"Alpha Dwayne!" a young wolf cried out, bounding towards us. "You're alive!"
Soon we were surrounded by Dwayne's pack, all talking at once, pressing close to their lost alpha. I hung back with Stella, watching the joyful reunion with a mix of happiness and a strange sense of longing.
An older wolf, her muzzle graying, approached us. "And who might you be?" she asked, her tone curious but not unfriendly.
"I'm Rebecca," I said, "and this is Stella. We... we helped Dwayne escape from Alpha Donk."
The old wolf's eyes widened. "Escape? Then the rumors were true. Donk really did attack."
I nodded grimly. "He did. But we got away, and we've been searching for you all ever since."
The old wolf - who introduced herself as Mara, Dwayne's trusted friend - listened intently as we explained every
