The pack slowly wandered towards the parking lot, towards the awakening day. There was still no news from the reconnaissance team. Diana is conveniently located on the back of her brother, who guarded his sister with reverent care. She furtively glanced toward the leader, afraid to betray her excitement. Their eyes intersected and the girl looked away shyly. His gaze made its way into the brain, confusing thoughts, and everything in the chest squeezed to a small hot lump, ready to burst at any moment to cover the body with a warm wave.

The leader cautiously moved forward, absorbing the smell of the forest. The pack still remained in wolf form, in preparation at any moment to meet the enemy - a man or a wolf. Sensitive nostrils caught all the variety of smells surrounding him, but, among them, he tried to catch only one, the smell of human presence. And the smell of Diana, prevented focus, distracting from the goal. The wind brought a smell of burning and, touching the nose, made it stop. The ears of the wolf moved in, catching the sounds of the forest, the body stiffened, and a wave of anxiety passed through the fur. The white wolf stood beside, with excitement, looking at the forest ahead. Their eyes met, and their head sank, in order to obey orders. Diana slid off her brother's back, looking puzzled at their silent conversation. And ... the white wolf rushed forward, leaving far behind, wandering a wolf pack.

The charred skeleton of the buildings met unfriendly. Smoke corroded eyes. And persistently making his way into the nose. It was hard to breathe. The dying buildings were smoking, clouded in white fog. There was nowhere to return, there was no longer a familiar home.

“- Hunters. So, they still found a parking lot. You can not come back here. We must go away into the woods ”, - his eyes looked sadly at the conflagration.

“- Di ... What will happen to her now? Think think! Should there be a solution? - A question popped up in his mind every time he thought about his sister. - Leaving her at home alone is too dangerous. She will not sit and wait. How to keep her if I'm not around. Sooner or later, she would still know about everything. And now, no one can stop her and prevent her from going in search, there is no doubt about that. But a pack ... Even Vlad's decision will not help here. Because of it, conflicts will begin ... Yes, they have already begun ... And this, at such a time. We need to come up with something ... ”, - the train of thought was interrupted by a barely perceptible new smell.

Bypassing the parking lot, the wolf sniffed the ground. Something very familiar, caught his nose. This smell penetrated the brain, waking up memories. He called for himself. The trampled earth, with traces of large paws on the ground, confirmed fears ... Sniffing out every bit of land, Dan learned more and more about what happened here, and this caused anxiety. He walked around the camp, following the trail of the smell and, looking behind the house, found the answer to many questions. It was necessary to urgently inform the leader about everything.

The trail led from the parking lot to the forest, but the smoking earth made us choose a different path. Looking at the smoldering buildings, he moved toward the waiting flock, circling the smoke along the cliff. And ... suddenly a wild pain pierced the whole body. The monstrous howl of the wounded wolf dashed toward the heavens and drops of blood from the paw, trapped in a trap, littered the earth. Teeth bit into the metal, trying to unlock the monstrous grip of iron.

" - What is it? - howl, ran along the spine with a thick cold shiver. And, fear paralyzed Diana's body. - Dan? No, something is wrong. It should not be. This is not true, this is someone else. ”

She unwittingly took a step toward the howl, but two wolves seemed to have grown out of the ground, being near her and blocking the way. Only a barely noticeable tilt of the head, the look of the leader, and they were already racing towards the parking lot.Diana, rushed after them, but something held her back and, looking back, she saw the leader's teeth, seized the hem of her dress, not giving the opportunity to run. The leader pushed her toward the pack. Only she could not hold anything.

- Let go ..., I must ..., you do not understand ... he is all that I have. - Diana, with despair fought back, trying to pull the dress hem from the teeth. The pain and plea in the eyes of the girl was reflected in the gray eyes. - Let go, you still can not hold ...

Her teeth opened and, having gained freedom, she retreated.

- You know that I should be there, next to him.

Moving away from the pack, she still felt his gaze on her back, but her legs were already carrying her there, behind the wolves hiding in the forest more often.

The white wolf lay on the ground, gnawing at his bloodied paw. And the other two, with a growl, tried to open the trap. But it was all in vain. Diana rushed to her brother, pushing wolf snouts away. It seemed to her that her heart had stopped, having made the last knock, filling the blood in her veins with cold fear.

“Wait, I'll think of something, Dan, just be patient for a bit.” I’ll think of it, ”she whispered, tugging iron arcs in desperation.

Yellow eyes looked hopefully at her sister, and she, clasping his neck with her hands, buried her nose in his white soft forehead.

- I will not leave you, no matter what happens. I never will.

Her eyes searched for a clue, restlessly clinging to the world around him, and lingered on the torn hem of a dress. The thought came as a rescue and she tore the fabric, tearing it to pieces. Two, twisted into a tight spiral, the harness entrenched from different sides of the trap, and the fangs, clinging to the knots, pulled with all their might, weakening the grip of the iron maw.

The wolf jumped up, feeling its freedom, and, with a sharp pain, pierced the wounded paw. He fell to the ground, closing his eyes. Quietly whining, he buried his wet nose in the legs of the girl.

“Dani,” a cold wave swept over Diana’s body, from a sense of powerlessness. She looked at a bloody mess instead of a paw. The pain of his brother, sharp splinters, pierced the heart, and froze in the eyes of the girl. The glance slid over the faces of the wolves standing nearby, and, in the blue eyes of the girl, determination flashed. A voice that was hard, not tolerating objections sounded like an order — I would stay with him. You need to go back and tell everything. A bunch of you need more. I can handle. We will stay here and wait as long as necessary.

No repetition was needed, the wolves rushed off, so quickly that Diana did not immediately realize that they were not there. The girl's hands gently bandaged her paw, holding back blood, quickly soaked the fabric.

“Dan, please get out of this skin,” Diana pleaded. The day was in full swing, the night was far behind, and this meant that the influence of the moon had weakened. She wanted so much to see her brother the way she had always known him.

- Dan, if possible, come back. I can not cope with you while you're in this skin. We need to hide, I do not like what is happening here. - The girl stood up, in the hope that her brother heed her pleas.

And, delight and fear mingled in the depths of wide-open eyes, from what she saw.

***

Vlad met with wolves who brought the news with a heavy stare. He looked sadly toward the parking lot, feeling how everything inside sank. My heart rushed towards her, as I wanted to howl from tormenting thoughts, forget about everything, rush to help, protect and protect. No, just be around. But the pack ... He could not leave her when she needed her leader so much. This eternal battle of people and wolves. This eternal battle for territory, for the sake of food for the pack. He needs a pack now, as never before.

"- I will come back for you, whatever it cost me," he put in this howl, all the pain of parting, so that she understood how difficult it was for him to leave. Having let out a longing, with an inconceivable range of sounds, asking her for forgiveness, he moved away from the camp, leading the flock away from this place, bearing so much suffering to his people.

The gray powerful wolf walked ahead of the pack, leading it to another, uncharted territory, saving those who could still be saved. He will not allow anyone to be weak, especially to himself. He is the leader of the pack and that says it all.

Hearing this piercing soul howl, Diana looked towards the departing pack and the sorrow of parting, tormented her heart, forcing her eyes to close. She absorbed all the shades of vibrating ...