The hope for a new family

Shooting this out before going to bed, if anything doesn't make sense it's probably because I am half asleep xD

By nature, Malachi was not a territorial wolf. Whereas many leaders spent countless hours patrolling the boundary of their domain, marking and remarking, he usually preferred to spend his time hunting or gathering or otherwise providing the pack with tangible help. But his encounter with Caiaphas still had him on edge, and as the days wore on he found himself drawn toward the outskirts of the Glacier, intentional patrols far from his mind, and yet at the same time, so very close. The siren's jarring appearance, matched with his renewed commitment to protect those under his care, drew him subconsciously closer to the border's edge.

The wind first alerted him to the presence of a stranger, gently carrying her scent his way. Lifting his head, Malachi scanned the sparse trees until he caught sight of her a moment later, her white fur a camouflage against the birch trunks. He took her as no threat, and took a pace toward her - only to stiffen in place as she took a pace into the land that was not hers to tread.

The gradual bristling of Malachi's nape was the only motion on the sundry-colored boy. But the woman's short howl broke him, and he wasted no time longer in charging her way, fur still bristling as he drew closer. "You trespass on Duskfire land." His voice held a steely edge uncommon to the youth, and he drew himself to full height, coming nearer the woman than his usual approach. Tail and hackles raised, his body spoke the message strong enough, and he wordlessly willed her to back up.