was much younger, barely a yearling.  My father had also been Nava’s father’s Beta. Nava’s father was a great leader, but unfortunately he suffered a gunshot wound while on a hunting trip. He never made it back."  Faelan hung his head in remembrance. 

"Nava stepped up to fill his father’s role and earned it with his wisdom, already so pronounced at his young age.  And when I came along, he treated my siblings and I like family.  He was like an older brother to me.  When he chose me to fill the position my father left in old age, it was one of the happiest days of my life."

The Alphess nodded.  "I see. I bet you miss him a lot, then."

Faelan looked up to match her gaze.  "I do.  But I trust him.  He’s given us a chance, and if he could have joined us without endangering us, he would have.  I only hope that he’s found Niju and they’re getting along well. They need each other more than ever right now."

"Niju," she scoffed.  "It’s too bad we couldn’t have left sooner.  All he did was cause you all trouble."

The brown and white wolf’s brow furrowed at this and he shook his head. "Niju didn’t always act so rash. He has a good heart."  He saw the female’s incredulous look toward him and added, "He’s just made some bad choices lately."  His eyes moved away from her face as a light blue-gray wolf, female by her shape, passed by them.  He nodded to her and smiled before turning back to Aleu.  "But don’t dwell on that matter right now.  You should rest and get to know the other wolves. Then later we’ll work on your leadership skills and make some progress with our new home, sound good?"

Aleu replied uneasily, "I guess that would be a good idea.  Though I’m pretty sure some of them hate me already." For a brief moment she remembered the venomous stare she’d been given by the green-gray and brown female.

"Nonsense.  They just haven’t been given much of a chance to get to know you.  If you mingle with them a little and try, I’m sure they’ll come to like you."  He glanced around once more before finishing with, "If you’ll excuse me, my lady, I believe there’s another matter that requires my attention.  But if you need my assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask." With a quick dip of his head, he trotted off to join the female.

Aleu watched him for a moment, almost longing to follow him rather than mingle with the pack.  She’d already thus far proved to be socially inept.  What reason was there in causing her further humiliation?  Despite all of this, she hung her head and walked over to a small group of the pack, three of them to be exact, lifting her paws slowly, uncertainly as she moved.  They were in a triangular formation, all facing each other and speaking in hushed voices.  One was the strange grayish green female whom she’d skidded into earlier.  Her back was facing Aleu, and though she recognized her from the crossing, she couldn’t say she’d ever spoken to her.

On the strange fae’s right side stood a gray and white male and on the left was a mottled tan female.  Aleu didn’t recognize either of the two, but still she smiled, gaining confidence, and padded up to them.  'Maybe this won’t be so bad.  They seem pretty friendly,' she thought.

But as she approached, the tan fae glanced over at her worriedly and raised her eyebrows.  Her eyes widened in alarm and she quickly turned to the others and said, "Shh!"

The male shot a look at the Alphess and quickly fell silent, a hard gaze forming over his lovely blue eyes.  The grayish green female turned her head to the Alphess and sighed deeply in annoyance, before turning her whole body to face Aleu.

"Yes, Alphess?" she asked, ice flaking off the second word.  She gave an exaggerated bow following the short statement.

At first, Aleu didn’t know quite how to respond.  She frowned, lowering her ears and tail as she watched the group, and she tentatively edged closer.

"I just wanted to apologize for earlier on the ice.  I didn’t mean to knock you into the water, but I tripped." She let her own deep, ocean blue eyes move up to the fae, whose cynical expression hadn’t changed since she’d spoken. "I was just hoping we could start over. I - "

"Gladly," the female interrupted curtly, taking advantage of Aleu’s submissive stance to raise her tail and hackles.  She took a step forward, bearing her teeth and began growling, "Why don’t you just go back to where you came from?  You aren’t a wolf, you don’t know how to act like one, and you certainly don’t know how to be anything akin to a leader.  I don’t care what that old timer Nava said, I’m not going to leave my life in the care of some stupid brat who doesn’t know how to take care of herself in the wild, let alone a group of others.  I’m more fit to lead this pack than you are."

Aleu backed up nervously, tucking her tail between her legs and thus further submitting to the other female.  Had she known what this cowardly gesture meant, perhaps she would not have done this, but all the wolf hybrid knew was that she was being threatened.

"Hmph, that’s just what I thought.  You’re not even willing to stand up for yourself, or your rank.  I might as well just take it from you." She stepped closer again as her two companions looked nervously from Alphess to friend.  Suddenly, the greenish gray female lunged at the Alphess.

A head connecting with her chest met her and her eyes enlarged, as if a train had just hit her.  The fae landed to the side with a rough thud and began coughing.  Aleu looked to see who had saved her and found none other than Nuk standing perpendicular to her, his own hackles raised and teeth bared.

"Evvie, you know better."  His thick speech was fairly clear for once and his brow furrowed as he watched the other female.

Evvie struggled to her feet, glaring at the enormous wolf and replied, panting still, "You called yourself one of Niju’s friends, and yet you protect this weakling who isn’t fit to rule?"  But she stopped, glancing sharply over to her side and immediately lowering her ears and tail.  Nuk and the others did likewise, though didn’t submit quite as much as Evvie.

Faelan loped over to the group, barking only once to announce himself and stopped in front of Evvie.  He visibly puffed up his chest and raised his tail before speaking.  "Evvie, she is the Alphess whether you like it or not. Nava appointed her and it’s not your decision or right to depose her.  She still has time to learn our customs."

Evvie spat from her lowered position and shot back, "Well, she’d better learn soon, or I’ll make it my business.  This clan doesn’t need a tame housedog leading us; it needs a wolf. And it had better have one soon."

Faelan snarled at her and she winced.  "You will hold your tongue or I’ll remove it.  I will teach her everything she needs to know and if she hasn’t got what it takes by the next full moon, then we will figure out something else.  You will deal with that decision or face me.  Understand?"  He glanced to the other two without waiting for an answer.  "Leila, Micah, I expect you two to act with more dignity and respect for our former leader’s choice.  You will do as I have said as well, and keep Evvie in line.  If not, you can all expect retribution from me.  Now go, before I decide I’ve been too lenient today." He snorted purposefully and watched as the three of them nodded and trotted off sullenly.

The beta waited until Evvie and the others were out of earshot and Nuk had moved off out of respect, then turned to Aleu and spoke, his voice calm and reassuring. "You should probably avoid Evvie. She was a big supporter of Niju’s ideas.  She’s still a little angry that he was forced so easily out of the way."  He smiled kindly at her, but his eyes depicted worry, more than anything. "If I can’t teach you how to have more respect for your heritage and how to really be a wolf, she’ll challenge you for your position in a couple of weeks.  That’s not a fight that can be interfered with, except by myself, and the only thing I could really do then is take the Alpha position for myself but…" He trailed off and the light brown hybrid hung her head.  "Listen, I’m going to take some of the pack and scout out the area.  I’ll leave you with Nessa; she’ll look after you and Evvie and the others will come with me.  That way you can take this all in for a bit."

Aleu looked up meekly at this and simply nodded glumly, almost feeling the subordinate in this situation.  She’d already managed to mess up twice on her first day in charge.  Maybe it would get better after this?

With that, Faelan nodded and a lovely blue and gray female trotted over to the two of them.  There was a young, motherly look about her, which was only augmented by the pleasant smile adorning her face.  She was thin, but not wiry or even remotely resembling