Red Is for Traitor

On the outskirts of the Den's territory the medium sized group paused. Sindri turned to the Alpha and said, "I will be back with Alpha Moonshadow soon. Please wait here." Alpha Triton nodded and turned to his wolf pack.
When Sindri turned to me, I waved him off, "I will stay with them, make sure they are okay."
"Macha." He warned. He was not thrilled at leaving me alone with an unknown pack.
I of course, rolled my eyes. "I can take care of myself." Then held up my dagger. He raised an eyebrow unimpressed. "It may not look like much but it carries a bite. If you know what I mean." I smirked with extra emphasis.
"You scare me sometimes. Be safe or I'm blaming you." Without looking back he crossed into the Den and disappeared from sight. Turning to the new pack I walked over to the Alpha.
"Alpha Triton, does any of your pack need medical assistance? I can help if they do." I smiled kindly if not tired at him.
His eyes scanned me, trying to determine how much of a threat I was. "I think we're okay, thank you though. I am Alpha Triton."
"Macha Lightwood, resident medical woman and ally of the Moonshadow pack." I gave a small curtsy.
His brow furrowed as his nocturnal eyes landed on my neck still splotched green and yellow. "Are you the one that united the villagers and the Moonshadow pack?"
Taken back I replied, "Not really. I mean I knew both-" I was cut off when Corbin, Sindri and Sage entered the area. All the Triton wolves stood and lowered themselves to respect the new Alpha.
"Greetings, welcome to the Moonshadow Territory. I am Alpha Corbin Moonshadow, you have met my Beta Sindri Moonshadow, and my Theta Sage." I stepped back so the two Alphas could talk face to face. Sindri placed himself on Corbin's right while Sage stood on his Alpha's left and my right.
"Hello Alpha Moonshadow. Thank you for allowing us on your territory." Alpha Triton nodded his head in thanks.
"It is no trouble, but I must ask why you are here. We have not seen another wolf pack on our territory since my grandfather was Alpha."
Alpha Triton's face fell. "Hunters attacked our territory. An ambush, we were unprepared. My pack has not come in contact with humans in three generations and suddenly we were fighting trained hunters." He shook his head at the painful memories. "We tried to defend our home, but... but we could not. Too many were killed and wounded," I looked behind him at the tired wolves that were possibly hurt. "I decided to run. While trying to find a safe place we heard of a village that was friendly to wolves and had a wolf pack. A village that ran hunters out of it... We've been searching for weeks. Is this the town?"
Corbin was quiet a moment to absorb everything the wolf had said. The other Alpha's heartbeat did not falter as he spoke and Corbin could feel the pain and tiredness being emitted from the pack. "The village and my pack have been working together and we got rid of almost a dozen hunters a couple weeks ago. Perhaps we are, but I did not think it would spread. You have shelter here for the night and we shall talk more tomorrow. Please get some rest."
"They can take the cottage. Granted they have more pack members than its used to seeing, but if they do not mind close quarters they may sleep there." I offered, I was not using it at the moment.
Alpha Corbin looked to the other Alpha. Triton turned to his mate and Beta and conferred with them for a moment before nodding. "Your kindness is appreciated, but we do not want to run you out of your own house."
I shrugged, "I am spending the night with the Moonshadow Pack."
Confusion crossed over the Alpha's face but he did not comment, "We thank you."
"I only warn you that I have many jars throughout the cottage. Please be careful, I cannot restock most of the salves and powders until spring."
"We shall take care of your Den, Miss Lightwood."
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
"I will show you where it is."
"Theta Sage can take them, you need to get out of the cold." Sindri looked at me with crossed arms.
I stared at him before sliding my eyes to Corbin; this was his show. "Theta Sage will escort them to the cottage, Beta Sindri is right Miss Macha, you need to get out of the cold. Unlike wolves humans run cooler."
"Okay." I turned back to Alpha Triton. "If you need me for anything I will be with the Moonshadow pack for the night, but will return late morning."
"Thank you for your kindness. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?" Triton asked.
"Not tonight, get some rest. We shall send Sage when the pack is ready to meet yours." With a pause Corbin inquired, "Do you have any pups? I only wish to know if Miss Macha will be in danger of coming too close to a pup and parents."
"We have a few."
"Thank you. We have one that we are over protective of, please be aware. He is the only one in our pack."
"We shall be careful."
"Thank you. Goodnight Alpha Triton, Triton Pack, until tomorrow." Corbin nodded and watched as Sage lead the pack tot he cottage. Then he turned and started back to the Den. He turned his eyes to me and Sindri, "What were you two doing out here at this time of night?"
My cheeks darkened from the rose that already existed on my cheeks. "I went for a... run."
"In the dark during winter?"
