After the howl sounded Konrad was having a difficult time bringing himself back into a relaxed mindset. Taking a deep breath, he looked back to the night sky but couldnâ€™t find the tranquility in it that he had moments ago. These stray wolves were troublesome; he knew it was only a matter of time before they got cocky enough to come after him. And then there was the matter of Adler eying the girl that he was to keep for himself. The boy has always had a soft spot for women and he made a mental note to keep an eye on him just in case he tried anything. He was not going to share this girlâ€™s powers with anyone, he was going to keep them all to himself, he was going to be the one who turned her and had her join this pack. However, perhaps he could use a weak link like his son to gain the trust of the girl? If he played his cards right that might just work, he told himself with a sly grin. She already refused to speak with him so perhaps that would work.<br/><br/>Once again all that would have to wait until they got rid of these mutts roaming around. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he relaxed his posture a bit more. Being Alpha was wonderful and he enjoyed it but it was also rather stressful to maintain control over his pack as well as his territory. He really was getting old. But he was not ready to pass the torch just yet, especially if his son didnâ€™t have the balls to do what had to be done in order to keep balance in a werewolf pack. Maybe it was better for the boy to get thrown out into human society; he wondered how long he would last out there. Probably not very long, he thought to himself, looking over towards Adler, who was bringing more wood to the fire. The fire was still going strong. In many ways it really was the very symbol for this pack. It almost dared any stray mutts or Hunters to come their way and try to strike them down.<br/><br/>â€œKonrad,â€ one of his wolves, one of his betas Sigmund to be exact, approached him suddenly. There were three betas in the group. This man has been in his pack for a very long time and knew how to aid him in running things the way they should since he was also a fan of older ways. He and Konrad were from an older generation, after all, so it should come as no surprise that they stuck to the old way of doing things.<br/><br/>â€œ<span style="font-style: italic">Ja?</span>â€ His response was quiet and he just kept his gaze turned towards the fire. The warmth was still inviting against the chill of the wind.<br/><br/>â€œThe mutts seem to be closing in on our area. Apparently they think theyâ€™re ready to take us, especially since it seems they have found some company. An older pack that was once rivals of ours has been almost completely destroyed and has apparently taken in these mutts.â€<br/><br/>Immediately turning his attention away from the fire and onto Sigmund Konrad could feel his blood boiling. It took a lot for him to keep himself calm enough to not growl; self control was not his strong point when it came to a few things but he managed. They just did not know when to give up, and they must be desperate if they were bringing some old rivals along. Of all the times they had to strike it had to be tonight? Perhaps they knew about the old pact and wished to strike when they felt he would be distracted by the rituals and sleeping off a large meal. He couldnâ€™t help but admire their efforts but sadly he was not distracted at all. In fact he had been out for blood since the first howl and now he was just plain irritated. They have pushed him too far this time, and there was no way in hell he was going to let them take this forest from him.<br/><br/>The Alpha stood from his spot to address the members of his pack that still sat by the fire, who were still awake. â€œLook alive, men, if they want this forest then theyâ€™re going to pry it form our cold, dead hands.<span style="font-style: italic">Dies ist Krieg</span>...â€ He couldnâ€™t help but growl under his breath as he uttered the German bit. The wolves made no hesitation in looking a bit livelier. Their bloodlust towards the human girl was completely gone and they were now focused on defending what was theirs. Satisfied, he turned his attention back towards the girl, â€œAdler!â€ He called out, the young man appearing in front of him a few moments later, â€œTake her back into the cave and donâ€™t let her out of your sight.â€<br/><br/>Adler nodded and gently grabbed the girlâ€™s arm, taking her back into the cave. â€œForgive my father, sometimes heâ€™s a bit too bloodthirsty but he does mean well.â€ He told her in a low voice, his German accent when he spoke English was not nearly as heavy as Konrad's.