Lost Creek Hollow I can’t take one step out of your world anyway

a summons was unfamiliar. merrick paused from astride the still-breathing body of a sparrow, its tiny body viciously plucked free of feathers, skin bleeding from the abuse. the little bird continued to struggle, though the boy ended that with a single snap of his jaws, and went on to meet the ivory male who called him.
this was nunataq's father, merrick knew. he was not indra's mate, however, and indra was the only wolf that merrick had ever seen his sister recognize as a motherly figure. but the convolutions of family were of little interest to the boy, for it was wolves of his own blood which had abandoned him, and therefore their place in his mind had been forfeit.
he came upon xan in due time, gaze flicking coolly over the impressive bulk of the older male. little chance he himself would ever appear so. silently, merrick stood before the pale man, expectant that the other would speak and tell him why he had been called.