"I had a nightmare." I muttered bringing the red cloak tighter around me.
I watched as Corbin's sigh puffed out in front of him, "Try not to do it anymore. The world is becoming dangerous."
"I do not think it will happen again." As I looked down to make sure I did not slip, I did not catch the look the elder brother gave his Beta. The moment we arrived at the clearing I parted from the men to go back to bed. Unlike most nights I fell asleep with ease.
I woke the next morning to Zane jumping on me. "Mak! Mak, wake up! We has visitors! It 'nother pack!"
I groaned at the suddenness of waking. "Zane." I whined.
"Mak, you have'ta wake up!" He continued to bounce on me until I conceded.
"Alright, I am up." He squeaked in delight as I stretched and swung out of bed. "Mind bringing me my boots?" He dragged my mid shin worn brown boots and waited impatiently for me to dress.
"Can we go now?" The pup bounced on the balls of his feet.
"You did not have to wait for me." I teased.
"Maaaaaak!" I chuckled and walked after him as he ran to where the rest of the pack was.
"I see someone finally woke up." Ivy teased with a grin.
"I would have slept longer but a certain pup decided I needed to be awake." Zane merely smiled as he demanded his father to pick him up. "What have I missed?"
"I was informing everyone of our guests." Corbin replied.
"Ah yes, and how are they?" Most of the pack looked at me in surprise.
"Fine and still appreciate that you let them stay in your house."
"They all fit, right? I did not want any slept outside last night. It was chilly."
"Says the young lady running around in a shift and cloak?" The Alpha raised an eyebrow. "But no, they all managed to stay inside."
"What were you doing outside last night?" Arawn looked at me worried and like I was insane.
"I went for a run." I replied simply.
"In the middle of winter!?" I was impressed how his voice raised an octave.
"Yes." I turned my attention back to Corbin. "Will I need an escort to return home?"
"Sage and I will go with you. I need to talk to Sin before we leave."
I nodded. "Let me know when you are ready."
"Uncoo Cobin? Can I meet pack?" Zane asked as he wiggled in Sindri's arms.
"We shall see pup." Corbin ran his hand over the child's head. "It might be a little while so we know if they are friend or foe. Please be patient, Okay?" Zane nodded as he pushed his head into his uncle's hand. "Now why don't you go off and play while I talk to your Poppa?"
"Okay!" Zane rubbed his cheek to Sindri's before being placed on the ground and racing off to find entertainment. An hour or so later a small party, with myself included, headed to the cottage to officially meet the guests.

Over the course of the week the pack and I got to know the Triton pack well. They were five weeks journey from our small village and miraculously traveled the distance in only three. They looked worse for wear, but were slowly regaining their vitality. I watched as many talked quietly and sadly to Trista about the tragedy witnessed and the loss they carried with them. Some were not fond of me while others found me to be an anomaly. Twice in the first week Alpha Triton and his Beta went into the village to meet the elders and constable about their stay with us.
From my place as wanderer, I watched the different interactions between the two packs. Trista seemed to get along with everyone and was the counselor for anyone who needed to talk. She took her job with grace and on occasion cried with the heartbroken wolves that felt overwhelmed. Ivy enjoyed meeting different wolves and learning about the world outside her woods and village. She quickly became friends with many of the wolves and acquiring a few admirers along the way. Sage, Lily, and Tree Bark (the three remaining true wolves) went with the flow but had no problem putting their guests in their place. They let the pups hang on them and greeted the werewolves as they would anyone else, but if anyone crossed a line they did not hesitate to snap a warning. Corbin of course got to know almost everyone in the Triton pack and everyone respected him. A few she-wolves tried to gain his attention, but he treated everyone fairly and no one with favor.
Sindri was the one receiving the most attention from the women. Some cooed over him for the way he interacted with his son, while others found him handsome and with status. I could not help but be entertained by how uncomfortable he was with the attention. The wolves sometimes swarmed and tried to talk to him to which his face turned to stone but his eyes showed how uncomfortable he was. He was polite to them, but found every way possible to escape. Sometimes he would mutter something ridiculous and hide, while other times he would walk (run) to the village for a meeting or to work. Then their was his son who won almost every adult's heart in the Triton pack. Even the Alpha could not help but lower his defenses at the sight of the dark haired turquoise eyed boy. As much as he enjoyed the adults attention he longed to play with the other pups but found he did not know how. It was the first time he had ever met another child his age and was allowed to play with them. At first he watched with desire as the other pups romped around with each other but held back unsure how to join. Slowly the other children started to include him in their games, but he always made sure that one of his pack mates was around as a safety net. A few times he even looked to me as the one person he could run to when he felt overwhelmed. It rarely happened, but a couple of times he ended up bowing out to cuddle with Trista or Sage.
