The pack was called for a meeting soon after Gail and Terra returned home. Everyone, save for the Thetas again, was quick to gather. Gail would be sitting beside Sierra and Quibs, but now she stood in front the pack, in line with the Alphas, Beta, and Zetas. She was positioned between Terra and the Zeta pair. Before the meeting, she feared that she needed to stand beside her partner Beta, but Terra probably assumed as well that the two of them would start squabbling again in the middle of the meeting.

“The Prowling Salvagers have been scented in our territory,” Terra announced. “There has been no proper sighting of them, but their scent lingers still.” She reached for one of her belt’s pouches and pulled out a bundle of fur. “From friends of mine of the Bramble Bonds. Use this as a reference of the hyenas’ scent. All of you keep your guards up should you leave our cave. We all know what they’re capable of.” She cast a glance at Reckles, who looked downcast. “Report any suspicions of their presence near our home immediately.”

Malte raised a hand, and when given permission to speak, he asked, “If we run into one of them, are we allowed to engage?”

“Engage in combat?” Terra furrowed her brow in consideration. “No. You are to avoid contact with them at all cost. You all were given a vial from the Zetas to pour onto yourselves to mask your scent. Use that to hide from someone of the Prowling Salvagers and flee home, but should they give chase . . . dispose of them before anyone else arrives. We can’t have them knowing of our home’s location.”

Gail clutched one of her belt’s pouches where she stored her vial. An image of Yvette flashed in her mind, but the hyenas of the Prowling Salvagers wouldn’t be as soft as her. If Terra advised against fighting them, then they were more dangerous than Gail first thought. She glanced at Malte when he asked more.

“What if we run into a Hiveling?”

“A Hiveling?” Even Terra looked puzzled by his question. “Hivelings are of no trouble to us. We are not involved in their war against Boreal, and I wish for it to stay that way, as much as I despise the belief of Boreal’s ruler.”

Malte’s scowl showed his disappointment, but he bowed his head to hide it. “Understood.”

Three days passed by, and no commotion had stirred in the pack. More scouting missions were conducted, and hunts were made quicker to be safe but at the cost of fewer prey. It was sustainable for every wolf, but Gail noticed that there would be no more spare food for Reckles to give to the Thetas.

“I wish I could go out hunting on my own more often,” she mused aloud to Sierra.

“And I wish I could go out to more hunts with you,” replied Sierra, pouting. “I only got to join you once a couple days ago, and time passed by so quickly! And we got called back just as I was about to catch a squirrel.” She dipped her brush in the bowl of white paint and continued a ring around Gail’s left arm.

They were in the Iota’s den in the afternoon. When asked if Gail wanted intricate markings like the Alphas, she agreed with some confusion. Before her Cubbing, she thought that the markings on the Alphas and Zetas were special and that they were a symbol of power. A part of her even thought that they gave the Alphas their magic, but here she was, getting her fur inked akin to the them. From another one of Sierra’s books, there were similar tattoos on people that weren’t just Ferians. She couldn’t help asking, “What exactly are these markings for? I didn’t really think much when you offered to paint my body, and I even thought you meant making a painting of me.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m going to create a painting of you one day,” Sierra answered with a teasing chuckle. “As for your markings, they make you look prettier! And maybe more intimidating to anyone who crosses you.”

“So . . . they’re not going to give me powers?”

“Nope!” Sierra used a finger to space out from the first ring before beginning to ink a second ring to complement it. “Sorry to burst your bubbles, but, if you believe hard enough, you’ll feel more powerful with them on! If it helps, think about looking like your parents and Potts and Juniper. Even if we don’t see the latter two fight often, they’re strong in their own way, right? And if it helps you in any way, think of it as a part of me on your body.”

“That does make me feel more confident,” whispered Gail. “And they’re not only for the Alphas and Zetas?”

