New Season, New Leaf (EBONY)

Max would give each of the Ebony arrivals after himself a small smile and respectful nod. To the unknown male who sat staring at the alpha he would give nothing but a suspicious look as the man had acted as if Katja was the only wolf in the area. To all three of the Xanilov children he would give a larger more welcoming smile, though he had not expected the return of any of them. Svetlana however would not be so welcoming to her elder sister. Soon Callisto would arrive and pull his attention from the silently quarreling sisters.

She did not look happy nor mad about the festival being over and a meeting being called, then again she never seemed to let any emotion show upon her face. As she seated herself next to him, she would receive a friendly smile of her very own. She had been the wolf who he had spent the most time with since he had joined Ebony and he found himself growing quite fond of her.

Katja was the one to pull his attention from the girl at his side immediately and shockingly. The first words to spill from the woman's maw had meant nothing to him as he had known this was true from the moment Katja had become Ebony's alpha. What had grabbed his attention and shocked him was that she was stepping down and giving up the pack to pups who had only just arrived home. Why the hell are you putting the packs fate in the paws of two quarreling children? he would scold the woman in his mind though he would say nothing aloud.

Visibly, Valariya's attitude would change. It looked to him as if she had gone from loving and temporarily abandoning sister to acting as though she wanted and deserved to be queen. The girl would turn to her younger and still glaring sister to ask what they would do as if she already knew the answer, only to have it blow up in her face. The outburst Maximous had known was coming had finally come.

Svetlana would begin by stating the obvious, but for those who did not know the two it would be vital information to understand the argument. Something knew to him though was that the young girl did not even consider Raisa her mother any longer. She would finish by telling her sister she wasn't sticking around only to be abandoned again. The fox at her side however would stick around only moments after her to explain to Valariya why her younger sister had blown up on her before fallowing the exiting Xanilov girl.

Already aggravated at the Xanilov princesses, Katja's uncaring nature toward the situation would bring forth a growl so quiet and low that he wasn't sure if even Callisto had heard him. Katja had taken an oath to protect and care for the Xanilov children and Ebony and had even fought for the children. Now he had a small amount of disappointment in her as now she was just going to leave ebony and let Valariya rule. He did not think that either of them were ready, were mature enough, to take on the responsibility of being the leader of an entire pack. Honesty he didn't know if they ever would be.

He would wait silently for Katja to leave before standing and placing himself directly in front of his new 'queen'. He did not bow, smile, nor congratulate her as all those who knew him were accustomed to. Instead his eyes would meet her blue ones. His eyes, face and even the way he stood looking at the young girl who would probably be larger than himself when she was full grown, demanded her attention and respect. He was only a healer, but he was the only one Ebony currently had. With the attitude he had held his hole life, she would show him respect just as he had shown her, her entire life or she could end up with no healer.

"I do not think you are ready to be the alpha, I do not know if you ever will be." he would pause a moment to let the statement of his opinion sink in to the girl before he would continue. "Right now you probably think that I'm nothing more than a mere healer and I don't know what I'm talking about. Fine by me." Again he would stop and watch her face for anything she might say or be feeling before he would speak again.

"But for now, you need to take your place above us, as Raisa and Katja have both done before you. Establish who is staying and who will leave you. Give us our rules and our ranks and anything else we need to know." His voice had been strong and stern but for his final words they would soften back into the calming and friendly voice that everyone was use to. "And when you get a chance, you should find Svetlana and try to fix what is broken. She and Kassander are the only family you have left for sure and once they are gone you cant replace them remember that. As for myself, if you need me for anything after the meeting, then you know where to find me."

With that, the man's face would soften as would his stance and eyes. Ebony was his family now and had been from the moment he had joined them and would do anything for anyone who joined that family. Slowly he would move back to Callisto's side and take a seat right where he had been before. He himself would go find Svet after the meeting and make sure the girl knew that she could come to him for anything. For now though he would sit and wait for Valariya to take her place among them.