Grayson followed the grey wolf, Hannah, through the woods, keeping to a pace the weary creature could maintain.  He knew he was pushing her hard.  She’d never been the strongest of them, submissive wolf that she was, but he didn’t baby her.  That would have been an insult to the training he’d forced all of his wolves to endure since he became Alpha six years earlier.  He knew that a pack was only as strong as their weakest member, and while he would never have asked a submissive wolf to fight he wanted each of them to be able to protect themselves should the need arise.  Even the pups were taught the basics of self-defense and stamina from the time they could walk.   It was a policy that other packs questioned, but his own people had taken to it quickly.<br/><br/>She glanced back to make sure he was still following before she broke into a jog again, leading him along the bank of a river and into the water to muddy their trail so that if the worst happened the stranger would not be able to find the way back to their common den and the pups.  A rumble of approval whispered between them, more felt along the pack link than heard and he felt her pleasure at his praise even though she did not acknowledge it otherwise.<br/><br/>By the time she stopped and turned to rub against his side, her tail down and ears flat in submission even he was feeling the strain of the hard run so he knew she had to be exhausted.  She showed no sign of leaving his side however as she gently nudged him towards a game trail.<br/><br/>Within moments he picked up the strangers scent.  Hannah had been right, he was desperate.  He hadn’t stopped to mark his trail, which meant he likely knew he was in another packs territory.  The question was did he refrain from marking territory because he was hoping to remain undiscovered, or was it out of respect.  If it was the later there was a chance he’d let the other wolf live, a small chance.<br/><br/>He followed the trail easily now that the strangers scent was in his nose, Hannah following a discreet distance behind.  He could feel her determination to stay with him, to watch his back even though she wasn’t an enforcer.  The loyalty was appreciated, but he wished she’d turn around and head to safety.<br/><br/>Ten minutes later the scent grew stronger and he started to pick up faint sounds.  He’d found the intruder, but he didn’t think the other wolf knew he was there.  Slowly, carefully, he circled until he was in the path of the other wolf, his ears flat, his tail high in warning as a low, base growl rumbled from his black furred chest, his teeth gleaming.  He’d give the stranger one warning to turn around and leave on the off chance that he did not realize he was in territory that belonged to the Colorado pack.<br/>