It had been several days since the trail had disappeared. With his headlong sprint down the mountain, he had somehow managed to evade not only the pack, but her. That was something that Alvina grudgingly admired, even if she wanted to tear his throat out. The death screams, simultaneously human and inhuman, of the Werebeast he had cut down echoed in a cacophony through her mind, haunting her, driving her forward in that time.

Despite a heavy snowfall settling in on the mountain side, and the she-wolf had remained, making her way down and back up the hillside again and again in efforts to seek out any details they might’ve missed in earlier sweeps. Unhindered was she, even as the icy droplets penetrated her fur, cooling her to the bone. Giving a small pause, shaking her pelt to try to alleviate the chilly grip, it was by chance that she managed to catch the faint, wafting scent in the downpour on one of her final attempts. Giving only a quick signal to the rest of the pack, she set out after it. Gliding, bounding through the underbrush even as the snow so insistently tried to conceal any trace of him… The Murderer.

The trail, rather than going cold as she descendent the mountain as she might’ve expected, proved unexpectedly warm. Following the traces of a struggle, the Alpha found her pathway leading back upward, toward the higher elevation of a nearby mountain just off the border of their territory. It was not long after that the penetrating snow gave way to ice, as snowflakes stuck to the trees, the hillside, the foliage… coating everything in a thin, crystalline dusting of ivory.

The color… It was that of bone. Oh how she wanted to leave his amongst the blanket, to be forgotten in the frosty grip of the storm. And yet… What she found was a structure impeding her way. Unwilling to phase back into her human form until was absolutely necessary, knowing the temperature would find greater purchase with her tanned flesh than with her furry hide, she waited until she finally reached the door of the structure. Despite living in her territory nearby for so long, the building was not one she was familiar with. It was with caution that she transformed, slipping silently into the building.

Alvina quickly became aware that the decadent mansion seemed largely unoccupied. Or perhaps, rather, the residents were unaware. Regardless, gathering a loop of fabric from where she’d secured it around her ankle, she quickly hiked up the loose tatters that scarcely concealed her form; a crude dress. Her nose took over as the guide then, even as her eyes flicked about, studying her surroundings and noting potential exits.

Her heart pounded, as she was drawn to a heavy wooden door. Every waft of air said that he was beyond the other side. Pressing her lips tight together, with was with a heave that she raised the board securing the passage from the outside, before slipping in. The cold of the steps was harsh against the skin of her bare feet… But her eyes practically seethed with fire as she finally spied him, shackled like the animal he was against the wall. “You didn’t get so far after all.” Her voice held disgust, like a disappointed parent.

She hated him. Even before the man’s lone eye twinkled with recognition, even before he craned his head and strained against his chains to speak to her… The very sight of him caused the bloody image of the slain pack member to flit to the forefront of her mind.

And yet the Alpha smiled wolfishly, taking silent steps forward until she peered at him from the other side of the bars. “We? You are in a cage like a dog. I am free, with a Pack at my back that is prepared to tear this place to the ground to finish you off.” Her eyes flicked over the iron of the confine, a hand venturing to test the metal with a small tug. As expected, no budge. Stepping forward, she tilted her head, eyes studying the lock which secured the barrier of the entrance to his cage. “Judging by the state of things, you are the lucky one. I’m surprised he confined you.” She spoke as if she knew the owner. That was a far stretch. She did not. The place was new to her… And yet she could lie with smoothness. The promise of his flesh splitting under her claws was enough motivation.

She trailed her fingertips over the keyhole, eyes flicking briefly as she surveyed the room. Alert. Thoughtful. Where were the keys? “The one you killed… Even when I offered you assistance. Your life holds as little meaning as their killing, does it not? Is that why you are so eager to toss it away?”

“They know where I am, that is the part of consequence.” She propped an elbow up on the bar the cage as she offered him a bitter smile. “Right, I will just go right ahead and release the dog from his cage…” Flicking a wrist as if to wave the door open, any trace the smile disappeared the longer her eyes stuck to him. Alvina had no knowledge of the manor, no awareness of who lived in such a place… And she had no intention of sticking around and bantering long enough to find out with him. He would sooner distract her, have her cast into the cell with him… And she wasn’t having it.

With the goading that followed as her eyes flicked around the room, she dropped her arm and took a couple of steps back, dropping into a squat so she might regard him at eye level through the bars. A little knot briefly formed between her brows, before she snorted. “You know very well as I that they is not going to be such a thing in a prison. I think you want out a little too much. It’s a shame that I can’t confirm what this man might do to you. If I knew you were destined to die, perhaps I’d let him have his way with you.” Tilting her head, she exhaled thinly, finding herself growing frustrated. In truth, the last her back had heard was just prior to her entry into the place. Perhaps this was not one which she wanted any of them near.

Her silence stretched on for nearly a minute as she considered that thought, before his harsh tone and the jingling of chains caused her to glance up. Her dark eyes focused on him, regarding him as a mother might a naughty child. “What an ugly thing to say. You, who has no pack. You, who probably killed any who have cared for you. You have no one. Nothing. Nobody coming to save you in this place. I would have helped, you know. But you proved your worth to me when you killed without someone who had done nothing to you.” Her tone was level, but her eyes every bit as fiery as they were in her wolfen form. “Do you know what gives life meaning? Having people to love, to care for. People to make you strong. People to hope for. To fight for, to build something better for. A purpose. You? You are nothing. It is not a question of worth when there is no comparison to be made.”

Rising to her feet, she loomed for a moment, staring down at him, before turning on her heel, intending to make her way back up the stairs to go find the blasted keys...