“They shouldn’t be. I want everyone to get their own markings that show who they are and what they usually do for the pack.” Sierra sighed. “But of course, my father doesn’t want people wasting their time with me inking them. He doesn’t see any value in them.”

Sierra redipped her brush and continued painting the ring. “I’m still trying to figure out what else to add to your design. I already know to go for a windy theme, because you know, ‘Gail’ and ‘gale.’ I thought it was pretty fitting!”

That wordplay elicited a snort from Gail, also remembering that that’s where her name originated. “It is pretty fitting, even though you still tease me on being knocked out by gusts of wind.”

“Hey, if gusts of wind can knock down someone as mighty as you, then they must truly be a force to be reckoned with, right?”

“You’re right, you’re right. How foolish I was to question the genius of the Spectacular Sierra.”

They both shared laughter. Sierra couldn’t paint with her hand shaking from laughter, but even when she’d calmed down, she set down her brush on the table to her side. “That should be enough for today. I got the bases prepared on your arms and your right leg. They’re just rings for now, but it’s a start. I want to maybe work on your face and torso also, but I want to plan out the designs more, especially the ones for your limbs. Gotta be extra awesome for you.” She gestured with jazz hands and a grin that relayed her eagerness to work more. Gail smiled in return, aching to see what she will have planned for her.

Gail’s raised left arm was begging to relax. While it had only been about 15 minutes and her arms were not at all weak, the past few days of hunting and running had rendered her muscles numb. Just as her arm gradually declined without her noticing in her idle chat with Sierra, her arms shot up when someone entered the room. The urgency in the voice as they called her name made her think it was Terra, but it turned out it to be Gruff instead. She let out a relieved sigh; she kept her arms raised despite its awkwardness. “What is it, Gruff?”

“Ah, sorry if I was interrupting anything between you two, but I needed to report something.” Gruff entered the den when Gail beckoned and said it was fine to enter. “I didn’t see Zane immediately when I returned, and I figured you’d be here. As for the actual report—we’ve detected the scent of a foreign individual lurking near our cave. More specifically, it was Arden who scented it, and he couldn’t identify if it reeked of hyena with that stuffed nose of his.” He sighed. “We apologize for that, Gail.”

Gail waved the hand of her non-outstretched arm. “No need to apologize, that’s still valuable info. Thank you, and um…have Arden drop by Potts and Juniper. They could maybe provide him something to help him regain his sense of smell. Oh! And relay that knowledge to the Gammas, please, on my behalf.”

Gruff dipped his head. “Will do. I’ll also have another scouting group circle near our cave for a while to search for more clues on this individual and if there are any more.” He exited the den, leaving with a soft “Thank you” before dashing off to share his report.

Gail sighed. She turned to Sierra and saw her grin that was beaming with pride. “You’re good at this whole Beta thing already! That was so cool to hear!” Her ears flattened slightly as her expression turned bashful. “Er, was I allowed to be listening to that?”

Gail snorted. “What do you mean? I’m not gonna punish you or anything for ‘eavesdropping’ on that, if you can even consider it as that. Besides, it’s information that everyone should know regardless of rank.”

The bright smile returned to Sierra’s face with noticeably more warmth. She said no more, but that smile alone gave confidence to Gail in being a Beta.

They eventually left Sierra’s den to pad toward the neighboring Thetas’ den. Gail could now let her arm relax once the paint had dried up. She rubbed her right thumb and index together, feeling the crust of the paint on her finger from poking the paint too soon to test its dryness. Just before they reached the tight tunnel toward the Thetas’, they saw Zane stomping his way toward them. Gail let Sierra hold her hand at that moment. It was a habit of Sierra’s at this point, and it always helped calm Gail’s nerves.

Knowing Zane had a reason to come all the way down here with a livid expression on his clawable face, Gail asked, “What do you want this time?”

“I noticed that Delta going around yapping something to the Gammas, and only then did I realize that he had important information to disseminate, so I’m here wondering why he reported it to you instead of me.”

