The effort to get Holly on her current pack's side was still a challenge. After the misunderstanding, Okomi felt like there was some greater distance between them, though that wasn't the direction he originally thought of since the young wolf was still figuring out her 'awakened' self. Of course, she would be obstinate-- the transformation was against her will, and what's even worse was that the cause was still unknown. Okomi hoped for her sake, that she would recuperate and be able to discuss with her other pack members about her experience or at least share some moments of recollection about<i>that </i>night. At the same time, Okomi sympathized with Holly-- she was in between a rock and a hard place. She was still having trust issues. Maybe the Arapaho could have used better tact, but his own pride stood in his way. Her demeanor was forthright and direct, all outstanding qualities of a potential alpha, and yet her own pride stood in her way as well.<br/><br/>No matter how hard she wanted to escape it, she wasn't left with much choice. However, Claire and the others were not ill-will people. Their new visitor could have sensed it from a mile away if they had ulterior motives. The poor girl was still in a state of confusion regardless if they were treating her fairly well. But, time was not in their favor. Okomi had to affirm that they were safe. One of the ways of finding out was to perform a shamanic ritual. He would be able to transcend into another plane, look into his enemies' whereabouts and track how far or close they were. Hopefully, Claire would be open-minded to his suggestion.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, the two were left alone while Claire tended to the medical kit. Okomi observed Holly from a short distance to respect her boundaries. He had to remember that it wasn't easy for someone to have one's world turn upside down. He wished to gain her trust, but he would remember to approach his communication style a bit more differently. Similarly, Okomi harbored his own growing pains. Over the months, his memories would flash occasionally within his perturbed mind from being betrayed. Luckily, fate brought him the auspicious meeting with Holly and her current pack members. Now, he just had to be more mindful of his actions. She was still in a sensitive spot and he didn't want to seem like the rest of 'them.'<br/><br/>His russet eyes shifted and gazed at the silly girl, attempting to dress. Admittedly, he thought her hesitancy to reach out to him was rather cute. The Arapaho knew of her process, that she thought about seeking assistance, but in the end, she was still her same obstinate self. One of these days, he was going to get through to her. When she finally settled on something to cover herself sufficiently, his attention was on her, listening to her and her inquiry about his length of visitation.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b35900">"For now, I hope to stay here and be of any help. I have nowhere else to really go and considering where your other pack members are, I am going to say that we are preparing to be on high alert. While we are safe here, in this present moment, it probably won't last very long." </span><br/><br/>Suddenly, their conversation got cut short, when Claire returned, and her tone seemed rather worrisome. While he wanted to bond with Holly, he wouldn't disobey the female alpha's request. His complexion changed within a matter of minutes after overhearing the exchange of conversations.<br/><br/>Then it registered. It was all Okagi's orchestration. Whether he was involved directly or indirectly, Holly's life was<i>forever </i>altered. Right now, he had to conceal his contempt. He didn't want to blow anything out of proportion.<br/><br/>Before he left the room, his gaze fell on Holly again, who was acting much like herself, a bit pedantic, but most likely misunderstood.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#b35900">"Look, Holly. Please listen to Claire. I agree this place doesn't seem like a luxury spot; however, right now our number one priority is everyone's safety. I would advise you to stay where you are and avoid going out. As soon as I am able to, I will tell you what's going on. I just need to make sure my intuition is correct and ensure your leader needs my help. Can you please wait a bit longer? I promise to not hide anything and be honest with you." </span><br/><br/>He stared at the brunette, wishfully thinking that she would try to understand the situation. Her eyes were truly beautiful, and yet he felt like he was being severely scrutinized. Any time they'd have a chance to be alone (third encounter now) something would always pop up. Time was not going to slow down for them anytime soon. The Arapaho then turned his head, allowing his long black hair to swish behind him as he excused himself and followed Claire out to talk in private.