Pack Mentality
San runs to the people she trusts.
Set: Late May 2021, right after San gets in a fight with another wolf.
Featuring: Merida, Lou, and Belle
@heart-of-dunbroch @lou-bonfightme @labellerose-acheron
TW: Blood, mentions of violence, gore(ish)
SAN:
The only covering the young werewolf had were the leaves and damp foliage that stuck to her legs as she ran through them. She was still panting, each inhale drying her throat just a bit more. Blood stuck to her chin and down her front but that wasn’t her’s, it wasn’t of concern. Her blood still trickled from her hand and dripped off her elbow even though it was clutched tightly to her chest.
It wasn’t healing fast enough! And the adrenaline coursing through her small frame didn’t help to stop the flow. It was a wild look. But she was a wild girl. As untamed as her hair after her most recent scuffle that ended her here, running through the forest. She needed help. So San Mononoke fled as fast as she could to the one place she’d felt truly safe since she left her home. A small cottage filled to the brim with books and a family. But she couldn’t go there. No one was home. She went to the second best place, where her family was: the Bonfamille Manor.
Lou had said it was rude to barge in or to show up unexpectedly, but she didn’t have a choice. San was scared.
And it’s not like she could call ahead. So naked, covered in undergrowth and blood… she banged on the door of the manor. “Help. Me.” She begged in between breaths.
TOULOUSE:
There was an understanding between the Acherons that an unexpected knock on the door was never a good thing.
However, Toulouse was a Bonfamille and this was the manor. When unexpected knocks were just his mother’s friends, dropping by for tea or someone delivering something for Nounou. He was never informed of plans in advance, just expected to act with grace when visitors did grace their doorstep, whether a workman or the president of France.
It was, most likely, not the president of France at the door at such a late hour, but Lou thought nothing of opening it to see who it was. He had heard someone approaching from the kitchen where he was making tea for himself, Belle, and Hades, the latter two of which were currently upstairs, putting the children to bed. The hour was not so late to have a visitor be unwarranted, he was French after all. They often entertained well into the evening.
He was halfway to the door when he heard the words on the other side of it and the wolf in him perked up. Rushing the last few steps, he unlocked the door and pulled it open. On the doorstep was San, bloodied and terrified.
Toulouse did not baulk. He did not even flinch. “Come inside,” he said instead, opening the door further and stepping away so she could stumble in. His eyes searched over her body for injuries and found only the one on her hand where she was clutching. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into the house, taking her into the kitchen. His mother would kill him if he got blood on the upholstery.
“Sit down,” he said, gentle and firm. “I will be right back.”
Toulouse moved through the kitchen, into the living room, scooping a blanket off the couch. From there, he rounded back into the foyer, stopping at the bottom of the stairs.
“Hades! Belle! Come down, as soon as you get a moment.” He figured, if they did not hear him, the ghosts would alert Hades. Turning on his heel, he moved into the kitchen again, turning the water on in the sink so that it would run hot and then moving to San and throwing the blanket over her shoulders.
“Are you alright?” he finally asked her, laying a hand on her shoulder.
SAN:
Lou acted fast. Swooping her into the kitchen with an urgency she’d normally assume he was cross when he used. She didn’t say any more, only doing as she was told. San had just ran what felt like a million miles to get here. Now that she was indoors, in a pristine manor no less, she felt the waves of terror crash down on her. The werewolf was vibrating in her own skin. She hadn’t noticed all of the noises before but it seemed like everything was much too loud. The birds outside, the humming of a lightbulb, even her own thoughts were amplified. The adrenaline that carried her here was fading.
As Lou stepped away, she shakily took a look at her finger. Or what was left of it… immediately upon unclenching her fist blood spurted from the tip. “Agh!”
San quickly clutched it back to her chest and started shaking. What were they going to do? The people she’d come to know told her that werewolves weren’t treated at hospitals because they were different. San had never considered a hospital until now, and only because she wasn’t healing like normal.
