Phoenix Maplewood Hunger will drive you insane

@Regipre

Fixed the prefix. — Kat

He was hungry. And angry. He was hangry. He needed a meal now. He barely had a thing in days, and his lanky build showed it. He wasn’t supposed to be this thin. He was supposed to be muscular and full. Not a bag of bones covered with some fur. Most days, he didn’t care as long as he got something in his belly. But, the past few days had just been hell. Well, not all of them. He had met a few nice wolves, which seemed to make him think more about what he was doing with his life. Wandering was fine as long as you had a pack to go back to. They meant stability, and food. A pack could take down bigger game instead of trying to chase mice and squirrels and rabbits all the time. Sure, it kept him alive. But what he wouldn’t give to sink his teeth into a huge hunk of deer. He’d eat the whole thing.
 
His ears were perked, and his paws were placed deliberately so as to not make any noise. Surely, there had to be something around here that could be considered a meal. He paused, instinct telling him he should be still. He would wait out his prey, wherever it was.

She and Sart would have to rely on Reek to bring them most of their food, though Reggie was determined to learn how to hunt for herself too. At just shy of two months old, she had yet to make a kill, even a small one... but she didn't let that deter her. She left her sister curled up inside the hollow tree and skulked into the woodland, determined to scrounge up a mouse or frog or something small. She would be sure to split it with Sart, so that both of them could become self-sustaining all the sooner.

Her tracking led her to the edge of the forest. She darted behind a shrub when she saw a black wolf skulking near the territory's outskirts. He looked like Reek but he didn't smell like him. She no longer trusted strangers, even wolves (perhaps especially wolves...). Regipre planned to lay low and wait him out, only revealing herself after he was gone, though the sudden appearance of a garter snake abruptly changed things. She reacted like a cat with its tail caught beneath a rocking chair; she jumped into the air, leaping sideways to avoid the serpent even as it struck.

He was patient, and it paid off. A sudden burst of movement to his right, and his body jerked toward it, running towards it before he even knew what it was. When his eyes settled on it, he realized it was a pup. Not something he would usually consider a meal, but it was a desperate time for him. So, he continued at a run toward it, a growl released from his throat.
 
If his missed this, it could very well be the end of him. In this life, it was a very real struggle every single day. Someone else had to die in order for him to live. He had to fight for his right to be here, and he had become very adept at doing so. This summer had just been extremely rough, and he was nowhere near a good body condition. He knew if any family happened upon them before he could grab the pup and run out of here, he could become the one losing his life.

The snake missed, though she wasn't out of danger's way. She saw the wolf barreling toward her. Another pup might have cowered or cried out for help. Regipre did neither of these things. She didn't run either. Instead, she plunged right back into the shrub, kicking the serpent out of the way. She could survive a snakebite, whereas one from the wolf would spell certain death. Fortunately, the garter snake slithered away, disappearing into the leaves.

She wasn't paying attention to it, though. The whelp hastily wormed her way in between the bush's tangled roots, scrambling deeper into a thick growth of brambles. Thorns and the like dug at her flesh but she kept going, determined to wedge herself somewhere the wolf couldn't possibly follow. It was possibly her only chance at survival, for Reggie knew she couldn't count on any of the resident wolves coming to her rescue.

The young coyote didn’t run away, as he expected. Instead, she delved into a shrub, littered with thorns and hard branches. He was quick to follow, but it wasn’t nearly as easy for him to shove his large body into the bush. Well, it probably wasn’t easy for her either, but her body could fit where his had to fight to be.
 
With a growl, he shoved his face in after her, his jaws just missing her. His front legs dug fiercely, frantically, at the branches, trying to break them and move them out of his way. The thorns cut his skin, the branches hit his face, but he did not stop. Life demanded fuel, and she was it.

She had only returned mere hours ago from her quick trip out West. After letting Saena and/or Reek know she was back, the female had gone to take a quick nap in a sun mottled spot of the forest floor. How long she had rested, Nochtli was unaware, for she woke with a start to the growls of a wolf. Quickly, she moved, progressing to her feet before sprinting in the direction of the sounds, only narrowly missing a tree here and there.

