Fel’s paws pounded at the snow as evening approached. She was nearing the Erenyx border, freshly exiled from Helidos. Her cold eyes blazed with bitter hatred and determination as she flew across the white fields. As the strong scent of what was once her enemy hit her nose, she stopped. Trespassing was not the way she intended to start off. Standing now at the edge of their territory, the fae dropped her offering onto her paws. With a deep breath, she turned her snout to the sky and let out a howl that travelled and reverberated across the treetops. All the malice and strength she held in her frozen soul rang deep within her voice. When her call was finished, she lowered her head and picked up the tawny ear in her teeth. There the brute-like fae stood, her long fur drenched in blood, most of which came from this pack’s rivals. Her forepaws and especially her wide muzzle were peppered with the creamy fur of Azul and slick with the blood of both him and his offspring. The only wound she held behind her shoulder was minor, insignificant to her performance. She waited, her fur plastered against her well-muscled body. If the rats of Helidos wanted to condemn her for murder, then murder it was indeed. Fel accepted it, and welcomed the change. Her icy, once more emotionless eyes stared toward the darkness of the woods before her. When she finally saw a wolf emerge, she graciously lowered her body in a bow of respect and submission. Fel’s tail hung limply behind her. She would not show fear, for she bore none, but she knew when respect was due.

The close to winter was almost upon them. The lands were starting to brighten up and everything seemed to be moving smoothly. The pack had not acted in any way he thought strange or relenting to his task of conquering it. He had found an ally in the one male he granted the position of Beta to. He kept to himself from the other wolves, though some wished for his acceptance to mate and find love or whatever they wished. Teren, the midnight monster, did not care for love, nor did he want to hear of it from the other wolves. All he wished was to continue the changes within the lands. In the next spring he was destined to gain more places within his new home. He would conquer them, claiming them for himself. But now was a time for rest, unless his duties were to be carried out within the next matter of hours. He rested his head, the coat of the deceased previous Alpha beneath his body. He rested peacefully, thinking to himself over the last few weeks. But as he thought long and hard, he heard a howl in the distance. He lifted his head and looked around. It seemed none of the other bumbling fools were going to advance towards the situation, so it would be all up to him. He lifted himself from the ground and slowly moved to the edge of his borders. As he walked through the diminishing snow, he held his tail high and his ears were pressed to the forward position on his skull. His emerald gaze looked straight ahead, keeping his peripherals aware of his surroundings. The Alpha moved until he was close to the border. He could smell the wolf was close, very close. He studied her scent for a moment, her heat was escaping her, but it was not something he did not care for. She did smell of something he had smelled just recently, within the last day or two. He could not recall as shedding blood was just another part of his position. The Helidos wolf, female and young, a healer he thought she called herself, and his warrior, Lucas. What a waste of a life. He could have been useful to the pack, or even to Teren as a whole. When he finally showed himself to the wanderer, he looked at a black form, one just like a wolf he had been caring for his whole life. Azrael. This wolf was female though, but it did not change his mind on the matter. Thoughts of Azrael lingered in his mind. But this female had a very close likeness to him, more than just her color. It was the way she respect him, the way she had already proved herself useful. She held a present within her muzzle. It seemed to be an ear, but to who did it belong? "Speak your name and tell me what it is you hold in your mouth. Stand, you no longer need to bow to me."

Fel remained in her bow as the wolf she implied to be Teren approached. His scent was still slightly different from the Erenyx she was acquainted with, and the manner with which he held himself made sure he could not be mistaken as anyone but the Alpha. Blood covered her pelt, but it could not seep through her undercoat entirely, which was a blessing. It delayed the loss of her body heat. Her thickly furred coat was a natural adaptation of mountain wolves, and it grew even denser during the winter. When commanded, she set the ear of the former healer on the ground between them before rising to her full stature. Without hesitation, she replied, “My name is Fel, and the offering before you belongs to the Healer Athena, a fae whose leg you mauled earlier. I snapped her neck in the pack clearing before her father, the former Alpha Azul, and the new Alphess, Quinn. The execution seemed to break Quinn’s spirit and Azul’s mind. I bring her ear to you as an offering, and bear the blood of her and her sire upon my pelt.” It was true; her body held the mixed scent of all three wolves along with her own, and her raven-colored snout and paws were speckled with bloody tufts of white fur. Her chest bore the scent of Quinn, where she had pressed against her. She watched the monster she stood before, but made sure to avoid a direct eye-contact out of respect to his authority. Fel was here to offer herself as a useful addition to his pack, not to question his leadership. The banished fae let silence fall over her, though she would willingly reply to any questions he threw at her in a straight-forward manner, unless of course, he asked for elaboration. It was the simply way Fel always spoke… blunt and emotionless. In her mind, this was no betrayal to her pack. No, Helidos had betrayed her. They exiled her after many seasons of loyalty and service. At heart, she never truly belonged there. She never quite fit in the mold. But her dedication to her duty had been admirable at the least. And yet, after these few years of working towards what she had, everything was ripped away in a day. Now, Fel sought a pack she could serve to her best abilities and aspirations... The central portion of the latter being retribution - in every aspect.

