Sheepeater Cliff The dark of summer

Koontz could feel his eyes boring into her and she tried not to let his scrutiny bother her, reminding herself that she was doing the same to him. Nonetheless, she shifted under the weight of his wild amber gaze. There were reasons the Redleaf-DiSarinno didn't see herself fit to be an Alpha yet and this was one of them; she could be intimidated by other wolves without their even trying. It was one of the many aspects of her personality on which she hoped to work, to refine, with Ariston's help.

"Even if you don't join us at Dragonwatchers, you should consider staying. I don't know how long you've traveled but I've been doing it for six months. This is one of the greatest places I've ever come across, which is one of the reasons why I claimed part of it for my own." Her lip curled slightly. "As for what we can offer you... a home literally teeming with food—there's a deer herd that shares our very plateau with us—and the protection of a pack, for starters."

Shifting her weight again, although this time positioning herself with slightly more confidence—not to be confused with dominance, as she saw absolutely no reason to posture out here in the unclaimed wilderness—Koontz tipped her head and queried, "What can you offer Dragonwatchers?" Her eyes, pale as ice, nevertheless held warmth as she regarded him with genuine curiosity.