Natania called the first training session with the entire pack once her shoulder was healed a couple weeks later. It was a weekend, and they were gathered early in the morning. She had three months until she had to decide their fates. Leah ignored the summon, much to her irritation, but all of the others showed up.

Natania tried to swallow her temper and focus on the training, but it was difficult. It wasn't the time for games when lives had been lost. They would be entirely focused on fighting, and she would have to find time to work with her previous trainees on their hunting and running. She recruited Valerie to help her coach the others and it wasn't going very well. The tan wolf didn't have a lot of patience and Natania had to break up a few fights that went overboard.

She sent Valerie to focus on the weakest of the wolves instead, figuring they'd be less likely to snarl at each other. Which left Natania working with Avery, Hayley, Mason, Keiran and Violet. Not her favourite crowd, but it needed to be done.

Natania was surprised to find that Avery actually wasn't that bad. He was Hayley's brother, but a lot quieter and more respectful than his sister, and he was viciously strong, not unexpected from Ezra's son. She liked him. After working with the five of them for a while, she had Avery take over and moved onto a new group. Wanting to personally work with everyone at least once per session.

They trained for hours, only taking a few short breaks. Natania pushed them as much as she could, until a few of them could no longer find their feet. Natania called a halt as Branson and Grace joined the group of wolves too tired to stand. The pack collapsed with a collective sigh of relief.

Even Natania's muscles were feeling a little wobbly. She checked over each one of them, making sure no one needed medical treatment, then set a time for Monday. She'd give them Sunday to recover and spend time with their families. There would be a full moon pack hunt the next day anyway.

She left them sprawled out in the clearing they had used for training and went to hunt down Leah's house. Whatever her feelings, she needed the entire pack to get stronger. Leah refusing her summons was unacceptable.

It took her a while to find the house. There wasn't exactly a map of who lived where, and she'd never had a reason to hunt down Leah's house before. It was Naomi's scent that she ended up following. It led her quite a ways into the woods, which hadn't been what she expected. The ranked wolves typically lived closer to the center of town.

She found Naomi and her mate, Skylar, arguing with Shaun, a member of her father's pack, on their porch while Leah sat nearby. The blue wolf's fur was bristling. Natania couldn't remember exactly where Shaun sat in the hierarchy, but she knew it was above Leah's family. He was Violet's father, that much she knew.

Skylar had his teeth clenched and was staring at the ground while Shaun snarled at them. Natania wasn't entirely sure what the problem was, but she figured it wasn't good, and cleared her throat loudly as she approached.

Shaun turned to her, teeth bared, then ducked down when he saw who she was. By her father's system, she was considered his alpha, even though she technically led a different pack. Natania opened her mouth to snap at him, then saw the panicked look on Leah's face and reconsidered. She didn't want to entice the wolf to come bother them again as soon as she left.

Natania took a deep breath and went for a different approach. "Good afternoon," she said, padding forward and nodding to Shaun, then to Naomi and Skylar, who lowered their heads. "What is going on?"

"Nothing important, alpha," Shaun said stiffly. "I would hate to bother you with petty problems."

Natania glanced at him, but held her tongue in check. "Well, if it's not important, would you mind leaving us? I need Naomi and Skylar to help me with," Natania faltered for a moment, trying to come up with an important enough task that he would leave them alone, "inventory. With winter approaching it is imperative that we know what kind of supplies we're short on. It's a big job, so I expect you will direct anything else you need to someone else."

Natania shot a glance at Leah, who looked relieved, then turned back to Shaun. "Am I understood?"

Shaun bowed low. "Of course, alpha."

"Let the other's know," Natania said. "I don't want them distracted."

"I will. See you at the hunt tomorrow, ma'am." Shaun gave one more respectful nod, then padded away.

Natania waited until she was sure he was gone before turning to Naomi and her mate. The two of them were bowed low, not looking at her, with their tails tucked. Naomi was blue like her daughter, and Skylar was a light cream colour that darkened to cinnamon on his belly. Natania nudged them with her nose. "Please stand up."

Leah padded cautiously forward but Natania ignored her. She was a little angry at Leah still, and didn't want to take it out on her parents.