It was one of those times when I was there to look after him while the rest of the pack did other things. I did not have much to do since no one was sick or hurt and decided to sit back and relax. It was past Zane's normal nap time, but I felt no need to interrupt his game of tag. Soon he would realize he was tired and wander off to either me or his bed. I noticed he was acting strange though. It was three weeks after the Triton pack arrived and he did not seem like himself. He tried to put on a happy face, but like most children you could see the cracks in his façade. Finally being around the other children and pack became too much. With teary eyes he walked over to me and did the universal sign for up. Unlike most times he remained quiet as silent tears slid down his cheeks and waited for me to lift him. Not thinking anything of it, I easily scooped him up and propped him on my hip. Without thinking, his arms went around my neck loosely (having learned that too tight caused me panic) and hid his face in my neck.
I stroked his back and swayed back and forth for a little while before whispering, "Bed or a walk?"
"Walk." He sniffled as tears and snot coated my skin and shirt. Without replying I started walking away to leave the Den. I only spoke when I passed Tree Bark to inform him I was taking Zane for a walk. The wolf did not reply, but I knew he would inform the right wolves about where we went. As we walked the forest we knew so well, I hummed to him. By the time we made it to my cottage, Zane was asleep with little hiccups from his silent sobbing. After placing him in my bed, I lit the fire to warm the cold house. I looked around to find it slightly messy from not being cleaned in about two weeks.
Halfway through reorganizing my shelves in the kitchen, Zane sat up rubbing his eyes. "You feeling better, Zane?" I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Yeah." He replied although he still had a sad frown.
"What is wrong, pup?" He crawled into my lap with his ear to my heart.
"I don't know. Too many wolves ewerywhere."
He sounded like he was on the edge of crying again. "How about we spend the day together. Just you and me like we used to. We have not had a play date in a while." I brushed my fingers through his curly hair.
He instantly lit up. "Really!?"
"Yes." He let out a bark of delight and jumped off my lap.
"Can we hunt?"
I chuckled at how he visibly vibrated with excitement. "Yes we can. Let me put on my cloak and grab my bow and arrows." I stood, quickly got ready, and together we headed out. We did not go at a fast pace. He first tracked different animals in his human form, but sometime in the second hour he discarded his clothes for his thick fur pelt.
Zane was the one who mostly tried to hunt down prey, while I kept an eye on him with my bow ready incase anything happened. A few times he managed to almost catch a few birds or rabbits but mostly he was too loud or excited to sneak up on the animals. It was not until late afternoon that I became aware of another presence. I whispered to Zane to stay low and patiently wait on his target. To watch its movements and strike when it least expected him to. While he focused on the rabbit innocently munching on exposed grass, I turned my head to the beings approaching. Unsurprisingly I found Sindri, a few of the Triton pack, and Ivy creeping our way. Putting my finger to my lips, I turned back around and whispered for Zane to quietly sprint at the rabbit and attack it. The second the word 'Go' left my lips, the pup plowed at the rabbit with determination. The poor rabbit had barely enough time to register that it was being attacked before Zane's fangs snapped its neck. Startled at actually catching an adult rabbit, Zane's silver eyes stared at me while his prey hung limp from his jaws. I stood up with a smile and relieved the bow string's tension. Finally registering that he made the kill he dropped the rabbit and bolted at me. He made delighted whining noised as he jumped all over me.
"You were amazing Zane." I laughed and then I leaned in and whispered, "Go show your Poppa." Freezing, he looked behind me and saw Sindri. Forgetting all about me, he went back for his rabbit and ran at his father. Sindri bent down and praised his son for his hunt. After slinging the bow over my shoulder and saying a silent prayer for the rabbit I joined the small group.
"We wondered what happened to you." Ivy smiled up at me as she scratched her nephew's ear.
"Tree Bark informed us you took Zane for a walk, but you weren't at the cottage-" Sindri started after picking up a still wolfed out Zane.
"You decided to go looking for us?" I completed his train of thought. "We decided to have a play date since we have not been able to have one in a while. Zane wanted to hunt so hunting we did." Zane barked an agreement finally settling in his father's arms.
"We should head back. Supper will be ready soon." One of the wolves from Triton's back suggested. The group nodded and headed back to the Den. As I walked next to Sindri, I noticed how his face scrunched up. He leaned in towards my clavicle and took a deep inhale. His eyes shot up to me and silently asked why it smelt of tears, snot, and emotions. Shaking my head, I quietly informed him later. I would talk to him later about why his son had cried.
When we arrived, a large fire was burning and everyone was sitting down ready to eat their meals. I took my place next to Arawn and Trista while Zane sat across from me and Sindri from his Mother. After the Alphas took their first bite, the rest of us began our meal. It was quiet at first with everyone eating their fill, but slowly conversations began to pick up.
