PLAYING DRUMS WITH A BLEACHED BONE

Weeks later, Tyberius was still wandering the Amenti lands. He'd never gotten a straight answer from the giant violet-hued female but she hadn't outright chased him away either. He felt that, that meant he had permission. Not that he truly cared in the first place, but good first impressions help in deceiving others. He didn't stay in just Amenti; he explored the area outside it as well. The multi-colored male was deeply proud of himself for managing to survive the winter alone and constantly imagined rubbing it in his brother's scarred face. Maybe one day he'd get that chance.



It had recently come to his attention that the alpha female had fought another wolf for the pack and lost. He wasn't sure what had happened between them, although he would have enjoyed watching the fight for dominance. Soon, he would return to the borders and request to join, but he figured that the tense air would have to die down first. There were some situations in which he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself and this was one of them.



A howl broke the silence, a summoning howl. Technically, Tyberius wasn't a pack member but he was interested in hearing what had happened (and whether the ex-alpha had died for the pack). No harm in going to find out, he thought. I'll just stay on the sidelines, quiet, and lie when spoken to. If need be. His curiosity getting the better of him, he limped toward the source of the sound.



There were a few other wolves already there, two white, one multicolored like himself, and a black female. The black-furred female with the piercing blue-ish eyes was the new alpha, he was sure of it. The way she presented herself before them was worthy of a queen. Tyberius wondered if they would get along. He knew all about coveting things that weren't his and taking them by force.



Without saying a word, Tyberius dipped his head to the black female and shuffled to an empty space. His hind leg was tired, and he took a seat to relieve the pain. His tail curled around him, covering the scarred stump.