Echoes in the Forest
The patrol had disappeared into the trees, but the clearing felt heavier than before. Shadows seemed to lean closer, and even the firelight carried a sharper edge. Kaida watched silently as the six wolves around her shifted uneasily.
Benny, the gray wolf, broke the quiet first, poking at a log with a stick. "Well… that went about as smooth as I expected," he said, voice light, though his eyes flicked toward the treeline.
Rhea, scarred and brown-furred, snorted. "Smooth? That looked like walking into a den of teeth with a smile."
Benny grinned. "Exactly. And somehow I'm still standing."
Jax rolled his shoulders. "Somehow? You're lucky they didn't—"
"Shhh," Kaida interrupted, holding up a hand. "No one attacked. They weren't looking for a fight, neither were we".
Mara, quiet and dark-haired, sat near the fire pit, knees pulled up. "But they will notice us. And next time, we won't be strangers."
Kaida nodded. "Then we prepare, together. Not by posture, not by dominance, but by knowing each other."
Benny gave her a sidelong glance. "You make that sound so easy."
Kaida smiled. "I don't say it's easy. I just say it's possible."
Rhea leaned back, arms crossed. "We all better hope that's enough."
"Trust yourself"
Lune, pale-haired and perched at the treeline, smirked faintly. "It will be, if Benny keeps talking. Keeps the tension away from us."
Benny tilted his head. "Hey, I'm your comic relief. You can't fault me for that."
"I can," Lune said lightly, voice smooth. "And I do."
He laughed softly. "And yet you stick around."
"That's because I like chaos," she replied, leaning back on her hands. "Yours is just… entertaining."
Kaida watched the exchange with a quiet warmth. There was something alive in the moment—a fragile, precarious bond—but it mattered. The forest had a way of turning small cracks into cliffs. She wanted them to know each other before that happened.
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Benny's Past
Benny's smile faltered slightly. He poked at the fire again, softer this time. "I wasn't always… like this."
The others turned toward him. He rarely spoke of his past, at least in the short time they had known him.
"I had a pack," he continued, voice low. "Obedience mattered more than breath. Mistakes meant scars, laughter meant trouble. I left when I could, but it doesn't leave you behind. You carry it, like I do."
Lune tilted her head. "You're joking through the trauma?"
Benny shrugged. "Partly. But also… it keeps me alive. Silence would've killed me faster than them."
Rhea exhaled softly. "So your laughter isn't joy. It's survival."
"Exactly," Benny said. "And now, here, I can choose to be happy, if only a little."
Lune shifted closer, pale hair brushing his shoulder. "You're still alive," she said simply. "And you're choosing to stay here. With us."
Benny blinked at her, the light teasing gone for a moment. "Yeah. With… you all. Doesn't feel like camouflage right now."
Kaida smiled softly. "See? You can belong without bending yourself to someone else's rules."
Benny gave a half-laugh, half-sigh. "She's good at that," he muttered, nodding toward Kaida.
"You're learning," Lune said lightly. "Don't get soft on her. It's dangerous."
"Dangerous is kinda my specialty," Benny replied, tone teasing again.
Kaida watched them, letting the warmth of these small bonds fill the clearing. The tension from the patrol had not vanished—it lingered like smoke—but she could feel it easing among her wolves.
Even as night deepened, the forest seemed attuned to their presence. Every rustle in the trees, every subtle movement in the underbrush, set their ears twitching.
Benny leaned back against a tree, humming again, quieter this time. "I swear I can feel them still," he murmured.
Rhea frowned. "Not your imagination. Packs leave a mark. They're still close enough to notice."
Kaida nodded. "Good. Awareness keeps us alive. But we don't hide. Not yet. Not while we're still building trust."
Tomas, broad-shouldered and calm, added, "We're not a pack, but we function like one when needed. That's enough—for now."
Mara nodded, dark eyes reflective. "Enough to survive at least."
Lune smirked faintly. "Enough to make them think twice before testing us."
Benny gave her a crooked grin, brows shotting to hide under his hair. "And you seem to enjoy that idea."
"Someone has to right, you're the common relief and I… well you'll find out," Lune said.
———————————————
Quiet Bonds
Kaida rose and walked among them, pouring water into a small bowl, handing blankets, speaking quietly to each. She didn't command, but her attention grounded them. She brought a sense of peace that they could not understand.
"To Mara," she said softly, brushing a lock of hair from her face, "you notice details that save us. Don't forget it."
Mara's faint smile was a flicker of pride. "I won't." Her cheeks turning a pale shade of pink.
"To Tomas," Kaida said. "Your strength and steadiness… it keeps the rest of us from panicking. Keep it close."
Tomas gave a brief nod, eyes steady looking around the group.
"To Rhea," Kaida said, "don't ever forget your insight. Even when the world doubts it."
Rhea let a small smile tug at her lips.
"And to Jax," Kaida said, crouching to meet his eyes. "Your energy keeps us moving. Just… temper it wisely."
Jax grinned, slightly sheepish.
"To Lune and Benny," Kaida said, sitting between them. "You're learning from each other. Don't let the world twist that bond. Keep it honest and pure."
Benny grinned at her. "We'll try."
Lune smirked. "Try harder, maybe."
Kaida smiled warmly. "I know you will."
———————————-
Rowan Watches
Miles away, Rowan sat in the council chamber, torchlight flickering across the stone walls. Captain Alaric stood before him, along with Second Riven, Scout Hale, and Enforcer Nyx.
"Patrol report, Alpha," Alaric began tersely.
Rowan's jaw tightened, unease unfolding in his chest. "Proceed."
"Patrol encountered six wolves north of the southern border stone," Alaric said. "No markers placed. No aggression. No Alpha or Luna claimed. The leader—a dark-haired female—spoke for the group alone."
Rowan's breath caught. "No kneeling?"
"None," Alaric replied. "They neither challenged nor submitted."
Elder Bran muttered under his breath, "They're dangerous, something is off about them."
Rowan shook his head. "No. They're surviving. And in that survival is power."
Nyx spoke quietly, "Alpha, they command attention without dominance. The group moves as one without imposed hierarchy." Concern pouring with every word.
Guilt pressed on Rowan, sharp and unyielding. He had refused her once, denied the bond he felt in his bones. He had rejected her choice.
"All orders?" Alaric asked.
Rowan stood slowly, voice firm. "Observe. No force. No threats—for now."
He closed his eyes for a moment. "She chooses. And we will see what that choice brings."
The patrol looked at each other in confusion but said nothing.
Back in the clearing, the six wolves sat quietly around the fire, the forest listening, aware of their presence. Benny's quirkiness returned gradually, teasing Lune, laughing lightly, but under it was still the weight of his past.
Kaida watched them, warm but cautious. "They'll be back," she said softly. "We need to be ready—not to fight, but to endure."
Lune smirked. "Endure, or confuse the hell out of them first?"
"Both," Kaida said, a mischievous glint reflecting Lune's.
Benny leaned back against a tree, looking at Lune. "I don't know why, but I like this chaos" he paused unsure "And you."
Lune's smirk softened just slightly. "Then don't ruin it."
Kaida watched them, and for a moment, she allowed herself to hope. That in the forest, in this fragile clearing, they could survive together, even if the world beyond the border had not yet learned their names.