Serena
Back in Wolf Valley, our meeting went really smoothly. Alexei talked about all the things we needed to deal with at camp – food, problems, and everything else. Everyone seemed focused and paid attention to everything he discussed.
"That's all for today. Do you have any questions?" he asked more than an hour later. The crowd glanced around and waited for responses. They all smiled and nodded with each other, an indication of the satisfaction they obtained from listening to the leader.
"If none, I thank everyone for attending this meeting. You can all now go back to your daily tasks. Have a nice day and see you all in our next meeting."
The crowd echoed applause and began to disperse, signaling the start of them gathering around the tables to get some food. I couldn't help but smile. This may have been a rogue community, but it functioned like a regular pack. It wasn't perfect, but for those outcasts and homeless wolves with ugly pasts and circumstances, this was already heaven. Well, the success of this may have been due to the inhabitants themselves. But more than that, it was the leadership skills of Alexei that kept everything together.
Wait, did I just compliment that pervert?
Just when I thought everything was over, Lia, who's always full of surprises, dragged me to the side. "Come! I'll introduce you to our leader." Before I could react violently, we were already in front of Alexei, who was now talking with Ollie and the rest of his team.
"Hello, Alexei! Remember the she-wolf you saved from some lawless rogues out in the woods a couple of days ago? Well, she's now fully recovered.” She then pushed me forward. “This is Katniss Sloan, and she's been eager to meet and thank you for what you did." Lia's eyes sparkled as she introduced me to the man of the hour.
It took me a couple of seconds before I could finally gather some words to say. "Nice to meet you, Alexei. Thank you for saving me and welcoming me to the camp." I bowed my head slightly to show some respect. We may have met in an uncomfortable setup, but I knew better than to disrespect him in front of his people.
"So, you're Katniss Sloan," Alexei said with a friendly tone laced with a meaningful grin. "Welcome to OUR camp," he followed as he held his hand for a handshake.
I remembered our previous encounter and felt my cheeks heat up. Damn this guy! I tried to compose myself and remind myself that the person in front of me was the well-respected leader of Wolf Valley. If I were to choose, I wanted to shove his hand away and punch him in the face. But I wouldn't do that. At least, not for now.
So, I forced myself to accept his handshake and uttered a faint "thank you."
"Wait, have you met each other before?" Lia exclaimed, wearing a mischievous glint in her eye, and she exchanged glances between us. I couldn't find any words to say, so it was Alexei who answered her.
"Well, we've seen each other a few times but didn't actually know each other," he answered back with another grin. Then he winked at me, making me frown.
"Wait, what? Where?" Lia pressed further. But before Alexei could satisfy her curiosity, he excused himself and gestured for Ollie to come with him. Lia just shook her head and allowed them to go, but not before shouting another reminder that caught me off guard.
"We are not done here, brother! I've still got some questions!" Alexei raised his hand and made an okay sign as he walked away. Lia shook her head and looked at me meaningfully. Before she could pry on more questions, it was I who asked her differently to change the topic.
"So, you're his sister?"
Lia smiled and nodded. "Yep! That secretive hunk is my older brother." She even nudged my side and gestured her eyebrows up and down. I didn't know what she was implying, so I just chuckled and shook my head.
Just then, another camp dweller approached us. "Lia, the Goldenridge survivor is finally awake."
Hearing the news, Lia's eyes lit up. "That is great news!" She then turned to me and exclaimed, "Did you hear that, Katniss? Let's visit him and ask for his name."
I nodded as we followed the man's lead. Of course, I couldn't tell Katniss that I had already talked to the guy a few times. So, I just shut my mouth and followed her.
After taking a few steps, we finally reached Ashford's room. Lia introduced herself and asked for some details. Ashford spilled the beans about everything, except the part about how we had previously talked and knew each other. I couldn't help but appreciate him for doing that.
"I couldn't thank you all for what you did for me. If not for this camp, I might be dead by now," Ashford exclaimed gratefully.
Lia smiled. "Don't mention it. It's what this camp does for everyone who's in need."
"I wanted to show my appreciation for you guys saving my life," Ashford continued. "Just wait for me to fully recover. I will come back to help with a few supplies at hand."
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Lia exclaimed. "We're happy to help."
"But I insist," Ashford interjected. "It's not a reward or something. It's just me showing how deeply thankful I am for what you all did."
"Well, if you insist," Lia said with a wink. "We wouldn't say no to a few provisions. I am sure our leader will be happy to talk to you further about that. He would be the best person to tell you about what our camp needs. Let me fetch him for a moment so you two can have a talk."
Hearing that, I said, "Ahem, Lia. I need to go back to the kitchen. Can I go now?"
I prayed to the moon goddess that Lia wouldn't suspect that I was only making up some excuse to avoid facing her brother again. So when she said, "Okay," I immediately strode away.