things were changing. katia could feel it churning like ocean waves beneath her, never letting her catch her balance for more than a minute before it shifted and spun her til she was sick. her safe haven had grown still and silent until a new leader had waltzed in and claimed the land, her half siblings were growing much too fast to keep track of, and the gypsy informants she had met traveling back and forth from clan meetings seemed to only bring word of conflicts rising in the lands outside of the forest - specifically surrounding the clans. her father was being viewed poorly and katia feared they would do something terrible to him. even her shadow, her sword and shield, her faithful guard, was changing - or rather, her feelings about the prickly brujo were changing. akuji was her anchor, an immovable mountain at her back when her strength wavered, the truest home she had ever known. he was her safe place, and she the woman he was sentenced to guard, the woman who dared to prod at the destructive force that was his soul, the woman who had been lucky enough to walk away unharmed when his beast went rabid. she wore his scent like armor, spent spent her nights curled against him, and yet he showed no outward sign of the growing affection that afflicted her. her brain was muddled in these days, her heart quickly growing sick with fear of the future.

the slender woman had fled their den - the den she corrected herself in a desperate attempt to keep her feelings in check, too aware of the havoc love could wreck. malignant felicity was different now that a new alpha had laid claim to the pack - the shadows clung thickly still, but the sinister air that your packmate would kill you as soon as speak to you had, thankfully, ebbed away. akuji still loathed to let her explore the land on her own, and she was sure he'd followed her without her knowing more times than she could count. katia understood where he was coming from, his father a omnipresent threat hanging over them, but she couldn't dwell. not when it would destroy her poor heart. so she slipped out of the den, murmuring her leave leave a half-asleep akuji. she hadn't stayed long enough to know if he had followed her, melting into the surrounding darkness. she found peace in the silence, even when her thoughts were too loud and her heartbeat resembled the frantic pounding of war drums.

it was a peaceful night and that in itself set katia on edge. she was no psychic, but she could feel something foreboding approaching. it clung sticky an ddd yoo sweet in the back of her throat, gagging her. the kalak stopped short, leaning against a tree and wishing suddenly that akuji was with her. that he would scoff, pretend he was offended by her fear, assure her that he would prevent any evil from descending on her. she knew that if she called for him, he would surely be at her side in minutes. katia steadied herself once more, breathing in the now familiar smells of malignant before righting herself. there was no need to drag him out in the middle of the night because of her sure unease. instead she continued on towards the river, pausing as she crossed paths with the scent of another - the alpha herself. interest piqued, the former princess made her way at a less leisurely pace. she had not attended the pack meeting with akuji, and was quite ready to meet the woman. when she did finally arrive, to the alpha’s right, she took a moment to study the profile she was presented with. there was something that captured the eye about the pale ess, though katia could not determine if it was the brilliant flame colored eyes or the alert way she held herself. as far as first judgement went, katia deemed her a wolf who demanded respect but was not afraid to earn it, either. this conclusion pleased her and she approached, choosing to remain standing should the alpha not want company and ask her to leave. ”miss motionless, i don't believe we've been formally introduced. i am katia, i believe you met my companion already.” the soft soprano was her ownn though the rolling lilt of her speech was attributed to her royal training rather than katia’s own manner of speaking. few had the pleasure of hearing katia drop the formal manner, and perhaps it had become a shield to protect the scared girl underneath the royal mask - indifference, touched now by curiosity.”i would like to apologize for my absence at your meeting, and for anything akuji might have said to offend you,” she paused to give a quiet chuckle. ”he is not the amicable sort.” another pause, this one longer, and then she spoke again, her tone serious. ”there are forces from outside of blossom forest at work. i understand if you would have us leave to protect your pack from becoming collateral damage. as long as you'll have us, you have my word that we will do our part to ensure the pack's safety and succession.” she fell silent, emerald and earth eyes locked on the alpha.