Swiftcurrent Creek alone

Fear rang the bell, tried the door knob, and huffed impatiently. Bazi swallowed. She knew the rules - until she meant something to the pack, the greeters looked on her with utilitarian eyes. Jinx was more blatant about it, but Fox thought it to. Why did I tell them I'm non-threatening? Bazi thought angrily. Her intention had been to make it sound like a strength; better to send a sweet girl than a grisly behemoth to do delicate peacekeeping work. Wars had been started over less than a threatening stance, or an insolent word.

But that opportunity was gone now. "My name is Bazi," she told Fox, grateful for the feigned interest. The submissive stance was starting to make her legs cramp. "Alphas have to be exceptional aphas and teens are just teens. I will be an exceptional scout. I will do the worst routes - the mountains, the ice, in the dark, the unreachable places. I'm fast, and meticulous, and I know how to represent a pack." The words didn't taste right, but they were theoretically true - she had practiced it all. The lay of the land at home had made scouting a top priority; packs formed and re-formed regularly and the very ground changed with the seasons. You either taught your young to be a good diplomats and careful scouts, or they died. But Bazi was only 1, still green, and the experience wasn't there yet. She would have to fake that part until it became true.

She glanced up at their faces, but it was too quick to gauge a reaction. "Give me a chance to prove it."