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If possible, he brought the spear even closer. Adrian bared his fangs.
“The other killed our former alpha.”
Adrian puffed up his chest as Herald looked on helplessly.
“And I’m guessing you took over for Darius,” Adrian said matter-of-factly.
When the man brought his spear back slightly, Adrian took notice.
“How do you know Darius?”
“One of our elder council members, Victor, worked very closely with him,” Adrian replied simply.
The men all stood at attention, nobody daring to lower their guard. But Adrian thought flecks of understanding crossed the man’s eyes.
Finally, he lowered his staff, bringing the blunt end to the ground. He took two strides forward, extending a hand.
“It’s always good to meet a friend of Victor,” he said. “I am Sergei. When a painful void was left in Darius’s absence, I had to step up.”
Adrian took Sergei’s hand and shook it, noticing the bewilderment in Herald’s face.
“I am Adrian, and this is my beta, Herald.”
Pivoting slightly, Sergei extended his hand toward Herald, who shook it.
“I must apologize. The truth is that we had a traitor flee us very recently, and we’re still on the lookout for her.”
“That must be terrible,” Adrian replied, not betraying any understanding. “I don’t know what I’d do if one of our own betrayed us.”
Herald had a terrible poker face. Adrian only hoped it wouldn’t give them away.
“Yes,” Sergei said. “Well, if you’ll follow me, I’ll lead you into our pack for proper welcoming.”
“That would be fantastic, Sergei,” Adrian said. “And might I say. I’d love to hear about your exercise regimen.”
They walked for some time into dense trees until Sergei pulled down an inconspicuous branch in the middle of the woods, and the ground started to shake.
“Quite a marvel of engineering,” Adrian exclaimed. “That must have taken quite some time to put together.”
Sergei raised an eyebrow at Adrian as he turned to him, leading them down a dim staircase. He took a torch from just off the wall, wielding it in his other hand.
“You’re far too friendly, Adrian,” Sergei said. “I only hope that doesn’t get you killed one day.”
The tunnels were dark and cramped, the sounds of water dripping always somewhere in the background.
Along the way, Adrian noticed several small holes in the dirt and clay walls, and he could have sworn he noticed the faint glimmer of eyes behind them.
“Your security is impressive,” Adrian noted. He could feel Herald begging him to shut up.
“What pack did you say you came from again?” Sergei asked as he stopped at a fork, holding his torch up.
“We hail from the Crescent Moon Pack,” Adrian said. “Though I would have thought you’d be in constant communication with Victor.”
Sergei chuckled. “Victor is a dear friend to us, but he comes and goes as he pleases,” Sergei said.
“Ah, that’s very interesting,” Adrian said, following Sergei as he turned left. “Victor has done a great deal for us, in truth. What did he do for you?”
They walked in silence, that silence only broken by the sound of Sergei’s cane scraping against dirt and stone. Adrian was certain Sergei would not reply to his question, the tunnels now opening wider. In the distance, Adrian thought he saw the distant flicker of torches, indicating a settlement.
