still trying to seem submissive.

Zxi watched as the male, Cato's brother, nosed through Aruka's neck fluff. Then he watched as he moved on to Rex, Aruka had done well, used to being the omega in most situations she knew how to be submissive, Rex also did well, though he didn't do anything like rolling in his back and exposing his belly, he had lowered his gaze and tail in a sign of submission and respect. He narrowed his eyes as the male approached Kiro, she had a rough past and it took her a long time to let anyone gain her trust, which gave her the ability to almost always accurately judge someone's personality, but that also made her jumpy and aggressive. As such when Cato's brother started sniffing behind her ears she jumped, backed away and hid behind him, Rex trotted over and started to comfort Kiro. He walked over to Cato's brother and kept his head high but still sowed no signs of aggression. ^~`Forgive Kiro, as Rex said she has a rough past and is slow to trust, which gave her the ability to usually accurately guess someone's personality it also makes her jumpy and aggressive.`~^ he said, once he was done speaking he turned away and walked over to the pups, he wagged his tail in a friendly gesture then opened his muzzle to speak ^~`Hello Pup-Nyx, Hello Pup-Raine. Could you sit down for me? If you listen I'll be sure to catch you food, if you wanted Aruka could even play with you!`~^ he said , still wagging his tail, he glanced at Cato and Aruka, Aruka was asking Cato something while the werewolfess listened.

Aruka gazed up at Cato, her icy violet gaze full of hope, she wagged her tail and looked at the pups, Zxi was asking them quite politely to sit.

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It was easy for Cato to let out a huff of disapproval. She could not find a reason why she would allow the pups to play with Aruka. It was the sense of overprotectiveness that got the best of her. She couldn’t help but still struggle to trust this group.

Nyx was patient and followed the orders of the big wolf that hovered over them. Raine, on the other hand, was quite antsy about meeting Zxi. Her tail wagged ecstatically but she still managed to somewhat listen. Maybe it was the fact that she was excited to meet a great warrior. Nyx’s pale eyes wandered around, inattentive to Zxi’s words. He was oddly wise and observant for a pup, but it was always easy for him to become bored. “Forgive them. They know their words but tend to not talk much,” Cato apologized, her ears flattening in embarrassment. It was until he spotted Aruka that he finally took an interest in something. Without bringing it to Cato’s attention, he meandered off toward the interestingly submissive female. This was one of the first times he had ever socialized with a wolf outside of his species. It was until after a close inspection that he finally got the sense to play. First leaping onto her back, it wasn’t long until he was grabbing her fur with sharp growls with rough shakes of his head. Even though he had a calmer personality than his twin, he still enjoyed roughhousing. It wasn't until he let out an excited yip that Cato realized he was gone. With a swift bound over to them in worry, it was then that she realized how happy Nyx was. She hadn’t seen this side of him in a while. On top of that, Aruka was giving him the gentlest care she could. The situation didn’t help her nerves, but when she turned back toward Zxi she saw his calm gaze. He didn’t seem too worried about it so why should she? This gave her the chance anyway to formally meet the members of this pack.

She attempted to approach Kiro and Rex but saw their distress. The last thing she wanted to do was pick a fight with them. That left Zxi. Though she had spoken to him, she had yet to respectfully admire his presence. Her approach towards him was cautious. Although, she was very much like her brother when finding an interest in others. She got familiar with his scent by ruffling his fur with her cold nose. Cato often found herself glancing toward the pups in worry. It put her mind at ease when she caught Zane overlooking their playtime. It was to her surprise that Nyx allowed Raine to join in with playing.

“If anything happens to them…” She paused, finding that her gaze could finally meet Zxi’s. “I wouldn’t know what to do with myself,” Those pups, other than her brother, were all that she had. With a lash of her tail on the hard topic, she decided to move on. “You must not keep apologizing to Zane. He is ruthless in testing boundaries. If he sees a weakness in you, even with just an apology, he is more than willing to take over the highest rank. It is a flaw, nonetheless, but it is what has kept us safe all this time,” She whispered under her breath, only loud enough for Zxi to catch her words.

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Sorry this response took so long.]

Aruka lowered her ears when Cato huffed with disapproval, but let out a bark of surprise when she felt a small wolf on her back, she looked back and saw one of the pups, she wagged her tail and began to play with the pup, soon joined by another. She was careful to to hurt them but not so careful that playing wasn't fun.

