There's a quiet shimmer of sound behind him as Naseer sheds his wolf form, his bare feet making near no sound on the cold forest floor. The snow hasn't reached them yet, but it's getting close. That brings its own unique challenges, as the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, taking the wildlife with it, and the pack has to stay together in the cabin to keep warm. There's wood to chop and flint to gather, there's the slowly dwindling food storage to ration and refill, there's water collection to monitor and maintain, there are furs to tan, there are herbs to dry and process, there are repairs to do to the cabin before the weather turns...
Corrigan knows all of these things. He's usually the one to delegate responsibilities to the other wolves, knowing instinctively what to prioritize and how long each task will take and when to get started, so they never go into the harsh winter unprepared. The pack has always survived the winter.
But this time, Corrigan has been too sick with grief to work. He barely has the strength to take care of himself, to make it through each empty day. So it's been up to Naseer to keep the pack together. He's the one to organize hunts, to chop and dry wood for the fire, to delegate tasks and make decisions and discipline disobedience. He's the one to provide comfort and stability to a pack wracked with grief, being the rock they need when everything feels hopeless. He's the one to oversee the search parties.
And through it all, Naseer is the one to insist on giving Corrigan his space. The pack is in mourning together, yes, they all grieve the tremendous loss of their mate. But Corrigan grieves his firstborn on top of it all. The younger wolves can't begin to imagine that kind of loss.
Taking a seat next to his Alpha, Naseer pulls his knees up to his chest, gazing quietly into the rippling water for a moment. Benji's dam hasn't been maintained in several weeks. None of them have the strength for it. "Kai has returned," he says softly, not elaborating further. It's clear by the tone of his voice that the wolf's search was fruitless, yet again. There's been no sign of Kurt since they were taken. "He ran his paws bloody again. He won't be able to join the hunt for another week while he rests."
Naseer often does this, giving quiet status updates to his Alpha and providing some warmth by his side before leaving again, not expecting a response. Corrigan rarely speaks these days. The Beta would be lying if he said it wasn't getting lonely. "We're running low on food again, so we should hunt more frequently this week. Gather as much small game meat as we can before they all migrate south. We should avoid being dependent on the locals for trade." A beat, before he softly adds: "You should come inside."
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Corrigan knows all of these things. He's usually the one to delegate responsibilities to the other wolves, knowing instinctively what to prioritize and how long each task will take and when to get started, so they never go into the harsh winter unprepared. The pack has always survived the winter.
But this time, Corrigan has been too sick with grief to work. He barely has the strength to take care of himself, to make it through each empty day. So it's been up to Naseer to keep the pack together. He's the one to organize hunts, to chop and dry wood for the fire, to delegate tasks and make decisions and discipline disobedience. He's the one to provide comfort and stability to a pack wracked with grief, being the rock they need when everything feels hopeless. He's the one to oversee the search parties.
And through it all, Naseer is the one to insist on giving Corrigan his space. The pack is in mourning together, yes, they all grieve the tremendous loss of their mate. But Corrigan grieves his firstborn on top of it all. The younger wolves can't begin to imagine that kind of loss.
Taking a seat next to his Alpha, Naseer pulls his knees up to his chest, gazing quietly into the rippling water for a moment. Benji's dam hasn't been maintained in several weeks. None of them have the strength for it. "Kai has returned," he says softly, not elaborating further. It's clear by the tone of his voice that the wolf's search was fruitless, yet again. There's been no sign of Kurt since they were taken. "He ran his paws bloody again. He won't be able to join the hunt for another week while he rests."
Naseer often does this, giving quiet status updates to his Alpha and providing some warmth by his side before leaving again, not expecting a response. Corrigan rarely speaks these days. The Beta would be lying if he said it wasn't getting lonely. "We're running low on food again, so we should hunt more frequently this week. Gather as much small game meat as we can before they all migrate south. We should avoid being dependent on the locals for trade." A beat, before he softly adds: "You should come inside."