Bramblepoint one in the chamber

The kid was bold. Perhaps she had been trained to fight by her pack, but judging by the look of her and her following question, Sphyra hadn't known a hard day in her life. Being alone and forced to fight to survive changed a wolf. Ephraim thought he was strong and capable when he ran with Drageda, but all he was then was pampered. They were a hard lot, and yet, he had not gone hungry or had to fight for scraps back then.

As if in answer to her question, Ephraim's stomach rumbled. He bared his teeth and flashed his tongue across his incisors. Food's food, kid, he said, lowering himself further over the rabbit until the fur of his belly mingled with the cold fur of its side. Don't matter where it came from.

Was she unaware that there was no longer a pack at the Caldera? It would surely suck to come home and find your family gone, but they must not care much about her to leave her behind. In a few weeks, maybe it would be her stealing from abandoned caches and defending a measly rabbit from some other holier-than-thou pack wolf. Ephraim sneered. She could fight him for it if she wanted, and he was prepared for her to charge him now, or she could leave it be and stay hale and healthy another day before the bitter cold came.