Ghost Lion Crag darling remember, when you come to me

Yes, Dragomir grimly confirmed. He wasn't privy to the gritty details of Dacio's demise, but the whole pack knew of the former Gona's passing. Privately, he'd wondered if that was the reason for Praimfaya's disappearance, but he also knew she'd taken to leaving the territory on her own, heedless of Hydra's warning, so she could just as easily be dead as well for all he knew. Just because the Alpha hadn't found Osiris' assailant didn't mean they weren't still lurking around somewhere, preying on overly confident young wolves.

And Praimfaya, fed delusions of grandeur in her youth, was the definition of overly confident.

Hydra didn't want us leaving the territory without partners, but Praimfaya was doing it all the time, if her scent markers around the borders were any indication. I've checked the fringes regularly for signs of both of you, but beyond that, I don't even know if they've noticed Praimfaya's gone. As for Dragomir, up until today, he'd been reluctant to disobey Hydra's command that they always travel in groups, so he hadn't gone out looking himself. He supposed in a way, he was equally at fault for not searching.

If Arcturus' answer had been that he was founding a pack elsewhere, then Dragomir may well have taken the leap. Pledged himself to the cause in a grand show of youthful impulse. But that wasn't the man's plan, at least not explicitly. He knew nothing of the Firebirds except that Wraen was one of them, and regardless of Arcturus' fondness for her, all Dragomir had to go on was that she showed no respect for pack borders or the sanctity of pack territory. It was a poor first impression and he'd already unfairly assumed that because she was incredibly ignorant, her whole pack must be, as well. No thanks.

I'll be looking, said Dragomir, who by now felt that the in-fighting within Moonspear was much more threatening than the possibility of being attacked externally. He'd take physical wounds over the mental strain of civil unrest any day. No more letting wolves go without a care. He would search for Praimfaya. In the meantime, I'll miss you, Arcturus. Maybe I'll see you some day out on that other mountain.

Just how that played out remained to be seen.