Ocean's Breath Plateau Half your life you've been hooked on death

She'd noticed the new cache by her den. @Chakliux's attention baffled her; she had the support of the alphas, and Heph, already. It would be easy to assume that he did it out of some kind of sense of duty, or pride, or even just simple camaraderie between packmates. But Marina had been suspicious of even Samani and Rodyn in the beginning, and she was suspicious now.

Heph's habitual flirting, whether unique to Marina or not (one day she would figure it out!), had made her more aware of her appearance. So she was well-groomed today when she sought Chakliux's company, leaving her children to play under the supervision of a packmate. Marina carried with her a jagged piece of driftwood the length of her foreleg. She meant to see if his intentions were genuine, if he would be a true friend to her — and that meant reaching out first. She only hoped that what she had in mind would reach him.