Naomi stiffly got to her feet, keeping her head lowered. Skylar looked up, met her gaze for a second, then flinched back, barely raising from the ground. He half stood, half crouched, compelled to listen to her, but his instincts telling him it wasn't safe.

Natania frowned, then backed off the porch, she didn't want to intimidate them. Watching them, she knew why Leah was so angry all the time. You had to beat a wolf to get that kind of behaviour from them. It made Natania angry just to see it.

"Please relax," Natania said, keeping her voice gentle. "I don't mean you any harm." She laid on the ground and put her head on her paws, trying to signal she was a non-threat.

Naomi looked at her then, her gaze incredulous. Protocol would dictate their heads should be below hers, but she'd made it impossible to do so. The two wolves slunk off the porch anyway, but they stared down at Natania when she didn't move.

She rolled onto her back and looked up at them. Naomi and Skylar shot each other confused looks before Naomi finally spoke. "What are you doing?" she spoke slowly, her voice filled with uncertainty.

Natania rolled back to her feet with a laugh, then shook out her pelt and sat on the grass. "I don't play dominance games," Natania said. "I was raised by omegas. I'd prefer it if you spoke to me, rather than the dirt."

"You're the alpha's daughter," Skylar said. Natania nodded. "You need our help with inventory?"

At that, Natania shook her head. "Not really, though I'm not opposed if you want to, it is a big job. I actually came here to talk to Leah, but I figured that would get Shaun off your back, at least for a little while." Natania glanced at Leah, who had finally joined them. "Maybe get you some peace." Natania's tail curled with amusement. "Your daughter is always telling me off for fighting others' battles, so I figured I'd try a different approach."

Leah scowled, which made Natania laugh again. Skylar frowned at his daughter. "You should not be telling the alphas off about anything," he said, with a nervous look at Natania. "It's not safe."

Natania waved a paw dismissively. "Sometimes you need someone to knock a little sense into you. Don't worry."

"She saved mom's life," Leah muttered to her father, "she's not going to hurt us."

"That was you?" Skylar gazed at her with new respect. Natania nodded once. "Thank you," he said softly.

Natania's pelt twitched uncomfortably. She didn't want their gratitude, she wasn't a hero. "You're welcome," she said stiffly, aware that this exact conversation was why Leah was pissed at her to begin with. Leah narrowed her eyes.

Naomi ducked her head again. Natania padded forward and put her muzzle on the wolf's head. "I'm glad you are both safe. It was a brutal battle." She nudged Skylar with her nose then backed off and jerked her head at Leah.

"I need to talk to you." She glanced back at Naomi and Skylar. "It was nice meeting you, let me know if you need anything." With that, Natania turned and padded into the trees, trusting that Leah would follow.

"What do you want?" the blue wolf growled when they were out of earshot of her parents.

"You didn't come to training," Natania said, digging her claws into the dirt. It was dry for once, the rain taking a break before the cold seasons.

Leah's ears twitched. "So?"

"So," Natania tried to keep the growl out of her voice, "it wasn't optional. Everyone else showed up."

"I'm not going to train Hayley and Valerie's cronies," Leah replied, snapping her teeth.

"I don't expect you to, but I do expect you to follow orders and show up." Natania growled for real.

Leah turned her back and Natania snapped, losing control of her temper. She leapt over Leah and landed in her path, snarling with real rage.

Leah flinched and took a step back, her head and tail lowering in submission.

Natania's chest ached at that flinch and she stopped her snarl, her ears and tail drooping. She didn't want Leah to be afraid of her. Didn't want the blue wolf to end up like her parents, too scared to even look a more dominant wolf in the eye. "I'm sorry," Natania said softly.

Leah's tail twitched uncomfortably. Natania continued, keeping her gaze on the ground. "I'm just afraid for the pack. This isn't a game. Ten percent of us were lost in a single fight." Natania finally looked at Leah. "I don't want you to be one of them." Her pelt prickled with guilt.

"Fine," Leah said neutrally. "I'll be at the next one." Her gaze flickered a little nervously around. "Can I go now? I have work to do."

Natania set her jaw and nodded. She wouldn't be able to undo this. Leah would always see her as as much of a monster as her father. "I'm sorry," she said again, closing her eyes. The wolf slunk passed her without another word.