Great Bear Wilderness the wolf bites back

her ears twitched when he spoke his own name, the single syllable cutting through the quiet like a pebble dropped into still water. she glanced at him, catching the brief flick of his eyes in her direction.

“keep up, then.” there was a faint challenge in her tone, though she didn’t look back to see if he rose to it.

her gaze swept over the trail ahead, narrowing slightly at the sight of uprooted trees and scattered branches. the storm had left its mark here, the path littered with debris that made each step deliberate. her eyes were sharp, scanning for anything the storm might have unearthed—weak spots, fallen dens, or worse.

a jagged scar in the earth caught her attention, and she paused briefly, tail flicking as she studied it. “looks like the storm wasn’t picky about where it hit,” she muttered, glancing back at Masa. “hope you’re good at weaving through wreckage.” there was no real bite in her words, just the faintest hint of a challenge—an invitation to see if he could keep up.