It had been too long a walk for the lone female, her haggard breath left her weak and tired. With each step she stumbled a little bit closer to the ground below. Though she had managed to keep herself rather presentable through her trials the odd tuft of fur had begun to tangle and become matted. There was not too much she could do about that, when she would start to work on the problem areas her stomach would growl and she would go chasing for food. Now here she was, coming towards a pack land with her nose close to the ground, taking in the scent of the area. What had been a fair distance off before was now drawing ever closer to the pretty fae. However her speed would not change, instead she kept herself consistent, each paw fall measured in distance, each pad landing at a precise location she had selected for it. In order to be able to go back and take on her ex-alpha head to head she must know her body and how to control it to perfection.

Drawing closer to the border she could already feel her heart beginning to beat in her chest. Her body would obviously betray her as she moved more stiffly now. Each step was painful to take with the knowledge of what she was about to do. Her ears had completely flattened to her crown, nearly blending in with the greyish fur upon the top of her head. Lips pulled back into a small snarl, the deep red of the gums easily visible as her body instinctively lowered itself. She had been trained by the alpha for so long, how to act, how to be when you came upon another wolf. It was so engrained in her mind that she was doing it now and she didn't even know who would come to the border. The very thought of it made her sick, trying to relax the fear that was running through her form as she took a long and deep breath. Slowly she let her form stand higher than it had been, trying to appear larger than she was as she rested herself a short distance from the border.

"Am I really going to do this..." Her tail tucked as her own soft voice seemed distant. Trying to get up the courage to call out for someone she began to shift her weight on her fore-paws. It was gut-wrenching for the female, her mind was filled with thoughts of violence, a whimper leaving her maw every few moments as she tried to push them away. This was harder than she had originally thought it would be, after all, she could just walk away at any moment, no harm no foul. Of course though, sometimes the body betrays the mind, and it did that for her at that moment. Without even realizing what she was doing her head flew back and she let out a high-pitched howl into the moonlit night. It was cut short though and she felt herself freeze in spot. She couldn't move, it was as if she had become stone and there was no chance of escaping the prison of her own body. It was at that moment that she wanted to be anywhere but where she was.

The time spent at the Rapids had been overly aggravating and in result the fae's nerves were sky high along with her hate. Her emerald eyes were frozen solid with pure malevolence, ready to skin the ebony male alive and hang his gleaming pelt, tattered with his own crimson blood, from her to-be-made den. How a wolf like him came into power, Esmeralda would never know. Males were the dirt beneath her paw, and Steele was no different, now she planned to put him in his place; but this would have to wait for later. As a Warrior, Esmeralda didn't believe she had the privilege to terrorize members, to see if they were worth for acceptance, but as the fae came into view the ashen demon couldn't deny the chance to confront her. Something to take up time.

Primarily white with speckled grey, grey thickening as Esmeralda's eyes traveled upwards, with a luscious tail, Esmeralda assumed this female to have considerably good looks. Head bent low as she approached, eying the female since she came into view, the fae was one of the unlucky canines to be caught in Esmeralda's venomous gaze. The first few moments with Esmeralda were the most critical, it defined how she viewed someone in multiple ways; the most important being if Esmeralda saw them as submissive weaklings or considerably equals. As the ashen female let her gaze pierce this stray female, her head rose to show she felt pride and superior over a loner, which was an obvious reaction. in her head, Genevieve's warnings of how someone should approach a loner echoed but the Ice Queen ignored them - Genevieve was not here, therefore she could not scold her.

"You rang?" Her voice was quick, not missing a beat, and sharp. This wolf had called for a member, so she got one. "You have a name?" This fae intrigued her but Esmeralda hid her interest, waiting for a response and reaction.

A fae was coming her way, her heart seemed to settle a little as she began to breathe again. She had been so caught up in fear before that she did not realize the position she had taken. Her tail was tucked tightly between her legs and her ears were pulled back and flattened to her head. Even the main portion of her body had slowly sunk down closer to the ground as if she was submitting. Though as her eyes took in the look of the female she wondered if she should leave the position she stood in. The way she walked however as she came closer, the arrogance that she felt from the way the wolf held herself. It caused something to tick within the female, and it was quite familiar. She was still a distance away and slowly Maguray began to correct her position. She let herself stand tall, her eyes hard as stone, gaze not leaving the other female as she came closer. Now her body was more relaxed, though underneath the thick coat her muscles were tense, uncertain of what this confrontation would bring out.

