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"There is no one who loves pain itself, who seeks after it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain..."

She'd really done it. It was hard to believe she'd come back to Moladian only months before and now she was an alpha, of her homeland, no less. She walked the borders, marking her scent as needed. Her nose wrinkled at the faint cologne left over from the former alpha. She'd only heard vague or bad things about him. Kidnapping children and holding them hostage. Threatening their safety if the parents tried to take them back. He fed off of power from what she could gather but then, she didn't know the wolf so maybe she was judging him too harshly. Maybe some day he'd come back, either to reclaim his throne or just to see who took over. She would welcome the confrontation, if only to put him in his place. Andras would have hated the way Iromar looked when she first got here. It was neglected and downtrodden. The good thing is, the lack of activity brought more prey into the area cause they started to consider it safe. That meant plenty of good eating for the pack hunt she would organize soon enough. Or rather, she hoped someone would step forward with ambitions to be her Stalker then she could let them organize the hunt. Even better.

She still had a long way to go with getting Iromar back in tip top shape. She was actually surprised by the amount of wolves who showed up, wanting to make Iromar their home. She knew she'd need to take it slow and get to know them as well as possible but it was a great start. Better than expected. She figured her name had been forgotten except by those who knew her so she didn't expect a lot of wolves to come. Who would flock to a stranger? But it was like these wolves were desperate for a fresh start, someone to put their trust in. Now, she just had to earn their respect and show them that trust was well deserved. She was pleasantly surprised that Arkane had showed up so soon. She expected him to walk the free lands more and go visit with their children. It was sweet that he wanted to stay and watch over them, but she knew her daughters better than that. She may have left them when they were still pretty young, but she'd raised them to be strong and independent. She was sure they wouldn't appreciate their father looking over their shoulder. Besides, she'd be lying if she didn't admit she looked forward to seeing him more now that she had a reason.

She headed to her new den next. She'd already cleaned out the old bones and other debris left over from the former alpha. He had a good location, where he could oversee pretty much the whole pack land but also keep a good eye on the borders. But he was filthy as a den owner. It was a mess of disorder and cobwebs. She enjoyed ripping them down and tossing everything out about as much as she enjoyed marking the den as her own with her scent. It was oddly satisfying to have a space to herself again. She was always more of a private wolf except for those few she allowed to get in. Andras would always be remembered as her beloved mentor and father figure. He doted on her when everyone else had left her. He believed in her. Even his mate had taken her alligator hunting as a yearling. They took more interest in her than her own parents. And Arkane was one of her first pupils when she became a warrior and started training others. He was the most promising. When Aithne took over, it didn't take long for Avery to learn she could put her faith in the Empress. She was kind hearted but also ruthless when it was called for. Avery admired her above all others.

Her death still grated on Avery's nerves. She wished vengeance on the male who did it and if she was really cruel of heart, she would wish it on his descendents who probably still walked the earth of Moladian. She may even be housing one now. But no, that wasn't who she was. His kids were not him, just as she was not Chernobyl or Beowulf. They were practically strangers to her. She sighed as she ventured around the outside of the den, cleaning it up further and making it more presentable for someone of her stature. As she sat down on the hill overlooking her den, she couldn't help but tug her lips into a smirk. It felt good to have a purpose again.