Borders in Shadow
The fire crackled as night deepened, and the clearing seemed to hold its breath. Shadows stretched long across the damp earth, and the scent of wet pine filled the air. Kaida surveyed the group quietly, letting the stillness settle around them before speaking.
"We need to talk about what's next," she said, voice calm but firm. "The patrol wasn't just observation. They tested our limits, our cohesion. We can't assume they won't return."
Benny poked at the fire, sending a spark into the dark skies. "Limits, cohesion… sounds exhausting. Can't we just sit here and roast marshmallows or something?"
Lune shot him a sharp glance. "You're ridiculous."
"Ridiculous keeps me alive," he replied, grinning. "You all should try it sometime."
Tomas shifted on his log, rubbing his jaw. "This isn't a joke, Benny. The patrol isn't playing games. Next time, they could bring numbers, authority, maybe weapons. We need to be ready for that."
Mara folded her arms, gaze piercing. "They'll also notice our weaknesses if we don't act carefully. That includes personalities, tempers, even humor."
Benny shrugged. "So basically, I'm a walking hazard."
Mara calculated her words before simply uttering "those are not my words,"
Kaida smiled faintly. "Hazard or not, you're part of this group. And every part matters. We each have roles that keep us alive. That includes laughter."
Rhea's eyes narrowed. "Roles are fine until someone makes a mistake and costs us all."
"You're imagining the worst-case scenario," Kaida said softly. "What we do matters more than what we fear. But we can't ignore the threat either."
Benny leaned closer to Lune. "See? Even Kaida admits I'm necessary."
Lune rolled her eyes. "Fine, you're necessary. Just don't get cocky and get us killed."
The quiet stretched for a moment, broken only by the fire's hiss. Benny's expression grew softer, more serious. "I wasn't always this… cheerful," he admitted. "My first pack—obedience ruled everything. Mistakes weren't forgiven, laughter wasn't allowed. I left when I could. But the past sticks with you. Sometimes it whispers at night. Makes you question every choice."
"Being alive isn't enough. I have to decide how to live."
Kaida stepped closer, laying a hand lightly on his shoulder. "You're choosing wisely. And in this group, choices like yours ripple outward. They affect all of us."
Benny nodded slowly, letting her words sink in.
Mara watched him for a long moment. "I didn't think someone like you could survive that past and stay… open. Most shut down completely."
"I had to," Benny said, voice low. "There wasn't another option. But now, with all of you… maybe I can do more than survive. Maybe I can actually live and actually enjoy it."
The wind shifted suddenly, rustling the trees like a warning. The wolves all froze, ears pricked. Lune's eyes narrowed. "Something's coming."
Rhea's tail twitched. "Patience. Don't react yet. Let it reveal itself."
Tomas stood, stepping forward with deliberate calm. "Positions. Mara, east side. Rhea, west. Benny, stay near Kaida. Lune, you and Jax watch the treeline."
Benny groaned. "Positions? Already? I was just starting to enjoy sitting." He said, exaggeratedly waving a stick in the air.
The action made everyone smile as they did as Tomas said.
"You survive," Lune said with a smirk. "You survive because we tell you to."
Kaida raised her hand. "No one steps into fear or anger. Observe, prepare, and wait for the right moment to act. Nothing more."
Benny muttered under his breath like a petulant child, "I'd rather be roasting marshmallows…"
Lune rolled her eyes. "You've said that already. Focus."
Movement at the edge of the clearing drew every gaze. Rowan stepped forward, boots quiet on the damp earth, his posture controlled, precise. He stopped, scanning the group with an intensity that made the firelight feel like it couldn't shield them.
In Kaida's eyes, he moved in slow motion. In her heart he left a painful mark. His Sharp features were just as she remembered but his eyes brought a different feeling.
Kaida squared her shoulders. "Rowan," she said evenly. "I didn't expect you to return so soon."
He studied them all before responding. "I came alone to see what you've made of your choices. I needed to assess—not interfere."
Benny whispered to Lune, "Alone? That's worse is it ? ."
Lune smirked faintly. "Worse in what sense? He's tall, broody… predictable."
Rowan's gaze flicked to Benny. "Do you always talk this much, or is it only when you think no one is listening?"
Benny grinned faintly. "Depends. You're listening now, so yes."
Kaida stepped closer. "Rowan, I will answer your questions, but do not expect obedience. Our strength lies in choice, in trust, not blind submission."
Rowan's jaw tightened. "Choice is dangerous. Packs rely on hierarchy for survival. You are making it brittle."
Kaida scoffed at his words, some things never changed.
Tomas stepped forward. "We survive differently. By watching each other, by noticing details, by standing together. Hierarchy isn't the only way, it's not our way."
Mara added, eyes narrowed. "And if anyone tests that, they'll see cohesion isn't weakness. It's strength."
Rowan's eyes lingered on Kaida. "You've managed six wolves without an Alpha, without a Luna… and yet you keep them together. I underestimated you."
Kaida met his gaze, her gaze now mockingly cold. "You still do." Dismissing him .
The night seemed to tense, holding its breath. Benny shifted slightly, voice low. "Scary or not, he's… interesting. Like a storm about to break."
Lune tilted her head. "Better a storm than a shadow that whispers at night. I prefer storms. Readable, manageable and predictable."
Benny nodded. "Fair point. And I think he respects her. That's… rare."
Kaida ignored the murmurs still facing rowan, not to challenge, not to dominate but standing her ground. She refused to cower. When rowan finally settled out of sight, the trees whispered his location. She said nothing, she felt no need to alarm the group.
Turning the group. "Your awareness, your courage, your humor—they keep us alive. Every strength matters. Respect each other, because the world outside the clearing will not."
Tomas shifted slightly closer to Mara. "We'll hold together," he murmured.
Mara's lips twitched into a faint smile. "We survive together."
Benny leaned toward Lune. "We survive with chaos, observation, and sarcasm. Don't forget that part." A slight laugh escaping his lips
Lune smirked. "I wouldn't dare."
Rowan remained at the treeline, watching, tension coiled in his posture. He had come to assess, but the cohesion of the wolves surprised him. Alive, alert, bonded, and no need for dominance and control, something he had never seen before.
Kaida swept the group with a glance. "Tonight, we rest, but we do not forget the lessons learned. Tomorrow, we continue to grow. Together."
The wolves settled closer to the fire, each one letting the warmth and trust ripple through the group. Rowan, still at the edge, could see it clearly. Alive, alert, and ready. And none of them needed him to enforce it.
Kaida closed her eyes, her senses still pinned to where Rowan stood. Every movement and breath tracked. She was no fool .