So the wolf he had attacked was now dead, by Fel's jaws? Perfect. Let it be a lesson to the other wolves in Helidos not to mess with Erenyx. But as she spoke a single name, Teren's mind shut off to everything else. Quinn. He had heard that name many times before. In his old life, he knew of a fae who was Alphess of Maple Woods. She was small, yet she controlled him, like a pawn. He had lied about his true intents within her pack, but he always kept it a secret. When he left Maple Woods, he did it for himself. He wanted a pack of his own once again. The brute thought of only Quinn, but honestly, that name could belong to any wolf. It was not the most rare of names or anything like it. So his analysis of her scent went deep into his mind. It sorted through the Helidos scents, her dying heat, the smell of the pup he had maimed, and finally Quinn's scent. It was closer to her chest, sticking to it like a tree wax. The smell of Quinn sent his mind into a whirlwind of anger. The bitch was back. And this time she gained yet another pack for herself. He did not care much for the mention of an old Alpha, because he too had eliminated the Alpha of Erenyx. "Quinn is a vile creature. She infects the lands with her hidden kindness, but she is weak. She is not well experienced in ruling a pack, let alone a pawful of wolves. If she is controlling Helidos, then we shall have to attack when the time is right. I am Teren, Alpha of these lands after killing Steele and devouring his heart before the rest of his pack. There are those who choose to defy me, and others who wish to follow me. Will you be one, Fel? Will you join my side and serve under me honorably?" He looked down to the ear, then back up to Fel. "Thank you for the offering, it shows me you are worthy and honorable to do such a thing as kill when needed. That is something I need here. This pack is full or worthless fools who would piss themselves at the first sight of trouble. I am sick of the imbeciles who roam around these lands, thinking they are deliverances from the heavens above. I believe you are different."

Fel stood in silence as she listened to Teren speak of Quinn with a spiteful memory; she blinked once in soundless agreement. Quinn was too naïve and bubbly to rule over other wolves. One could not manage a pack efficiently with flowers and offers of friendship; it was simply impossible. The only way to maintain order, in Fel’s philosophy, was by enforcing pack law by any means applicable. The raven-black ears perked up at the mention of an attack on Helidos. This, she figured, could be her shot at retribution. Though her haunch that was completely soaked with blood began to grow colder, a fire of determination ignited inside her. And there it finally was – her chance. An answer to an invitation, a pledge of loyalty, a promise to be upheld until death or dismissal. Calmly, Fel dipped her head and rumbled smoothly, “It would be an honor to serve you, Alpha Teren. I have nothing left to lose, so I lay my life, strength, experience, and knowledge of your enemy’s territory and pack at your disposal.”

The slight praise rang in her ears for a brief moment. Honorable and worthy. The dark fae had not heard of such adjectives being attributed to murderers and executioners since her days in her father’s pack, but the familiarity of them was pleasant. Her features remained neutral as they always were. No matter what slight feelings, good or bad, she allowed herself to experience, nothing would show through... It was true. She was different. Fear of death was beaten out of her as an apprentice. Fear of loss was no longer an issue, for she had no family left. Her mate and pups had abandoned her, and her parents exiled her many years ago. And on the contrary, Fel never believed she belonged to the heavens. “I must be… I bear no more fear except for the fear of failure, which only hardens my determination. And I am quite the opposite of the imbeciles you describe. I prefer to dine in hell. But even those 'heaven-sent' wolves can be returned to reality. Everyone sees the ground when their snout is forced against it.”