A blanket was placed over her and so was Lou’s hand and she welcomed the subtle warmth of it. Looking back to the other wolf, the one who hadn’t hurt her, she opened her mouth to talk. A moment of silence passed, but San took a breath and said, “I’m fine… but… it was a wolf who… another wolf hurt me.”
It was still difficult to comprehend the kind of betrayal she felt. Why would a fellow werewolf hurt one of their own? It wasn’t just her hand that was hurt by the attack.
TOULOUSE:
Despite himself, Lou was a bit thrilled at the prospect of an injury. After he had been kicked from his medical program, Lou had felt more restless than ever. He had liked medicine, not because he liked healing people, but because he liked the mechanics of it. Liked taking chaos and making it orderly. It was a way in which he could use his condition (bipolar disorder) to his advantage. His brain worked quickly and in emergency situations, it made him feel like the rest of the world had finally caught up to the level that he operated on at all times.
He smelt the blood, which was new, but it was also helpful.
As she spoke, he gently took her injured hand in his, pulling it away from her chest again. His thumb moved to the inside of her wrist, feeling her heartbeat--which was strong, but not thready, which meant her blood pressure was alright. His eyes flicked up towards her at her explanation and his brow furrowed. Another wolf? Was there even another wolf in town? Merida hadn’t told him anything.
“Alright, it’s alright,” Lou said, his voice uncharacteristically coddling. “It’s not life threatening. We’ll get you cleaned up. You’ve lost quite a bit of blood, but I think you’ll be okay with a bit of rest. Put pressure on that and I’ll--”
“Toulouse, what--oh mon dieu!” Belle exclaimed as she came into the kitchen. Her eyes went wide at once. “What happened?”
“Another wolf attacked her,” Lou said in a clipped tone. “Belle, be a dear and get some hot water and iodine from the cupboard.”
“And I’ll call Merida.”
“Yes, do that as well. She should know about this. And hand me a towel.”
Belle hesitated for a moment. “Does it, er, matter?”
“Not right now it doesn’t, just any towel,” Lou scowled at her.
“Sorry, right, yes.” Belle snapped the hand towel off the stove which was usually just decoration and tossed it towards him.
Lou wrapped it around San’s finger and then covered her hand with his, squeezing. “We’ll get you cleaned up and take a better look at this. Hold it just like I am. I’m going to get you some water, oui?”
MERIDA: The call came out of nowhere.
Merida missed the first one. She’d never been one for hangin’ onto her phone and texting the way many people her age were. She preferred to busy her hands and her brain with other things, and living a life sequestered in the woods meant a phone was barely needed.
Until a mad man attacked one of your own.
So when she got the call eventually-- after comin’ in from trekking through Enchantra-- Merida sped her way as quick as she could to the Bonfamille manor. She stomped her way in, not botherin’ to take off her muddy boots even as Nounou squawked behind her about it. There were more serious things for her to worry about. How had the attack happened? Who would do such a thing, eh? And why?
Her brain jumped to the Order. She saw her Da’s face. She saw the Golden Trio’s faces. She wondered if this was a message to her, or if she was just lettin’ her paranoia get the best of her…
“What happened?!” she barked as she walked in and saw a shuddering San. She went to her side instantly. Technically, San was not truly part of her pack, but the wolf did not care for those technicalities. She lived with Merida. She was Merida’s. Merida put her hand on San’s shoulders, eyes goin’ soft. “Who did this to you?”
SAN:
San was not used to all of this fuss. It was just as overwhelming as being attacked was. At first it seemed like everything was slowing down. Belle and Lou, San’s heart rate, the noise, even the bleeding. It all sped back up when Merida walked through the door. “I-- I don’t know who… he was a wolf. Like us.” San said honestly. She knew she wasn’t in trouble, but that was all she knew and it wasn’t very helpful. And the last thing she wanted was to disappoint Merida. A wolf who took her in, and the family she loved; they took a huge risk by letting San stay in town. Especially when a rogue, and mean, werewolf was on the loose and a danger to them all. Had San put her new family in danger?
