Goodness, why was the day so freaking HOT? Normally I enjoyed basking in the sun, especially after sampling whatever herb my brother would pilfer for us. Dazing and dazed, I loved those times when we sprawled out on the hot canyons of Diveen and let the sun soak into our fur while the wind whistled up from the canyon below, cooling at the same time. There were many nooks and crannies in Diveen but I didn’t quite trust traversing the canyon paths this time of the year when the rains were so abrupt. Flash floods happened all the time and I worried I might be swept away – Rurik would be the only one who cared. He was all I had left it felt like.

For the past season I had sniffed and hunted around for the pair who had killed my father. Much time had passed since that, yet I only now had begun to feel confident in myself enough to look for them. If they were in a pack I would go to their alpha and I would out their treacherous deeds. Yes, any alpha would require punishment for such a sin, I was certain. If not, I would demand Arturio do something about them or the demand the other alpha or.. something. I realize In frustration that demands might nor work and anyways, I was doing a piss poor job of tracking them.

I don’t even realize as I near the river that there is a cluster of wolves around the bend until a sudden breeze smacks me in the face. It is full of scents and I hear rustling, voices, breathes. I crouch down immediately, ears pricking forward as my silver eyes look upriver at the various wolves. There are more males than females and some wolves I can’t even see as they are a distance from the river watching, mere shadows. One scent is familiar – Loki, my uncle, and my nose twitches as I glance between the wolves, trying to figure out where he was positioned.