Phoenix Maplewood A temper set for tender

Like usual, Saena was hiding out in the den. It was a lot more spacious with Scarlett gone, as awful as that thought was. Somewhat greedily, she was glad for it. The den had been cramped with the both of them and Reek, so the extra leg room was appreciated greatly. She was alone a good deal of the time while Reek tended to the pack and presumably put Ukko through his paces every day, but Saena was okay with that. She was okay with never seeing the light of day again.

But the depression that crept up on her and suffocated her was primarily due to being cooped up and unable to do anything, and so it was a disastrous cycle. The more time she spent in the den, the less she wanted to leave it. The scents of the forest that washed in now and again were almost foreign to her. Ukko, Tavi, Desna and Reek remained of the wolves she knew somewhat well, and there were many other scents of wolves she didn't know. Hadn't vetted. Any one of them could be a danger to her, and she had no desire to go find out.

So when Reek sought her out, she was still lying in the gloom of the den. Her eyes shone as she lifted them to his dark face, haloed with the light from outdoors, and she quietly groaned, "don't make me go outside yet."