Whitebark Stream Linoleum aisles that I love to get lost in

The woods were cold today. Saena's winter coat had finished growing in about a week before, but the wind that cut through the sparse trees near the pack's boundary still managed to chill to the bone. Her patrol was quick as a result, her stride a choppy trot that brought her quickly along the paths she and Reek had jointly worn into the ground. Likely she wasn't paying as much attention as she usually did, what with wanting to return to the warmth of a den as soon as possible, but she wasn't too concerned. Word seemed to have got out about Phoenix Maplewood's vicious handling of its most recent trespassers. A lone wolf would have to be stupid to tempt the already alert alpha pair.

Stupid or very, very brave, which is what Tavi probably was. In her inattention, Saena passed over the first sign of an approaching lone wolf on the breeze, and only when she was close enough to actually make out Ukko through the trees did she realize something was amiss. He was with a female. The jealousy that reared up in her chest had nothing to do with the newcomer—she hadn't even really met him, and had no interest in him as far as she knew—but it roared like a fire anyway. The only female any male in this pack should be approaching so closely was her, as lead female.

She would, of course, refuse to be propositioned by any but her mate when she came into season, but fending off competing females was already on her brain, especially those from outside her pack. Already the ancient tension of autumn and winter had found its way into her, so her step was possessive as she broke cover. It was at that exact moment that Tavi made her bold move toward the maplewood pack's claim, and she would find a growling, incensed alpha female en route to cut her off with a lowly said, "going somewhere?"