Nearing the middle a she-wolf in her mid twenties looked at Sindri but did not know how to politely phrase her question. Not liking being stared at, Sindri tightly asked, "Yes, Misty?"
She bit her lip and carefully asked, "Doesn't it cause you... distress that a nonpack member picks up your son and disappears with him?"
I looked up knowing she was talking about me, but remained quiet as Sindri placed his piece of meat back on his plate. "Normally yes, but Macha is different."
"How so?" I could feel dozens of eyes on me.
"Mak best friend!" Zane chirped with a grin.
Sindri looked down at his son before bringing his attention back to Misty. "She has been friends with Zane for over a year and has saved him on a few occasions."
"That how we met. Hunter tried sneak up on me. Then brought me home."
"From then on they were nearly inseparable." Trista chuckled. "He'd demand that we go see the nice forest lady almost everyday."
"Nice forest lady?" I raised a brow at the woman to my left.
"He couldn't say Macha yet."
"But he could say nice, forest, and lady?"
"Yes, although it was more childish in speech since he was only four."
"You saved a pup, Miss Lightwood?" Alpha Triton addressed me, silencing most. "Beta Moonshadow must have been in your debt."
I made a face not really thinking about the fact that he was an Alpha, but it was Arawn you commented. "If Sin owes Max for saving Zane, then he also owes her for the time she saved him." Sindri growled while Arawn chuckled.
"She saved both father and son?" The older Alpha looked surprised along with most of the table.
"The first time they met." Trista smiled.
"Yes, we are old friends Sindri and I." I grinned at the auburn haired man adjacent to me.
"I remember those days, could barely understand a lick of what you said." He smirked back.
"Was it also from a hunter or another accident?"
"Hunter." We replied together.
"My ankle was caught in a trap." Sindri grumbled.
"I scared a hunter away."
"Even at eight you were terrifying with a bow." Arawn shook his head.
"Call it a gift."
"Mak teach me to shoot. I not good though." Zane frowned down at his food.
I placed my chin in my hand as I replied, "You will get there if you keep practicing."
"Why would he need to learn to use a bow if he has claws and fangs?" A Triton wolf asked almost in a rude tone.
"Using claws and fangs can only get you so far. In close combat they are one of the deadliest weapons someone can use. Ranged however, they are useless. If there is ever a time where range is required then Zane will be able to protect his pack and territory. Better to know too much than not enough."
"Very true, Miss Lightwood." Triton complimented.
The rest of the meal revolved around different subjects including the meeting in the village. Once the meal was finished, Sindri nodded for me to follow. Leaving Zane with Ivy, we went to his room where he shut the door and leaned on his desk. "Please explain why you smell like tears, distress, and Zane."
"Should you talk to Zane first?" I questioned, unwrapping my cloak and laying it on his bed.
"I'd rather you first. I will talk to Zane, but I want to go in knowing a little of what is wrong."
I debated whether on not giving a sarcastic answer, but decided better of it. "I think he is getting overwhelmed with the Triton pack being everywhere. He likes them and having other children to play with, but he is not used to a giant pack, especially one that is not his. He came to his breaking point and needed to get away for a while. He came to me since I was watching him today."
Sindri scrubbed his face with his hand, "I know how he feels... Thank you for looking after him."
"You know I do not mind. What I said earlier was true, we decided to have an us day."
"I know you don't and I know he had fun. He didn't smell the same as what he left on your shoulder. I think I might talk to Corbin about having a day every couple weeks where I'll take Zane out in the woods to get away for a bit. If this keeps up we might be sharing our territory with the Triton pack for another month."
"Zane will like that especially if it is you. He misses you."
"I know." He growled quietly to himself. "There's so much to do and talk about since werewolves and hunters seem to be getting more hostile towards each other."
I walked over and leaned on the desk next to him. Sindri placed his head on my shoulder as we both stared at the opposite wall. "How are you doing?"
"A little overwhelmed. We rarely see packs and to have one stay with us indefinitely gives me no place to breathe. With the impending war between hunters and wolves, Corbin and I have been running around like crazy trying to prepare for the inevitable."
"A war is coming without a doubt?"
"I believe so..."
I sighed at the news and leaned my head on Sindri's. "If you ever need a place to rest my cottage is always open. The Triton pack rarely comes by so it is only me, a villager, or no one. Even if I am not home you can always drop by, nap, or bring Zane."
"Thank you. You always take care of us."
"It is what I do." In a world wrought by turmoil, everyone need one place to call sanctuary where the stress of everything did not exist for an hour or two.
The weeks leading up to the Wolf Moon brought bloody news and more packs seeking refuge from a small village and pack that managed to push away hunters and declare freedom