The hope for a new family

He wouldn't blame her if she didn't trust his words. He'd come with the intent of rushing her from the territory, and he'd chosen to use aggression as a hand in the game. Of course she didn't trust him. He wouldn't have, if he'd been met the same way.

But to chase her away was his intention no longer. The youth flicked his ear and eased onto his haunches when the woman rose. Perhaps relaxing from his stand would give her ease in his presence. With pricked ears he caught her name, and found his gaze drawn across her face, lingering for a moment upon her eyes. The source of her namesake, he guessed. Their ruddy hue stood in stark contrast against the white of her fur, a curious shade by any wolf's standards.

Scarlett's prompt for his own name lured the youth from the recesses of his mind and Malachi replied with a short nod. "Malachi." He said, with equal brevity. No smile danced upon his face, his emotion still in disarray from the tension that had transpired. "It wasn't very smart crossing the border like that. If you wanted our help, you should have just howled from the other side." He shifted his weight, but spoke no further on the matter. Malachi hoped she'd already learned her lesson enough. Drawing in a breath, he channeled the conversation on a different route, eager to address the reason for her trespass in the first place: to find a home. Though she looked a little worse for wear, surely she had skill enough to survive this far. Their numbers at the Glacier were so thin he imagined any help could be of use. "But I'm not going to chase you away. There is room for you here, if you would still like to join our number."