<span style="font-family:Carme">As Okomi explained the situation in more detail than he had previously, Claire’s breathing was even and rather intense as well. The fact that he seemed to be testing her wasn’t appropriate at all and she wanted to make it clear that she wasn’t happy with it at all. This was <i>her</i> pack. She was the alpha and no one else had any authority to go against that. If he was going to take shelter within her pack’s land, then he needed to understand it just as well as every single member of the pack did. A fair few of them actually had to learn that the hard way and for a while, she’d been beginning to wonder just how far Okomi intended to push her. <br/>
<br/>
Despite her growing distrust, though, she listened to what he had to say. Her eyes narrowed, though, when he spoke specifically of Holly because she didn’t understand how he could already have any sort of sense of attachment to the poor girl. He’d only just met her as far as Claire was aware. <br/>
<br/>
That wasn’t the main topic at hand, though. The question of their situation was whether or not Okomi was still welcome within the large plantation home, whether or not he was still welcome on their land and whether or not he was still worthy enough to hold a life in the first place. All of those decisions were decisions Claire considered as she listened to him and as she watched him fall to one knee. <br/>
<br/>
Claire really wasn’t sure if that position was appropriate, but she also wasn't’ in a position to question it. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:lightsteelblue"><b>“Here’s the deal,”</b></span> she began. <span class="fixed-color" style="color:lightsteelblue"><b>“I have to go out with a border patrol to investigate the situation at the boundary and I’m taking quite a long entourage with me because it's warranted here. You are going to stay here, in this house, and I’m going to let the rest of my pack know that you’re not to leave.”</b></span> <br/>
<br/>
While he’d be free to roam the house, Okomi was more of a prisoner than Holly was. Claire’s reasoning behind it was simple, too. She wanted to be able to observe and interact with him more before she actually made a decision on whether or not he was welcome. And until she’d done that, he knew too much about her pack for her to want to let him roam free again just yet. <br/>
<br/>
<span class="fixed-color" style="color:lightsteelblue"><b>“And if I hear that you cause the slightest amount of trouble, know that my mind will be made up then and there.”</b></span> The threat was clear and Claire wasn’t going to say anymore. <br/>
<br/>
With that being said, she went to join the rest of her pack that was heading out on the patrol. Claire knew that she had to be a part of it. <br/>
<br/>
Meanwhile, Holly had remained in her room and the wound on her foot had healed quite quickly. She’d learned that it was just part of the werewolf aspects of her and while she was against anything that came with the werewolf aspects, she couldn’t deny that healing was helpful. It made her more reckless than she would’ve otherwise been on top of anything else, actually. Once the door was closed to her room and once she knew that everyone was a reasonable distance away, Holly moved towards the window and opened it as wide as it could go. She wasn’t going to run, not yet. She wasn’t silly enough to do that twice in one day. Instead, she just sat in the window with her feet hanging outside and swinging back and forth.<br/>
<br/>
From her perch, Holly could see all the snow that lined the grounds around her and it was actually quite beautiful. There were wolf prints in the snow as well. She wondered if any of them were hers.</span>