“I found him in the forest, or he found me… I don’t know if he was looking for me. I swear, none of my pack were werewolves! And none of them survived, even! Only my mother got away, and she’d never hurt any of you. I don’t know who this was. He just ripped my fingernail off and left me alone. I promise I don’t know more,” San cried shrilly. She really didn’t want them to think she had caused this.
TOULOUSE:
By the time Lou had come back with water, Merida had burst through the door. Lou scowled as she tracked mud across the kitchen, but at least they were in the kitchen and not the living room. Thank goodness for small mercies.
While Merida went to coddle San, Lou crouched down next to her. He went to work on her hand. Belle had come by with a bowl full of steaming water and some iodine she must’ve found in the cupboard. Soaking the rag in the water, he lifted the towel off of San’s hand as she whimpered to Merida. In his opinion, he didn’t care much about what had happened, as long as San was alright. He was focused on his task, cleaning the blood from the wound so that he could see the damage better.
It wasn’t so bad, he didn’t think. Besides, werewolves healed rather fast. Even for a wound that was as mangled as this. Still, he held her hand over the bowl and poured the iodine over it generously.
“This may sting,” he said, while already in the process of it.
Meanwhile, Belle was standing, watching, with her arms crossed.
“Did they take a fingernail or...did they take a claw?” Belle asked, though, apparently she found the answer rather rhetorical, because she turned to Merida a moment later.
“I think it is best we let Arthur know. It is entirely possible the Blackwells were responsible for this.”
MERIDA:
Another werewolf.
Of all the answers, Merida expected this one the least. If there was another werewolf--wouldn’t Merida have scented them? The woods were large, naturally, and it had been raining often these days but-- still. Why hadn’t she known there was another werewolf in town that Merida didn’t know about? But more importantly… why would they attack San instead of confronting her?
It was not normal wolf behavior. If it was a rogue, attacking another wolf unprovoked made no sense. If it was a wolf looking to establish its territory, then perhaps goin’ after San… but it wouldn’t have hidden its scent. There’d be other signs. It would hunt, it would push the boundaries, her alpha would know.
Belle’s conclusion made sense then, even if it took Merida a second to catch up. She frowned at Belle. What the hell would the Blackwells want with…
“Is that-- that’s one of the items for the spell?” Merida questioned. She’d been told about the spell, but there were so many parts to it, it wasn’t like she had memorized all of ‘em. “That means they wouldn’t come back, aye, if they got what they wanted? San will be safe?”
SAN:
San hissed and tried to pull away from Toulouse when he treated her wound. “Ow! That hurts!” She whined.
She listened to the conversation and tried to cooperate with Lou, even when it hurt. What did they mean by spells, and Blackwell’s, and Arthur? Who was that and why would he care about her finger being nearly ripped off? “They got what they wanted by attacking me? I don’t even know who they are! I guess he took a claw… we fought as wolves so....”
San didn’t understand the stakes of this. It was all above her paygrade. Lou didn’t seem to be entrenched in all of this nonsense, so she asked him quietly as Belle and Merida spoke, “will my claw grow back? It isn’t healing right…”
TOULOUSE:
“I don’t know,” both Belle and Toulouse said at the same time to their respective questions.
Toulouse had no idea how werewolf magic worked. He felt himself once again growing frustrated with his lack of understanding and the limitations society placed on werewolves and doctors who might like to help them. If doctors actually did research on werewolves, he would know. If werewolves were allowed to become doctors, perhaps he would at least have theories.
“For now, let us just get this cleaned, hm? It is not life threatening. I do not think it needs stitches. The bleeding has already stopped.” It was a gruesome wound, albeit small, but Toulouse was right. The bleeding had mostly stopped. Which, he could only theorize, had to do with the wolf’s magic.
“As for the Blackwells,” Belle said, turning from where she had been looking toward Lou, listening to his diagnosis, “I don’t think Zira is the type to appreciate loose ends but—if the wolf got what it wanted and ran off, I feel as if the chances of another attack are more slim. We best be on our guard.” She shook her head. “We should have been more so before this. I’m sorry, San.”
MERIDA:
Merida frowned.