She would not challenge this female on her grounds, that was not what she came to do. As the honey orbs slowly followed her she took in the females near equivocal size. Looking over the strangely patterned fur, peppered was what it seemed to her. As she thought about it she became somewhat lost in her own mind, not realizing how close the female had drawn. When the fae was nearly upon her Maguray came back. Her eyes opening a little not realizing how long she'd been not paying attention, another flaw that would keep her from defeating the alpha who had stolen her babies. This was not the time to get distracted again though, she was in the presence of a female who had caused her to become on guard and wary. The way that she asked the question, the sound in her voice, it all spoke to the loner as if this pack-wolf viewed herself as better than her.

"Yes..." She stopped for a moment as he let one of her ears cock to the side, looking at the female for a moment before she was content that for the moment she was safe. "I am Maguray. If I may be so bold, what are you called?" She was interested to find out, and she had been open enough with the other wolf.

After the confrontation at the falls, Esmeralda was not in the mood to interrogate this new female to her full extent. Her eyes did not lighten but Esmeralda's dominating aura came down to a more acceptable level and she actually sat in front of the female as she spoke with her. "Call me Esmeralda," she replied emotionless, not really overly interested nor bored with the situation. Who was this female, what was her story, was she here to join the pack? God, she was turning into a regular pack members already. Screw this. "So, I'm not going to accept you. No fun in that shit. Let's just talk, I haven't had someone to talk too an quite a long while."

As she sat there in front of the female, Esmeralda's tail curled about her feet to embrace the warmth and her ears turned each way every now and then at each sound. For now they were alone and Esmeralda loved the peace, especially the fact Steele wasn't there to aggravate her and Genevieve wasn't scolding Esmeralda for her behavior. The thought of Genevieve brought on some shame but Genevieve knew the wolf Esmeralda was, she couldn't change that, but still when Genevieve gave that look...it struck hard, like a sharpened blade. Letting out a hollow sigh, Esmeralda turned back to the female, awaiting a response.

Upon leaving the falls, the brute was pissed off much more than earlier. Kenai would not fight him, again. He backed down as always, like the pathetic excuse for a wolf he was. The Beta wished for a great fight, whether it be with teeth and claws, or by words and threats. He headed for the border, unsure of where Kenai would go off to next. There was no way he would be able to rest in the clearing while the others could be about. He laughed to himself, trying to calm his nerves. Two time she had ran into the Warrior named Esmeralda, and both times she had been a sore in his pad, almost as much as Kenai. There was something about Esmeralda however. She was different and had a certain sting to the way she spoke. Her words were cold as ice towards the brute, which he found intriguing. His large black form moved about the forest, searching for anything of interest to pass the time. It wasn't until he heard the sound of soft voices speaking. His ears perked forward as he rushed to see who it could be. He laid under a bush, hidden in the dark foliage. It was there his silver eyes spotted and spied on the faes.

His eyes moved to the form of the fae sitting down. As he listened he knew her peppered color to match the voice of the one named Esmeralda. Maybe this was a sign form the spirits of the other realm, but Steele would ignore it. He hated her with such passion, there was no way spirits would want them to be together, but soon his attention was drawn to the fae before her. Who was this mystery wolf? Her voice seemed gentle and unique, nothing like Esmeralda's. He watched and waited for the perfect time to reveal himself to the girls. His chin rested on his dark paws, waiting and watching. But as more moments passed, he discovered them to be a bore. He got to his feet, still laying on the ground. He lunged from the bush and smiled at the faes, twisting his lips awkwardly. It was a strange thing for him to smile. Most of the time his face was painted with aggression and anger. But this was new to him. He slowly walked to the two females. "Why hello there, ladies. She may not be able to accept you into the pack, but I sure as hell may." His eyes stared at Maguray, never leaving her form. She had a beautiful coloring, one with enticed the brute. He looked over her body. Her hips seemed to be wide, perfect for birthing pups, but he would not be interested in that for now. His eyes moved to the Warrior of his pack. "Didn't want to add another fae because you want me all to yourself, huh?" he questioned her. His wicked smile grew wider than before.

Esmerelda, what a strange yet beautiful name. For some reason it seemed to fit the she-wolf who was before her. Nodding slightly in committing it to memory, maybe she wasn't as bad as Mag had initially thought, though that belief changed very quickly the moment that she was told the female wouldn't accept her. There was nothing that she'd done wrong, she had even remained to the most part respectful if only keeping some of her dignity in turn. Now her ears were pulled back, holding in a snarl, maybe the fae was just testing her, or maybe Esmerelda could not actually accept her at all. Whichever it was the female would not let the other get the better of her, she would talk and hopefully she would be received in afterwards.

