things that go meow in the night

Even if she was younger and in some ways less experienced, she knew that she had to lead by example. An alpha couldn't sit back and just let her pack members do their dirty work. Plus, who knew if this creature was carrying some kind of communicable disease? Theo didn't want it bringing any harm to the wolves of Abaven, even if it seemed, well, mostly harmless. "No, no. I'll do it," she said, her voice wavering only a little bit. Corvus felt more like a friend than a mentor and she didn't wish him the burden of this creature's untimely death. She knew she would be thinking about it for a long time.

The stench of burnt flesh was now unmistakable. Theory stepped closer to the creature and quickly broke its neck with a well-placed bite, trying to end its suffering as quickly as possible. Even if her touch was brief, the moment her tongue made contact with the charred flesh she felt her stomach lurch. It was an unforgettable taste. Once the deed was done, she quickly backed up. Theo made no effort to hide her dry heaving but managed to keep down her lunch.

"We should bury it," she added. They buried their own dead to protect the corpses from other scavengers and she felt like this small creature deserved the same respect. It had suffered so much. Shaking off the horror they'd witnessed, she refocused her attention on digging a small but serviceable grave. She found herself unspeakably grateful that this little hole was the only grave they had to dig but was too afraid to speak the words aloud. Theory didn't consider herself a superstitious wolf but the volcano was enough to make anyone leery of curses and unforeseen consequences.