Big Salmon Lake [BWP P4 Prey Opportunity] katatonia

Once Dragomir shared what he saw with Hydra and other members of the pack had assembled, Moonspear's forces headed down the mountain toward the lake. The closer they got, the more the boy withdrew into his own mind and allowed the wild to take him over. Hunger drove him to volunteer to accompany the pack down, but it felt morally wrong to feed from the same lake where Vercingetorix had fallen. He forced it down, narrowing his eyes and maintaining a determined limp down to Big Salmon Lake and the wolves collected there. By the time they arrived he'd managed to distance himself from his grief enough to feel no guilt in the pinching of his belly. That would come later.

Hydra picked up the scent of his mother before Dragomir did, but that didn't mean he didn't smell her too. He stiffened, torn momentarily between turning around and pressing on. In the end he chose to stay in spite of the clenching of his heart. She made her choice. She would pay the price for that choice if she attempted to reach him now. I'm fine, he insisted, but he was unable to hide the edge of a tormented growl in his voice. It would be no secret to the Moonspear wolves by now how he felt about his mother, and whether he was ready or not, he wouldn't admit to any sort of weakness among them.

Watch, for now, Hydra bid him before she stiffened her stance and strode forward. Dragomir slunk along behind, remaining close to Dirge and watching as the Moonspear alpha commanded the scene and then surged into action. Dragomir wasn't sure if he was meant to dive into the fray as well, and hung back uncertainly at Dirge's flank, awaiting a cue. When the lead male addressed him, Dragomir flattened his ears and said, make her leave. Don't let her have any of it. The man would know to whom Dragomir referred. It broke his heart to request this, for he loved his mother, but her actions spoke for themselves. He wouldn't tolerate her taking anything else from him.