Spilling out of the tree line, Nochtli found herself staring at an odd scene: a wolf with their head shoved in a thorny bush, snarling. She barked to catch their attention, posture suddenly a bit more stiff as her tail raised. Loner or pack wolf this one was not of the Maplewood, though there was something familiar about him. Approaching, she spoke again, unable to see that it was Reek's tiny charge hiding in the bush. If she didn't catch his attention, the dark female might dart in and lay a hard, correcting nip on his flank. He was simply too close to the borders for comfort.

The sound of a growling wolf carried through the forest and found itself in the cupped cradle of the alpha female's ear. She lifted her head from the bone she was gnawing on and frowned, straining to listen. The culprit must've been several miles away, but she could still make out the masculine sound of growling. It could've been any of the three males in the pack, and whatever the cause, they seemed to be in some sort of distress, so she rose swiftly to her paws and set off.

While she was royally pissed with Reek, if she found him at the source, then she would do her best to aid him. He was still her mate, after all, even if he was the world's biggest dunce on top of it. Hawk and Arion she would assist without question. She loped briskly, weaving through the trees with accustomed familiarity, and arrived just in time to see Nochtli and a wolf scrabbling with a bush.

She didn't need to be any closer than seeing distance to know that this was none of her pack members. He smelled nothing like her wolves and, with the amount he was thrashing around, his scent was heavy enough on the wind for her to detect. While Nochtli took a diplomatic approach to the border-dwelling stranger, Saena took a much more hostile one. As soon as she recognized the danger of a strange wolf doing something suspicious on her borders, she barreled forward, snarling, with every intent of catching him and killing him if he didn't get the hell away.

Following Reek's return to the Maplewood and subsequent reunion with his mate, Reek devoted his time strictly to rebuilding the trust he had fostered with the coyote pups back to the level it was in the days leading to their disastrous meeting. Saena's aggression had caused more than a hiccup in their planned development— no, it was a total setback.  It was damage that would need to be repaired sooner than later, especially in their formative years. Despite it all, Reek didn't hold his mate's reaction against her, after all, it was only natural to respond in such a way, but his frustration with the situation was obvious.

There was so much work to do. He left the pups in the hollow tree that they were so fond of while he hunted for small game. Anything that would show a gesture of goodwill or provide sufficient nourishment became the top priority.  After an hour of scrounging and searching, the piss-poor hunter that was Reek finally tasted the bloody taste of victory.  A rabbit, a small one, hung limp from his jaws; fresh and dead.  

With kill in tow, Reek made his way back to where he last saw the pups, but his course was diverted when he heard a commotion rising from the border. With a hurried pace, he made his way into the scene and dropped his rabbit as soon as his eyes met with a strange black wolf trespassing on their borders. Tensions were too high to not act, especially with the pups within the territory. Saena had already intercepted the trespasser by the time Reek arrived, but Reek quickly joined his mate in the fray in the hopes he could provide some necessary support.

She was wrong about the resident wolves. Although they were presumably attacking the interloper for hunting on their territory rather than attempting to save Regipre specifically, it didn't make a difference to her. She felt her attacker's hot breath washing over her backside and Reggie practically gouged out an eye shoving herself deeper into the brambles. Whenever she finally got out of here—assuming it wasn't as a dead body dangling from the wolf's jaws—she would be torn and bleeding. But at least she'd be alive.

A cacophony of snarls, growls and snaps filled the air nearby even as the noises of pursuit ceased. Sensing her chance to escape, Regipre nearly turned herself inside out as she whirled to face the way out. There was no easy exit in this situation; even if she went back the way she had come, she would rip new holes in her flesh. Ignoring this, she darted through the makeshift tunnel she'd created, bursting into the open air. She saw three or four wolves engaged in a fight but she barely glanced at them before fleeing into the woods.

It had been a chancy move on his part, and he was about to lose the bet. He heard the first warning bark, but ignored it. He was so close to his meal, he could almost taste it. He could smell the blood already leaking from the scratches of the thorns on the baby coyote, and it made him drool. If he could just snap his jaws around even her tail, he would have her eaten before anyone could say nay.
 
Snarls from a second wolf had him second guessing, however. He could not very well fight off two wolves, especially when the second one sounded so much angrier. He had already ignored the first, hoping she wasn’t that serious, unaware she was actually an acquaintance. If he had turned around and seen her, this situation may have turned out differently- better for him. But hunger was a very strong force.
 