She felt antsy-- no, worse. She felt like there was a target on their back, and there had been for quite some time right under Merida’s nose. What kind of alpha was she if the Order could slip into town and she didn’t notice? And for the Blackwells to so easily target San, the weakest of their pack? Merida should have been more prepared. She needed--
She needed a real pack. Her eyes slid to San and to Lou. There was no way that Lou would patrol and protect their lands. San wasn’t even proper part of the pack as is. But now, more than before, it felt essential that they fixed that. There was power in numbers, and Merida’s enemies were circling.
“After yer done with that, Lou, we need to talk,” Merida said stiffly, her jaw tight.
Things needed to change.
SAN:
San nodded solemnly at Lou’s answer. She feared the unknown. She wanted her claw back! It was humiliating to have lost a fight this way… and she had to retreat with her tail tucked between her legs. Now, she might have less defenses against further attacks.
At the thought of future attacks, San tuned back into Belle and Merida’s conversation. If the wolf got what he wanted she’d be safe. Unless Zira thought San was a loose end…
I’m sorry, San.
The words hit her like a brick being tossed into a pool, and like the waves San rose. The blanket slipped from her shoulder, but she held it close with her uninjured hand. She was shaking again, but not with fear. “No. I won’t be a target or a loose end, or a danger to you! I can find him. I’ll rip him apart, I won’t lose this time!”
San’s voice was shrill and determined. At the beginning of this, she didn’t think her being attacked by a renegade wolf would affect anyone but her. A year ago, San failed at protecting her family and home. She refused to fail again.
TOULOUSE:
“San,” Lou growled as her hand jerked from his, the cloth bandage he’d been wrapping around it unfurling and hanging like a white flag.
“San, it’s alright,” Belle’s voice soothed. She moved around Lou to put her hand on San’s shoulder, rubbing gently. Lou could feel the girl trembling and he was sure that Belle could too. They exchanged a brief look, Belle’s eyes watery, Lou’s hard. He didn’t like this, not a bit.
He hadn’t acknowledged Merida’s statement, but he knew what she wanted to talk about. And, reluctantly, he was thinking the same thing. Lou was fond enough of San. Not fond enough to share his thoughts with her, but fond enough that he didn’t want her mauled to death. It would be his fault, on his conscience—if he was too stubborn to allow her the protection of a pack.
Besides, Merida might be his leader, but his true pack was his family. He would break any command if it put them in danger, no matter the magic. He managed well enough not engaging with Merida as a wolf unless absolutely necessary.
It rankled him, but it was what needed to be done.
Once he finished wrapping San’s hand, he unfolded his long legs and stood. Moving over to the sink, he washed his hands.
“Belle, take San up to the other guest room. Find her some clothes. Yours or Marie’s will do fine. San, you will stay here tonight. You’ll be safe.” He turned off the faucet and looked over at Merida as he wiped his hands dry.
“We can speak in the living room,” he told her.
MERIDA:
Merida waited as best she could, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she fidgeted. The more she had to wait though, the more everything solidified in her mind so she did not see how inviting San into the pack would be a discussion at all. She was the alpha; wasn’t it her job to act as an alpha? Whether Lou liked it or not-- this was what was best.
And having a plan gave her comfort in the face of so many unknowns. In that regard, there were still things to discuss.
Did they find the wolf who attacked San?
Did they take revenge?
(Merida wanted to, but if it was connected with Zira, then lashing out might jeopardize the mission with the Knights. That thought had her clench her jaw. She didn’t want to involve the knights with her wolves. Or-- the wolf, her wolf, did not want that. She was the one who had to protect her own, and that was all that should matter.)
Finally, Lou was ready. She jerked her head and then they headed to the living room.
Merida didn’t bother to wait. “San needs to be in our pack,” she declared firmly. “There’s no reason anymore why she shouldn’t. It’s the best way we can protect each other.”
TOULOUSE:
Lou followed Merida into the other room, hearing Belle talking softly to San still as she got her up and moved her toward the stairs.
He kept his hands behind his back as he strolled toward the sliding glass doors, looking out over the dark garden like he would be able to see his enemies lurking there in the bushes. Those hands of his tightened at Merida’s words.
