6.
Nome Alaska: 1925
This was a bad idea, Kyle, or rather Eran, now thinks to himself. They have been walking for a good few minutes, but he can easily tell Aleu is nervous.
They walk side by side with each other which makes Eran feel slightly uncomfortable for a number of reasons. First off is that she doesn't know his true nature, which makes him feel guilty, but how in the world is he supposed to tell her the truth? Can he tell her? What will happen if she knew, will she go screaming for the hills or will she call in her pack and attack him? This is one of the few reasons why he doesn't get along with people, not telling them about his curse and thus either push people away from him or dispose of them as labeled enemies.
Another unusual trait of the meeting is that it's kind of obvious he is different from the average wolf. The fact that he is two heads taller than Aleu should point that out and that's not even including when he is standing to his full height on his hind legs.
Besides that entirely, he is simply too intimidating, Aleu is supposed to be showing him around, but she simply looks too stunned while she is in his presence. He can tell she is trying to act normal and he appreciates that, but being a wolf-human hybrid is a sure way of throwing just about anybody off.
He isn't helping much either as he idles along in silence, unsure of what to do. When he was a boy it was easy for him to make a friend, or at the very least start a conversation. However, being changed into some sort of monster hampered that skill of his to the point where he is afraid of making the lightest of contact with others. He is also unsure whether he can count on Aleu being friend or foe so he doesn't want to say anything that she could use against him later on.
Due to that, he remains speechless for the most part and Aleu does the same. So much for this date being off to a good start.
He finally looks away from the path they are on and observes their surroundings. It looks like an image one would expect to see in a fairy tale or something like it. The trees still retain their evergreen pine needles along with the bits of white fluff that clings to each branch as they give off a twinkling light. The forest is washed in pure white light that is being provided by the moon and painting the world in an unimaginable design that Kyle has just now started to get used to. Above them, the stars wink in and out as if they watch over the two travelers.
"It's a beautiful night," Eran finally chances, hoping this will thaw things a bit.
Aleu slows her pace a bit to glance around her before smiling, "it certainly is"
"Is it like this every night?" He wonders out loud.
"I wish it was," Aleu admits with a sigh, "you're lucky to get here so soon Eran, it won't be long before the blizzards starts blowing in, then it'll be too cold to go outside or it'll become too dangerous because of some humans who start to hunt during this time of the season."
"Has that been a problem with you and your pack?" he asks, "running into hunters I mean."
She frowns to herself for a moment before saying, "from time to time, but if we are careful, then no, we don't usually have that kind of problem."
He nods in understanding.
She looks at him with what appears to be mischief in her eyes, "what about you? Any hunter unfortunate enough to set their sights on you?"
He hears the teasing in her voice, but it doesn't make things much easier for him. Yes, he has been shot at numerous times, during and after the war. The German's wanted to walk over him and into Paris while some dumb hunters back further south wanted his pelt. He dealt with both parties equally, the Germans were defeated, killed to the last man if possible and the hunters are now doing time in insane asylums after a brief encounter with Kyle. He knew it was kill or be killed in this world, but after the war, after seeing how easy it is for someone to lose his life, it makes Kyle want to spare him and, if possible, help that person enjoy it. Life is too short and he doesn't really like making it even shorter for that unfortunate soul.
"Yeah," he mutters as he looks down, "there were a few gu…humans who thought I was going to be easy prey."
He is sure she heard his slip up when he almost said guys, but she doesn't make a comment on it so they just keep walking.
Finally, after an additional three minutes of trekking, she clears her throat and comes to a halt.
"This is the boundary line for my pack," she says and gestures to a clear meadow that just pops out of nowhere within the forest. The ground is covered in the snow's bright crystals and the star dotted sky was positioned right over it like a dome as it stretches out for a near acre. The splendor before Eran was unbelievable, it reminded him of an opened space in the field back in Oklahoma where young boys would occasionally take girls to. It also brings back memories of his time in Europe and some of his fellow Marines were lucky enough to score a hit with a French woman and they would go into clearings like this one. Ironically, this is the first place to remind him of home, an empty meadow in the woods that is similar to the tall wheat plants that used to tower over him whenever he and Tom played in the fields. Because of these memories though, the full effects of the phrase and place were lost on Eran for a while before he registered what Aleu had said.
"Wait," he gestures to the plot of land before them, "this is where the boundary is? So you can't go out into that meadow?"