He could no longer ignore the gravity of the situation. He put his efforts in reverse, trying to remove himself from the brush. Instead, he found himself a little stuck, the thorns holding steadfast in the fur around his neck. A frustrated growl was released as he planted his paws firmly in the grass beneath them and jerked hard. The momentum threw him off balance as the bush released him and he stumbled back, losing his balance. Knowing the situation was delicate, and most likely life threatening for him, he immediately let his ragged body go to the ground, tail tucked between his back legs and ears flattened on top of his head as he rolled on his back. He could not outrun them, and he could not outfight them. All he could do now was hope that they had mercy on him and left him with his life.
 
He didn’t even notice the escape of his once-potential meal.

Saena's entrance was far more aggressive than her own. The Amazon made a mental note to learn from that and be more aggressive about it in the future. As it was, her growls echoed the Alpha's lead. The small flash of tawny fur distracted her for the moment and her head made a quick turn to catch the disappearance of a tiny... coyote pup? Was it the same one from the hunt? Were they pack pets now? The curious notion made her nose wrinkle. Even the Amazons didn't keep other species as 'pets'.

No matter. Reek showed up too and the outsider was yanking himself out of the brambles. She was surprised to see that it was Dash yanking himself free, immediately dropping himself into a severely prone position. Here she was yet again with a wolf she knew, not well mind you, with Saena and Reek (and herself this time) in a potentially violent situation.

She did not speak this time, staring at the male with an infathomable expression. Unlike the incident with Sebastian, Nochtli was now a subordinate to the other two and she wanted no trouble for herself in the ranks of Phoenix Maplewood. If she was asked, she would speak of course, but right now, it was up to Saena and Reek and whatever Dash did next.

Before she could ever close the gap, Saena noted the change in the trespasser's demeanour. A critical eye was given to every action he made thus far, and while her charge did not relent even as he fell to the ground, the intent to kill ebbed away. One wrong word or move on Dash's part would seal his fate, but his passive submission was enough to stay Saena from violence for now.

Still, the alpha female didn't give him any personal space. No power to him. She came to stand over him, rigid and aggressive, with her lips peeled back over her teeth in a fearsome silent snarl. Her ears cupped high over her head. Her tail, shortened though it was, she held as high as possible. She could hear Nochtli growling in support and Reek had arrived as well, though she was still too pissed with him to feel grateful for his help.

Her attention was on the loner and only the loner. Now that she was close, she could tell he was unaffiliated. Even better for her; if they did kill him, no one would miss him and no one would go looking for him. He was a black male, and malnourished from the look of him. Ordinarily she'd feel a pang of pity and maybe sympathy for him, but those usual feelings were curiously absent now. Whether it was the changing of the season or the fact that Saena was tired of other wolves' shit was uncertain to her.

"What the fuck are you doing on our land?" she spat in his face, unrelenting in her complete show of dominance and unwilling to allow him to so much as move until he satisfied their demands.

With all the commotion, Reek hardly noticed the rustling coming from the brush that Dash had buried his face in.  He simply assumed he had gotten himself stuck in some sort of comical display. It was far too close to be funny, but as soon as Reek saw one of his coyote pups bolt out of hiding, scraped to high heaven, Reek surged with both anger and disappointment.  The disappointment was solely with himself. He had promised them protection, and time and time again he had proved that he was incapable.

Dash pulled himself from the brush with an awkward backwards stumble. Reek wished to go directly for the throat while he was disoriented.  Quick. Efficient. Dead.  But, the intruder and would be assailant instantly assumed a submissive posture, and killing a submissive opponent was even beneath Reek's standards.  Reek lifted his tail and stood erect, mirroring his wife at the loners other side. All that passed his throat was a menacing growl.

Saena spoke.  If the loner would not speak, Reek would force the words out, but for the meantime, he stood over the loner with teeth barred in waiting.

I'm okay with Dash getting attacked, if that's what they would do. Just not death, please ^_^

Dash felt as if all three wolves were looming over him, when it was just the one. The others he could feel were ready to back her up, if need be. She was a huge presence, he couldn't deny that. He could hear the growl coming from the other male. The well-placed hostility could not be ignore. Dash really wasn't quite sure how to get out of this situation with his life intact. He was sure not to meet the eyes of any of the wolves, would not even look above the chest of the the female in front of him. Before words were spoke, his eyes glanced to the other female, catching her scent. He knew her. Nochtli, the kind wolf who had showed him how to fish.