Kiro leaned on her brother, finding comfort in the fact that she knew that Rex wouldn't let anyone hurt her while she was like this, but she walked over to Cato and lowered her head, wagging her tail slowly '|'Hey, uh- Cato is it? Are you a healer? I know of medicinal plants that only grow here, I could show you if you wanted.'|'

Rex trotted closer to the male and tried to start a conversation but kept backing away so he just rested near the elk.

Zxi listen to Cato speak and his ear twitched. ^~'Alright. I'm just trying to avoid a fight.... you and your siblings may stay around here, if you wanted you all could probably join our pack, I would probably be able to persuade Shade to let you stay. I'm a beta-in-training I guess, one day I'll take over leadership of the large pack.'~^ he said, sitting down and watching as Kiro came over. He turned his gaze over to Aruka and watched, amusement in his gaze, while Aruka played with the young pups, Nyx and Raine. When they were older they would be amazing additions to any pack, Nyx was lean and would likely be the swifter of the two, though he was a pup was watchful and seemed quite intelligent. Raine was larger and would likely be good as a warrior like Cato had suggested. He glanced around and stood when he scented his sister Flame, she was named because she was usually making fires or finding them, he spotted her dark violet eyes in a bush watching.

Flame watched her brother stand and looked around his gaze eventually landing on the bush she was hiding in, she decided that would would rather reveal herself now than be sore from trying to sneak, around. She rose to her full high (just shorter than Zxi) and pushed her way through the bushes. ^~Well, well, well, what do we have here? Rather hangout with star wolves than your sister, Zxi?~^ she asked jokingly, looking at her brother. ^~Hello, female star wolf, I'ts a pleasure to make your acquaintance.~^ she said looking at the female, her brother seemed a bit annoyed but she knew she would do much infront of "guests". She moved gracefully, walking over to a male star wolf she decided to greet him as she had greeted what was likely his sister. ^~Hello, male star wolf I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.~^ she said, dipping her head and sitting down, her tail tapped the ground as she waited, her hears angeled towards the male so she wouldn't miss what he said.

[Flame is skinny. Her pelt is charcoal grey/gray with black markings that look like smoke, in her human form she looks a lot like zxi except her hair is a dark grey/gray with strands of black.]

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“I understand,” She whispered patiently. “He must learn that you are to be respected. You are a respectable warrior anyway.” Her ears flattened when she heard Zxi’s offer. It was rare for a pack to be so open to outsiders. Most packs relied on the leaders to have pups to become stronger. Yet, this one was full of so many different breeds. Was it even a legitimate pack? She wasn’t given the chance to respond to it as her attention was driven elsewhere. A soft voice had lifted beside her, causing her ears to twitch. It was to her surprise that Kiro even approached her in the first place, especially after seeing her reaction toward Zane. But who was to blame her? Zane could always be a bit much to handle. The she-wolf's behavior wasn’t submissive, but she was indeed very kind. It was a natural sense of respect between the two as if they both immediately understood each other. Cato’s tail fell still but slowly came to wag. “I am indeed a healer. I assume you are the same?” She paused, listening to Kiro’s words, her demeanor brightening when hearing that she could learn of new medicinal plants. “I am quite interested.” Although, when she planned to proceed with the female, a scent caught her nose. Even Zxi’s alertness made her nervous. She retreated towards the playing pups. Zane, noticing her distress, followed her.

A dark violet-eyed female came out into the open. She was roughly Zxi’s side with a smokey coat. Her demeanor was confident, surely another high-ranking wolf. Though the new female seemed playful and friendly with Zxi, Cato couldn’t help but take offense to the star wolf comment. It only made her feel unreliable without a pack, an unsafe refuge for her younger siblings.

Her eyes narrowed, her head lowering in warning and nervousness when the female approached. Cato came to the realization that the charcoal gray female was Zxi’s sister. Now it made sense why the two were so comfortable near each other. A single glance from Flame towards the pups made her lips automatically twitch. Cato was always skittish and nervous when meeting new individuals. Zane on the other hand, cocked his head back, his ears angled sideways in sheer curiosity. Bringing himself to his paws, he closely watched the female’s behavior. He wondered how she would react to his big muscular size. Many would cower, just as Rex and Aruka did. It was like routine for him to test boundaries. He gave a huffing soft growl, but she seemed unfazed. His tail lifted with a natural sense of confidence. “Pleasure is all yours,” He whispered under his breath, a condescending comment out of frustration at her unfazed look.

With a glance toward Zxi, Cato knew this was a wolf she must come to respect, as it was indeed his sister. “Please forgive my brother. We are both pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Cato and that is my brother Zane. We have our younger siblings Nyx and Raine.” Her head remained low and still, finding herself becoming a protective shield in front of Aruka and the pups.

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