Brooke gave her short tan brindle fur one last rub with her narrow muzzle, thin hide twitching softly and floppy ears twisting. Her rare lavender eyes rolled her gaze over her glossy coat a few times, checking so it was sleek, before the thin fast dog turned and picked her way through the sandy clearing toward the alpha, Xerox, where he lay in the sun. She eyed the massive dog as he sprawled out on a patch of sun-soaked moss, his jowls tossed over his paws and his hind legs flung over his tail as though he had carelessly thrown himself down and fallen directly asleep. Deep low-pitched wheezes came constantly from his spread jaws, drool dribbling from his long fangs and pooling under his nose.
She shook her head insignificantly at the tan dog before probing him in the side with a claw, "Wake up, Xerox." The massive leader's glossy pelt quivered slightly with the smallest bit of alarm but before long his giant body shifted and his head arose, nose trembling and brown eyes blank. "What do you need, Brooke?" He rumbled to the narrow-framed beta, his voice slurred and his eyes beginning to slit. "May I take a quick walk with you, to discuss something?" She requested hastily, muscles pumping underneath her fur as she stretched her nimble legs one by one. The brawny dog heaved himself to his paws, stout body glistening in the light that caught his fur and broad claws making a spine-tingling sound as they daintily scraped the dull pebbles underneath him, "Sure lets go."
Xerox and his beta stood flank-to-flank as they trotted through the shady cover of the colossal pine trees, slivers of bright sunshine cutting through the thick undergrowth every once in a while to shine down on the dogs. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" Xerox asked, his voice thick and full like blood as his broad body bounced atop his legs. Brooke turned her narrow head to stare straight at the alpha, her gaze solid and serious, "Xerox, how long are you just going to sit here and watch, pretending nothing is happening?" The huge dog's withers rolled under his coat and his face was blank, no strain or attempt on it to answer.
"Xerox, the pack is starving. What beta would I be if I just sat down and let a stubborn and agitated dog continue his ways? I know you're a good dog Xerox, but admit it. Your way of running things in this new camp isn't working. Dogs are going to start dying one by one if you don't fix this and so help me I will use my teeth and claws to settle this if I must." Now Xerox's full attention was on the swift beta, his lips peeled back to reveal his long white fangs and his eyes narrowed dangerously, "Brooke, I know you mean well but I am very much capable of leading my pack. I have this under control just as every other alpha has and I do not need someone telling me what to do, even if you are my beta. You may use your teeth and claws, yes, but I hope it's to catch plenty of prey because if not your life won't last as long as you thought it was going to."
The masculine dog gave a throaty snarl with more courage than Brooke had ever heard from him before turning and thundering away, his paws slapping the ground with awfully dangerous burliness as hidden pique circulated fluently from his body.