His eyes were cast downwards once more as the high-ranking female spoke, asking him what he was doing here. He would not lie, but he thought what he was doing was quite obvious. He wasn't going to be stupid in this situation, however, because he knew what lay on the line- whether he could crawl away, or if his lifeless body would be discarded. He made sure to keep his submissive posture, his belly exposed. He was completely at her mercy. "I was hunting," he admitted. "It's been so hard for me to find a meal, and I went for the only one I could find," he added. "I apologize-" No, that was not enough. " I'm very sorry I am so close to your borders. I was too focused on my prey."

He knew, whether he was sorry or not, whether he was submissive or not, she had every right to take his life. It was wolf eat wolf out here and only the strong survived. He understood him being here took away the pack's prey, and the Alpha was only responsible for keeping her pack alive, not him. Still, he silently pleaded that she would let him go. Maybe they would just rough him as a lesson, and leave him with his life.

Saena dominated him in a way familiar to the Amazon; her culture was all about dominance and submission, especially over males. She stood back, watching quietly as these events unfolded, catching the look the male sent her way. Her ears lay back against her head and if she could have pursed her lips, she would have. She had taught him to fish to help him get by and now he was on their borders, very very close to truly trespassing if he was not already.

There was nothing she could do or say to help him now, though the words bubbled up in her throat. Nochtli wanted to say something, absolutely, but she was not willing to have her Alpha's ire turn on herself, still unsure of what boundaries she could push at, even if only lightly. Even if she did say something, she had a feeling that none of it would have deterred Saena from her anger because he had made a significant error, there was no denying that.

The shadow remained speechless, her posture still stiff even if her growls had quieted.

Under different circumstances, Saena might've seen opportunity here. The chance to recruit someone, even if he wasn't exactly a catch. Yet she was disgusted with him instead, with his seemingly broken nose and his blatant disrespect for the pack wolves that had descended on him. He'd submitted, yes, but from the looks of it, it had been his last resort. Had she and Reek not arrived, would he have continued digging, trying to steal food from their mouths? Whether or not he would, Saena already decided he was a thief and probably a liar as well.

Saena was no murderer, though, and she remembered keenly the disapproval that followed in the wake of their attempt to kill Sebastian. She didn't want to disappoint herself, Reek or Nochtli like that again. So she stepped back, stiff and deliberate, enough to let Dash squirm away if he wanted to. "If I ever see you near here again," Saena snarled down at him, "you won't get a second chance." With that she stood ready. Dash would have his opportunity to escape from here with his life and very little injury to speak of, but she'd be right on his ass the whole time until he was sufficiently far enough away from their borders. She wouldn't give him the chance to double-cross her.

I totally dropped the ball on this one you guys. I forgot it was my turn. So sorry for the hold up, y'all want to wrap it up now?

The would-be intruder's apology and submissive posture saved his life in Reek's eyes.  He proved with submission that he wasn't as stupid as he initially suspected. But despite all this, Reek's demeanor did not soften.  He stood like a menacing statue alongside his mate and Nochtli, unmoving and dominant.  Saena spoke and allowed him to leave with his life, but if he dared to make a move in spite of her mercy, Reek wouldn't hesitate to strike Dash down.

"Out," he reiterated in a harsh sneer. "Now."  Time was of the essence, and if Dash didn't turn tail and dash away, it would be his last mistake.

No problem! I'll assume the others want to post one more time before archiving this?

Dash did not waste even a fraction of a moment. As soon as the words were uttered, his twisted his body away from the wolves, and got up enough to get his legs underneath him. He tucked tail and ran as fast as his body would let him, which was pretty fast.

He didn't look back as he dug his nails into the dirt to help propel him forward. The pack wolves had instilled a very important lesson in Dash, one he would never forget.

The call of the wild was strong enough that when Dash got to his feet at her husband's command, she lurched forward as if to chase him. She went only a step or two, though, before the satisfaction of seeing his tail dart between his legs as he fled set in. She watched with a smirk, and when she turned back, it was to find that Nochtli had slipped away and she was left with Reek. "What an idiot," she snorted to her mate with an amused grin. It wasn't an amusing episode by any means, but the wolf hadn't seemed to even notice he was trespassing. Shaking her head, the alpha female bumped her shoulder against Reek's and whispered in his ear about going somewhere a little more private to celebrate their victory against the nefarious trespasser.