She tilts her head a little, "Well we probably can if the land is unclaimed, maybe even add it to our own territory, but why would we want to?"
He shrugs, "Well it just might be useful at some point in the future."
"How?" she asks with curiosity clear in her voice.
"Uh…" he looks away in sudden embarrassment, not wanting to voice his earlier thoughts of the place.
Aleu is quiet for a moment before she speaks again, but what she says rocked his world.
"Would you like to have it?"
He jerks his head back up and stares at the she-wolf.
"What?" he asks as he wonders if he had heard her correctly.
She shrugs her shoulders, "You haven't marked a piece of territory for yourself yet have you?"
"Oh…uh…" Eran doesn't say a thing, he isn't sure if having a shack close to the woods would be considered as being territory.
"Well this land is vacant," Aleu comments as she steps forward and into the field, "besides, take a whiff," she sniffs after speaking, "see? There's nothing living here, so it's open if you want to claim it."
Eran hesitantly follows after her, trying to force the earlier intimate thoughts about such places out of his mind and hope that Aleu doesn't know of these certain human 'customs'.
"I don't mean to be offensive Eran," she says before turning in a full circle as she observes the premises, "but I don't see why you would want this place."
"Now hang on there," Eran finally voices, "It was just an off-handed comment Aleu, I don't really want this place."
Her brows furrowed a little, "but every wolf needs a place to call his home, even a lone wolf, and this one is alright."
"You just said you didn't see how this would be a good place to live in," Eran tries to counter.
"Well…not here in the open," she jerks her head to the woods opposite of them, "but you can include those trees within your boundaries, they look good to burrow under."
"Ok, but still," continues Eran, "I'm not sure if rabbits and squirrels are going to stick around if I move in here, what am I going to eat then?"
Aleu shrugs, "Just use the hunting lands, we all share it, or at least the wolves do," she peers at him curiously, "you do know what a hunting land is, right?"
"Uh," Eran stutters, "things are…different down south, it's every wolf for himself down there."
"Oh," she says, accepting the explanation, "well up here we all get caribou and other big game on the hunting lands, it's pretty much a large valley where wolves, more or less, share the animals grazing there."
"That's…that's good to know," Eran says with a smile, "for a moment I thought I had to live off of rodents."
She smirks at this, "So you're going to keep this as your territory or not Eran?"
She seems keen on him moving in, maybe so she can secure his trust, but he is still unsure about the whole situation.
"I don't know," he says as he looks around, "I…pretty much have places to be during the day time, I won't be able to use these lands much."
Aleu tilts her head to the side before saying, "Such as? What are you doing during the day?"
He wishes he has a better explanation, it seems rude to remain secretive to Aleu after how friendly she has been towards him, but nevertheless, he sucks in a breath of oxygen before saying, "I rather keep that to myself."
He can see the frustration on her face as she desperately tries to hide it, causing him to say, "Sorry Aleu, but I'm sure even if I told you, you wouldn't believe me."
She inhales deeply in turn before saying, "Well you can still use this place and we can meet here at night if we have anything of importance to discuss."
He nods his head in understanding and thinks it over. This is actually a place pretty far from Nome and if he has any requests or questions from Aleu or her pack this will give him easy access to them.
"Well alright," Eran says in agreement, "I guess it's settled then."
"Great," Aleu says with a smile and gestures with a paw at a nearby tree, "now mark your territory."
"What!" Eran takes a step away from Aleu with his eyes wide, "Now?"
Aleu narrows her eyes slightly as she tilts her head, "Yes," she says slowly as if she is speaking to a child, "now."
"Why?!" demands Eran.
She stares at him curiously, "you never know," she eventually says, "another wolf or maybe even another predator, will come here and mark it if you don't do it now."
"O-o-ok," Eran stutters, "b-but do y-you have to watch?"
Aleu still has a blank expression on her face as she says, "well I don't have to if you don't want me…"
"Alright," breathes out Eran as he feels himself calming down, but only to have it be replaced with embarrassment. Honestly, when he was in Europe this wouldn't have been much concern to him, but then again he didn't care much back in those days. He supposes marking territory is a common thing with the wolves so it doesn't bother them seeing this sort of thing. But for Eran who has become more self-reserved in the past few, he is downright horrified by the prospect, especially when a girl is involved.