Taking a moment to calm her nerves she slowly seated herself as well, the way that the other had sat was almost like-wise to Mag and it was discomforting. So instead she let her tail stray off behind her though somewhere inside it felt as if she were betraying herself in an attempt to convince her mind that she was not like the female before her. "What would you like to talk about? I haven't... really had the chance to talk to anyone in a long time so I may be a little rusty at this." However the moment was short lived, a male was nearby and her head dropped suddenly, a snarl playing across her lips but it was quickly hidden as if trying to catch herself before making a fatal mistake. She didn't turn, she didn't need to, the brute was already making his way in front of them.

The way that he talked, the way that he smiled, it made her sick. He reminded her exactly of her old alpha, and her stomach twisted with every word he spoke. The way those eyes looked at him, she had seen them before, she didn't want them again. Now he was turned about and was chastising the female for saying what she had said. Was this the alpha? Were they all truly as evil as him? She gulped down, she could turn and run at any moment, but what if he followed her, maybe it would be better to submit, maybe it would appease him and he wouldn't try anything. For now she would stick with that, even though everything in her was telling her to either attack or run. "I don't think that's what she meant sir." Sir, what a putrid word.

"Oh lucky her," Esmeralda growled bitterly as Steele emerged into the clearing with them, her eyes rolling to show her great disdain of the new company. So much for the talk Esmeralda was actually looking forward to sharing with Maguray. Esmeralda stood, tail not raised to show dominance but not submissive neither, and eyed Steele with a great, fire burning hate. "Yes, I do want you all to myself," Her voice said in smooth hiss, similar to a snake strung back, venom dripping from the preeminent fangs, "so I can skin you alive and make you a rug for my den." The snake then stopped her hissing and gave her own twisted smile, eyes dancing with a malevolent nature.

Maguray was interesting to Esmeralda, a faint ember which may grow into a possible friend ,so one would not be surprised by her sudden anger to how Steele had made the female submissive, her voice a light chirp amongst them; amost as if Maguray were a mouse amidst two rival cobras. Steele dare make Maguray so belittled upon first meeting and drastically change the calm aura which was beginning to settle, just moments ago? "You may relax, Maguray," The ashen one began, eyes showing an undeniable kindness for a brief moment, "this male here is nowhere near the Alpha, but instead he is the Beta; Beta Steele." And zip, the trace disappeared within an instant. Esmeralda cared not at the moment what Maguray thought of her behavior to the Beta, had she known him better Esmeralda would hope she would agree and give him the same treatment. Such wasn't of her species though, he was a Beta for a reason, a reason Esmeralda's couldn't compose, and her behavior was usually frowned upon.

"So," The muzzle snapped, eyes returning to their worst enemy, "why exactly are you here, Beta Steele? To aggravate us, if that is the reason then I will happily await the presence of the real Alpha for Maguray's acceptance. Or, even better, Elite Kenai." She was pushing her limits, and the smile upon Esmeralda's face showed she was enjoying every minute of it; every damn minute.

"Oh Esmeralda, if you wished for me to sleep within your den, all you need to do is ask, my sweet."he said with a smirk. He slowly walked over to Esme, walking around her, enjoying the attitude she gave him. It only fueled his fire of hatred for her even more. His eyes coursed along her body until his eyes fell on Maguray. He walked over to her, lowering his head behind her to get a stronger scent of the fae. She had birthed pups before, he could sense it in how she smelled. It was different from the scent of the other faes. He was intrigued by her, an evil grin slid across his maw. "Such a pity you choose to befriend such a hideous fae, such as Esmeralda. She would look much better had she chosen the correct brute." His words were sharp and his voice balanced between vile and deadly. His body moved back towards them both. "Yes, I am Beta Steele of this pack and although I am second in command, I do not take disrespect lightly!" he snapped as he turned and glared at Esme. His tail stood high over his back, ears perked, chest puffed up, and he raised himself above Esme. He growled and snarled at her, flailing his saliva about with anger.

(I'm sorry for the late reply >_< It's been a long week...)

It was painfully obvious to the fae that neither of the two around her had any like for the other, it was also noticeable that the male who had just introduced himself was one she was in no hurry to befriend. However the way that Esme was talking to him she couldn't help but smile slightly, maybe this female wasn't as bad as she had originally thought. However that didn't mean that Mag was going to open her mouth just yet, the way that the conversation was becoming more and more heated between the two was enough for her to pull back a little and to wait for them to sort themselves out. Even with that thought in her mind she was still frightened, what would happen if the male decided to assert his dominance and hurt Esmerelda, or her... The thought was enough to turn her stomach over as she looked from one to the other before trying to pipe up between the two.

