Bloodstone's ears flicked as the blindfold was removed from her eyes. She watched her escort leave, snickering and tossing a couple jabs at her before they went. A subtle eye roll was all she gave them as she turned her focus away from them and off into the distance.
He had been so kind as to wait until after the pups were born and weened. Letting them gather the nutrients they needed from her while also healing herself from the process.
Oh so kind. After he had sought out a female from beyond his back boundaries and got her heavy with pups. She'd have snorted at the thought had she not been keen to prove she was well and beyond a proper fit for his pack.
She hadn't ever thought about joining one before, at least until a strong male appeared before her and gave her two strong female pups as a result. Not to mention his pack sounded...intriguing if nothing else. Something she could get her paws behind. She'd be damned if he let her take her daughters and raise them without her paws as guidance also. And so she stood, silent and still, ready to take on this trial of a full day of not speaking, eating or sleeping.
She had endured worse. Much worse. A life time, it seemed, stuck with one failure of a son from a past rogue male. Watching as he took the stronger male and of course her precious daughter away from her. A silent snarl curled around her fangs. No noise came but the facial feature was there until she tamed it, letting her fur lie flat.
Her eyes narrowed as she focused on something far off, letting her mind distract her from her physical needs as her body began to ache and yearn for food. Slow deep breaths could faintly be seen as she let her mind wander with visions of her two newest daughters, proud and strong, blood line from an alpha who had clearly proven himself strong as well.
She scarcely heard the taunts of wolves coming and going, obviously aiming to see her fail. A couple of times they drew her out of her fantasies. Her gold eyes slid along her sockets, following them, simply glaring as if to say 'Test me. Test me further and watch yourselves fail.'
A rabbit darted not far off, her nose keen on its scent but she resisted. Red stained paws stayed glued to the earth where she stood as she fought off the hunger, feeling the cold and dark of night now wash over the lands. Instead she focused on the preys imaginary taste, what she'd feel when the sun rose again and she was free to eat, willing her mind to force the hunger away.
In truth, it had felt harsher than she had imagined but she kept on. When the sun rose again her head had drooped only just, her ears flat against her head as she picked up the sound of heavy paw steps. Heavy, but familiar. As he moved to face her, asking why she wished to join, she let a harsh smirk flash across her muzzle as her weary yet fierce eyes met his.
"Need you ask? I want to be there to raise my daughters. To have a paw in their lives. To watch them grow up proud and strong. But also to prove that I can pull my weight. I can be useful to your pack. Useful to you..." she paused and glanced down at her paws, taking in a deep breath. She flashed her gaze back up at his and grinned. "...in many ways."