The veil around her face made it hard to make out much of her surroundings with her eyes, so Ylva had to rely on her other senses to communicate where she was.  The dirt beneath her feet was hard, as if it had been trodden over many times before by man and beast alike.  Surely a pathway of some kind.  The sounds around her were a mix of people speaking in the distance and a soft rustle of wind against trees.  Not a large city, perhaps a small village near an outcropping of woods…  Ylva took a deep breath in through her nose and expected to smell humans around her.  Instead, she found that everyone around had the mark of the wolf upon them.  This is a pack territory…<br/><br/>Antony had not been brave enough to bring her here himself and now she suddenly realized why.  Whatever his plans were for her, they involved another pack.  Antony had not won leadership of her pack fairly, so now it seemed he would go the human route to appease other pack leaders.  Gifts.  Promises.  Favors.  Antony was a wolf without honor, so she supposed this sort of move was all he really hand.<br/><br/>She heard doors creak and open in front of her and the guard guiding her suddenly gripped Ylva’s arm more tightly and he suddenly pulled upwards, but Ylva still stumbled slightly as she tried to walk up the stairs.  She could see them, just barely, as the veil moved forward as she stepped and swayed back.  Her senses were again alert once they entered the building, based on the echoes and few voices within, it was some kind of hall.<br/><br/>“Alpha Valko, we thank you for allowing members of our pack to enter your lands.  We are sure you heard that a new Alpha has taken leadership of the Evergreen pack, Alpha Antony of the Vane family of wolves.  I am here on his behalf.  We know this is more of a human custom, but we thought you might appreciate it anyway.”  Olaf said, next to her.  He was small man and an even more scrawny wolf.  Most packs didn’t have omegas, but Olaf neared that position.  It was why Antony had sent him, because he wanted Olaf to feel important.  To feel like he had power and position above Ylva, even though she would have torn him apart in a fight.<br/><br/>She shifted, flexing her fingers at the idea of slicing his throat, only to wince when the silver wrapped around her wrists pressed softly against her flesh.  It was the only kind of binding that would work and Antony had picked something that looked more like a necklace over manacles.  He wanted her to look like a present, wrapped in pretty paper and ribbons.  Both the silver band and the veil of delicate white fabric made that clear.<br/><br/>“I present to you, Ylva Laurens, surviving daughter of the former Evergreen Alphas.  My Alpha is aware you have not yet chosen a mate and he also knows that Ylva will likely feel unrest within our pack, due to the loss of her parents.”  Olaf reached up to remove the veil, but she towered over him and he nearly stumbled as he reached for it.  The cloth fluttered to the ground and Ylva blinked to try and regain clarity in her sight.<br/><br/>She had been called beautiful before, pale skin and dark hair framing soft features, but it was strange to be revealed like this.  Like her beauty was the only part of her that mattered now.  Like an offering to a human king.<br/><br/>“If you wish a mate, you could not get much better stock than Ylva.  Beautiful, powerful.  Alpha Antony believes she will better suit your pack, but if you do not wish to house her within your pack boundaries, we will gladly return to discuss an alliance through other means…”<br/><br/><a class="username" data-user-id="25" data-username="@Nevermind" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/25/">@Nevermind</a>