Of course, he did agree with her, but he hated the idea of being commanded and by Merida of all people. It was, at the very least, incredibly rude. And it was still not so simple as she made it out to be. Unlike her, Lou did not make these decisions lightly. Anyone in their pack would have access to information that was highly sensitive and highly personal. Information about his family that he needed to protect at all costs. He hardly trusted Merida with it and certainly wouldn’t if Belle didn’t trust her too.
San was still a stranger and a stupid child. She barely even knew what it was to be human. She did not care about Belle and Hades and the children the way he and Merida did.
“We don’t have any obligation to protect her,” Lou said, his voice cutting as he stared at Merida through the reflection on the window. “You and I have an obligation to protect each other and the Acherons. She does not share those values.” It was contrarian to his own thoughts, he knew. San was just a child and she needed help, but accepting her into his pack was a heavy burden and he certainly didn’t want Merida to think that she could just do whatever she wanted without pushback.
“Even if she was part of our pack, that would not have stopped the attack tonight from happening.”
MERIDA:
Merida bristled again. This was exactly why she’d been so firm-- because she’d expected the pushback. Last time when San had been a topic of conversation, she’d let herself be pushed around. But she wouldn’t anymore. She knew she was right. Every bone in her body told her so, and so did the wolf, who had wanted San from the beginning, who did not believe what Lou believed now-- that this attack couldn’t have been stopped. How could he know that, eh? If they’d been a pack… if they had been a proper pack, one that hunted together, who understood each other, who loved each other, then perhaps San would have never been alone tonight to begin with.
She wasn’t going to get angry though (even though she wanted to). She was used to men who looked down on her and dismissed her opinions. She would not be the hothead that Lou thought her to be.
“I disagree,” she said calmly-- though still firm. “I think a lot would be different if she was a pack. We could teach her better. Guide her. And considerin’ the way things are goin-- with the Blackwells-- it’s not safe for any one of us to be a wolf in the woods alone. Besides, maybe you don’t feel an obligation, but I do. And she-- that pup in there-- whether you like it or not, she trusts you, Lou. Weren’t you payin’ attention to how she was lookin’ at you while you were treating her? She wouldn’t betray us-- especially not if she were in our pack.”
TOULOUSE:
“You think. You think it will be different if she was part of the pack because you want her to be,” Lou accused. “You aren’t thinking about anything but your own loneliness and you’re being selfish because all you have is yourself. I have other people to think about. Belle, Hades, the children. My brother and sister. My mother. Nounou.”
He listed all of these people, his heart clenching with every name, as if by saying them it was trying to expel his worry into the air.
“You do not know if she will betray us or not. You, yourself, were a perfectly placed plant to gain Belle’s trust and destroy her family from the inside.” Yes, Lou realized he sounded paranoid but it was also true.
“I know that she is vulnerable, but so are we. So is my entirely Mundus family, minus Hades. You don’t get to make this decision on your own without considering me and the other people we love and want to protect. You don’t get to just dictate whatever the hell you want and expect me to follow along like some spineless fool. That isn’t being a leader,” he scoffed.
MERIDA:
Lou’s words hurt.
Not the rubbish about being a leader-- but the other part. That she didn’t have anyone. It felt like a kick to the stomach. More than one actually, as he went on, as if just cuz he had more people meant he was somehow better than her.
But she wasn’t going to cry in front of this fool. Even if the tears pricked for a moment. They receded, leaving Merida’s eyes shining, but still just as intense.
“I’m not. I listened to you last time, you forget that? And I’m talkin’ to you now, aren’t I?” No, Merida didn’t realize how her phrasing could be better-- to her, pullin’ Lou aside was bringing him into the decision. “But things have changed, so I’m askin’ you to change too. It’s the right thing to do. Not just because you think I’m lonely.” Her nose scrunched for a moment, the anger there in her expression now, even as she tried to push it back. “Which-- I’m not. Because I have people too. I have Belle, whether you believe she should have forgiven me or not. And if you don’t think I would lay my life down for her, for her entire family-- for you too, ye thickheided oaf-- then you clearly haven’t spent enough time in my thoughts. I don’t need San. But I want her. And she wants and needs us.”