"Excuse me..." She wasn't loud, nor was she allowing herself to show any sign of hostility. Even though within her body she was feeling the same fire that had been within her with the alpha before, she held it back for now. "I don't mean to interrupt you two, but I am right here." She didn't think either of them had forgotten about her, but her hope was to distract away from the conversation before things got out of control. The smile that had crept onto her lips was now gone, and she just sat, rather stoic as her tail instinctively curled about her paws. Though they could not see in her mind she was praying for her safety, and her ears folded back in submission as she thought about the things that could happen for interrupting the beta, things that she didn't want to happen ever again.

The growl only deepened from inside her throat, while Esmeralda began to have visions of ripping his throat out from his blackened neck. Steele dare suggest Esmerada wanted him in her den? "I plan on skinning you and making your pelt a lovely rug, Steele." Esmeralda revealed in a hush response. Not another was said as he began to encircle her, only tempting to fuel her lit embers more with anger. The fuel was poured from ill words and had a bigger effect then him simply moving around her. For a brief, almost non-existent moment, Esmeralda was hurt by his words to Maguray. Hideous... The description of her struck home more than Steele realized. The anger slowly returned, emotions thrown harshly out of her mind. One must choose between beauty and power, Esmeralda thought and unconsciously muttered beneath her fogged breath. Emerald orbs burned into Steele's back, again imagination coming up with a vision of his pelt ablaze, but the ashen fae kept her muzzle firmly shut. He continued to speak with Maguray, which interesting her little and it wasn't long before the Beta was returning to her company. Yippee.

His anger pleased her greatly however as vicious saliva dripped savagely from his muzzle, her words striking his pride. Steele attempted to tower over her muscled frame, wanting to feel confidence and superiority of this stubborn fae. A wicked thought bubbled from the depths of her insanity and Esme's rump slowly slid to the ground in a defensive position. She rose swiftly after spending a few minutes in a submissive stance which only could have greatly pleased Steele and his irritating pride, and cautiously approached his raging figure. Ash fur brushed from shoulder to flank in a taunting, slowed caress until she eventually had circled around to the other side, never once abandoning body contact. "It is a pity she befriended me isn't? Why don't you show me, Steele, who is the correct brute here...for me? But instead of the best, first choice which comes to mind...I'll go for the second." She slowly dipped her head beneath his neck, nuzzling ever so gently, and incapable of keeping it at bay, silently letting a malicious grin spread across her muzzle, hiding it from sight beneath him. Her tail flicked his nose as she swooped back up to a regular, standing position, leaving Steele's side. She would have loved nothing more than to see his reaction but if she had, she wouldn't have been able to handle her current amusement. So, instead the ashen fae went over to Maguray's front, a fast, quick wink fluttered to her new favorite female before her facial features hardened back to normal. "Goodness no, we haven't forgotten you. So, until Steele comes over here, what exactly are your skills, dear Maguray?" Esmeralda's body was still electrified from the contact so she distracted herself by speaking with Maguray, her voice slowly recovering back to it's normal, sharp tone.

He chuckled at her reply, shaking his head with an evil grin. His yellow teeth exposed to the world. His silver eyes looked up and over the silver-tongued fae. He enjoyed her wit and the way she spoke to him, only forcing him to hate her even more. But as she spoke so lowly of him, he could not release from his head the idea of her beauty. She angered him. How could he like her? It must have been a false idea, something his brain had crafted from within or perhaps he knew the winter would soon be over and she was the perfect fae to bear him strong pups. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked angrily. He had no intention of hitting on this fae, but feeling her warm fur against his in these colder climates, possibly changed his mind. His eyes stayed stoic, almost lifeless as he watched her. Her scent whirled around him, clinging to his. He moved closer to the faes. His eyes glanced over Maguray. She was still in her same position and she seemed rather uninterested in their conversation. She did not answer the warrior quickly and having noticed the weird behavior she held, he passed his judgement on her. "Maguray, whether you have skills or not, shall be an Omega." He did not turn his eyes from her, instead he kept them glaring at Maguray. "As for now, I shall be heading to my den before nightfall catches us." His eyes looked slowly over to Esmeralda before he turned his back completely towards them. Through the thick winter snow, he disappeared to his chamber.

She had been asked by Esmerelda to explain herself, she had to think for a moment it had only been a short while ago that she had been chased from her pack and left to die alone. She hadn't died though, however she was not the greatest hunter, nor gatherer, she had watched after her pups well enough until she was stripped of the title of mother and banished from her pack and her children with no remorse from the coward who had killed her little one. However now she found herself being asked this question and she couldn't quite figure the words to say. However it seemed there was no need to, the Beta of the pack was already passing his judgement before she could even speak her mind.

