She laughed again, throwing her delicate snowy head all the way back, laughing at the sky. Throat fully exposed to him, both amber eyes shut tight in a caricature of mirth. The sound was light, clear as bells, and danced gaily through the warm afternoon sun. None of this warmth touched Kaiya’s heart. It was wrapped in ice as she sat, inches from this strange wolf, arching herself into this vulnerable posture. Eyes shut, neck unguarded; if this one wanted her dead, here was his chance. It chilled her to be so defenseless, especially in front of a male, but this now was a game of trust. She had to win his trust, and to get she knew she had to give. So she laughed at the sky, waiting for the iron-trap jaws to rip the carefree sound out of her with a bloody snap.

But the snap did not come, and as her laughter subsided she lowered her head to regard this other wolf again, her eyes dancing with a newfound spark of confidence. She had offered him the chance to kill her and he had not sprung. Not that she had really expected him to. He seemed more the stumbling, awkward type than the secret bloodthirsty killer type. Still, a girl like her had to be careful in the games that she played. And with winter fast approaching, she had little time to play. This throat-baring maneuver, risky as it had been, had been the quickest way to ascertain whether or not this boy was a real threat to her. The game, it seemed, could now begin in earnest. She looked at him steadily through hooded eyes, holding her head coyly down and to one side so that her gaze came up through thick lashes.

”I call myself Kaiya, honeychild,” she all but purred, repeating the same pet name. She could see his confusion at being called such a thing and intended to use it to her advantage. Still holding his gaze she brought her head up level once more and let her northern accent seep more heavily into her voice. ”I’m not from around here, as you can probably tell from the way I talk. I’m new to Blossom Forest. I’ve never even heard of this Wu…Wudu..bearo.”

She intentionally mangled the name of his pack, stumbling over the word as a child might. She prayed that he would find it endearing rather than offensive, find her sweet rather than stupid. Of course she had heard of Wudubearo, that gorgeous deciduous land to the northeast. She had passed its borders on her journey into Blossom from her former home far to the north. She had almost thought to stop there, to call at the border, but she had been too frightened by who might answer. Ironic. True she was new to this place, but she would have to be a fool not to make familiarizing herself with the major holdings one of her first priorities. It would not do to go traipsing where she was not welcome; though Kaiya had as much faith in her fighting ability as the next wolf, she knew she would be no match for an angry border patrol or an alpha male displeased at finding an unbidden stranger in his lands. Besides, this dame was more of a lover than a fighter.

What Kaiya sought in Blossom was protection. She had lived a hard life in the north and had seen horrors beyond what she thought possible. She was conscious of her slight frame and petite stature and grew more anxious with every passing day being out in the world alone. She had drifted to Blossom on the tails of some rumor of magic, hoping that it would somehow grant her some protection. Barring that, she knew that she would need a pack for safety, maybe even a new mate. She shuddered inwardly at the thought, the memory of her previous lover fighting to rise once again to the surface of her mind, but she fought it down and forced herself to focus instead on the chocolate youth in front of her. Scarred though he was, he wasn’t bad looking. And he was certainly easy enough to toy with. The poor thing could hardly get a sentence out without the words clumping together in his mouth.

”I’ve been wandering too, Lupin,” she confessed abruptly, allowing a tearful note to slip into her voice. “I’ve been all alone since I had to run away from my home up north. I’ve been attacked and chased and just totally, totally lost. I keep stumbling across pack borders and having to retreat. I don’t know where it’s safe to stop and rest. I don’t even know where the good hunting spots are.”

She hung her head in a mockery of shame. These were, of course, all lies, but in her experience, Kaiya had discovered that it was often useful to paint herself as the helpless damsel in distress. Make them feel sorry for her, draw them in. Let them puff themselves up to feel big and strong. Contrive danger, allow them to rescue her. Fawn and flirt and flatter her way in. This was the game, these were the steps she knew so well.

And now it was time for the main event. It meant another risk, letting her guard down again, but by now she was confident that this brute wouldn’t harm her. If he took the bait, she might be able to use him to find the protection she so desperately craved. Winter was days away, a hard time to be a lone female wolf. Time to lay it on thick.

“I’m…all alone,” she mumbled at the ground. “I can’t sleep at night. I’m afraid. I’m so hungry…” She let her voice crack, trailing off into a whisper ripe with imminent tears. This was the good bit. She looked up at him shyly, eyes brimming with the tears that were making her voice shake.

”Can you…help me, Lupin? Please?”

| . | . | Khett | . | . |