Gail stared at him, more dumbfounded than irritated. “Are you serious?”

“Yes,” growled Zane. “He’s supposed to report to me first so I can decide if he has my permission to go spreading whatever news he has to share that’s of value.”

“But I’m a Beta as well! Same as you!”

“But I’m older than you,” Zane spat. His hackles rose along with his temper. “More than that, it hasn’t even been a week since you’ve been made Beta. You lack experience. While I would’ve approved what he’s reporting right now, who’s to say you won’t approve something trivial next time?”

Gail dug her claws into her palms. He’s just looking down on me because I’m young. Gail wanted to pounce at him, but again, Sierra’s presence and hand holding prevented her from doing so. At the very least she wanted to retort, but Zane spoke up again.

“I’ll let you go this once, since you actually did something right, but don’t expect to get away with it next time. If you receive another report before I do, tell it to me first. Oh, and before you throw a tantrum, I’ll try to do the same for you. As much as we despise each other, we need to suck it up and discuss about pack matters.” He then padded away. His hackles were still standing from anger; although, Gail noticed the attempted placidity in his tone near the end.

Sierra squeezed her hand. “He still hasn’t gotten over you being a Beta, huh?”

“Yeah…but as much as I would love to yell back, he did have a point. Still, this shouldn’t have been something to act all pissy-baby over.” Gail shook her head. “Whatever. Speaking of babies, let’s go check with the Thetas now.”

Passing through the tunnel and squeezing through the cleft, the two were then greeted warmly by the Thetas. Sierra pranced over to Goldenrod’s cubs who were tumbling around in front of their mother. “Hey there, little fellas!” she cooed, then proceeded to sit and play with the cubs. Gail sat beside Goldenrod. They both had smiles as they watched the cubs scale Sierra’s knees and tug at her fur.

“I’m still upset I wasn’t here for their birth,” Gail whispered with a wistful sigh.

Goldenrod patted her shoulder. “Don’t beat yourself over it, dear. Take joy knowing that they’re healthy cubs and they’re full of life and energy.”

“I still can’t get over the fact you actually named one of them Nade.” Gail pointed at the cub with ashy gray pelt. “And it’s the one that sorta has the same fur color as me.”

“We figured it suited him well. Oh, I hope he turns out to be as diligent and kind as you and Sierra and Reckles, and the same for Daisy and Dibsy. It’s only been a few days, but I already know there’s loads of potential in them.”

Gail cocked her head at her when she was made to be one of the role models for the cubs. “Why me? I can understand Reckles being a good example for your children, but…I’m just the Alphas’ daughter. I’m not even that old yet compared to most wolves in the pack.”

“Those are factual descriptions of yourself, yes, but what is also true is that you’re one of the few wolves who concerns themselves with us—the Thetas. Unlike the other Beta and Gammas, you and Reckles are the only high-ranking wolf that bothers to check on us, and even the Alphas on occasion.”

Gail opened her mouth to retort, but there was nothing she could say.

Barking echoed in the walls. Everyone, even the rowdy cubs, stopped what they were doing and turned their heads to the den’s claustrophobic entrance. The barking and howling continued, ringing in the air and echoing from outside, most likely originating from the main tunnel. Gail got up. Her fur was standing on end, but she reassured the others, saying, “I’ll go check whatever’s going on out there. You all stay here where it’s safe.” Even if she couldn’t hide her shared fear, she shouldn’t let it impede her duty to protect her packmates.

Sidling through the cleft to leave the Thetas’ den, she could feel the screams reverberating in the cave walls. As unnerved as she was by the faceless whining and moaning, she threaded through the winding passageway until she reached the main tunnel. Her mind wondered on what could possibly be causing the screaming. Someone invading their cave? An accident that led into an injury? But as Gail heard the cries more and more, she realized that the voice wasn’t that of anyone from the Twinned Fangs.

