"You're simply hopeless!" Raven hisses at me. I sit silently, both pairs of eye's watching my every move. Dale and Raven have been nagging me for the past five minutes, non stop.

"Baron, you need to pay attention," Dale say's simply. I was watching Tristan, and he was watching me. It feels like the entire Silver Claw pack is watching me. From the corner of my eye, Dale's glaring face breaks my attention away from the pack.

"Guys, I already told you, I don't know what came over me," I tell them for the fifth time. This of coarse is a complete lie. I knew exactly what I was doing. Keeping Tristan off of Aiyana. Dale keep's shaking his head, and Raven is just ignoring me.

This was not what I thought this would lead to. I have never been so angering to Dale. I always tried to keep him happy with me, but this really crossed a line.

Dale was always like a second father to me. With my biological father being the alpha, he was always busy. If it wasn't for Dale, I wouldn't be the wolf I am today. I owe that old wolf so much.

I hear footsteps approaching our little group, and I look up. Aiyana stands there, looking worn out and tired. I hate seeing her like this. I may have only met her a few hours ago, but none the less I didn't want to cause her any discomfort. Raven and Dake look up for a moment, before deciding this was not worth paying attention to. Aiyana's eye's look far off. The emerald green looking sad, as if she were thinking about something. I see her chuckle slightly, before she goes back to the sorrowful look.

"Aiyana?" I ask her softly. Her eye's had closed, and I am startong to get worried. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, but I should be asking you the same question." She replies. Guilt washes over me again, and I look to the ground. The last time I was feeling any kind of guilt, was when Dale caught me toying with a rabbit that I had hunted.

The creatures little eye's stare up at me. Last night was my second year celebration, and I don't feel any different. I grab the rabbit by it's scruff, tossing it in the air. I needed a little fun tonight. I started my first training, and the stress is getting to me.

I had just caught the rabbit in my mouth, when I heard someone clear his throat.

"Boy... what's the meaning of this?" Dale ask's. I stare at him, not knowing what to do. He tilts his head and pads over to me. "Well? Explain your self."

I swallow, and open my mouth. The rabbit falls to the ground, and scurries into the forest. "That little bastard," I mutter. Dale shakes his head.

"Serves you right. You know we show respect to the animals we hunt. Can you tell me why we do that?" He ask's me. I feel like a pup getting lectured by a watcher. Clearing my throat, I think over my answer.

"Well...the animals we hunt give us energy to live, so we thank them and show respect to them. We wish them the best of luck for their next life."I finish. Guilt washes over me in a wave. I am ashamed of my behavior, that rabbit deserved better. Dale looks pleased, and nods.

"There is no life without death," Dale states. This old saying goes far back to when the wolves first came to this territory. We look at each other. "Now come, your father just went out hunting."

That night while I ate, I thought of that saying. The truth behind those words was uncanny.

I then realize Aiyana I still waiting for an answer.

"I have had better day's," I respond, "I - I'm sorry about going nuts on Tristan...". She gives me a look saying that there were no hard feelings.

"Thanks," She takes a breath before continuing,"Why did you do it?" This catches me off guard, I didn't expect her to be so blunt about it.

"I don't really know," I lie. Aiyana isn't easily fooled.

"You don't just tackle a wolf to the ground unprovoked," She shoots at me. I really don't have any answers at this point. Before I say anything Dale steps in.

"So you're leading us to the clearing?" He ask's her. Aiyana gives me one final glance before she nods.

"Yes, the Alpha's will want to meet with you, just follow me." Dale, Raven and I follow a distance behind, not wanting to crowd her. We steadily make our way into the forest, leaving the angry wolves to their fuming.

The smell of tree's covers over us like a blanket. My nerves slowly start to relax. Wind rustles the branches, drowning out any other sounds of the forest. The moon sits behind the tree's, letting silver strips of moonlight through the gaps in the branches. Soon the pre-dawn darkness would be apon us.

The steady crunch of our footsteps stop. Aiyana turns around to face us.

"Remember, do not talk unless spoken to." She states. Everyone nods, and stares ahead. Aiyana turns back around, and pads through the opening in the tree's. One by one we follow. The clearing we walk into is breathtaking.

