That Crazy Old Hag

Raziel smiled coldly, humorlessly. "I wouldn't say I was their guardian," he said quietly. "Scarlett agreed to that matter, so technically, she was their guardian for that month. It would have been better if they'd came earlier, or later." If it was up to him, he would never have agreed to such a thing in first place, and if Meldresi was smart enough, she would never have sent her children to their pack before she came to check it out herself. How would she know that the leadership had not changed? Foolish. Alliances were a fickle thing after all, and since he ascended to the rank of leader halfway through their arrival, he could have killed them all and sent them back to Blackfeather Woods as cold corpses. The Queen should know that, and she should be thankful he was merciful then. Because he wasn't like Scarlett who couldn't kill anything that wasn't prey, nor was he Kove who still bore attachments to his former pack, he would have slaughtered them in a blink of an eye if he thought he should do it.

And he almost did.

Raziel turned his attention back to Scarlett, who questioned him rudely, asking if she would get punished for helping a friend. His gaze softened for a fraction of a second as he shook his head. "No," he replied softly. "That would be the last thing I'll punish a packmate for. It's because you didn't trust me, it's because you didn't tell me." The Roman might dislike the wolves of Blackfeather Woods but since Meldresi was Scarlett's friend, he would have - albeit grudgingly - allowed her sanctuary in the Valley until she healed. Sadly, the albino did not see fit to notify him of her actions, therefore sealing the Dark Queen's fate. Besides, even if it hadn't been Scarlett that had seen the injured queen, but himself, he would still have offered her a place to stay until she healed because it would benefit the pack in the future. And Raziel always thought of everything before he made an action.

Meldresi spoke, explaining that she left her pack for religious reasons and that she had not intended to be gone for more than a week. On her way back to the woods, she met with someone who held a grudge with her pack and decided to take his revenge on her. To the Roman's surprise, the Dark Queen also stated that she did not blame him, which told Raziel that while her pack was brutal and shitty, she, at least, still had a conscience. He softened when she said that; it didn't hurt that he didn't get a bad vibe from her either which meant she wasn't too terrible.

The Queen of the woods said she would repay them for Scarlett's sake — he smiled at that — and that she had no intention of leeching the pack of their resources; she also said she wanted to leave in a few days and that her woulds had simply been festering and that she needed to clean them and heal them. Raziel withheld a frown at that; had Scarlett been stealing from his medical supply too? He shook that thought away, it didn't matter, not yet at least. "I have herbs that can aid you," Raziel said with a birdlike cant of his head. "You may have those, if you wish. There's also a den by the entrance of our pack, and a cache nearby. You can live there until you leave, as a guest of the Valley, under our protection, that is, if you want to." He scrutinised her and added grudgingly, "I must admit, you're not as I pictured you to be, in a good way. I hope you return home safely."

He did everything for a reason.