Koda curled up into a tight ball, his side brushed up against Maska's. The big male stayed laying alert, head raised and ears upright, his eyes scanning the rainy land just outside their shelter. Maska shot a glance at Koda and gave him a gentle nuzzle with his snout before turning his attention back on the outside. In the empty woods, the only sound came from the rain pattering against the dirt. Maska licked his muzzle, crossing his forepaws before him. His sensitive ears twitched at a sudden sound in the distance, instantly making his hackles bristle and muscles tense. Narrowing his golden eyes, he glared through the misty rain towards the sound, which was now identifiable as pawsteps. Instinctively, a low growl began to rumble in his throat and he pushed himself up to a sitting position, his movement jolting the little black pup from his sleep.
"What is it, dad?" Koda yipped, clambering to his feet. Maska turned his haed slightly, but kept his eyes locked on the outside, searching for the source of the pawsteps. "I don't know. Stay back." He snapped, shoving the pup farther behind him gently with his paw as he stood up. The rain nearly masked any other scents, but one thing was for sure, the pawsteps were coming from a wolf. Maska arched his tail high and growled some more, ready to fight if he needed to, as he was unaware of whether this stranger was an infected blood-thirsty monster or not.