There is a moment of silence that falls between them before Eran coughs and says, "So…can you give me a minute?"
She blinks before saying, "Now?"
Eran stares at her, stunned, "you just told me the sooner the better!"
"Ok!" she turns around and sits on her haunches, "better puppy?"
He shakes off that last comment figuring it's some wolf version of saying baby as he looks around the space. Finally, he walks towards the tree and examines it. It'll make a good marker and it can easily be used to corral the rest of his new living space. He…tries to get himself ready but soon encounters some…difficulties.
"Are you done yet?" Aleu calls over her shoulder.
"Don't look!" Eran cries in a frenzied voice that soon fills him with loathing. Where has this squealing side of him come from?
Aleu snarls, but turns away, granting Eran some privacy.
Another few minutes pass before Eran sighs and calls out, "Aleu?"
"Yes?" she responds back.
He stiffens a groan before saying, "could you…I don't know…walk away until you can no longer see me?"
"Why?" she asks in a slightly aggravated tone.
"I just need some privacy," Eran tries to reason, "Just five minutes, please, five minutes is all I'm asking."
Finally, she sighs and stands, "Just hurry up," she says as she walks away.
Eran waits until she has disappeared within the forest, then he really begins to concentrate.
Aleu idly guides her limp paw to and fro in the snow while lying on the ground as she waits for Eran to finish. Honestly, he is the largest wolf she has ever seen, has hulking muscles, a heavy musk, and blazing red eyes, but never in all her life could she have imagined something like him getting all shy around her.
She smirks a little. It was rather amusing seeing him act like a little puppy in that instant, a giant monster like him acting in that way, it was almost adorable really.
Slowly though the smile fades from her as she recalls his other words and actions. The way he acted was as if he has never really done anything like this before. He didn't know what a hunting land is, how hard it is to come across the unclaimed territory, and, like recently, spreading his scent among the area.
'Is life really that different in the south?' She wonders briefly, 'or is it possible that he is lying?'
She has met some travelers from the lands beyond, even other packs, but from the sound of it, things are similar there as they are here.
She doesn't really like the notion that Eran isn't being honest with her so she decides to go with the other possible explanation; Eran is from lands far beyond her own, possibly from places that she has never even thought had existed.
Her uncle Boris told her of the many amazing things he had seen from his recent migration trips, such as towns stretching out for miles, humans sprouting everywhere like rabbits and viewing strange machinery such as airplanes, automobiles, and these odd mini suns that the humans had tamed and use to light their homes at night. These stories sound less real than the old bedtime stories he used to tell, but when she looked into her uncle's eyes, she could see them just as curious and fascinated as her own. Is this why Eran was so different? Has that different culture affected him hard? How did he even survive especially when he was living within the world of man?
She has learned from first hand experience how humans are cautious creatures, so how did he ever make it out from there alive? She supposes she can ask her papa, maybe he has some idea on what Eran is or at the very least give her his best assumptions which are usually wise.
She hears the soft padding of footprints and she sees two gleaming red eyes gazing at her before flickering towards the ground. Moments later, Eran exits the shadows with his head towards the ground, looking….well…almost embarrassed.
"...I'm done..." he finally ventures and glances up at her with a small grin.
She returns it, but mostly because she just now notices how she and Eran are now at eye level with him having his head lowered like this.
"Finally," she mummers with a teasing grin, "What took so long?"
He looks away again and says, "Uh…lack of motivation I guess…"
For the first time in a long while, Aleu laughs with great mirth. Eran sounds so uncomfortable and shy, he would no doubt see this as being rude but she couldn't help herself, especially since it's Eran she is talking to, someone who is as stoic as he is tall.
After her chuckles finally subside she breathes out, "sorry Eran," she says with a wide grin, "but you have no idea how…cute you look when you're flustered."
His head snaps back with the speed of thunder and he stares at her with wide eyes, "What?"
She smirks and says teasingly, "Well you are, a great big strong looking red eye blazing brute like yourself cowering like a small pup as he attempts to court his first mate."
He glowers slightly as his eyes darken, it takes all of Aleu's strength not to let herself look frightened in any way as he finally says, "it was my first time ok? I'm sure I should be given some credit for the effort."
She brings back her smirk and says, "It took that much effort?"
He suddenly took great interest in the snow on his foot as he says, "n-no, not really."
She laughs lightly as she stands and stretches.
"Well come on," she says, "There's still lots of places for you to see."