An omega? She was shocked, why was she an omega? The white-gray one bristled at the words, he hadn't even given her a chance to say anything. However the fae knew better than to try to fight back on a first meeting, besides, it seemed at the male would have as much sense to him as she would arguing with a brick wall. He didn't even give so much as a moment to get angry either, instead he turned his large body about and walked away from the two of them. Maguray found herself in disbelief as her ears sank back a snarl forming on her lips as he drew away. "Coward... idiot... just as worthless as the others who hold your positions. So full of yourself." She kept the words under her breath in an attempt to keep them from the male who was moving away from her. He almost reminded her of her last mate, the one who had tortured and broken her so badly, it was like seeing him again just in someone else's fur and skin.

Drawing in a deep breath she tried to relax herself, ears still flat back. Her front right paw was kicking down at the ground as if that would help to pace her beating heart. Slowly she turned her head towards Esme. "I hope you do keep your threats... He deserves it." The words were cold, anger sprinkled in with every one as they snaked their way past her teeth. She was outraged but she knew she should have expected it, after all, they all seemed to be the same in the end.

When the serpent asked for the loner's abilities, she was allowing as much time as she needed. Esmeralda was in no rush for she wished greatly for Maguray to stay, but despite this decision it seemed Beta Steele had other thoughts. Emerald stones glaceed over at the superior's decision, fur rippling with anger. An omega; what mockery was that? There was no way in Hell the female before them deserved such a degrading title. No time was given to protest as the raven black imbecile disappeared to retire for the day, Esmeralda's eyes burning through his retreating figure until he was out of site completely.

Maguray's reaction was priceless, lip curled into an outraged snarl. Her mumbled commented was not entirely audible but it was enough for Esmeralda to know they shared the same hate for their Beta. Instead of the usual smirk the warrior would hold, wanting only to use Maguray, her face was unaffected by any emotion. What an interesting turn out. Licking her muzzle, she met the gaze of Maguray who revealed her content for Esmeralda's previous threats. "Oh I do indeed, more than you can imagine. All males are like that; worthy of death or a disgrace to the world. I plan to dispose of him quickly..." there was a brief pause, the anger held for someone no amongst them thicker than tar enough to keep the silence, until Esmeralda finally spoke, her eyes burying into Maguray with passion for her next words, "but that glorious moment may take time, too much time, unless there I have support."

She couldn't tell Esme's thoughts, the lack of emotion held the female for a moment. However the words that slipped from the females mouth were enough to calm down the femme to some extent. Her eyes closed slowly as she agreed. The silence that followed was far from unsettling, the females ears folded back, her eyes remaining shut as she let her breathing slow and settle. The words that followed after though caused her to peer out at the female. What kind of support would the fae need? To kill a beta, that would require a lot of effort and planning. Taking a deep breath she let her voice come out soft, there was still a tinge of distaste held in her words as she spoke. "And what kind of support is it that you would need in order to shut his yap up for good?" Though Mag wanted to show interest in the topic she was afraid to completely trust this female, what she was doing now was dangerous enough, but to betray too much of herself so quickly would be a dangerous thing as well.

Carefully she stood from her seated position, taking a moment to shake herself of the snow that had decided to attach itself to her body. "And maybe you could show me around while we're dicussing this. If I'm going to be an omega I mise will know what the heck I'm dealing with here right?" She tried to add a little bit of a laugh in at the end. However the laugh was dry, in all honesty she was just wanting the day to continue and she had no doubt that she'd be walking these lands quite often in the future. However at the moment she just wanted someone to walk with. She wasn't sure how it would end up, maybe she'd end up beaten as the omega's were in her old pack, as she had been before with the alpha. A deep breath was taken in before letting it out slowly, shakily, trying to calm herself and to catch her composure. The tail swung slowly behind her. "Besides if we walk far enough we'll be sure you know who isn't listening..."

Esmeralda opened her muzzle to respond but then let it close once more, nodding in agreement with Maguray's proposal. With Steele and his cunning ways, they couldn't be sure if the demon was lingering in the shadows. The serpent let her muscles ripple as she tried to relax, flickering her tail sideways as she turned a different direction. "You will soon know of the support I seek...but for now, we'll take a stroll and learn the land...just in case." Her gaze looked to the side, catching Maguray within its depths, awaiting a reply. Would the female followed Esmeralda until they were sure of their privacy, to speak of what was to come? Esmeralda wasn't entirely sure but she held something for Maguray, respect perhaps, she did not know the feeling entirely.

[Sorry it's so short]