Redsand Canyon Blood orange sunrise.

Nothing happened. The pups fed, then dozed, and Towhee felt no different. She didn’t even feel tired, not after convalescing this past week. She actually felt pretty keyed up and restless after everything, though she did her best to sit still to avoid disturbing the pups. They’d had far too much excitement already.

A shadow fell over the door and she thought it might be Maxim. He was never far. Or perhaps someone else had come to pay a visit, now that she’d settled a bit. Towhee would welcome that, for her sanity more than anything else.

The instant she realized the scent belonged to a stranger, she leaped to her feet with a growl vibrating in her chest. Careful not to step on the children, she swiftly moved toward the door and almost tripped over the carcass lying on the threshold. Towhee didn’t look down, her orange eyes fixed on the unfamiliar man lurking outside her door.

Who the fuck, she demanded brusquely, tail lashing, are you?

He was likely a new recruit, not a trespasser. There was no way someone could infiltrate this far into Mereo with a fresh kill. Nonetheless, Towhee did not appreciate some random dude showing up on her doorstep, especially not after this whirlwind of a week.