The moon has traveled fast in Aleu's opinion; it won't be long before the sun comes back up. This prompts a sleepy yawn from her and she blinks her eyes in a vain attempt to keep them open.
"I'm sorry," Eran voices as he walks steadily by her side.
She turns and looks at him, "Sorry for what?"
He looks at her once more, "for keeping you up most of the night, this has to be cutting into your pack leader duties, right?"
She waves her paw at him, "It's alright Eran, I rather enjoy being out here with you."
"Really?" Eran asks in turn.
She smiles lightly before glancing back at him, "Of course. Most of the pack would say nice things to me and pretend to be interested in being my friend, but I can tell when they're lying. I trust only the words of my Betas who are my only personal companions and co-leaders while I am gone, not to mention personal advisors."
For some reason, stillness enters the air, one that is slightly awkward and prompts investigation. Eran looks like he is thinking hard about something when he takes notice of Aleu's critical eye before he asks, "do you really see me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like...I'm a friend?" he asks rather hesitantly.
She wonders about his words for a moment before heeding them and understands what it is he is getting at. She has only known him for a short time, he has offered her little to nothing about himself and here she is seeing him as a companion. He is a complete stranger who has odd and rather dangerous aspects, some of which hinder him from meeting other people due to his rather intimidating nature. Not to mention how cold and destructive he sounded when they first met, but she supposes that was more to protect himself and to keep others away from trying to kill him on sight.
She cannot lie though about one thing. She finds his presence rather comforting to be around. She has to always act her best, appear at her best and be her best whenever around her wolves, to be the strong and elegant leader that they have to follow and respect. With Eran though she let her guard down and actually gets to be herself, acting like a young pup, to giggle and tease at her own expense without Eran thinking lowly of her.
He shows signs of change as well, he has said more than one word, no longer speaks slowly and he showed a rather different side of himself when he became so bashful in front of her.
Would she be willing to trust him with her life and all her secrets and he, in turn, can trust her to do the same thing? Probably not at the moment, so what does that mean for them?
"I suppose we are more…like acquaintances if nothing else," Aleu finally elaborates, wondering what he will think of her understanding of things.
She is surprised when he didn't look a mere bit insulted, instead, he nods as if he was expecting this.
"I'm used to it," he informs her, "some time ago I was thrown in a mix of other... wolves in a pack, some I liked and some I didn't, but we did ok as associates," he puts a little stress on the last word, she isn't sure if he was making fun of her or if he was just teasing. She hopes that it is the latter.
"Where are we going now?" he asks, "if my memory is correct, we're now going in a circle."
"Oh," she comes to a halt after the realization has hit her, "sorry, I was just thinking."
He only offers her a small smile, one that fills her with the hope that she is finally breaking through his hard shell.
"It's fine Aleu," he inclines his head, "thank you for showing me around."
She grins in return, "The pleasure is all mine Eran, I'm always more than happy to show you around."
There is a pause that soon starts to become awkward until Eran clears his throat and says, "Well, I guess I should head back then."
"Where," Aleu blurts out before she could stop herself, "back to your territory?"
He is in the process of walking away, but he pauses in a misstep and is frozen for a while before he sighs and says, "Let's just say I need to be somewhere."
Aleu does her best to restrain the agitated huff that threatens to escape her muzzle. Where was it that he was going anyway? Is it somewhere close by or far from where they are now?
He looks over his shoulder at her, his crimson eyes seeking her soft blue ones. A shiver courses through her, but it isn't one of terror, it was far too warm for that. What is in his gaze that was not there before? Is it possible that he has grown some sort of feeling for her? She tries to keep her surprise from appearing on her face, especially since she doesn't know if that was true or not. But still, it suddenly makes her want to paw the ground and howl in victory for winning this massive wolf as an ally. Not to mention securing a sort of friendship that has now become rare to her. Or an acquaintanceship as she has called it.
She has no idea how long his eyes remain on her, but she notices his maw is opening and closing as if he is trying to piece together something to say. Suddenly though, his demeanor changes; he snaps his head to their right, towards a thicket of trees. His eyes beaded as he apparently attempts to cut through the foliage while his ears are standing straight up, detecting something that Aleu isn't aware of.
"Eran?" she asks, "What-"
She is interrupted when the branches of the trees that Eran was watching whips away and outcomes hurling a grey blur. It takes a few steps forward before sliding to a halt. Aleu is surprised more or less when she recognizes the figure; it was her father.
