The Shadows "When the Saints Go Marching"

[Dan Hawkins]

Dan didn't let the fear show, but he knew if she'd wanted to, they'd have all been dead. Had he let Cabe attack her, the pack would have joined in, and they'd all be dead. What's more, just from holding her gaze, she knew it too.

He turned back to Karen and Maeve, nuzzling both of them once, more to calm them than any more romantic affection. It was something of a surprise, but both responded and calmed down. Dan growled out loudly, snapping the rest of the pack from cowering on the ground, focusing their attention on him. He walked past the remains of the deer, no one was in an eating mood, besides the scavengers would see nothing went to waste. With Karen and Maeve in tow, he began to lead the pack back to the clearing they'd all begun the night in. 

After they all got moving he sent Karen and Maeve to lead the way, the younger wolf whining to stay with him, and he growled low, the equivalent of a hard glare, and she submit and turned to go with Karen. At the tail end of the pack was Cabe, the former Alpha. The two females he'd spent time with were there, in front of him, and Dan's gaze was still firm. He was the new Alpha, and in this case it was his job to ensure that everyone made it home. He brought up the rear, the last one, and the pack was silent as they returned. 

Gradually the individual members began to calm down, and some of the younger members finally began to play once again. Of course, the other kind of play was going on too, perhaps even more than before. A brush with such a primal terror seemed to give the pack a need to reaffirm they'd lived to themselves, and each other. 

For his part, Dan made the rounds, offering as it were the chance to challenge him, but none would. He was Alpha now, no one of the Bayou Pack would contest this. He'd saved them, and several of the older wolves recognized this. Once he was done checking on everyone, and calming those who needed it, the black wolf made his way to a clear spot, and laid down on his stomach. He was still watching everyone, still far more alert than the others, but he didn't move when Maeve came and laid against him, placing her muzzle under his neck. Her desire was evident, heightened by the fear and the danger still, but wisely she knew Dan just was NOT in the mood for that. She submit to her alpha, and at least in this he accepted her, not chasing her away. 

His gaze turned to Karen, the only other wolf there who'd withstood the primal assault of the white wolf's bellowing howl. Like it or not, that had earned her some credit, and certainly his interest, as the white wolf had shown great interest in Karen herself.

[Karen Gaunt]

Rage and power and bloodlust and strength and determination. All that and more had poured off the white female like an ocean, acting like a moon to her own tide of anger. The beast-that-was-Karen had been a lone wolf during her first five moons worth of transformations, and something in that hazy memory and instinct inspired fear of the deep, abiding madness it took for a wolf who could join any pack it wished remaining a lone wolf.

But her alpha had stood. And the beast-that-was-Karen stood with him, acting half understood certainty that to do otherwise would be to court death.

Then the moon mad goddess was gone, leaving her caught between wanting more of that insanity and being relieved it was gone. Glad she hadn't tested her determination and disappointed she wasn't considered worthy of a test. The ache faded slightly as the immediacy of the eternal now worked it's primal magic over the reduced consciousness of the native Californian. 

Her alpha was now everyone's alpha, as he clearly always should have been, and it was time for certain young pups to recognize that they didn't have, never had, would never have, a shot at him. The beast-that-was-Karen returned his gaze with her own, making no move to shift from her comfortable sprawl in the mud and grass, clearly welcoming the attention but by no means throwing herself at him.    

[The Shadows ST]

Spoiler

Episode 1 is concluded

I will issue XP later today and prep for episode 2

Don't loose track of where you are as episode 2 will take up a the most a few hours after the above.

Good job everyone