Now she saw where they originated from. A young timber she-wolf wearing a beige tunic had her arms held forcefully by Grifford and Vin, both of whom were marshaling her. Malte seemed to be leading them. He looked over his shoulder and barked, “Would you stop your crying? You shouldn’t have been in our territory if you didn’t want to be dragged into here.”

“I didn’t know I was trespassing in someone else’s territory!” the outsider pleaded. From the pitch of her voice and her stature, they seemed to be around the same age as Gail, if not younger. “Please! I was just walking around, I wasn’t doing anything devious! Just let me go!”

Grifford snickered. “You keep talking now, but we’re gonna shut you up one way or another.” He looked at Malte. “You think the Alphas are gonna mind another Theta?”

“Eh, what do they care? We suggested the Theta role to begin with, so it should be our responsibility. Besides, it’s not like the Alphas have been doing anything to stop us before or to better those filthy dogs’ state anyway.”

In addition to the sly grins across the Gammas’ maws, the entire situation sickened Gail. Everything they said made her want to claw their faces. Not only that, but the outsider was a young wolf who probably hasn’t even reached the age for a Cubbing ritual. That fact alone twisted Gail’s guts that a pit of poison may as well be inside her.

Nearby, some Deltas—Gruff, Sydney, and Durin—were avoiding watching the scene, but the frowns on their faces were clear signs of their disapproval.

The Gammas stopped when they noticed Gail standing in the way. Malte scowled. In a stern voice, he asked, “Is there a problem, Beta Gail?”

“Yes, there is a problem, and I’m looking right at it.” Gail matched the scowl on his face. She spotted the bit of poison in his voice when he referred to her rank. “Care to report what you three are doing to that outsider?”

“We found her snooping around near our cave, and we’ve brought her in here to interrogate and punish her. Though she’s not a hyena, she may be a spy dog of the Prowling Salvagers or maybe even of the Hivelings.”

“Punish her without the Alphas knowing? Because from the sound of it, you were going to bring her in as a Theta without the Alphas’ permission, and you didn’t even bother to report this to us Betas. I think it’s you three who are in need of punishment.”

Malte snarled. Even being fully aware that she was a Beta, he did not seem to care about it. All he saw was a young wolf snitching on him. He stepped forward and grabbed her by her scruff. “Now listen here, you little brat: nothing that you can say will stop us. Even if you’ve been recognized as a Beta, I won’t let you have power over me, so just shut up and move on with your pampered, pitiful life.”

Gail hissed as his grip on her fur wouldn’t loosen up. She could hear Vin’s and Grifford’s snickers as they watched her face twist and being forced to tiptoe when Malte pulled upward. A growl built up in her throat. Her eyes glowed with fury as she glared up at Malte.

Slowly, she muttered, “Are you defying the authority that I have over you?” She pounded a fist against Malte’s chest. She was hoping to knock the breath out of him; some resistance was to be expected, but there was little as her blow sent the larger wolf flying a few feet back. Rocky particles were sent flying, scattering in the air even before Malte landed on his back, and Gail’s fur rippled as though a gust of wind passed by. Some of her fur was ripped off from Malte’s grasp, but the fur wrapping her neck was as puffy as ever.

Everyone, even Malte in his dazed state, looked shocked—terrified maybe—at Gail’s strength. She looked confounded.

Grifford went over to pull Malte aside and prop his back against the wall as Gail approach Vin, who let go of the outsider and raised his hands, stammering, “We’re sorry! We were just following Malte’s orders!”

Gail stared him down. She then nodded, signaling for Vin to scamper off. When that moment of adrenaline began to subside, she sighed. Looking at the outsider, her face softened. “Are you okay?”

Too terrified to speak after witnessing Gail deck Malte, the outsider merely nodded with quivering lips.

“Hey, don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you.” Gail hid her hands behind her back. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Alice,” the timber wolf whispered.