He is panting heavily, his fur ruffled, and a bit of drool hanging around the corner of his mouth. He looks like he has just sprinted in a twelve-mile race, but she can see the frantic look in his eye and knew that this wasn't a kind of friendly contest or mild run. Something is up and for a moment, pure worry starts to fill her. Has something happened to her mother? To her pack? What is going on? She has never seen her father in this state since their adventure nearly a year ago.
He pants as he tries to get air to his lungs before finally saying, "Aleu, I've…been…"
He fell silent, but it wasn't due to the lack of oxygen. His attention has been set on Aleu ever since he has appeared now however they shifted to her side, or to be more precise, to the person next to her.
Instantly a sort of reserved energy comes into play as Balto crouches and bears his teeth. His fur stands on end, his paws dug into the snow at his feet and his eyes burn with determination.
Fear takes over when Aleu hears a loud revving noise in the air, only to realize that it is Eran who is growling. When she looks at him, she is almost shocked by what she sees. Gone is the calm and orderly eyes that have been staring at her for the past few minutes. The old Eran, the one that she has met the first night has returned; cold distant yet fury filled eyes glow brightly like flames in the night, his body elevates as he readies his human-like limbs at his front and he bears his own teeth that are sharper than her papa's and already covered in dripping saliva.
At the same instant, their back legs tense as if they are getting ready to catapult themselves at one another. Realizing that a bloody fight is about to occur between her father and her newfound friend, she takes her life into her hands as she jumps between them.
"Wait!" she shouts loudly.
Instantly Balto back down, his parental instincts easily dominating his more feral side as he stands back up, but his body is still taught like a string.
Once her papa has calmed, she turns her gaze to Eran. He has stepped down as well, but she sees the fiery glint in his eyes and realizes that violence is still possible.
"Aleu," she twists her head towards Balto as he speaks her name, "Aleu, get away from that thing."
Eran releases a snarl but makes no move to advance, not with Aleu in his way.
"Papa," Aleu says with a slightly stressed voice, "what are you doing?"
He narrows his eyes and says, "Aleu, there's something odd going on around Nome, something bad," he jerks his head towards her, "and that thing has something to do with it."
She feels as if all the air has been crushed out of her. Has she judged Eran too quickly? Is he really causing trouble despite what he told her the other night? She feels sad, yet also betrayed, but why? They weren't close so why does she feel like this has hit her very center?
She ignores those emotions for the moment as she looks at Eran. He is standing in a defensive stance, but the flames are gone from his eyes, now he is regarding Aleu with an emotion she thought she would never see in his eyes before; anxiety.
She gulps a bit before saying, "Is…is that true Eran?"
He gapes at her for a moment before shaking his head and says, "No, I haven't done anything in Nome."
"A mysterious human has arrived," Balto breaks in as he tries to get Aleu to look at him in the eye, "remember what Taylor had said? That night you came to Nome and told the dogs your stories?"
She doesn't reply right away, she thinks for a moment, trying to dig up memories of that discarded night.
"The human who smelled and growled like a wolf?" she asks softly.
Balto nods in confirmation, "He is real, your mother had a personal experience with him."
Her blood turns cold and in the corner of her eyes, she sees Eran stiffen. This action causes her to round on him and asks rather frantically in a near shout, "What does that mean? What personal experience?"
Eran bites his lower muzzle as if in deep thought, but he doesn't answer. Unconsciously, Aleu takes a step away from him. What is it that he is not telling him? Is he really doing something sinister right under her nose? This wolf that she had laughed and talked with just a few precious moments ago?
Finally, Eran sighs and looks up, "He meant no harm," he says defensively, "he was just giving a warning."
"Maybe," Balto says, "but why? Why give a warning in the first place?"
Eran narrows his eyes, "Do I really have to tell you?"
Father and daughter become silent, trying to signal for Eran to continue.
Taking the cue he says, "He has done nothing wrong at all, here or anywhere else," his tone holds a bit of power, but also passion behind his voice, "everywhere we go we are mocked, feared and eventually chased out for no reason other than simply because we didn't belong."
He turns his eyes back to Aleu and the look he gave her…it was a sorrowed filled one, almost as if he is begging as he says in a low voice, "I thought you would understand."
