Swiftcurrent Creek There is no way but up

Gunnar seemed to refuse his offer—instead, opting to simply barrel in to a conversation that held the implication of exploration to a scenario and quickly escalated into a demand and lecture.

The man listened intently upon first words—his concern clear for the aging man as he began—and then when the realization of just what Gunnar was saying began to embed itself within his mind, he could feel the clench of his heart—the thrum of blood in his ears.

It had been Kvarsheim that had attacked his daughter and Wren?

And here stood Gunnar, emboldened to make demands of him—and it took a great restraint to not bare his teeth, insisting then and there the dissolution of their alliance.

But of course, when he made an attempt to deal with issues, others seemed to come from the woodwork—and lo and behold, Mae and Wren made their presence known. Mae spat her say in it—Akavir’s eyes upon her a moment, his form moving to keep her from Gunnar’s reach—untrusted.

But she left—and then there was Wren—damaged from the fight, and even more so, damaged from her heartache. She described the man who had attacked—and he settled his gaze on Gunnar, waiting for confirmation.

He did not chase after Mae—it was best she was not here to witness anything else further. Her trauma from the incident had been enough.

“You’re telling me the man that attacked my child and my member who was protecting a newborn cub from one of our dead mothers, and my daughter… was one of yours? Or he was there with the two rogues? Because the account I received was there were only two wolves.”

There was a dark flicker in his gaze—a coldness in his champagne eyes as he studied Gunnar now, seeing the man now in a more insidious light than he had prior—had he forgot the two wolves who had attacked the creek had also ripped the tail from the young one? “I have spent weeks looking for these two unknown wolves who have attacked our pack. One ripped the tail from the newborn… Or have you forgotten? So I will need you to clarify.”

For now, he would gather the information—simmering. For now, he would dismiss the audacity and entitlement that oozed from the man who visited their borders with such an accusation.