The Pack

Chapter Five

Eclipse watched the white she-wolf with a curious stare, his green eyes wide and wondering.
He was walking silently in in the safety of the tree line, careful to make sure that no sound or scent could be picked up by the female.
His eyes wandered over every inch of her lithe body and he was immediately captivated by her hidden strength and cautious personality. He watched her icy blue eyes as they passed over his shadowy silhouette and continued on in a careful inspection of the tree line.
He almost wanted her gaze to rest on him but he also feared what would happen next, considering what had happened to the other male. He had never felt this attached to a wolf that he barely knew and it frightened him.
But he had conquered his fears before.
He stepped out into the open, his coat startlingly black against the snowy landscape.
The female's gaze snapped over to where he was and she seemed to freeze for a moment. Then her lip curled up in the familiar snarl that he had seen earlier and he prepared himself for an attack.
Suddenly he saw something flash in her eyes and her snarl faded away into an unsure gaze that lingered over him. She seemed almost hesitant, and he quickly realized that not only did he have the size advantage but he had also kept her alive with his own kill. He had every advantage over her, and she knew it.
He crept towards her, his tail up and his steps high.
She seemed to be allowing it, but when he was a few feet away she let out a low growl. He stopped and their gazes locked in a fight for dominance. When they both realized that neither would back down they looked away. Eclipse still had his tail high and the she-wolf quickly copied his movements. They locked gazes again, but this time it was less aggressive. It was more curious, more wondering than anything else.
She spoke up, her voice light in comparison to what he had heard earlier.
"What is your name?"
He kept her gaze as he answered.
"My name is Eclipse. What's yours?"
Her blue eyes drilled into his.
"Luna. My name is Luna."
She started to circle him, her gaze wandering over him carefully. When she came full circle her eyes rested back on his face. He could feel her inspecting his scars and he straightened himself a little more.
She shifted slightly when she saw him move. He could tell that she wasn't sure what to make of him, and he knew fully well that she wouldn't let her guard down on their first meeting.
He took the opportunity of her being so close to take in her scent. She flinched away at first but then she seemed to become more comfortable around him. She sniffed him once and then backed away again. When he didn't move she came forward and they both took in each other's scent.
The tension in the air was almost gone and Eclipse could see that he was at least getting somewhere. After all, two is better than one when it comes to survival.
Luna looked him straight in the eye suddenly.
"So you're a rogue, too?"
The question caught him off guard and he shifted away from her.
"What else would I be?"
His abruptness rubbed off the wrong way and Luna's lip curled back yet again. She growled at him and the fur all along her back bristled.
"I don't know, Eclipse! What else would you be?!"
Eclipse raised his upper lip and snarled at her. She snarled back and they were both about to lunge at each other when they both hesitated.
The ferocity disappeared from their eyes but they still kept their teeth bared at one another.
"I think you should leave," Luna growled through clenched teeth.
Eclipse nodded once but he never let his gaze falter.
"Fine, but these are my hunting grounds. I don't care if it's in your territory or not because we're both rogues. You don't have a pack to back you up, Luna. You can't have a true territory if you don't have a pack."
Before she could respond he loped back into the tree line. Luna was prepared to bark insults after him but she restrained herself.
I won't let him get the satisfaction of my anger.
She turned her back to the trees but, no matter how hard she tried, the image of his green eyes still lingered in her mind.