“Okay, Alice. Now, can you tell me what actually happened?”

Alice’s trembling legs made it look like she was ready to bolt out of the cave. Gail wouldn’t blame her if she did so, now with no one restraining her, but instead she answered her question. “I was trying to find my way back to my village, but the snowstorm tossed my sense of direction when I was trying to go back home and I got loss. I think I ended up walking in circles, then out of nowhere, those three jumped me and pinned me down.” She clasped her hands and pleaded, “Please, I mean no harm to any of you. Just let me go, I want to go back to my daddy.”

Gail looked into the outsider’s fearful eyes with pity. Peering into it, she tried to see what was in her head that fueled her curiosity. What village was she from? What is it like? Did they have other kinds of Ferian or perhaps species? And a question that Gail never thought that she would ever wonder: was she afraid of her?

There’s no reason to be scared of me. I don’t know what or how I did that to Malte, but…I don’t want to hurt people like Alice with it.

After some consideration, she asked the outsider, “How far away is your village?”

“It’s not too far off, I don’t think. If you let me leave now, I might be able to reach home before sundown. I promise to not bother any of you in the future.” Amidst the panic in her eyes—which was beginning to subside—there was another fear, one that made her hesitant of leaving the shelter of the cave so soon.

Knowing what the fear was, Gail looked at the nearby Deltas. “You three, would you mind accompanying me to escort her all the way to her village?”

“All the way?” Durin repeated with dismay. “But that sounds so far beyond the borders of our territory.”

“I’m aware, but I know that you three should be able to lead us. With the four of us, we should be able to protect Alice andeach other from the weather and any threats.”

The Deltas were silent for a moment as they exchanged worried gazes. Gail was starting to feel worried herself, thinking that none of them would back her up.

“I trust Gail,” said Gruff eventually. The other two Deltas looked at him with perked ears. “We’ve yet to smell a hint of hyena within our territory. It’s risky, especially since there’d be no Delta present in the cave, but we gotta help the kid get back home. Also, I might have an idea of what village she’s from.”

In spite of his dazed state, Malte spat, “Why are you four so insistent on helping this outsider? She’s just one wolf! If she’s able to find her way into our territory, she should be able to find her way home by herself. You all will just be wasting energy and resources that we could be using to conduct more patrols to watch out for filthy hyenas and to gather more food.”

“Because it’s dangerous to travel alone,” retorted Gail, failing to keep her voice calm when addressing Malte. “Think about how Alice’s parents are feeling! If she’s terrified of being this far from home in a snowstorm after getting pounced on by you three, imagine how deathly worried her parents are right now! And besides, we have more wolves in the pack. They can and should be able to do some scouting too, and so should you Gammas. You may be our best warriors, but that doesn’t mean you get to sniff each other’s rears while the others are working their hearts off doing what you are too stubborn to do.”

She looked over to the Deltas, not wanting for Malte’s face to be in her sight any longer. The Deltas were stood up and checking their pouches. Sydney said, “We’ll just restock from the Zetas and we’ll be ready to accompany you, Beta Gail.”

Gail nodded. “Thank you. Let’s make this quick so we can all get back home before it gets too dark.”

The Deltas headed toward the Zetas’s den to gather their supplies. Gail’s fur tingled as she was now just processing what she was getting them into. It hasn’t even been a week as a Beta, and she was now about to travel beyond their territorial boundaries. She’d done so with Terra, yes, but now she was ordering other wolves to travel with her.

She looked at Alice and offered a comforting smile. Though, way past the younger wolf, she could see someone peering from the entrance of the Alpha’s den. Terra’s sharp eyes were on her. If she’d heard all this, she couldn’t tell if the Alpha approved of this mission. Regardless, the weight on Gail’s shoulder exponentially grew heavier and heavier the longer she returned Terra’s scrutinizing gaze.

She silently prayed: Ventay, please guide us on this journey. Let us all return to our homes safe and unharmed.