Zaqar had not expected anything to come of this gathering. His only goal was to observe and watch the others attempt to make awkward small talk. It did not seem as though anyone had noticed him yet, but he continued to stare from afar as the subordinate of Iromar became suddenly infatuated with a female. If Zaqar had been visible, he likely would have rolled his eyes, but here, where he was relatively unseen, he could watch intently and wish the same for himself. His whole life, he had been a part of Iromar. He had his relatives and pack mates and he was proud of that, but he looked with envy upon Lillith and Andras, Paldor and Ruvindra, and even to an extent his mother and Haedes before they had fled.

It was not that he was looking for love necessarily. He did not pine for the romanticism that perhaps some in this world desired. It was the partnership, the companionship that these pairs exuded that he wished for. He knew they were not all imprints, were not all forced together by fate, but he had never been fantastic at socializing and therefore finding the soul who was destined for him seemed to be the easiest route. It never crossed his mind that there was a possibility he would imprint upon someone who wanted nothing to do with him.

He was still watching the gathering, which seemed slightly smaller now that Chael and his companion had shifted away to talk on their own, when a soft whine caught his attention. Zaqar turned in time to see the fox-red girl squirming from beneath a bush. The moment she turned and he could see into her worried face, he knew. Nothing around him mattered except for her, and he was overcome by a terrible longing to be close to her, to wipe the fear from her face forever.

For several long moments, he simply looked at her, noting each of her features and memorizing them. She was small, and though she seemed younger than him it was quite apparent that he would dwarf her in size even if they were the same age.

When some sense of rationality returned to him, enough time had passed for her to run away if she wished. But immediately he knew, he would follow her until he at least had a chance to introduce himself. Wagging his tail, he took a few steps forward and softly whined to catch her attention.