Life in Abendrot had not changed too much since the last pack meeting, but the brute new that he still needed to hold regular meetings to keep the pack together. Even though there was not anything in particular that needed to be reported, it was still important to check in with the vargs and see who still remained loyal to the pack and who had left. When Grey Wind had held the first meeting since Kershov had left, there was a lot of vargs missing that used to reside in the pack’s lands. Most of them had been loyal to Kershov and perhaps had left with him. The new alpha did not blame them or hold any ill against them, if another lupine had taken over he may not have stuck around either. It was the previous alpha that had gotten most of his allegiance, not necessarily the pack itself. But that had all changed when the ice king left. Grey Wind didn’t realize that he did feel tied to Abendrot and that he did not want to leave, so he decided to take over instead of letting someone else. As long as he was in charge then there really as no reason at all to leave.

And so the male had called together his second pack meeting since claiming the alphaship of Abendrot. Grey Wind was more pleased with the outcome this time. Their numbers were growing as they had two newcomers and it seemed that they were not only good for the pack as a whole, but for one individual in particular. The male had grown close to one varg in particular since he had become alpha, and he didn’t realize that he had grown used to Macaria’s company until she had left. When the female left the pack she was still the scared and unsure femme, but when she came back, clearly changed by the two siblings that had just joined the pack, she was different. She no longer had the constant smell of fear and uncertainty on her pelt, but was confident and seemed to have more of a purpose now. When Grey Wind had found her unconscious on the ground sitting in the pool of another varg’s blood, he was able to figure out what it was that had changed her. To some cannibalism, or vampirism as some liked to call it, would sicken, disgust, and repulse them. But Grey Wind was not like most. He had a dark side to him, one that he usually kept hidden, that loved it. When he saw Macaria’s form covered in blood, instead of concern for her he only felt lust. The male had occasionally felt such feelings, as most males would when they shared a den with a female for so long, but this it was different. This time it was a true yearning.

Grey Wind had spent a lot of time with Macaria, and if he wanted to have her he could have asked at any point. Instead he had abuse and tortured her, had done what his instincts drove him to do. He had never had a mate or been with a female, and when he was unsure of what his feelings were for Macaria he lashed out at her instead of trying to reason through his own emotions. So the male had no ties to her, she had no reason to be faithful to him, but anger and jealously still coursed through the male when he saw the way the female acted around the newest Abendrot male, Herchel. Grey Wind put his own personal feelings aside though and accepted the male. There was no reason that Abendrot should not benefit from what the siblings could offer together just because of his own personal issue. And so when the pack meeting was done and the vargs of Abendrot went their separate ways, back to their dens and their own personal lives, he stayed behind for a few moments, trying to collect his thoughts.

He had these new feelings for Macaria, but did that mean he could claim her as his own? As messed up as Grey Wind was, what he was not was a rapist. No matter what feelings he felt towards her, that was something he would never do. But talking was not something he liked to do either, though it was more civil. He had learned to hide his feelings, to not feel when things got confusing or hard, but if he did that then he would lose the female. And she had just come back to Abendrot. He was not sure how he would feel if he were to lose her, even though she was not his to lose. So the male rose to his paws, stretching his muscles as he did so. It was easy to follow Macaria’s scent, it still smelled strongly of fresh blood. When his yellow orbs found her again he saw that she was alone. The male approached her, knowing that she would know of his approach. "So, my dear Macaria.” As he spoke to her, he approached with a growl in his throat, but it was not a threatening one. He knew that he did not need to scare her anymore to keep her within this pack. "Would you like to share the tales of your adventures outside of Abendrot? It’s clear that the old Macaria who left here is no more.” Yellow orbs pierced into her own, his own emotions confused and unsure of what was to come.