Hushed Willows invincible

She didn't want to be rude, but this place was a real fixer-upper.

It was.. Nice, she decided. But Pepper didn't have much of an eye for beauty; she liked the way the willows shifted in the breeze, but was instantly resistant to the concept of bunking with strangers, as Stark had explained to her upon their long journey back to the Keep. It was a very strange thing to do — not to mention unnatural — when wolves were meant to sleep out in the open. Dens were for mothers, and caves were for bears! No, she wouldn't sleep in that big-ass cave, not even if he ordered it.

But she did linger long enough to meet-and-greet with some of the residents. They seemed nice enough, if a bit nervous of her, and she had somewhat expected as much. Pepper knew how hard it had been to accept Stark back when he was knocking on her door; how often did they have new recruits in this place? Enough to make them wary, she supposed. After a few casual smiles, some introductions, a little bit of banter, she was left to her own devices, and Pepper decided to explore the rest of the territory. It was very different from her natal pack and, feeling guilty, Pepper felt a great swell of homesickness as she patrolled between the willows.