TOULOUSE:
Merida’s speech did little to impress or impassion Lou. He did know that she would sacrifice herself for Belle or the other Acherons or even himself or his siblings, but not necessarily because she loved them. In his eyes, she was begging to be a martyr. And martyrs were ridiculous and foolhardy.
And he knew that he technically agreed with her about San. She needed protection and while he was reluctant to expand this stupid pack any further, it was the best course of action. Especially if there was another pack or lone wolf out there looking to hurt his family. If San was just another body between the evils of the world and the people Lou loved—that was good enough for him.
Still, he could not give in without pushback.
“You are not talking to me now, you’re telling me. There was no asking, no getting my opinion. You dragged me in here and started barking orders like a general. I think you, of all people, should understand how uncooperative that makes me.”
And not just because she’d been inside his head, but because he knew that she was the same way. Though, perhaps he was the only self aware one between them. That wouldn’t shock him.
Before she could pop off arguing pointlessly again, he held up a hand.
“I will agree,” he told her. “However, if this backfires somehow, or I sense for a moment that San is not fully on our side and committed to protecting the people we are—she’s gone. Agreed?”
MERIDA:
What! She hadn’t started barkin’ orders--
And she looked back at what just happened and, shite. She heard herself for the first time. She’d been so caught up in being confident and trying to seem like a leader-- especially in the face of this trauma and the danger on their doorstep-- that maybe she had started barking orders. Merida’s face flushed (though it had been hot from annoyance this whole time). Her jaw grit.
She was not going to say Lou was right, naturally. He could pry an admission outta her teeth, though since he was finally agreeing, maybe that wouldn’t happen. No reason to keep troddin’ over all this again and again, lest it all get worse.
But… right. She’d… she’d try to remember this later.
And so she nodded, slow, swallowing down any of her own protests. “Fine. Agreed. Though-- at least-- promise to give her a chance. She’s practically a pup.” And whether she liked it or not, the worry was plain in her face. She glanced back at the room, affection in her eyes too. “She will need our help. It might not be easy at first. But I believe in her, as long-- as long as she has you. And me,” she added.
TOULOUSE:
Lou wasn’t sure why Merida believed in San. In his opinion she was a child (not a pup, please.) A stupid and reckless child who knew nothing about being a human, which meant she was constantly putting herself and others in danger. You know, wild children who grow up in the woods, entirely away from society actually cannot learn how to speak? It is psychologically impossible for them. San was much the same. No matter how he tried, there were always wild parts of her and probably always would be.
These were the parts of her that made Lou uncomfortable—because they reminded him of the wild, untamable parts of himself.
And yet, he could not turn his back on her. The wolf stood as steadfast as Merida. It never doubted, but it was also patient. Waiting for it’s stupid human to catch up to the inevitable.
Lou sighed, but he nodded. “Fine. Let us go tell her the good news,” he said dully.
He led the way up to the third floor, where Hades and Belle were staying. Following the sound of voices, he found San in the room where they had put Opal’s crib. On the bed, Belle was sitting with San. Opal was in Belle’s lap, her head on her mother’s shoulder—clearly having been woken by the commotion and her new roommate.
When they entered, Belle looked up and smiled at them. Lou did not say anything, just gave a nod of greeting and went to lean against the wall next to Belle, crossing his arms.
MERIDA:
Merida came in and she immediately looked to Lou-- but yeah, ‘course the bloke would immediately retreat. Not that he needed to stand next to her while she talked to San, but she would have liked for this to look at least a little more welcomin’. But nevermind the min. She’d never depended on men before and she would not depend on one now. She could only hope that once they all sang together and let San in, then Lou’s frosty exterior would thaw.
She approached San now with a gentle smile, a strange expression for a girl like Merida who wasn’t used to such things. But when it came to San, her heart was tender. The wolf inside her yearned to sleep next to her, to keep her close. That softness bled through.
That didn’t mean that she er… knew how to do this all that well.