Aleu couldn't breathe for a moment. It was true; she was separated from both dogs and wolves. She didn't belong anywhere in her young life. She wasn't chased by lynch mobs, but she was hunted and was nearly killed. All because of her looks. Because of people's prejudice.
Slowly she looks at her father and she was nearly shocked when she sees a rather tender look in his eyes. Did he understand what Eran is talking about the same as she has?
There is a moment of silence before Eran surprises them both when he growls.
"Don't tell me," he snarls, "This human hasn't done anything wrong, but that is enough to make you suspicious and watch him like he is some kind of criminal."
Aleu is now having trouble looking Eran in the eye. Not because she is afraid, but now because she is filled with shame, how could this have happened? How could she have allowed herself to be so judgmental, especially after her own horrible experience?
The quietness is unnerving before they are surprised again when Eran releases another growl before turning his back on them and starts walking away.
Suddenly feeling a lump materialized in her throat, Aleu bounds towards the black giant. However, she only got a few steps close to him when he snaps at her, stopping her cold in her tracks while his eyes held a deep look that she once felt before; betrayal.
"Aleu step back!" Balto orders as he crouches again.
"No papa, wait!" she says sand attempts to approach Eran again, but he snarls at her while his cold eyes glared at her.
"Haven't you done enough?" he demands.
"Eran," she says softly, "I…I'm sorry."
He snorts at this as he starts stalking away, but she keeps in step with him, trying to keep eye contact.
"Eran we're sorry," she tries to say, but he is obviously trying to ignore her while Balto walks slowly behind them, keeping a watchful eye on Eran in case he lashes out at them.
"That doesn't mean anything," he sneers at her, "You showed me what you truly think of me Aleu."
"Th-that's not true," she tries to defend herself, "you have to admit you took us by surprise and with…how you look, who wouldn't think-"
"Exactly," he interrupts, "nobody thinks, apparently if you look like a killer, that's what you are; a killer."
She tries to steel herself the best she could, "Eran, I'm the leader of a pack and my papa is just watching over his family, it's our job to worry, to watch over those we are responsible for, to be open to any open threat."
He glances at her with glowing eyes, "so you're no better than the humans apparently."
That last comment caught her short of breath. She isn't sure if that is a direct insult, but for the effects are still strong compared to the dominant, yet destructive creatures that they are forced to deal with.
She just shakes her head, "Alright, then it must be the only natural-"
"And I'm unnatural," Eran says.
Aleu releases a distraught growl as she says, "Eran what do I have to say to make this right?!"
"What can you say!?" he says as he stops walking and turns on her, "there is nothing you can say. Because now I know despite everything you said, everything you live through, there is that small part of you that won't and never will accept me, but shall always see me as a predator," he looks away, "as a monster."
Aleu is trying her best to keep calm now as she lashes out, "Eran, trust has to be earned and-"
"And I gave you mine," he turns back towards her, his eyes blazing, "the fact that I am talking to you alone is a sign that I regard you as trustworthy, do I look like someone who socializes a lot?"
She opens her mouth to speak but couldn't. She could almost sense the hatred, the pain, and the treachery in his voice. She has truly hurt him, and now she is forced to find some way of putting the shards back together.
However Eran has started moving again, and this time Aleu watches as he moves away. She wanted to chase after him, to try and fix this, she didn't know him all that well, but they had the potential of being friends, and she may have broken that belief.
Balto tries to move past her, but she suddenly leaps in front of him and says, "no."
Balto gives her an annoyed look and says, "Aleu-"
"Papa he is right," she breaks in, "we're the ones in the wrong here. We judged him unfairly and unjustly, he has every right to be mad at us, spying on him isn't going to make it any better."
Her father shakes his head, "Aleu, he could be dangerous, we need to find out everything we can about them and-"
"And then what?" she demands, "run him out? He's right about us and if we keep doing this it may very well make him dangerous."
She can see the reason getting through to her father as he sees things from her perspective before finally he sighs and nods his head. The one thing they agree on at the moment is; to keep pestering Eran will cause the giant wolf to act against them, probably aggressively.
Within Aleu though things are different. She isn't concerned about her own safety or even the well-being of her pack, but for Eran. She has felt the same things he has felt, the loss, the confusion, and the anger, it will hurt him in the end unless she tries to help, she owes him that at least.
She has pained him, far deeper than anything her father had said. Now she will try to make amends; no matter what it takes.