The air around her fell quiet after the last echo of her howl died out. She waited with trepidation, feeling as though the very atmosphere was crushing down on her. There was no howl back. She waited, ears flicking forward, searching for any sound or sign that her family was still here but there was no answer. Nothing.
Integra felt both her heart and her stomach sink so fast she thought she might vomit. If her family were no longer here then where on earth was she supposed to look for them? Was it possible to find them? What if they'd been separated for ever, what then? Anxiety started to mount higher until she saw the approach of a familiar figure. Valentine!
Her ears perked but only for a moment before they flew back in fear as he marched purposely, dangerously toward her. It didn't take an idiot to realize that he was furious at the sight of her. It was then it dawned on her just how long she'd been missing, an entire season…. had he thought she'd just run out on them? On her own family?! She swallowed as he spoke her name, willing her quivering limbs to hold still as she pushed her voice steadily from her lips.
"Rex. I-I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have gone so far looking for herbs, there was a blizzard, I got lost, I didn't mean to abandon everyone like that! I--" The words were welling up in her lungs faster than she could spill them and any words about her journey seemed insignificant to the question that threatened to tear her mind apart. Breathe. It wouldn't do to go to pieces in front of the alpha.
![[Image: yKuOSHo.png]](http://i.imgur.com/yKuOSHo.png)