“San, Lou and I-- we er...we were talking-- we’ve been discussin’ it for a while really--” Not a lie, this conversation had come up before. “And we think… we want you in our pack. If ye want to join.”
And Merida offered her hand for San to reach out to, if she wanted.
SAN:
San’s anger retreated as Lou scolded her. It was just so frustrating that she’d let some wolf get the jump on her like that. It didn’t just endanger her, but everyone she cared for in this God forsaken place. Belle had done exactly as Lou told her to and San wordlessly obeyed.
They went upstairs and San took the woolen sweater Belle dug out of a bureau. It was a bit big, but comfortable in a way that made her feel safe and cocooned. The creme colored fabric was just as warm, if not more so than her wolf’s coat. San felt bad about disturbing the little one. Opal came to be a classmate, and a packmate to San even if she was human. This family, along with the man Kristoff, proved to her that humans weren’t all bad. After she pulled the fresh clothes over her ragged and tired form she sat next to the mother and her child.
Is a family all she wanted? San longed to have somewhere to belong, but it felt like she was abandoning her real family by being so comfortable here. So when Merida posed the question to her, San paused before taking her extended hand. Morality was still a new concept, loyalty was not. But was being loyal to another family a betrayal?
“Would my mother be safe here if I said yes? When I find her. I just don’t want her to find me and think that I’ve forgotten about her…”
TOULOUSE:
“I don’t think that would be appro—“
“Of course she would be,” Belle cut Lou off with a sharp look before turning back to San and giving her a soft smile. The same one she used on the children. And the same one she used on Lou when he was in pain. It irritated him, being cut off, but it also irritated him to see Belle look at someone else with such affection.
He scowled but didn’t say anything else.
It was a moot point anyway. San’s mother was most likely dead. From what he had gathered of the story she’d told, that was the outcome that made the most sense. Besides, she was a proper wolf. Not a werewolf, so she would like in the forest and have no contact with them. Even if she was still alive.
“This forest is protected,” Belle told San. “By the Great Prince, but also by laws. Wolves are not allowed to be hunted, so she could live here safely. I think it’d be wonderful if you joined.”
“You’re not part of the pack,” Lou told her bluntly, even if the wolf disagreed.
She looked over her shoulder at him and her expression was torn between hurt and indignation. “I wasn’t saying that,” she snapped defensively. “I was just agreeing that I think it’d be lovely.”
MERIDA:
Course Lou continued to make this as hard as possible.
But Merida did not blink. She barely looked at his sour face. What mattered to her was that San had not pulled away. Her hand was slight and gentle in Merida’s own-- even though she knew this girl was strong, capable of much more than she might even think. That was part of Merida’s mission now. Becoming her alpha, she would not only look after San, but teach her that she was no longer a pup. She didn’t need her mum-- though of course they’d not turn the wolf away if she did arrive in Enchantra.
She nodded along with Belle then. “Exactly. When yer mum arrives, she’d be safe here. I would treat her as my own.” She had no problems promising as much; Lou probably felt differently, but well, he could suck on his own toe.
“So… how about it? Will ye sing with us when the moon is full?” Merida said again, gently, hopefully.
SAN:
San felt an ache in her chest vanish. It had been there a long time. Even before her pack was decimated and her mother ran away. Maybe it had been there all her life. Or maybe it started when her human parents left her in the forest all those years ago.
The hollowness San had felt all this time, was a want for a human connection. A werewolf pack was different from what she had known. Wolves aren’t people. And San was.
She looked at the three of them around her with wide eyes. They all looked back expectantly.
She didn’t hesitate to nod. And then she kept nodding, a smile soon forming. “Yes.”
“Yes! I will! Merida, thank you!” She wrapped her arms around the redhead, and her new alpha, squeezing her tightly. And then looked excitedly to Lou, who didn’t seem like the hugging type… but San wanted to anyway. Peeling away from Merida, the short girl threw her arms around his form but quickly retracted in case of protest.
“And you too, thank you,” lastly she turned to Belle, “And you, you may be… human… but you welcomed me into your home and you’re a part of my pack, wolf or not.”
