Blacktail Deer Plateau How bright you shone for me tonight

The gripping of the snout was a ritualized method of rank communication among wolves, so the last thing Saena intended to do with it was cause harm. Perhaps her personal feelings toward Osprey weren't the greatest, but she wasn't in the business of harming pack mates over personal feelings. Besides, she was growing up enough to know that she wasn't necessarily right to have disowned her aunt, even if it was something she would never go back on. So when her ritualized snatch resulted in her teeth raking across Osprey's face, Saena faltered just slightly.

It was enough for her advantage to become a disadvantage. Likely outraged by the actual hit, which was never intended anyway, Osprey retaliated by lunging for her. The older wolf was too quick for Saena to dodge, and soon she was being squashed into the ground, clearly bested. She growled fiercely for a moment, but knew it was no good; she'd lost, and no one was rushing to put Osprey in her place, which was to say that no one approved of Saena's ambition, least of all the Alpha male who still hadn't stepped in to settle the challenge and name her the victor, as she'd sort of expected him to do. And why not? Hadn't she done a lot more than her aunt? But it wasn't enough—she wasn't seen as worthy.

It was the sting of this realization more than any respect for Osprey or acceptance of her lower rank that made Saena meekly fold back her ears and fall silent. She allowed this dominance display only a moment before she wriggled free and, defeated, strode quickly away from them all without even a glance back.