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Morning Glory wandered through Kells Forest with no clear direction as to where she wanted to go. A few times she had stumbled upon pack wolves hunting or scouting together, but she would quickly slip away before they were aware of her presence. She wasn’t antisocial; she was afraid of meeting and liking other wolves in fear that she wasn’t good enough to have a real and meaningful relationship with another. Her past was bloody and cowardly. She just didn’t feel good enough for anyone, so she ambled alone on her way; her paws taking her wherever they decided to go.
For a moment she stopped beneath a great, tall, towering giant of a tree and laid down beneath it. The wind picked up and blew the end of her scarf over her nose. Morning Glory tried and failed to blow it off her nose, so there it stayed. She closed her eyes and sighed. Her tail thumped away lazily as she got caught deep in her own thoughts and was unaware of her surroundings.

Morning Glory hadn’t heard the other wolf approach. She’d been caught in questioning who her father was, as she never was told the truth from her mother before she died. It was her fear that her old alpha had been her father, and if that was so, then she had—
Her thoughts were cut off as she heard the question. Glory’s ears snapped to attention and that was the only indication that she was surprised. Opening her eyes, she looked this wolf over and tilted her head to one side; deciding whether to run away, or stay and chat for a while. She was nervous. Her social skills were awkward at best, but his eyes were shockingly calming as she met his. “I’m okay. I’m just- uh, I’m just laying here. No pain or wounds or anything of the sort,” she tried her best at a friendly smile and gentle tone. The expression felt wrong on her face. It felt fake to her, but she tried. “Are you here with your pack? If these are your hunting grounds, I can leave. I didn’t mean to disturb anybody,” Glory moved to sitting position and wrapped her tail around her paws unsure of what to do.

He was alone too. Glory found this odd and intriguing as she hadn’t met another lone wolf for a long time. The last time she saw another rogue, the ground was covered with snow and the season had been at its peak. She relaxed her body a bit, letting out a small sigh, and uncurled her tail to show she wasn’t as tense. “I’m a rogue and haven’t had a pack since I was barely past my pup years, and I am new to this area. I wandered here from a great distance out toward the desert area,” she noticed how he held himself. Even though he mimicked her sitting position, he held himself tall like an alpha. He could command a den if he had a pack. She wondered if he was a runaway too.

For a slight moment the urge to show submission frightened her, but she held herself. He was not the tyrant alpha she had killed at such a young age. “I’m Morning Glory, but you can call me Glory. Where did you come from, River?” She asked genuinely curious. She noticed his markings and the bright blue color. They were unlike her own tame coat and colors.

“Your home sounds beautiful and lively,” Glory wondered why anyone would want to leave a place that sounded like a paradise compared to her birth home. For a moment she hesitated to answer and glanced away. Other wolves would rather run than to know her old pack lived on the outskirts of the dead, cold, and barren redwoods. The rumors of sickness and death followed those who lived inside the redwoods and they were true, or as far as she knew, those rumors were true.

Glory took a deep breath and turned back to River, “My pack lived on the border of the redwoods. We had a cave that was in the side of a mountain, smack dabbed between the Forest and the Redwoods. Staying close to the redwoods assured my alpha that no outside pack or wolf would ever want to visit because of the rumored sickness and death that resides in the lands. It’s how he kept us isolated, and ruled with iron jaws.” The sorrow she felt, she showed without shame. She did miss her old pack and wished them the best. The last she had heard, the wolves had disbanded to find new packs, or ventured to create their own. “Did you leave your pack? Why are you alone, River?” She asked gently. The sadness she felt had passed as quick as it had come as she pushed the old memories into neat boxes in her mind.

Glory glanced at the stone he pawed, and for a moment she was sure he was going to leave. It was a nice change in pace to stop and talk to another wolf instead of avoiding them, as she had done so often before. She hoped he stayed a little longer and that anything she told him, wouldn't scare him away.

"I am sorry for your loss. It had to have been difficult for so much to happen so suddenly. I don't think all of them would blame you for your reactions, and you may be surprised by who would welcome you back. To be honest, I would've run in the same situation," Glory laid down and looked up to River. "I... I don't know who my father is, or was. Before I left my pack," she hesitated for a second, "I killed my alpha. He was a cruel monster, and I had to kill him. He slaughtered my mother and made me watch... he could have been my father, but my mom never got the chance to tell me the truth. I carry the guilt and shame of such a cowardly murder. My pack would never welcome me back because years of trauma and abuse damages the mind; it alters the wolf. I don't know if my old pack exists," she sighed and rested her head on her paws.

The weight was semi-lifted from her shoulders. It felt good to confess what she had done and the guilt she felt because of it. The only thing she didn't voice was the darkness that stained her as a result of the murder.

"Is that how pack order works? He never taught us anything about pack order. We barely had healers or guards," her ears perked up and her eyes grew wide. "I don't know if I would be a good Alpha," Glory thought his words over. She raised her head from her paws and tilted her head to one side.

"You're amazed?" She was speechless. The guilt she felt at how much she enjoyed killing the once tyrant Alpha slowly crept up to the surface. "I drugged him and killed him while he was asleep. It was... cowardly. I also... I liked it," those last three words she whispered. Saying it out loud scared her and she had to look away. "I'm afraid of what I could become and what I have become," she confessed and met his eyes again to try and gauge his reaction. "The feeling scared me back then, and it scares me now."

Glory felt herself relax. She was comforted by his closeness and had been surprised when he moved closer to her. "You are right. There will be a time when I can come to terms with what I did and not feel guilty because I shouldn't. I could seek out some of my old pack in the future. If I can see the good of what I did, maybe that will help." Glory stood and took a step closer to River.

For the first time in a long time, she wanted to stay with another wolf. She wanted to stay with him, know more of him, and befriend River. When he offered for her to join his pack, she couldn't believe her ears for a moment. "Really? Would they welcome me?" The thought of joining a new pack didn't scare her; it made her feel warm and welcomed; a feeling she was unaccustomed to. She also trusted River and wanted to go where he went if only for a little while. "I mean, yes. I'll go with you, and no matter what, don't let me change my mind," she genuinely smiled and it lit up her eyes. "You may have to drag me part way there if I try to run off," Glory joked and chuckled.

Glory caught the perk of his ears and she blushed when he looked away. This was a new feeling, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Feeling her cheeks warm and a funny fluttering in her stomach was foreign and welcomed, though she had a thought of what it meant. Too bad she didn’t have anyone to tell that she might have developed a crush on River. It sounded absurd to have it happen so quickly, and she pushed the thought to the back of her mind for now. Maybe it was because he was the first wolf in a while she’d meant that was kind and made her feel at home.

As he cleared his throat, Glory tried, but pretty sure she failed, to stop blushing. Her cheeks were still warm. “Well, I cant promise anything,” she teased playfully. She was surprised for a moment after he licked her head, and she wasn’t sure what to do. Glory sat there and listened, her cheeks on fire now, and just nodded. Was this how wolves acted toward each other normally? Or was this something different? Having a bit of courage, she stepped forward, sniffed him in the same fashion as he did, and licked his cheek, “What are we waiting for then? Lead the way, my Alpha,” she smiled and nudged his side feeling light and happy.