A shallow cave stood, looking as if it was protruding from the forest. I can see the back of the rocky formation. Boulders litter the ground outside of the cave. A steady stream gurgles to the left of us, running in between the rocks. The whispering of the water makes this place sound safe, and peaceful. The thought that this was the place they probably made war plans in, makes me shiver.

A group of wolves stand in the middle of the cave, the moonlight running across only half of their body's. The Elders, Betas, and the Alphas. Two wolves walk forward, obviously the Alphas. Aiyana is beside me, staring intently at the wolves.

"Greetings Fire Furs, and Aiyana," The male wolf sits. "I am Dakota, this is my partner, Nadia." Nadia nods. Dakota's multicolored fur gets dulled by the silver light of the moon. His dark eye's show leadership, and wisdom. He is not a very old Alpha, not even old enough to be an elder. Dakota looks under six years, same as his mate.

"Greetings Alpha," Aiyana replies. She goes to sit on the shadow of a boulder. I instantly want to go over there and sit too, but I decide against it.

"Baron, we would like to discuss your stay with us, and any other... interferences this may cause," Nadia speaks up. Her voice has a soft tone to it. Dale steps in front, and I step back.

"We are very sorry for Barons display, but we would really like to work with you. You must be worried about the bear problems too." Dale explains. Dakota and Nadia look to me, waiting for me to explain myself.

"I am very sorry, I would like to prove to you that we will not cause any trouble,"I say. The two Alpha's look at me for a moment before responding.

"First we would like to hear out your plan. Then we will decide," Dakota finishes. I begin to explain my plan, to meet with the bears, and that we need the packs to agree to everything first. Both Dakota and Nadia listen intently, never interrupting. Once I finish, they nod and go to the back of the cave. Raven comes up beside me.

"Good job,"He say's in a hushed tone. I look at Raven, and I see in his eye's that he means it. "I can't stay mad, even if you do act like a complete idiot sometimes," He bumps my side with his shoulder. I chuckle, looking back towards the Alpha's. They have finished conversing, and now sit at the mouth of the cave.

"We have made a decision, but you may not like it," Nadia explains. Dale, Raven and I wait for her to continue. "We don't know if we can trust your pack with something this big. Our proposal is this: our two packs form an alliance, and we sort the new treaty out with the bears together. Dakota and I have also decided that we need to know that you are as stable as you claim to be. You will live and work in the Silver Claw pack for half a moon cycle, as a normal class wolf. There will be no special treatment." Nadia finishes. I stare at her. Those conditions were not the ones we were hoping for. Now I have to stay in this territory for half a cycle, and we must work with them?

"What do we gain from having him here?" Aiyana steps up. She has been quiet so far, so I forgot that she was even present. It's Dakota's turn now to respond.

"If they can prove to us that one of their pack members can live with us, and follow our rules, then we know that they won't bring violence to our lands. The Fire Furs are well known for causing unwanted fights," He shoots at Aiyana. She shrinks back, and doesn't ask anymore questions.

"Will you give us some time to talk to our Alpha's?" Dale ask's. We will need to make this decision carefully. If we gave up to much power over to them, then the whole forests balance would be off.

"Yes, you have until tomorrow at high moon," Dakota states. "Now, I think we have discussed everything. This meeting is over." The two wolves turn to leave. Once they are gone, Aiyana lets out a breath. She comes over to us, tail dragging. The tired look on her face speaks volumes.

"We will head back to our territory," Dale say's to Aiyana. She just nods and looks up at me. Our eyes meet for a fraction of a second, before she looks to the tree's.

"Okay, goodnight." She simply tells us. The brown grass crunches under her feet, as she disappears into the forest. We stand in silence for a moment, the chilly breeze hinting at the snow that has yet to come.

"Lets head out," Raven mutters. I follow behind Dald and Raven, the walk back is a quiet one. We each just keep to ourselves. My mind is mainly wondering to thoughts about Aiyana, distracting me from the problem with the bears.

I just can't get her amber fur, and emerald eye's out of my head. She has me pondering about things I never usually think of. Leaving the clearing tonight hurts. I don't want to leave her behind, even though this is the first time we have met.

Why do I have to be such a fool?

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Here is chapter 8! Hope you enjoyed it. To me it is a very boring chapter, but it needed to be here.

This chapter's picture is of Dakota, the male Silver Claw Alpha.

Thanks for reading, votes and comments are appreciated!

Word Count: 1 831